Gemotions

The constant noise was a physical thing, a pressure building in her skull. Maria slammed the window shut, a futile gesture against the din. She felt a need to bite her lip, a habit she'd long tried to break. She sat at her desk, staring blankly at her computer screen. The words wouldn’t come.

Each loud clang from the construction site made her start, her breath catching in her throat. She got up, walked to the fridge, and drank a bottle of water almost immediately. She felt a growing need to avoid anything that could go wrong. The world seemed to be closing in.