Dream I had: a portable silence that got heavier the more I tried to carry it

I'm walking through a green valley after a burn, and there's this device in my pocket that's supposed to store the quiet of the crew's absence. But every time I check it, the weight doubles—like the silence is alive and doesn't want to be packed away. I finally drop it into a creek and watch it sink, and the sound of water rushing is the only thing that makes sense.