She had lived there for ages. When she first arrived, the walls of her apartment were thick. In order to hear what was happening next door she had to strain her ears, even though her hearing was quite good. Over the years, the vibrations, the rise and fall of decibels, the expanding and contracting frequencies, must have eroded wood and plaster. How else to explain? She was nearly deaf but clearly perceived the voices, movements, even the thoughts of her neighbors. They might as well be in the same room as she. They might as well be in her head.
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