Blinks

Blinks

Part I

John Doe always felt as though people didn't fully appreciate what they had. Simple things like friends and family, that everyone seemed to have, yet completely took for granted. They just assumed that people would always be there for them, and they probably will. However, no one seemed to appreciate that fact. For John, no matter how close he became to someone they could be gone in the blink of an eye. Which meant he just didn't blink, but more realistically he just didn't bother developing deep relationships with anyone.
He was "born" in Mini Cove, which actually means when he was 16 he remembers waking up in an alleyway behind the local police department. In Mini Cove, neighbors often showed up unexpectedly with piping hot casseroles to share with each other for the night. Their sense of community allowed hearts to pour warmth and love into everyone. Unfortunately, these customs did not reach John. Not one person in his close-knit community knew he existed. Therefore, he was only able to watch from the sidelines as others expressed their love and devotion for one another. Granted he was only there for a short two days, he still saw the warmth and care that they gave each other.
Ever since that detrimental blink took him away from that, he has been working to refine and control the curse he was given to return to that heaven.

Part II

It had been fourteen years since John spent those amazing two days in Mini Cove. Since then he had been to at least a million other cities, or at least it felt like it. For the first three years, every two days he moved to a different location. It was his own personal hell. No one to talk to, no one to comfort him, and nothing to give him hope to an end. Every day he fought to understand how to control his burden, but the travel seemed to be random with every blink. At this point the longest he could go without blinking was two days. Luckily, he was able to extend that time frame over time, and was gradually able to stay places longer.
Perhaps his greatest discovery was that the longer he was able to stay in a location the more visible he became to the population. He remembers the one time he spent six months in Hope Town. In the beginning, he was nervous, another day another city, but after a week the barista at the coffee shop asked him how his day was. This was the first time someone had spoken directly to him, without simply asking his order, or telling him to get out of the way. He felt welcome, and knew he needed to pour his energy into staying here to build a life of sorts.
It was then that he decided to spend 4 agonizing hours a day researching and experimenting with his issue. He would go to the library and search for any relevant article, or book that had any ties to his situation. There were even moments of pure absurdity, where books of super heroes were pulled from the shelf and read under serious consideration. He wanted to do all that he could to remain in the same spot, and put an end to this excruciating pain of loneliness.
Socialization, unfortunately, only works when you are able to spend time practicing it in the same area over a long period of time, and cannot be taught from a book. Therefore, being alone for so long can really effect how a person reacts to certain situations. That includes the miniscule event that took place and ruined any chance John had at normalcy. The barista from the coffee shop and John quickly developed a friendship that later bloomed into something more. They spent as much time as they could together, and grew closer. The two even began to confide in one another, and soon the barista was right at his side flipping through a graphic novel on Waverider. They became inseparable, and accepting of each other's situations, as the barista had a fear of falling into an everyday routine. While visiting the barista at work one day, he ran into another customer and spilt his burning hot coffee all over the girl he was starting to admire. He felt so embarrassed by what he had done that he just wanted to disappear. He wanted to close his eyes and forget about all of it, and so he did.

Part III

After forty-five years with his gift he was able to go years without blinking. He had now been in the same city for ten years. He had a few friends that he spent time with. He got a job at the local grocery store, Food Mart, stocking shelves. Finally, the goal to settle in one destination and not worry about being ripped away from it seemed achievable, painless, and carefree. There was no threat of leaving, because he felt like he never had to blink again. The work and fighting to control his gift was paying off.
Every day he went to work and then after work he hung out with his friends. They played poker, joked about winning the lottery, and talked about all the things they wanted in life. For the most part his friends spoke of women they wanted to spend forever with, or the next big thing they wanted to purchase. John always had a great time hanging out with them, but they never really cared and loved for him the way he wanted. The way he wanted the barista to feel for him, or the way the community felt in Mini Cove. After all the searching for stability and people to spend it with, the realization that the comfort of a family, or community is what he really needed hit him.
...and then he blinked.