I Feel the Earth Move Under My Feet

Ash's new apartment is close to a railroad track. The trains go by sporadically throughout the day, but they aren't really disruptive for the most part. My apartment is about a block further back from the same tracks, so I've long since gotten used to the sound and don't really notice it for the most part. There is one particular train that comes through at 10:43 p.m. that is particularly loud-- I often notice it, and know without looking at the clock that it's almost 11 p.m. and time to get ready for bed-- but mostly they form an innocuous background, no more noticeable than the sound of cars on the road. There's always a couple of days when I start sleeping with the windows open where the noise is more obvious to me, but I adjust quickly and stop hearing the trains again.

It's mostly the same at Ash's place. The trains are sort of soothing, like the sound of a familiar clock. There's surprisingly little increase in the decibel level between his place and mine. But the train that just went past actually startled me a little. I could feel the floor of the dining room vibrating under my feet and hear the window rattle ever so slightly. I wonder why that train was so much louder?