The Very Best Scary Stories from Reddit

The Lights Went Out

by valerievanity via NoSleep

You know, it's weird to think of how much we as humans rely on light. How we're drawn to it. I mean, to think that in cave man times, when it was dark- we were down for the count. If we didn't have a moon to light out way, we were dog food (or would that be saber food?). I'm still not sure what is going on, but I'm trying to keep a handle on myself, since there are few other options. I don't know how long I will be stuck here, so I'm writing everything down. Maybe it will help me understand what is going on, see some missing detail, I don't know. The jist is, I am fucked. I am not sure when or how or what is out there, but I can feel it. In my gut like a fork just twisting my insides.

At 8:46 PM on September 17th, the lights went out. I was at home, throwing together some dinner. Thinking back, I will never sneer at a box of hamburger helper again (it was two days till payday). I had some random Spotify station playing and it was just me in my two bedroom house. I live out in the boonies and can afford one by myself, so long as I can eat the shit sandwich that is my 90-minute commute.

I'm standing over my skillet of glorified ramen when everything cut out. The music abruptly turned off mid "get down for-" and I heard the refrigerator give a sigh of relief as it too, powered down.

I am frozen on the spot, waiting for the power to turn back on.

Five heartbeats.

Ten heartbeats.

It's weird how much louder your bodily functions get when there is absolute silence.

Standing there, I am trying to think. Did I pay my electric bill? Barely, but yeah. It's fall, so there shouldn't be any of those summer black outs you see on the news from time to time.

Finally it occurs to me that the power isn't going to turn back on. I put the lid back on my skillet, and carefully set the wooden spoon down on the far side of the stove.

I begin to inch my way to a light switch. Why the switch? Because I think biologically we HAVE to give it a few flips before we are satisfied that yes, we have no more electricity. Lo and behold, my flipping the switch does squat. I want to check and see if the neighbor's power is off as well, so I make my way to the front door, vaguely thinking that I really should unplug everything and turn off all of the lights. I remember growing up, my dad would instruct us kids to do that so we didn't blow a breaker when the power came back on.

There is something really strange about fumbling your way through your house in the dark. You think you know the layout like the back of your hand, but you don't. Or at least I don't. With my hands held out in front of me, I shuffle my feet forward bit by bit.

Although my eyes are open, I see nothing. I see less than nothing. I feel like my eyes are wrapped in something fuzzy like velvet as I needlessly look around. I close my eyes as I walk because that is more comfortable. I can wrap my head around that type of darkness.

I reach the door and step outside.

Black.

Absolutely nothing.

I can hear some murmuring from the left and right of me as my neighbors make the same sad realization I just did. The whole city is out.

Does that happen? Aren't there backup generators? True I don't live in the city itself, but I am situated more or less at the top of a valley and have an excellent view of the nighttime lights. It was just darkness. "Does anyone know what happened?" I call out to a neighbor.

"No idea," I get from both sides. I stand on my porch debating. Do I go back inside, or wait out here? It's fall now, and chilly. I'm definitely not dressed for a chill session outdoors in Washington. But when I think about going back inside, pretty much every horror movie I have ever seen floods back to me. I am somewhat of a connoisseur of thrillers and horrifying monster films. You name it; I've probably seen it. I don't get spooked easy, but I delight in that few hours after you see a really great one where the slightest bump makes you squeal like a baby. Right now I'm thinking Quarantine and Blair Witch. I am not going to be that idiot who stumbles around in the dark and runs into a creature or zombie or plague victim or whatever. I have thought many times about what exactly I would do in apocalypse situations and going back into an empty, pitch-black house is not one of those things. I resolve to hang out for a while and see if the lights come back on.