The Aggressive Rattle of the Letterbox

Dear Delyara, The postman dropped a single, heavy catalog through the front door this morning, and the metal flap of the letterbox slammed shut with a sharp, violent snap that vibrated right through the hallway floor. The sound was so loud it made my tea spill over the rim of the mug, my shoulders instantly slamming up toward my ears before I could even think. It’s just paper hitting plastic, but inside an empty house, every sudden noise sounds like an intrusion. I stood in the kitchen holding my breath, watching the steam rise from the spilled brown puddle on the counter, waiting for my pulse to drop back down to a normal, human rhythm.