Arthur reached for his glasses on the bedside table, a familiar morning ritual. He was a creature of habit, and the first thing he did upon waking was bring the world into sharp focus. He’d been wearing glasses since he was ten, and life without them was a blurry, frustrating mess. He lifted the frame, ready to perch them on his nose, when disaster struck. Pop! Pop!
Both lenses simultaneously ejected themselves from the frame, landing with soft thuds on the carpet. Arthur froze, his hand still outstretched, holding the empty frame. He blinked, trying to bring the room into focus, but it was no use. Everything beyond a few inches was a hazy impression of shapes and colours. He could just make out the vague outline of his alarm clock, but the time it displayed was a mystery.
“Oh, brilliant,” he muttered to himself, his voice laced with sarcasm. This was not how he wanted to start his day. He squinted at the carpet, trying to locate the errant lenses. He knew they were somewhere down there, but his vision was so poor he could barely distinguish the dark carpet from the slightly darker shadows. He got down on his hands and knees, patting the floor gently. His fingers brushed against something smooth and round. He picked it up – one lens. Relief washed over him, quickly followed by frustration as he realised he still had to find the other one.
After a few minutes of crawling around, he finally located the second lens. He sat back on his heels, holding the two lenses and the empty frame. He tried to pop them back in, but they wouldn’t budge. He knew he shouldn’t force them. He’d tried fixing his glasses himself once before, with disastrous results. He’d ended up having to buy a new pair.
Arthur sighed. He was supposed to be giving a presentation at work today. He could just imagine trying to navigate the office, let alone present to a room full of people, with his vision like this. He considered calling in sick, but he knew that wasn’t really an option. His boss was relying on him.
He decided to try and make the best of it. He got dressed, choosing his outfit by feel rather than sight, which resulted in a slightly mismatched ensemble. He hoped no one would notice. He made his way downstairs, navigating by touch and memory. He bumped into the coffee table, sending a small vase wobbling precariously. He managed to steady it just in time, preventing a floral catastrophe.
He made himself a cup of coffee, or rather, what he hoped was coffee. He couldn’t see the label on the jar, so he had to rely on his sense of smell. It smelled vaguely coffee-like, so he went with it. He took a cautious sip. It was definitely coffee, but it tasted a little…off. He shrugged. At least it was caffeinated.
The journey to work was an adventure in itself. He usually drove, but that was out of the question today. He decided to take the bus, a mode of transport he hadn’t used in years. He fumbled with his wallet, trying to find the correct bus fare. He couldn’t see the numbers on the coins, so he just handed the driver a handful of change and hoped for the best.
On the bus, he tried to focus on something, anything, to distract himself from his blurry surroundings. He could just make out the shapes of people sitting nearby, but their faces were a blur. He tried to read the newspaper, but the words swam together in a confusing mess. He gave up and closed his eyes, pretending to be asleep.
Finally, he arrived at work. He navigated the office like a blind man in a maze, bumping into desks and narrowly avoiding a collision with the water cooler. His colleagues greeted him with curious looks, but he just smiled weakly and mumbled something about having a bad morning.
The presentation was a disaster. He could barely read his notes, and he kept losing his place. He stumbled over his words and accidentally knocked over a glass of water, soaking his presentation slides. He felt his face turning red with embarrassment. His colleagues tried to be supportive, but he could see the pity in their eyes.
The rest of the day passed in a similar blur. He struggled to complete even the simplest tasks. He made several mistakes, and he had to ask his colleagues for help more times than he cared to admit.
Finally, the day was over. He made his way home, exhausted and frustrated. He decided to call the opticians first thing in the morning. He desperately needed his glasses back. He couldn’t face another day of living in a fuzzy world. As he lay in bed that night, he made a mental note to always keep a spare pair of glasses handy, just in case something like this happened again. He closed his eyes, and the world faded into a blurry, indistinct dream.
Vocabulary Notes
Ritual (noun): A regular or repeated action or activity.
Example: “Arthur reached for his glasses on the bedside table, a familiar morning ritual.”
Similar words: routine, habit, custom, practice.
Ejected (verb): To force or throw something out in a violent or sudden way.
Example: “Both lenses simultaneously ejected themselves from the frame.”
Similar words: expelled, launched, projected, discharged.
Erratic (adjective): Not regular or consistent; unpredictable.
Example: “He squinted at the carpet, trying to locate the errant lenses.” (Here, “errant” means stray or lost.)
Similar words: irregular, inconsistent, unpredictable, wayward.
Navigate (verb): To find one’s way; to deal with or find a way through a difficult situation.
Example: “He could just imagine trying to navigate the office, let alone present to a room full of people, with his vision like this.”
Similar words: manoeuvre, steer, guide, negotiate.
Mismatched (adjective): Not matching; unsuitable or poorly coordinated.
Example: “…which resulted in a slightly mismatched ensemble.”
Similar words: uncoordinated, clashing, ill-matched, disparate.
Precariously (adverb): In a way that is not secure or stable; dangerously close to falling or collapsing.
Example: “He bumped into the coffee table, sending a small vase wobbling precariously.”
Similar words: unstably, insecurely, dangerously, riskily.
Floral (adjective): Relating to flowers.
Example: “…preventing a floral catastrophe.”
Similar words: flowery, blossom-covered, flower-like.
Fumbled (verb): To do or handle something clumsily, especially when nervous or in a hurry.
Example: “He fumbled with his wallet, trying to find the correct bus fare.”
Similar words: bumbled, groped, stumbled, mishandled.
Hazy (adjective): Not able to see clearly; blurred.
Example: “Everything beyond a few inches was a hazy impression of shapes and colours.”
Similar words: blurry, fuzzy, indistinct, unclear.
Oblivious (adjective): Not aware of or not concerned about what is happening around one. (While not explicitly in the story, it’s a good word to describe Arthur’s initial state without his glasses.)
Example (not): Oblivious to the danger, he walked into the street without looking.
Similar words: unaware, unconscious, uninformed, heedless.
Catastrophe (noun): An event causing great and often sudden damage or suffering; a disaster.
Example: “…preventing a floral catastrophe.”
Similar words: disaster, calamity, tragedy, mishap.
Pity (noun): The feeling of sorrow and compassion caused by the suffering or misfortunes of others.
Example: “…but he could see the pity in their eyes.”
Similar words: compassion, sympathy, commiseration, condolence.
Mumbled (verb): To say something quietly and indistinctly, so that it is difficult for others to hear.
Example: “His colleagues greeted him with curious looks, but he just smiled weakly and mumbled something about having a bad morning.”
Similar words: muttered, murmured, whispered, mumbled.
Stumbled (verb): To trip or lose one’s balance while walking or running. (Also can mean to make a mistake when speaking).
Example: “He stumbled over his words…”
Similar words: tripped, faltered, hesitated, blundered.
Story written by Google Gemini 2.0 AI
CC Music: Drifting at 432 Hz – Unicorn Heads
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