Gemotions

"Hello?" The phone felt heavy in David's hand, his fingers slick with sweat. He repeated the word several times, but the words seemed swallowed by the noise. The constant din. He had just woken up. He felt like he hadn't slept at all.

His neighbor's renovations had started abruptly. David’s eyes darted around the room. He felt a desperate need to flee. He imagined the dust. The mess. The complete loss of peace. He couldn't think. He had to escape, to find somewhere that was silent. He dropped the phone, the clatter almost lost in the cacophony.

He ran to the front door, his heart hammering against his ribs. He flung it open, ready to run. But where to? He didn’t know.