non-character-specific drabble
[Angst, undefined in the people involved.]
After the explosion, after the ringing finally stopped, other things emerged to have also stopped.
When you stirred a cup of tea the spoon didn’t clink, and you had to hold the rim of the cup to prove it hadn’t suddenly become something that isn’t china. When you woke up in the morning on the second floor the birds didn’t make any noise, and the sheets didn’t rustle.
When he comes home and kisses you on the cheek you don’t hear the purse of his lips release itself.
But he knows how to say your name at a low enough pitch for you to hear it, and most of the time that’s enough.
After the explosion, after the ringing finally stopped, other things emerged to have also stopped.
When you stirred a cup of tea the spoon didn’t clink, and you had to hold the rim of the cup to prove it hadn’t suddenly become something that isn’t china. When you woke up in the morning on the second floor the birds didn’t make any noise, and the sheets didn’t rustle.
When he comes home and kisses you on the cheek you don’t hear the purse of his lips release itself.
But he knows how to say your name at a low enough pitch for you to hear it, and most of the time that’s enough.