XIII is a collection of short stories that circle around one number and the girl that bears it proudly in black ink under her skin. It is a simple roman numeral followed by thirteen lines. The lines are all there to represent a story and how a life has been changed. Real life is simple. There is no climax, no great adventure, no fighting and explosions around every corner, and no magic that will make everything better at the most opportune moment. But real life is also hard and impossible to explain. Most importantly, life continues through the commercials and past the happily ever after. Yet there are things in it almost like fiction, hard to accept as real. And although shown through stories and fantasies, there are some things that must always be. Such as love, pain, and obsession. After all, without all of those how could such a simple number hold so many people captive?