Blink

The other day I was taking the bus to Wal-Mart. Nothing special there, just the average 20,000 students crammed onto one bus.

Okay, so that number would be everyone who GOES to my college, but you get the picture.

Let's just say I didn't have enough room to reach up and scratch my nose, or pick it.
Whichever came first, naturally.

I am standing up on this bus and holding onto the steel, which is incorrectly named "Support", for dear life.

After what seemed like an eternal silence, the bus stops. My knees buckle slightly as I hear the tires below me squeal. I see the Target sign looming overhead, and about half of the bus empties.

More than half, actually.

My eyes wander around the public transportation device, looking hopefully for a place to sit because the elderly normally gravitate towards the seats, filling them all.

Out of the gloom in the bus, I spot one.

A seat!

I hurry over, and sit down with a groan as the bus clangs to life again and moves forward with such force it felt as if we were going to take off in T-minus...

I look forward, facing towards the other side of the bus. A woman is staring back at me.

And she is not blinking.

My eyes water as I try to stare her down, but her eyes, staring fixedly on me, seemed to be getting wider by the minute. This woman apparently doesn’t seem to need to blink as much as normal humans do.

I immediately regretted sitting in this seat.

I look past her, out the window instead, but I kept on getting distracted by her un-blinking gaze that was fixedly set upon me.

"I think I know you...” The woman said dreamily, her gaze never waivering. I take a quick look behind me for the humor of the people sitting next to me. They take it up, and laugh as I point at myself and give off a fake, quizzical look.

"Erm...excuse me?” I say politely, finally meeting her protuberant eyes.
"What's your name, missus?” The woman said, staring, unblinkingly at me.
"Uhm...Jillian...” I say tentatively. I look down the aisle, only to see a few people sitting towards the front of the bus, staring strait ahead as if this were their last ride ever.

"What a beautiful name.” She said simply, eyeing me with her abnormally round eyes that gave this woman a permanently surprised look about her.

For some reason I was taking an intense liking towards her eyes, for they seriously looked like they should be popping out of her skull in a couple of minutes. The woman apparently noticed; after all, she hadn't stopped staring at me yet.

"Do you need to ask me something?" The odd woman said, surveying me with polite interest.

From the dreamy look in her eyes now, you would think she got on this bus by accident.

"Er...” I said, thinking fast as an awkward silence followed. I knew that my eyes were still narrowed, staring at the odd-woman's face.

I just want you to blink or something, I thought.

"No," I answered after the awkward silence had passed.
"Ah, I'm sure you will ask when the time comes.” The odd woman said pompously, finally turning her head and staring out the nearest window.

The man who was sitting near the odd woman recoiled in his seat slightly as she turned to him.

I don't think she blinked the entire way to Wal-Mart, and nor did she get off.

With the sun beating in her face for most of the way there, I'm surprised she did NOT blink...

Or squint...

Or even move her head for that matter.

It was the most peculiar thing I have ever witnessed.

Also, one of the most bizarre conversations I’ve had in awhile.

Just a reminder to all of the normal people out there:

Don't forget to Blink!

;-) <<-- Even smiley's can blink!