Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Humans.
The Great Outdoors
The Wadsworth Atheneum at night was Clara’s happy place. Even now, after weeks of visiting, it never failed to make her smile. As she approached the museum after sunset, notebook and pencil in hand, her eyes drifted to the twin turrets flanking the entrance, marvelling at how untouched by time they appeared. Two spotlights crept up the length of the Atheneum, illuminating the stone-coloured structure in all its glory. The streets were quiet, and the museum was quieter still. Yes, this was her happy place.
The Book of Fame
What do you do when your life falls apart? You land a dead end job waiting tables at a hole in the wall bar that’s within walking distance of the crappy apartment you can afford because your Prince Charming drained your joint accounts and took the only vehicle when he ran off with a side chick to parts unknown. You form pseudo friendships with a handful of regulars who share their own woeful tales. You take up dog walking during the day light hours to supplement your meager income... And you pray. You pray a lot.
Nicole ShippPublished 3 years ago in HumansOur Little Black Book
I close my laptop with a sigh of relief. My little black book full of notes and scribbles still sits open on my desk. I look at the photograph to the right of my laptop, the one I look at every day. “I’m done”, I say to the image of the two of us smiling and eating ice cream: Ella with no hair and me with some sort of braid. The picture was taken the day Ella shaved her head…
Laura Brooker ManningPublished 3 years ago in HumansThe Black Notebook
The world seemed to stand still in the wake of the crisis. Harold looked at his family photos from just before his life came crashing down. Gazing at the picture of his wife, Priscilla, whose beautiful blonde hair was complemented by her white gown, deep blue eyes, and the shine of the Sun behind her, he remembered the day he took this picture. His eyes welled up as he recalled the pleasantness of that wonderful day. She had been accepted into the University and he was about to head out to working on the oil fields. They were to be apart for only a few months.
Daniel Harrison Crawford IIIPublished 3 years ago in HumansParade Loop
“I came here without thinking. Tickets purchased in a fever, like I do every time” I scrawl the line in my black notebook, and like the way it lays on the page, but I don’t want to get cocky.
Cassandra LorienPublished 3 years ago in HumansThe Laureate of the Streets
A fragrant vagrant traversed the pavement with trepidation, as if walking a dusty tightrope. She was well known amongst anyone who was a no one. Famed among the faceless but spat at by politicians and graceless graces.
Chloé LamontPublished 3 years ago in HumansTwo Fallen Leaves
The first thing I noticed was the deafening silence. What happened to the sound of the birds chirping? The sounds of the woodland creatures rustling through the blanket of freshly fallen leaves? The crunch of those leaves underfoot as I hastened my approach? Where was the wind that sent whistling crescendos through the creaking canopy of intertwined branches, or the soft whir of the reds and oranges and yellows as they made their slow, lackadaisical descent to the forest floor? Where was my breath, which had been audibly evident in short, steady bursts of rhythmic huffs and puffs as I hiked along through the crisp autumn air? … Was I still breathing?
Sara MusgrovePublished 3 years ago in HumansLa Mora
Would I find La Mora? For days I’d been stalking Sunset Blvd, circling Echo Park Lake, poking around the Peking ducks hanging in Chinatown markets. And yet, no sign of her buttery suede boots, the waterfall of black hair, the parachute linen shirt she belted into a dress.
In Common
Rumner paced back and forth across his living room holding the phone gingerly to his ear. These conversations were always conflicting. One part of him wanted to talk with Carlos, to catch up with his oldest friend, to inquire about his children, and to complain about work together. The other part of Rumner couldn’t stand the banality of their lives. How many times could they talk about their useless coworkers? How many times could Rumner listen to Carlos go on about his children and where they went to school? Who cared about the new puppy his family had just gotten! It was difficult for Rumner to listen to the off-hand comments Carlos made about vacations he went on, or the dinners he went out to with his family. Inevitably, every time he called Carlos, their conversation circled back to Nicaragua and, like clockwork, their shared past. Resentment rose up and he couldn’t help but spit out a harsh comment on Carlos’ maldita vida.
Camilo TorunoPublished 3 years ago in HumansWhat Grows in Your Garden?
The backyard gate swung open. Helen’s first gaze into our inner-city oasis was met with palpable awe at the sight of our new fixture. “When you said it was unique, you weren’t kidding.”
chris miskec-rhymes-with-whiskeyPublished 3 years ago in Humansessential worker
On his way to work, Charles often liked to stop for a muffin. The muffin shop was warm. The woman behind the counter always had a knowing smile strapped across her face. She was younger than Charles but gave him maternal feelings. Charles hadn’t come to appreciate muffins until he was already an adult, but something about the shop brought him back to childhood; so whenever he had time, he would make sure to stop in on his way to the slaughterhouse.
Vassiliki & DavidPublished 3 years ago in HumansLittle Black Book
There once lived a boy in a faraway town. He was gifted everything he ever wanted; he didn’t have to lift a finger for he had his parent's wealth. With his wealth, he was able to command respect from his peers at school, in public, and at home. Living every day surrounding himself with only the finest luxuries and filling his room with the thing he loved the most: books. Through his books he could visit distant and bountiful lands, full of adventure maybe even a little mystery, he spends all his time reading like an alcoholic drinking away their life. Every day after leaving the gray-toned halls of the school he would visit a small library compared to his room’s marble walls used solely for bookshelves, this library held both miserable and joyous memories for the boy. In his younger days he faced bullying form his faceless classmates before he wore his mask of confidence, he would only escape them by running into the quite of the palace that held the books. He held onto so dear to his crumbling quaking heart, closing off his heart from the sorrow of socializing with the distant world he called home. All of this came to an end one fateful rainy day, the downpour would change the life of the boy.
spirit hunter ajPublished 3 years ago in Humans