The Subtle Startle

One thing you may or may not know about me is that I have a very sensitive startle reflex. Not only do I startle easily, I hate to be startled. It's the underlying source of my fear of fireworks, thunderstorms and balloons. Perhaps the worst type of startle, the one that really stops the heart from beating for a moment, is what I'll call the "subtle startle". This occurs when a very slight noise or movement somehow scares the bejeezus out of you for NO APPARENT REASON. This just happened to me about 5 minutes ago. I was in the open kitchen area of my office, where the microwave, sink, water and coffee machines form a nice little line to the bathroom area. There are several different (carpeted) entrances to the kitchen area--it's kind of like a little Mecca in the middle of a cube farm--so you don't really see or hear someone until they have turned the corner and are right on top of you. I am aware of this phenomenon because I have a perfect view of it from my office (SO entertaining when it happens to someone else) and therefore turn up my hypersensitive hearing and surround vision when I am out there so as to not be startled. Considering the fact that I am just now recovering from a severe neck injury, I should be making every effort not to jump like a kitten on a cactus.
So here's the scene: I witnessed someone else making popcorn. I, of course, had to make my own popcorn because who can smell it and not want to eat it? Enter background noise #1: the microwave. While waiting for the popcorn to reduce it's popping frequency to 1 pop every 3 seconds (1 Mississippi, 2 Mississippi...) I decided I would be a multitasker and wash my Tupperware from my lunch. BIG mistake. Enter background noise #2: the sink. Now add the third confounding factor of my hair hanging down and obscuring my peripheral vision and you have yourself the perfect storm of a subtle startle. It all happened so fast. Just as I thought I might be feeling the floor quivering with the footsteps of an impending kitchen guest, I turned my head slightly to the right and just caught a glimpse of a guy running past me towards the bathroom. Did I just have a quiet intake of breath and little shoulder jump? Ohhhhhh no. Not only did my body jump as if I had been singed with a cattle prod, I also let out this startled, hysterical high-pitched bleat which caused the bathroom runner to jump around and stare at me with shock and confusion! I sincerely hope he wasn't getting to the bathroom totally last minute to begin with, because my mini-scream may have put him over the edge. As he looked at me wild-eyed I could only mumble a lame excuse for my unexpected response, "ooh sorry, you startled me". (No sh*t, Sherlock) He just replied, "oh..." and continued on to the men's room. Dear God, please prevent me from running into that poor man again.