Why Does My Eye Feel Bruised When I Blink Novels & Stories

he said. Blanke turned around, putting his back to me, and walked away. Amon was already back, and I hadn’t rested since this morning. What if he found me breaking his order? “Fine. I’ll welcome him in a minute.” I went back into the room toward the bathroom.“Ah, damn it,” I cursed when I saw my lower eyelids had turned dark and my eyeballs were red. Stinging, like sand had slipped into them. It wasn't because of the time moving from morning to afternoon, but rather the fear and guilt that were eating away my energy until it was gone.

My reflection stared back at me with silent accusation, and suddenly, nothing made sense. Snatching a washcloth, I begin scrubbing my face furiously. Despite how bad it looks, there are no bruises, no cuts, no swelling. “It’s probably just another nosebleed,” I mumble. They’ve been happening more and more often lately, especially after seeing him. Something always worsens after we cross paths—migraines, bleeding, something. I blink, leaning in closer to inspect the reflection. My stomach twists when I spot the whites of my eyes—no longer white, but clouded with a deep red hue. “What on earth?” I whisper, horrified.

All I can think of is downing a nice, cool glass of water. I stumble into the bathroom, half-blind, and after one glance in the mirror, it’s immediately apparent why I can’t see properly. One of my eyes is bruised and blackened, the lid entirely swollen shut. When I press my fingertips to my cheekbone, I wince in pain.

CYRUS’ POV I woke up the next morning feeling hot. The sleeveless shirt I wore was sticking to my skin in all the wrong ways. My legs felt heavy and my head hurt. There was a tightening feeling in my chest and it felt oddly familiar. Everywhere was dark, and it was only when I tried to blink my eyes did I realise that they were still closed. It took way more energy than normal to open them, the irritating feeling of both my eyes’ upper and lower eyelids sticking together ever so prominent. Finally, I was able to peel my eyes open, allowing unwanted light to seep into my sight.

Bright lights surround me, too sharp and blinding to bear. I squint, my eyelids fluttering as I try to make sense of my surroundings. Everything feels hazy and disjointed, like I’m caught in a dream I can’t wake up from. I can barely make out what looks like the interior of a room—maybe a bedroom—but the light burns my eyes, making it difficult to see my surroundings clearly. The sting is painful, and it makes my head ache.

It is usually triggered by allergies or dry weather. As my eyes grew accustomed to my surroundings, I noticed dust particles reflecting from the sunlight that had managed to get past the curtain seams. I also realised that the air circulation in the room is terrible and that the windows ought to be left open wide to let in fresh air because the large space appeared to have been abandoned for a very long time. I hissed to a sudden throbbing in my temples only to realize my wrist was tied. Now that I regret to cause such alertness to my abductor, a man indeed is in the room with me and he is rushed to check on me.

The bruise under Maya’s eye was really hard to miss. It was very noticeable. It was under her left eye, very dark and red. It looked like it was growing on her skin. The moment I saw it, I felt really bad. “What the fuck, Maya? What happened to you?” I screamed. She flinched a little, enough for me to see it. Her fingers got a bit tighter around the strap of her bag as she moved her sunglasses down her nose.

Brightness. Brightness penetrated into my eyes and forced me to open them when I really didn't want to wake up, I felt like sleeping more. I had to blink several times and rubbed my eyes with the back of my palm before I could see anything clearly. I didn't want to wake up and I wouldn't have woken up if not of the light that poked my eyes like I was being stung by an insect.

As I glared at the mirror, I found out how much damage I had inflicted on my opponent. He must look much worse than I am. My left eye was nearly closed with reddish rims around its soft skin. There was a bruise here and there down to my neck line. I don’t feel pain. I can’t even remember what happened. I must have blacked out from blind rage. After all, what I saw was red. How am I to appear in front of my parents looking like I’ve just been run down by a bus?

I regretted the very day our paths had crossed. A low groan escaped my throat as a sharp, throbbing pain radiated from my bruised stomach and shot down my aching arms. My throat felt completely parched, and the skin across my cheek stung fiercely. I cautiously tried to blink my eyes open, but the harsh glare of the overhead light caused a sharp pain behind my eyelids, forcing them shut once more. I instinctively tried to shift my body, but an unyielding pressure held me firmly in place.