Trail of distraction

You are watching the climax of a film. The character spills forth raw emotion, her expression desperate, voice unsteady, eyes smarting. You are wholly engaged in the scene, empathizing with her as if she were a mirror of yourself, your closest friend, or perhaps your lover. Then, a glistening trail slowly emerges from her nostril. The rate at which it advances downward is proportionate to your level of distraction. As time passes you become less invested in the character's conflict, devoting increasingly greater attention to her runny nose and anticipating the moment and manner in which it will be resolved.