That noise! Fight or flight response. (A P.S.A.)→[More:]Stepped out my back door about 7 p.m. and froze. There was a loud, high pitched but strangled sound. A woman in serious distress.

Someone being attacked? Someone with a horrible injury?

As I tried to orient myself to the sound a big guy in a red plaid shirt and with a big beard came walking down the alley singing along to the music on his headphones.

Don't forget that when you are mouthing along to a song on the headphones you can sometimes get very loud without knowing it.