Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Wander.
The Heart of the Mountain
The entrance to the underground tunnel was hidden, patiently waiting behind a large silver-spike bush that had probably sprouted up earlier that spring. Darkness reached to the very edge of the opening, ruling out any hope I had of surveying the inside landscape before entering. It had taken five days, once summiting the mountain, to find this first important piece. The small inconsistency at the base of the wall had initially not presented as anything of importance, but after a time of failed searching, my mind brought itself back to that staunchly white shrub.
By Stella Vanne3 years ago in Wander
The Black Journal of Luang Prabang
The ferry began its familiar docking ritual into Tha Chang, the historic “Elephant Terminal” that sits adjacent to Bangkok’s Grand Palace. The smell of exhaust fumes from the rickety vessel’s gas engine mixed with the waft of street food stalls emerging from the nearby alleyway. My morning boat ride down the Chao Praya River, the River of Kings, was a veritable feast for the eyes. Wealthy condominiums of Thailand’s Nouveau Riche sat next to 100-year old wooden stilt homes that look ready to collapse into the water at any moment. Temples from various periods of Thailand’s history line the river, revealing its long and glorious history as the Kingdom of Siam. After a month of PhD field research in Thailand, I had yet to grow tired of these sights.
By Joel Selway3 years ago in Wander
Snow Lilies
In rural North Dakota, Hunting, a winter-long town, home to less than a thousand, the sun is low in the sky, barely scraping past the tops of the trees. Hunting is isolated but entirely self sufficient, the lake provides water and fish plenty for the townspeople and despite the dense layer of snow all year round, the soil yields a large amount of crops of all variety, half kept for Hunting, the rest exported to the nearby towns of Williston and Epping.
By Alfie Fowler3 years ago in Wander
Frankie's Plan
Frankie’s Plan Frankie was tired. Bone tired. She had pulled another double at the café yesterday, and her feet were still killing her. Today's shift promised to be busy. Frankie would have loved nothing more than to have two days in a row off of work. Like a normal weekend that normal people get every week! Wouldn’t that be awesome? She would never know. She couldn’t afford to have two days off every week! Certainly not weekend days. Those were the big tip days; there’s no way Frankie could miss weekend shifts and stick to the Plan.
By Sheila Dugan Jensen3 years ago in Wander
Visiting NC State Parks
I have visited NC State Parks throughout my life but a recent visit to my local art museum motivated me to try to visit all 41 State Parks this year. The Art installation “Safe Places” by Robert Johnson located at the Cameron Art Museum in Wilmington, NC . The artist visited various parks in NC and recorded in his field journal the complexities and unique characteristics of each park. He then turned his field sketch journal into larger pieces of artwork.
By Shalasha Deese3 years ago in Wander
The Call of Fortune
Donna couldn’t believe it after nearly two decades; she was calling it quits. It was unfathomable to her family, friends, and devoted fans to think she had given up on her dream. How could anyone as prolific and awe-inspiring as she just walk away? Her best friend, Jonah, was livid when Donna broke the news to him. He refused to accept the fact that she’d divorced the one love she managed to sustain throughout her existence. Merely having this vision had saved her life. Donna couldn’t be serious about this at all! Donna’s community didn’t know to consider and possibly would never understand that she was answering to a different calling now. She didn’t fully comprehend her own decision, but she sensed that something deeper was now pulling at her heartstrings, a compulsion of sorts. Besides the call of a foreign desire, it became increasingly difficult to adequately express herself in a world of three-minute videos and 180 characters. Although she still possesses a keen knack for grabbing anyone’s eye in the eight to twenty seconds of attention most adults now allotted for interest in any single thing at a time.
By Cetrina Brent3 years ago in Wander