That fear of loud noises is called "phonophobia," and it's an insidious little bastard of a fear because, realistically, any sudden loud noise is going to take you by surprise. This is what makes jump scares in horror movies so effective -- it's not a building of dread and atmosphere as much as some asshole poking you from behind when you didn't see them coming. You have no choice but to be startled by a sudden bang in the house because it's not the normal flow of things. Your nerves are immediately set on edge, and like our woodland friends, we feel that creeping panic. In extreme cases, it can be a debilitating condition that makes you panic at possibly the literal drop of a hat, but even in mild forms, you're going to be spooked when you hear an errant fart in the night.
Part of any creature's survival instinct is to be wary of sudden changes in the world around them. Any wild animal tends to freeze the moment they hear a strange noise and then bolt when they feel threatened. Your brain is just a frightened little bunny when you hear a frying pan fall when there's no one in the kitchen, and your imagination will fill in the rest for you. Maybe it's just because you left it precariously on the edge of the counter, or maybe the vampires slipping in through your window are a little clumsy.
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