WHAT IF THERE IS NO SOUND AT ALL FOR A MONTH…

Kim sat down on his chair, watching some random YouTube videos on his phone. Yeah, late evenings after work are all supposed to be relaxing. But all of a sudden, the sound of the phone turned off, all by itself. 

  Kim tapped his finger on the screen, checked the volume, but everything was okay. He clicked off from the video, perceiving that he was watching them for a long time anyway. When he got up and started walking, he suddenly realized that he couldn’t hear his footsteps. There was silence…everywhere. 

  Kim tried to say something, but there weren’t any words coming from his mouth. He slapped his ears in frustration, but there was only the pain he could feel. 

  Panic rising through his body, Kim looked out through the window. Something undoubtedly was wrong. 

  There were people out of their cars on the road, looking at each other mutely. Everyone was gesturing excessively and even from a distance, Kim could see everybody’s lips moving, although no voice was being heard. Panic decreasing or increasing, Kim could tell he wasn’t the only one feeling the difference. Something was clearly wrong with the whole public. 

Unsure of what to do, Kim decided he’d rather go to sleep and figure what to do tomorrow when everyone would come to realize what had taken place. 

Two days later – Sleeping had seldom been so cool. Kim woke up with a smile on his face when the truth rammed on him. The sound still hadn’t returned! He looked at his alarm and his mouth hanged open. It was 11 a.m! 

  Despite sleeping long, Kim walked with utter dizziness. Somehow he managed to get to the bathroom but stepped on something flat and fell flat on the face. Oww!

  It was his dog, Toffee. He hadn’t heard Kim coming either. So, animals have also been affected! 

  By fair means or foul, he carried out his morning routine. Then Kim got a message from his friend, Robert, who lived in another city. It read: “Hey! Do you have any idea what’s going on? We can’t hear anything!” 

It’s the whole public then, thought Kim in fright. How do we overcome this?!

  Finally, Kim texted everyone who mattered including his friends and family. All their replies were identical to each other: What the hell has happened?!

Five days later – Life on the planet was slowly coming to normal. Everyone decided that the world must function, and the loss of hearing ability wasn’t going to change that. Five days have gone on in utter silence. People slowly started to hit the roads and some others also resumed their work—but with so sound whatsoever. 

  Kim got out to walk in the city streets and saw a gang of teenagers also taking a walk like him. One guy took out his phone and started to type something. Then, the other guy looked at his phone and started laughing. Others did the same ‘mute laughing’ after taking a glance at their screens. Kim could do nothing other than believing the fact. The world was changing!

Seven days later – Sign language started to evolve as a new trend everywhere. Everyone including Kim decided that they’d learn it as all have grown tired of typing messages when they wanted to talk. 

  The TVs still function, though in an adapted way too. Each show and program now has running subtitles and nobody even opens their mouth. 

  The music is, however, still fictitious. Within a span of seven days, Kim totally forgot how the music sounds itself! As for the playlists in his phone, Kim doesn’t even know if they are playing when turned on. 

Fourteen days later – Voice assistants have become a thing of the remote past, but the newly developed messengers are thriving. Messenger apps now let people send messages with only gestures and no typing. Despite the technologies coming up, people still await sound. 

Twenty-one days later – The world has become perceptible. All the streets ads and road signs have become brighter than ever. Some of them even send vibrations through the air if needed. 

  Speaking of vibrations, the car horns have also started adapting. They now send soundwaves through the air without producing sound. And these signals can also be felt in another vehicle. Still, no one drives fast as they can’t hear a thing. 

Twenty-eight days later – Numerous drivers, pilots, and machine administrators have left their positions, it has become excessively difficult for them. Architects are striving to mechanize transport and apparatus, yet it’s a test of skill and endurance. The amount of flights has decreased definitely and individuals all around the world can’t travel any place, not even to their homes. 

A month later – Kim awakened with a start. It was morning and his phone alarm was ringing.

  Stand by. 

  Ringing? Indeed. Vibrating as well as really radiating that sound. And afterward, all other remaining sounds began immersing his ears, making him go somewhat off the deep end. Vehicles outside, birds chirping, even slight murmuring from the AC—everything shocked him so much that he couldn’t move and simply slapped his hands on the side of his face, covering his ears. 

  What’s more? Life takes another rebirth. 

Conclusion – Following a month without sound, everybody is too baffled to even consider getting about their lives. Nobody understood the amount of sound surrounding them each second. Even now around you, you can try to separate each sound, and you will realize how much commotion is all around us. 

  Aside from the equilibrium issue, nothing really influenced the existence of humankind. There was peace in every place, peace which can’t come even with meditation. People lived their normal lives but forgot how to use their tongues, of course.

Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of my imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or persons is entirely coincidental. || Contents of this story should not be reproduced in any manner without permission.