Gemotions

The phone call ended, and Sarah dropped the receiver as if it were a venomous snake. Her chest constricted, making each breath a laborious effort. The voice on the other end, her building’s manager, had been very clear. Noise complaints, emanating from *her* apartment. She blinked rapidly, trying to clear her vision.

She walked towards the window, the familiar view of the city suddenly foreign and hostile. The world outside seemed to spin, the usual comforting sounds of traffic transformed into a cacophony. She pressed her hands against the glass, trying to ground herself, to find some purchase in reality.

The silence in her apartment was now suffocating. How? She'd been at work all day.