Chapter 5: Fear in the Background
Even in moments of calm, fear is never absent.
The Soundscape of War
In Park Parvaz, youth learn to interpret sounds:
- Jets
- Drones
- Distant explosions
Sometimes conversations pause mid-sentence.
Everyone listens.
Then, if nothing follows, life resumes.
The Psychology of Anticipation
The hardest part is not always the strikes themselves.
It is the waiting.
The uncertainty.
The inability to predict what comes next.
This creates a constant low-level anxiety that shapes behavior.
