Silent Night, Dark Sky

James wasn't ready for his night shift when his CPAP machine went silent. At forty five,

the security officer knew something was wrong. His phone was dead despite being plugged

in all night. His wife Kim's phone, completely dead too. They brushed it

off until they stepped outside. Their entire neighborhood in Topeka had gone dark at 9PM on a

warm July evening. Families were mid barbecue when streaks of colored fire blazed across the

sky. Stadium lights at baseball games cut out instantly. Children froze in

pools as an otherworldly glow painted the Kansas plains. People ran to their cars.

Not one engine would start. Phones stayed black screens in trembling hands.