When the City Went Dark

The city went dark all at once, like someone had flipped a switch on the world.

Phones buzzed, screens glitched, and then silence. Not the calm kind—this silence felt alive,

like it was waiting. Footsteps echoed down an empty street. Every shadow seemed to move when no

one was looking, and the air felt thick, heavy enough to slow each breath.

Somewhere ahead, something shifted. It wasn’t running. It wasn’t hiding. It was watching.

A warning whispered through the darkness, too close to be ignored. Turning back felt

safer, but staying still felt worse. Curiosity pulled harder than fear

ever could. One step turned into another, and the street narrowed, closing in like