Stares Blankly Novels & Stories

I hated looking at Francine’s confused little face, but I couldn’t pull myself away from it. The expression she wore displayed a mixture of panic and bewilderment after I brought up the inpatient treatment hospital. I’ve been through very few things that were more painful than watching the woman I love stare back at me fearfully with such wide, uncertain eyes. I knew my girlfriend was frightened of the unknown, just like anyone else would be.

He has a blank expression on as he's staring at Bella and Bella's chest feels tight. She wants to cry.

Even Wendy was staring vacantly into the air, her eyes blank and empty, not knowing exactly how to react to everything that had just happened. Seeing all this, Stella began to feel restless. She couldn’t even begin to describe exactly what she was feeling right now.

I mumbled to myself. “Minutes and hours pass by and I find myself staring at the wall — blankly. No thought, no emotion, I feel nothing.”

“I-I—” “Sit down, Blakely. Let's talk properly.” I swallowed hard, and sat on the chair in front of him. He was staring at my face, and I couldn't take my eyes off of him because of the expression on his face. It was blank, but I can feel his sadness. What have I done? A deafening silence filled us, and I didn't know how to strike another conversation. He was just sitting there, looking at my face, and I couldn't help but feel uneasy.

Her gaze pinned me in place, a pale white glow humming faintly in the dark of her eyes. “Mom…” My voice barely formed the word. It was half-breath, half-prayer. “What’s happening? What are you—” She didn’t answer. She didn’t even blink. She just stared straight at me with her glowing white eyes without blinking. Like she was trying to study me. I could swear the air between us thickened, pulling tight around my ribs. Her face tilted just slightly, almost curious, but there was no recognition—only a strange, calm hunger.

Only the empty hallway, dull and silent. I frowned and turned back to him. “Adrian… what is it?” Finally, his trance broke. He blinked, once, slowly, like he had just woken from a deep sleep. Then he looked at me, eyes unfocused at first, then sharpening with recognition. Confused. Dazed. As if he hadn’t realized he’d been staring at nothing for so long. “What?” His voice was low, hesitant, like I had pulled him from somewhere far away. “What is that?” I pointed toward the doorway. “You’ve been staring over there… forever.”

I began saying, but realization dawned on me. "Really?!" I asked, now understanding what he was saying, but he didn't turn to me. I sat up, and shifted forward to see his face, before following his gaze to see what he had been staring at. But it was just a blank wall, he wasn't staring at it, he looked absent-minded. I cautiously waved my hands in front of his face, but he didn't even bat a brow. He might have zoned out, or he was sleeping with his eyes opened.

I watched. I categorized them quickly. There were the "Guests." The rich ones drying out from cocaine binges or hiding from scandals. A tech CEO was pacing, yelling into a phone that wasn't there. An heiress with smudged mascara was crying softly into a silk handkerchief she had somehow smuggled in. And then, there were the others. The Blanks. Three people sat by the window. A man and two women. They weren't old, but they looked ancient. They wore the same blue scrubs. They sat perfectly still, hands folded in their laps, staring at the mountains with eyes that saw nothing.

Breathe. I blink hard, trying to anchor myself, when I suddenly realize the room’s gone quiet. Everyone’s staring at me. Dozens of eyes, sharp, expectant, judgmental. My aunt’s smile has gone tight around the edges. “Aiden?” she says, her voice patient but cool. “Would you give a short explanation of your progress on the solar-powered cars?”