The Countdown Freeze

Last year, something strange happened to me. I was walking home when my phone suddenly

lost signal. No internet. No calls. Nothing. Then I noticed something

worse. The street was silent. No cars. No footsteps. No voices.

Everyone around me was frozen. Mid-step. Mid-blink. I panicked.

I waved my hand in front of someone’s face—nothing. Then my phone vibrated. A timer appeared

on the screen. 00:59… 00:58… I didn’t know why, but I felt one thing: When it hits zero,

something bad happens. So I ran. When the timer reached 00:00— Everything snapped

back to normal. Cars moved. People walked. My phone had full signal again.