Hal has been an avid reader of fiction since he learnt to read, and wrote his first short story ``The Shimmering Ring'' (enclosed) at age 8. In the ten years since, his writing style and techniques have matured, and he has explored a number of genres and writing forms, including short stories, poetry and scripts for both stage and film. This collection is a box of delights, covering the period of the author's life until the end of his high school years.