Strange Suspense Stories #49

Technician Bob Carson is obsessed with becoming famous, and when scientists repeatedly launch animals into space, he hatches a daring plan: stow away aboard a rocket heading 1,000 miles up and become the first human to reach such an altitude. But as Bob soars into the unknown, he discovers he's not alone up there—and the Mysterious Traveler reveals a secret that explains the fate of every creature sent skyward before him.

A brilliant but vengeful biochemist named Aldo Kragg concocts a serum to gain the physical prowess of a dog—superior senses, speed, and strength—hoping to command respect and reveal his discoveries to the world. When he tests the potion, the transformation proves far more complete than he anticipated, forcing him into a desperate race against time to reverse the effects before his humanity slips away entirely. What begins as scientific ambition becomes a harrowing struggle for Kragg to reclaim himself.

Allan and Susan Clay's honeymoon takes a horrifying turn when their car crashes on the way to deliver crucial evidence against a corrupt politician—evidence that could stop a devastating dam project and protect land for underprivileged children. Miraculously surviving the wreck, the newlyweds discover they've become invisible, unable to interact with the living world, yet driven to complete their vital mission. What begins as a desperate race against time becomes something far stranger as they grapple with what their survival might actually mean.

When elderly Abner and Ella Noble sell their beloved home to the eager Mr. Grimes, they ask permission to take their cherished old well—the "wishing well" where they've shared a lifetime of memories. As they dismantle it to move to a smaller place, they uncover a pirate's treasure buried at its base, a fortune in jewels that transforms their modest retirement. But Mr. Grimes, consumed by greed when he learns what he missed, discovers that some wishes come with a price far steeper than money.