We have seen the towering thunderheads, the churning updrafts that come before the fire, and the dismal quiet that can suffocate us with stillness. Throughout—in spite of it all, perhaps—there are still stories to be heard: stories about seekers, stories about those who are adrift, and stories about how we find our way in unfamiliar landscapes.

Here are stories from Phillip E. Dixon, J. Anthony Hartley, J. V. Gachs, Gerri Leen, Mark Mills, John Klima, Reggie Kwok, Jon Lasser, Daniel Dagris, and Christopher Hawkins.