Tinnitus

It is a sound that no one else hears. A fine whistling, a dull rushing, a metallic ringing, a humming that won't stop. Sometimes it's only in the background, barely perceptible as long as the day is loud enough. Sometimes it grows so overwhelming that it drowns out everything else — voices, music, even your own breathing. And the worst of it: it doesn't come from outside. It comes from within. You cannot run away, cannot close the door, cannot cover your ears. You carry the sound inside yourself.