Gemotions

The silence, when it finally came, was more unnerving than the noise. After three hours of pounding, banging, and shouted laughter, it stopped. Amelia found herself holding her breath, listening for the next eruption. Her legs were shaky. She slumped into the chair, the sudden stillness amplifying the ringing in her ears.

She felt a tremor run through her. The quiet held a different kind of threat. She chewed on her thumbnail, a nervous habit that she hated. When the front door slammed a few moments later, her whole body flinched. The relief was immediate.