Latest Stories

Most recently published stories in Humans.

Mercy
My sheets smell like gun oil. You could never seem to wash the ghost of bullets from your palm lines. Rifle stains spell out a destiny across the map of your hands. I only hope you remember that my name is written there too. I worry about oil spills, the traces your hands leave behind, painting war between my fingers, through my hair. My new perfume is someone else’s battle, a second hand smoke I’m trying not to choke on.
By Aliza Dube8 years ago in Humans
Evergreen
Chapter 1 “Do you like to dance, Mr. Darcy?” “Not if I can help it.” “No, Wil, no,” Dani ripped the remote out of my hand, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy were replaced by black screen with me looking back at myself lying face first on my couch in day old pajamas. “You can’t do this to yourself. It has been three weeks since that ass hat left. I will no longer stand by and watch you be depressed. I won’t do it. As your best friend I am responsible for your wellbeing after a break up.” I grunted and rolled myself off the couch.
By Jessica Briggs8 years ago in Humans
Spice up the Ham and Intimacy This Thanksgiving!
Here we are again. When we enjoy the part of the year where we reunite with family and loved ones to enjoy food. We look forward to eating the foods we love, cooked and seasoned with love. Let's keep the creativity alive and spice up our favorite foods with a dash of intimacy in the kitchen. Divorce data proves that intimate relationships have been falling apart for the last 20 years. It is important to sustain pleasure in intimate relationships. Most people are too busy struggling with survival requirements. Yet the quality of our closest relationships is often what gives life its primary meaning. We recognize that infants need to be held and touched. They literally fail to thrive without emotional and physical closeness with another human being. This need for connection never goes away throughout our lives. So... when you think of your ideal romantic intimate setting... what exactly is IT that makes it ideal? Take advantage of this opportunity this Thanksgiving to get even more closer to your partner. Below are a few products and tips to help you.
By Ms Rae8 years ago in Humans
8 Manners You Should Be Practicing
Growing up in the South meant one thing — manners were instilled in me from the time I could walk and talk. I try my best to remember the things I was taught and shown throughout my life and to use them as often as possible. It seems as though many people, especially in my [millennial] generation, have forgotten what their mommas taught them! Remembering your manners allows you to make a good first impression, and to come off as someone who has their life together and who really cares about the people around them. Practicing these common, but often forgotten, manners will make sure that you come off well to anyone and everyone.
By Hayley Bonnett8 years ago in Humans
Life
Do you ever have moments when you look at a little kid and see the excitement on their face over a new toy, pots and pans, the first snow fall or even a paper origami boat? Something that can be completely random, yet, they still have this twinkle in their eyes and a grin from ear to ear.
By Shienal Prasad8 years ago in Humans
What to Say When You Aren't Sure of Someones Gender Identity
You just meet someone, and they seem very nice. Their voice isn't too deep or too high. They have short hair, but not too short. Their height isn't too tall or too short. Their engendered clothes hide their body shape. You have no idea how to gender them.
By Isobel B8 years ago in Humans
Twenty-fifth of October
The stain of love Is upon the world. Yellow, yellow yellow My heart broke on the twenty-fifth of October and I don’t think that day will ever be the same again. Twenty-fifth, twenty, t-t-twenty; all bad things begin with T. Terrible. Tornadoes and terrorists and toads, taxidermy and tummy ache and Tracey Sheck from year two who ripped the head off my Barbie.
By Georgie Cox8 years ago in Humans
When You Love Someone, It Is Ok To Give Up
Recently I was scrolling through my timeline on Facebook and I saw this photo, it said, "When you love someone you don't give up, ever." I stopped for a moment and thought about that. Normally in a healthy relationship I would agree. In an abusive one though, this sentiment is like a jail sentence.
By Janet Rhodes8 years ago in Humans
The Effects of Infidelity
I am constantly tormented by the end of my last relationship. If my husband calls to say he will be home a little late from work, I convince myself I can hear a woman laughing in the background during the phone call, even though I know I can't hear anything but my husband telling me he loves me. I can even be mean when he gets home, so convinced am I by his cheating. If he accidentally pocket-dials me I listen intently for minutes on end, just in case I hear another woman's voice. I hold immense hatred for all of his ex-girlfriends. If he goes away with his friends, I convince myself he is on holiday with another woman. I have been known to check his phone.
By Katie B8 years ago in Humans
Partner's Transition
My name is Isobel. I am a 20-year-old artist going to university for a BA in sociology. I am an artist, an animal lover, a vegetarian (and I have been since the womb), lazy, sometimes bitchy, and also very caring. I live in a smaller town with not much to do other than stay home with my cats, go outside for a walk, and deal with the debilitating cold weather that comes with living in Northern Ontario... so basically, I hide in my house curled up under a blanket all winter. I live with my partner who is kind, caring, intelligent, emotional, motivated, sweet, hard working, an animal lover, a great cook, creative, loves to read, a great writer, the best at giving hugs, is warm, loving, oh and he is transgender. Through living it and research I have done for my sociology class on gender, I have come to learn that many people realize that transitioning is BIG for the person going through the transition, and I am not saying it isn't. They are changing their whole life around! My partner is going from female identifying and presenting to the world as feminine, to male identifying and presenting to the world as masculine. He will be going on testosterone injections and going through surgery. It is a really big, stressful, and exciting ordeal! However, not many people realize that their partner also goes through a transition. I have only started to experience changes in myself and my identity once my partner came out the world as male. I start to look at myself in a new, strange, and different light. I see my partner as being who they always have been, I just call them by a different name and pronoun. No biggie. Looking in on myself, I feel completely different. I feel lost. Not to say that I am not happy, I am just left confused. My partner was female when we first started dating. My partner was female for eight months out of our relationship. I was in a homosexual relationship for eight months. I was seen as a lesbian—although I identify as pansexual. (For those of you who don't know, lesbian means girls who like girls and pansexual means people who like anyone no matter the gender.) My identity became solid. I was used to the world seeing me as a lesbian, I embraced it. It became part of me. Now, everything has changed. I don't know how to act, or dress, or walk. I used to act butch, dress butch, and walk like I didn't have a care in the world. Now I feel I can't dress butch because it will make my partner look less manly, I have to act more feminine because then my partner will look more manly... My identity has changed... and I am not sure what it has become. I can barely walk around without questioning if I am walking feminine enough, or speaking in a high enough voice. The stress is tearing me apart. But no one understands, and no one will because the way people look at it, I am not transitioning, I am not being affected by my partners transition. "The only one affected by a transition is the person transitioning," or so I am told. I can only imagine how the next few years are going to affect me. I love my partner with everything I have, and I will not leave them because of this. This is not their fault; I just have to find a new identity. I have to transition.
By Isobel B8 years ago in Humans
Don't Fall in Love With the Illusion!
It's been quite a while since I have dated—about two years, in fact. In my experience, dating men who are immature is hard. And it's even harder when you have people down your throat supporting your (poor) decision.
By Kiersten Fraze8 years ago in Humans
Letting Go of a Toxic Friendship
Friendships are powerful. They bring joy and sometimes they can be destructive. I met my best friend for the first time in 10th grade in high school. For the purpose of this piece, I will call her Abby. Abby had transferred to my high school at that time. There were rumours going around that Abby was weird and annoying. I only spoke to her once in 10th grade and she seemed sweet.
By Jasmin M8 years ago in Humans