Gemotions

The dog started barking, a high-pitched, frantic yelp that mirrored the turmoil in Maria’s chest. She had to shut it up. But even the dog's barking was drowned out by the infernal noise.

She slammed the window shut, but it was no use. The sound still seeped through, a relentless intrusion. She felt a sharp, cutting sensation in her chest, the same way she felt whenever someone tried to push her around.

She walked over to the stereo and turned it up, loud, filling the apartment with a cacophony of sound. Let them try and compete with that.