Up at 4

I awoke at a little before 4 o'clock this morning to the sounds of a woman's pained screams and the sounds of a struggle. It dawned on me that I had to be listening to a rape, and that it must be going on in the alley below my window. Horrified, I went to the window to investigate, phone in hand and ready to call the police. Several months ago I had heard gunshots outside in the early morning, but this was much much worse. My heart raced as I looked for the woman struggling to fend off her attacker, but I saw nothing. Within moments the sounds grew muffled, and I began to think they were moving away from me. I debated whether I should call the police. Should I go outside to help her? But why would they be moving away from me?
The grunting and slapping returned to full volume as I headed back across the room to my bed, and I realized then, to my relief and disgust, that what I was hearing were the sounds of my next-door neighbor having sex. Irritated and still not entirely awake, I got a glass of water and turned on the television. The grunting and hollering continued into the wee small hours, and I tossed and turned, wondering what I'll do if this becomes a recurring problem.