The kid in question isn't even mine, but I CAN'T TAKE ANYMORE!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

(sorry -- had to get that out of my system.)

I live in an apartment, on the second floor. Directly below me live 2 Russian immigrants with limited English capacity and one child with leather lungs. The woman actually came upstairs once to apologize if the brat bothered me. I said oh no no, everything's fine ... right ... like what are you going to say? I kept thinking of the final episode of MASH, where Hawkeye told the Korean mom on the bus to shut up the baby and she smothered it.

Anyway. This is a very cute little blond girl, 2, maybe 3, named Anita. Anita screams and screams and screams, day in and day out. I've been wondering lately if she's being abused, because every night between 7 and 10, I can hear a male voice talking loudly to her (but not loud enough for me to make out what he's saying) and some noises like thuds or furniture being moved around.

But, today I had the day off. Except for going to teach class from 4 to 6, and an hour at the grocery store, I've been home all day. Anita has been screaming since about 2 p.m.

I am at my wit's end. I can't adequately describe what it sounds like -- it's not just little baby "I'm hungry/cold/tired" crying, it's absolutely hysterical crying, very loud and just painful to listen to. I mean, it's the kind of crying you hear when people get a phone call that someone close to them has died a grisly death, OK? And it goes on for HOURS.

WTF can I do about this?! I lay in bed at night and listen to her scream her head off and it's very triggering, not to mention just annoying as hell. Is there a polite way to suggest to her parents some palliative measure? I love where I live, but I'm damn near ready to get out just to get away from these people. It's unbearable. Not to mention that if she's being abused, I want to report it, but I don't know how to find that out, either.

I'm taking any and all suggestions. Thanks.

Candy