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Once I finish it off, I’m about to grab my bag when the lights shut off. No, not just the lights. Everything shuts off except for the soft illumination of the emergency lights. It’s not enough to stop the panic from crawling up my throat.
The city, no matter if you’re in the center of Manhattan or if you’re in a borough, is never quiet. Never. For a moment, everything goes still and silence reigns.
It’s also just long enough for me to start to panic a little. I pull my phone out of my pocket and turn on the flashlight, but my phone beeps at me to tell me it’s almost dead. Perfect.
What the fuck is going on with today? I don’t like it one bit and I would like to go back and start the day fresh. It’s far too dark and when I make my way into the main part of the bakery, the way the snow is coming down outside the windows along with the dark streets fills me with dread.
I should have left with my sisters.
What was I thinking? Now all I have are some gingerbread éclairs and a gut full of fear. I’m not a child who is afraid of the dark or anything, but this kind of darkness is eerie. I’m used to being surrounded by some light. It’s inevitable in the city and the surrounding boroughs. We don’t do pure darkness.
You might not be able to see the stars that well because of the light pollution, but you also know you aren’t alone in the world. Right now it feels like there is no one else out there beyond the darkness. I make my way to the large windows in front of the store and press my cheek against it to try and get a look at how far this power outage goes.
I can’t see any lights on. My heart starts to pound in my chest, and I start to pant against the window which only fogs it. It’s not like there’s anything to see anyway.
The snow has cut the visibility outside to almost nothing. It’s going to get cold inside quickly.
What the fuck am I going to do? Should I try to trek home? I don’t really want to, considering how dark it is out there. Darkness and people who are up to no good, aren’t a mix I want to get involved in.
I turn my back to the windows and look around, trying to get my shit together. Now is not the time to freak out. Now is the time to be a badass and grab this situation by the horns. It’s going to be okay.
Somehow.
When someone knocks on the window, I spin and let out an ear-piercing scream. When I focus, I recognize the man standing outside and don’t hesitate to go to the door and rip it open.
He shuffles closer and I blink up at him while snowflakes swirl around us in the small space of the open door. My voice cracks slightly, possibly from fear and possibly from relief.
“Evan?”
