"They just . . . don’t seem to hear it."

December 13, 2021 7:54 AM

A dystopian horror story. "The Sound of" by Charles Payseur (published 2017): "Diego packs more insulation into the walls. The work’s itchy as hell and the insulation isn’t enough to cut out the whine of the Sound, not entirely, but he likes to think it helps." Content note for noise torture and police brutality.
posted by brainwane (4 comments total)

If you are found ineligible for assistance, do you accept liability for any and all costs associated with processing your application, including lab fees and possible additional adjustments? Diego checks Yes.

This is America.
posted by flabdablet at 8:28 AM on December 13, 2021

The metaphor of just… deciding to stop paying attention to the ongoing horror is all too real.

This is fine.
posted by notoriety public at 8:32 AM on December 13, 2021 [3 favorites]

My inner armchair editor suggests a bit of expansion of how life got easier if you just were able to stop hearing The Sound, some previous obstacles just melting away, all it takes is embracing compliance to the Truth. But that guy's always nattering on from his armchair: this story was great! Thanks for sharing it (as well as in general the ongoing supply of short-story links. It's fantastic all around, and appreciated.)
posted by Drastic at 11:42 AM on December 13, 2021 [3 favorites]

god this is giving me flashbacks to when an inescapable Hum started rising up from a lot of the part of Seattle I lived in, including the walls of my half-underground first floor bedroom. Couldn't sleep without earplugs, drove me nuts. And my SO couldn't hear it. At all. Maddening.
posted by egypturnash at 12:41 PM on December 13, 2021