Gemotions

The note was tucked under her windshield wiper, a flimsy white square accusingly pinned. “Excessive noise. Please be more considerate.” Sarah crumpled it in her fist, the paper crackling like a dying flame. Her cheeks flushed with a heat that spread through her chest.

She went back inside, slamming the door a little too hard. The silence of her apartment felt oppressive, the absence of the music she’d been enjoying earlier a physical weight. She kicked off her shoes, each thud a dull echo in the suddenly cavernous space.

She pulled the blinds, plunging the living room into shadow. The sunlight, once welcome, now seemed like an intrusion. She sat on the couch, her hands clasped tightly in her lap, fingers tracing the worn fabric as though seeking solace.