Gemotions

The drilling started before dawn. It was a dull ache that resonated through the floor and into her bones. She should have gone back to sleep, she knew, but she couldn’t. The noise was a constant reminder of the life she wasn't living. She hadn't left her apartment in a week.

She stared at the chipped paint on the ceiling, tracing the cracks with her finger. Outside, the world was alive. The workers, the new construction, the promise of something different. She was trapped, a prisoner of her own making. The world had gone on without her.

She pulled the covers up, a useless gesture, as the noise continued to build. The sounds were overwhelming, loud. She wished it would all just stop. She curled tighter, wanting it all to just stop.