Thursday 8 September 2011

Sixth Entry: Blackout

I woke up before dawn to a dark and cold house. When I tried turning on the lights, nothing happened. The usual warm floor felt like walking on icy needles. The power must have been out for several hours, because water from the freezer covered the kitchen floor, and a terrible smell - spoiled food, I thought - permeated the house. I tried going back to sleep, but no luck. I decided to watch the sunrise instead. I'd done it often when I was a kid, getting up early to catch the best cartoons and watch the light flood over the city like a wave. It was always quite a sight. I shuffled to the front of the house in nothing but my boxers and a thick blanket, ready to catch some rays.

I stood looking out into the night for a few minutes, before realizing that something was wrong. I couldn't see any of the city lights. Outside the window was a darkness so complete that the only thing I could see was my own ghost-like reflection. I went right up to the glass wall and put my hand against it, trying to see anything outside.

Things went downhill quickly from there.

A fist banged against the glass right in front of my eyes. I gave a frightened jump backwards, tangling my feet in the blanket and fell on my ass. The fist descended again, and a tiny crack snaked along the surface of the glass. My mind raced. A burglar? A passing drunk? Who would try to break into a house in the middle of the night? And who would do it by punching through a glass wall? I scrambled to my feet and clutched the blanket before me. A ball of fear had lodged itself in my stomach, and it was going to stay there for a while.

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