This is a #storygram (mini-stories) from my Instagram, which you can get to via the social media links at the top of this site. I do my best to make them a daily thing for you to enjoy and share with your friends! I really love making them, as they allow me to simultaneously scratch my photography and writing itches while I’m busy with filmmaking. Thank you very much for reading and sharing them! Don’t forget to check out my film Portfolio too!
The Story:
She meant to get lost. Survival was second nature to her, and hiking was her remedy for confinement.
Liz grew up in the Appalachian hills, but living in New York City for three years was making her claustrophobic. The concrete felt cold, like it was something the Earth refused to love. She swore the buildings around her were growing taller in their efforts to block the sky.
This year’s vacation brought Liz to Alaska. She didn’t know what to expect, but she did know how to survive. Packing food, water, a first aid kit, a compass, and a map, she flew to Anchorage and began walking.
Creeks and rivers were her favorite companions whenever she chose to get lost. Two weeks into her hike, she found a small river gashing two hills that looked promising, so she decided to follow it for a while.
On week three, day four she was hiking along her river and looked up to see only trees ahead. Her river seemed to flow into them.
She crept up to the thick tree line and peered through, but all she could see was a brilliant light. Turning around to check, the sun was still behind her.
As she turned back toward the river’s end, she spotted a wooden sign that she hadn’t noticed before. Carved into the sign were the words:
“THE END OF THE WORLD”
When she put her compass in the palm of her hand, the needle argued with itself over North and South. Its wild behavior intensified until the glass cracked, stopping the needle. She was staring at it in dismay when it leapt from her palm and disappeared into the light beyond the trees.
She took a few steps back. The air was unmovable here, and her breathing was the only sound. It was obvious to her that journeying into those trees might mean never returning. But the journey might also mean finding the ultimate lostness she craved.
“The end of the world,” she said aloud.
“How can I resist?”
Liz pulled branches to the side, smiled, and stepped through to the light.