Member-only story

The 7 Stages of Having Something in Your Eye

Allison Gauss

--

1. Hopeful blinking

Something is not right. You absentmindedly blink, a subconscious attempt to avoid the coming battle.

2. Nervous rubbing

You’re still hopeful, but now there is an undercurrent of fear. This could be more than a momentary discomfort. You massage your eye socket with grubby desperate fingers, hoping to dislodge the debris.

3. Seeking a Second Opinion

Maybe you’re imagining this. It could all be in your head. Better ask Steve. But when he says he doesn’t see anything, it’s not relief you feel. It’s despair. There is something there. You just know it.

4. Splashing water

Sweet water, the elixir of life, from whence all existence came. You duck into the office bathroom and douse your whole face over the sink. Fighting every instinct, you strain to keep your eyelid retracted as you toss handfuls of water at your poor eyeball.

5. Mirror Inspection

--

--

Responses (1)