he didn't turn of his cell phone, even though he was asked to turn it off when he first arrived. people have trouble following the simplest directions when they are concentrating on something. i am sure that i am the same way. hell, i have trouble remembering to do important things when my mind is focusing on something stupid. importance does not matter i suppose. when you are focused on one things, all other things are out of focus.
the ring on the phone was not bad. it was not even a ring. just the chirp, from those instant connection service. i am not sure what you call it, but i know that they refer to the noise as a chirp. so, his phone chirped a few times. obviously someone was interested in getting in touch with him and had no idea what his plans were for the afternoon. after a few failed attempts the phone began to ring with a audio ring tone. i would assume this was signaling the owner that there was a voicemail waiting for him or there was a missed chirp. either way, ever five seconds this ring tone would play. loud enough to penetrate the semi-soundproof glass of the testing room. loud enough to bother me in my office.
normally i don't have to wear ear plugs at work. with this loud bastard of a tone playing every five seconds, i was forced to stuff my ears in an attempt to escape it. they worked well enough. i achieved silence. and was reminded the there is no such thing as silence.
there was the static of silence. the hiss, indescribable hiss, that exists in the absence of sound. after focusing on this hiss, the other sounds started to erupt faintly into my mind. growing steadily they reached a level that could not be ignored. my stomach and bowels slowly digesting my lunch. the protest of my body over the copious amounts of hot sauce i had consumed. then the primordial pulse, given to our species through the ages. the flowing of blood. the rhythm to which we function. always there and seldom heard this continues with or without our knowledge. it started faintly as a dull thump, like a coin hitting a thick carpet. not many people would notice, unless they were trying to hear it. i noticed it. i noticed its intensity grow.
the drumming eventually overwhelmed me. the very basis of my life was too much for me to handle. the ear plugs were ripped from their place; i resigned myself to the offensive ring tone.
