The Curious History of Wayfare, Alaska
anorak
/ˈænəˌræk/
noun
1.
a warm waterproof hip-length jacket usually with a hood, originally worn in polar regions, but now worn for any outdoor activity
2.
(informal, derogatory) a socially inept person with a hobby considered by most people to be boring
The story first appeared in an issue of National Geographic. It chronicled a journey taken in the 1970s by a small band of backpackers. While travelling through the woods of southeast Alaska the group stumbled onto a ghost town.
The community appeared to be of modern construction, suggesting it had not been built as a temporary logging town or tribal village. Houses and business flanked a small town square, but there seemed to be no evidence that any human habitation of the buildings had ever taken place.
No maps referred to the community, nor did it exist in state records. If not for the photographs taken by the group, the entire story might have been dismissed as a hoax.
Since the publication of the article, the town (dubbed Wayfare, Alaska) has become a favorite spot for travelers seeking adventures off the beaten path. Many of the structures have been marked by graffiti and are deteriorating due to age and lack of maintenance.
To date, nothing has been found to explain Wayfare’s existence.
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Comments (6 so far!)
Average reader rating 5.00/5
Anorak
Thanks Jim! I think for me, the story sort of stands monolithic, an unanswerable conundrum. What to do with a city that shouldn't be and yet...is? That said, when I went to publish I couldn't help thinking how fun it would be to see the places other folks might take it in terms of sequel or prequel.
- #2317 Posted 8 years ago
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HSAR
I definitely felt the Stephen King angle that Jim mentioned. I love it!
I'll let this stew in my imagination for a while and see if any sequels come out.
- #2322 Posted 8 years ago
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ElshaHawk LoA
Movie set or reality TV set,
people found a time machine,
people traveled to another dimension,
they were abducted by aliens,
it was built for robot AI to live in to see if they could create a society but the funding was cut before the robots were designed,
the houses are really just Transformers and we got the whole 'vehicular form' thing wrong,
It's a town for vampires, they only come out at night,
Someone died before they finished their 3 wishes,
A cult drank the kool-aid
Ok this is getting dark...I'll stop now.
- #2343 Posted 8 years ago
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0
- Published 8 years ago and featured 8 years ago.
- Story viewed 33 times and rated 1 times.
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Jim Stitzel
I want to explore this town. There must be a host of interesting -- and possibly insidious -- little secrets hiding in a place like this. Honestly, it makes me think a bit of something you might find in a Stephen King or Dean Koontz story.