Vacant

There she is again, smooth skin, tiny ears, large eyes with a gaze so distant she appears days away, worlds away. I sit and stare, wondering about her thoughts. She doesn't blink. Maybe she isn't thinking about anything at all, I muse. Maybe she's floating in a meditative state of unwavering empty space, beyond what any of us can imagine. I sit and continue to gaze at her.

Just then, a thought emerges: what if someone is watching me, the way I am watching her? I cast a furtive glance around. No one appears to be paying any attention. Good. I relax in my seat once again, shifting my gaze back to her face.

Her expression is exactly the same as it has been for the past two minutes. An expression of nothingness. Vacancy. What is she thinking about? I have a desperate urge to find out, to understand the person behind this stillness, this depth of presence. My legs straighten themselves and I am walking over before my brain is fully conscious of my motions.

I stand before her, unsure of what I really want. I count in my head "1... 2...." and before I reach 3, a slight shift of her head and gaze bring her focus towards me. The first thing I notice are her eyes. Larger than large. Dark, but clear. An image of a stormy sea on a rainy day flickers in my mind. I can almost hear waves crashing into jagged boulders as I stare into her eyes. She looks at me. I look at her. Time stops.

Wordlessly, I gesture towards the chair opposite her. "May I?" I ask telepathically. She nods lightly. I take a seat. She leans forward, eyes widening, and again I hear the roar of the ocean. Booming thunder. Pattering of heavy water. The sounds of drizzles and storms combined.

A loud buzz sends vibrations throughout the room. I feel goosebumps on my skin and realise I am shivering. I do not know why. I look up as the nearby sign flashes loudly in electric blue: THREE MINUTES.

Vacant

Three minutes is all the time I have left. Three minutes before they take me away. What will become of my mind after the procedure? Will I experience stillness and calm? Will I be forever adrift in a sea of emptiness? Will I have access to my consciousness? I wish she could tell me, but all she does is stare off into the distance with her deep sea eyes.