Gwendy's Button Box by Stephen King and Richard Chizmar
Gwendy's Button Box by Stephen King and Richard Chizmar was first published in a hardcover version by Cemetery Dance Publications in 2017. This is an odd novella of magical realism with a Gothic vibe running through it. The story begins in 1974, when Gwendy Peterson is twelve. Having been teased at school for being chubby, she has taken to running up a series of steps, known as the Suicide Steps, to the top of a hill. One day she meets a strange man in a black hat at the top, who introduces himself as Richard Farris. Farris offers Gwendy a strange button box and although she has been taught not to accept gifts from strangers, she believes the box was meant for her. The box has eight coloured buttons and two levers. The levers dispense chocolate treats and valuable silver dollars, but Gwendy is warned pressing the buttons will cause chaos. She takes the box and becomes its custodian. Gwendy's life improves dramatically. She can effortlessly achieve good grades, is good at sports...