"Human And Non-human Love" by Oleksiy Bryndzey ('18)

My lover Annie remembered me as a human. But Annie saw me as a turtle, an ape, and a salamander. I did not know what was happening to me, I just could not explain.

Annie used to put me in salty water, and for some reason it felt like it was my natural environment. I was a turtle. She talked to me, but I could not say anything to her. I just looked at her. I was trying to make some sounds, but they were very quiet and she could not hear them.

Annie even took me to the scientist, wondering why I was experiencing reverse revolution. I remember that he said that the process should take approximately a year. I myself felt that the process was going on faster.

I heard Annie’s phone ringing almost every other minute. I heard her talking to my co-workers. All the time she was saying that I had a strange sickness. At that time, I thought about all the important meetings I had to have and about one of my favorite books I wanted to read about civilization.  Soon I turned into a baboon, and nobody was calling Annie anymore.

I remember how I use to talk about the world being too smart and that the humans had very little heart, in terms of their actions. I remember how we started talking about poetry in the middle of sex and looking up at the sky, dreaming. It was all weird but I enjoyed it.

One day I wanted to sleep outside. Annie was fine with that. The next morning I woke up and saw fur on my whole body. That is when I became an ape. I remember her eyes when she looked at me. She was about to cry, but restrained herself.

Then I was a salamander. The smaller I became, the more uncomfortable it was for Annie and me. That uncomfortableness was expressed through Annie’s face, which looked more and more, disappointed and made me feel the same.

Finally, I remembered the last day I saw Annie. It was when she released me into water. I just wanted to die that day. I wondered ifI will ever see her again. And if I do, what form, human or non-human will I be in?