Gemotions

The incessant droning was maddening. It vibrated through the very bones of Eleanor. The new neighbors, a young couple, had decided to install a pool. She had tried to be friendly, to offer a welcoming smile, but now, all she felt was a churning resentment.

She sat on her porch swing, trying to read. The book lay open in her lap, but the words swam before her eyes. Every few seconds, the air would be rent by the screech of metal on metal, a sound that grated on her nerves. She felt a flush rising up her neck, her hands tightening on the armrests.

She closed the book with a snap. She was unable to face another minute of the noise. She would have to go inside, hide, to find some semblance of peace.