The Eyes

A Story by Alextheperson

A little short that I wrote last night.

I must ask a question for inquisitive minds. Have you ever been terrified? Surely, many of you will answer in the affirmative. Fear, terror - they are basic, primal instincts, tied very closely with our ancestry. Fear keeps us alive; fear leads to our survival. We fear that which we do not fully understand; we fear that which we understand all too well. Sorry if that doesn't make a whole lot of sense...perhaps I should explain.

Next time you're in a large crowd - say, a subway station, walking about on the streets, a busy airport terminal - look around you. Just look. See with your OWN eyes. Now beyond the obvious hustle and bustle, what do you see? A child nagging his or her mother or father for something sweet? A stressed-out businessman berating his underlings for not paying attention to his memo? Perhaps a lonely traveler, keeping to himself, eyes shifting back and forth?

Just look. Look, and you will see.

Most of us choose not to look; most of us have forgotten how to see. We go about our day to day lives, always skimming over and never really paying any attention to what lies right in front of us - what we have chosen to to remember. Somewhere in the very core of our being, a frightened child hides its eyes and whimpers in fear whenever we (don't) see. Now it's not like this isn't for a good reason or anything - most of us couldn't handle what we choose not to see. Most of us would go absolutely mad, tearing their eyes from their sockets, screaming and shrieking gibberish until they are ultimately subdued by bewildered bystanders. That is why it is difficult - very, very difficult indeed - to see. It has to be done carefully. It has to be done with the greatest caution.

You see, it's all in the eyes.

So, the next time you're in your crowded subway platform, your bustling airport terminal, your busy sidewalk, remember my little story. Take a moment, take a deep breath, and look. Now that you have begun to look, you must now begin to SEE. See with your own eyes what your own eyes overlook, you see? Take it easy. Take it slow. Proceed with extreme caution.

Try not to scream when you see them.
Try not to scream when you see their eyes.
Try not to scream when they see you.
Try not to scream when they see you with their eyes.

They're everywhere, you know. They're your neighbors. They're your teachers. They're your coworkers, your politicians, your friends, your countrymen, perhaps even your own family.

Try not to scream. They know.

Oh, and most important of all - try not to let them see YOU.