Gemotions

The relentless drilling grated on her nerves, a high-pitched whine that seemed to claw at her very being. The Johnsons were remodeling their entire house. She had tried to drown it out with music, with the television, but nothing worked. The noise was a persistent, unwelcome companion. Her husband, Thomas, loved classical music. She could hear him laughing in the next room, but then remembered he would not laugh with her anymore.

She stared at the painting on the wall, the vibrant colors now dulled by her apathy. She hadn't left the house in days. The world felt too bright, too loud, too full of reminders.

She closed her eyes, trying to block out the noise, but the image of Thomas's empty chair at the dinner table was impossible to escape. The drilling continued, a constant, irritating reminder.