Yet when I hoped for good, evil came; when I looked for light, then came darkness.

After the job market deposits recent college graduate Michael into a city far from his friends, his social life, and his girlfriend, an old hobby resurfaces to help occupy his time in his solitude. A hobby he calls urban exploration — the breaking into derelict buildings so he can view a past life untouched by historical renovations.

Hesitant yet determined to break life’s ennui, Michael hastily explores a newly discovered abandoned mansion and with great success. But an unexpected snowfall forces him to stay overnight.

Five men then arrive.

In the mansion Michael finds an illicit remedy to his humdrum life. With each passing day, he finds himself more and more drawn to it. It becomes the object of his fascination. But he knows what’s calling to him. Something different. Something he wishes not to acknowledge. Something deeper inside him.

***

Told from Michael’s personal journal written in 1987, This Calling Master is a literary thriller that explores the thoughts, the emotions, and the actions of one man facing the world alone.