White desk with pink notebook, roses, keyboard, and gold paperclips that Francesca Varela uses to write environmental fiction

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  • Volando – A Short Story

    678 words

         “Ala,” her boyfriend said with his head turned away. “We need to go.” She was named after God. Or wings, according to her Spanish parents. “Uh… just another minute, Sam. Just…”  Her hands were still drying, one resting on each leg. She curled them up like potato bugs. A leaf fell into the water…

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  • Reconnecting With Nature

    971 words

    When was the last time you stood beneath the sky? Perhaps during a few hurried minutes between commutes. If you’re like most people, you didn’t even look up. As a society, we have lost our connection to nature. It seems young people, especially, are deprived of connection to the natural world. Notable groups urge us…

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  • The Figure Skater – A Short Story

    887 words

    Dina stood near the ice with her shoulders hunched over, noting the skater’s lithe jumps and pretty contortions. The rink felt colder than usual on her bare arms. She stumbled back into the lobby. Ignoring the spicy smell of pretzels and churros, she sat on a wooden bench near the entrance. A line of bodies blocked…

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  • Would You Like To Buy The Sunset?

    1,564 words

    A man sits on the muddy sand along the river, watching a band of turkey vultures dip through the sky. He takes the hand of his companion, a young woman whose face is ruddy from walking against the wind. They bow their heads toward the water and listen to it sing. The whole day they…

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