humanity
For better or for worse, relationships reveal the core of the human condition.
For the Love of Money
$20,000. It was more than I had earned all last year between my waitress job and working at the convenience market. In cash. I held the dirty envelope in my trembling fingers and counted it again. I could pay the rent and the bills and have a decent steak. My mouth watered at the prospect. While the burger joint let me have a burger mistake now and then, ramen noodles can get real old after a year or two. I couldn’t help but notice that this wasn’t a smooth stack of sequential dollars; it was a pile of crinkled, used, notes. I felt that someone had taken a while to put this money together. Maybe it was some waiter’s tips or some poor girl had taken these out of her G-string. Some of them really do want to go to law school, you know. Guilt started to rear its unwelcome head. I sighed.
By beth devlin5 years ago in Humans
I’M CANCER, RIGHT?
I was born on the longest day of the year, June 21 1999 at exactly one forty in the afternoon, after a mild earthquake shook the ground. Were those The Zodiac Gods battling over whose team I would be on? Well bad news Gemini God, I am all Cancer.
By Dany Elizarraras5 years ago in Humans
All That Avocado Toast
I’m in an existential crisis. Here’s how my days start: I roll over and reach for my phone before my eyes kick in. Of course, I’ve slept in my contacts again; I’m a terrible person. I blink until I can read the screen. Once I drag myself out of bed, I put on a podcast about whatever show I’ve been binging and keep as quiet as I can while I’m getting ready for work. My roommates, Nina and Chris, work late nights in bars downtown. They’re usually going to bed when my day begins. I’m not a morning person either, but whenever I get too envious over them working nights, they come back with, “At least you have health insurance,” and that shuts me up. All three of us have master’s degrees.
By Katey Ferreira5 years ago in Humans
Celebrate Life
Miranda squinted up at the man approaching. Annoyed by the disturbance in her brief moments of soaking up sunshine, she raised from her perch on the porch to greet him. He was grinning, bounding toward her, a sharp contrast to her inner turmoil, though you wouldn’t be able to tell from looking at her. Miranda was dressed like a carefree summer day. Her long, curled, shiny locks spilled around her shoulders while her yellow floral dress danced in the light breeze.
By Kelly Herndon5 years ago in Humans
Sidework
I imagine I resembled a gastrointestinally compromised penguin, shuffling down that icy hill. At the back entrance I flirted with shattered ribs in front of the chain-smoking staff who seem never to move from that exact spot, as if nothing pleases them more than hypothermia and tardy bussers.
By Everett Spink5 years ago in Humans
A Growth On The Mind?
A Growth On The Mind? The empty frustration evoked by the simple note on the door was profound. I had travelled six hundred miles with growing expectations, only to find that the position I had worked so hard to secure no longer existed. The company had closed. They had not even taken the time to notify me.
By Don Bremner5 years ago in Humans
One For The Angels
CRASH!! Greg always wondered how he’d react to seeing someone hit by a cab. He was walking his usual route home- down 5th passing Madison; when out of nowhere a cab screeched to a halt in front of him. Even more out of nowhere was the man that flew over the hood and rolled across the windshield; his gray Herringbone suit offering precious little in the way of cushion.
By Jonathan Green5 years ago in Humans
Everything happens for a reason
Beep, beep, beep, is the sound from Earnie’s alarm. He looks over at his clock as he does most mornings and it was flashing 7:30 am time to get up for work. You see, Earnie is very accident prone, just last week he ended up hitting a deer with his brand new car! Yes, I also asked myself, “an accident prone guy buying a brand new car?” Why? But, Earnie hemmed and hawed about it for a few days until he finally made the jump and bought it. But anyways, Earnie snoozes his alarm again and again until he has just enough time to get ready and leave for work. Needless to say, Earnie was very hungry this particular morning and wasn’t in the happiest of moods either. Earnie will never forget what happened on this day, and will start questioning this very moment and every moment after that.
By James Prough5 years ago in Humans
