"You're running on fumes."
Irene's voice sounded like it was coming from a million miles away. A million-mile echo traveling down a million-mile tunnel. Which admittedly came off as a bit peculiar to me considering the fact that she was severely literally merely a hair's breadth away from my face.
So close that I could see the individual strands of her long eyelashes fluttering away, see the micro twitches in her cheek muscles… things I never cared to notice, but now I did, immensely, because if I didn't, I fear I might slip away again.
Needed something to focus on, and Irene's face just fits the bill perfect. This wasn't me being creepy, this was me trying not to faceplant onto the hard porcelain floor.
It barely helped though. When anyone spoke, when she spoke… there was almost like a delay, her lips would move, her mouth would open, but it would be like full two seconds later before her voice would actually reach my ears.