Since the Lights Went Out

Those who live their lives with blindness don’t know what light looks like; They have never seen a blue sky, a crimson rose, or the painted beauty of an evening sky. I had always struggled with this philosophy; The idea that the connection between our eyes absorbing rays of light and our minds creating images and landscapes was so far beyond our knowledge of the mind that practically nothing had ever been truly known about it baffled me. I had always lived with colour and light, perfect vision, and imagining the world in any other way seemed impossible. Life on earth exists because of our sun, the heat and light it provides fuels the plants and animals that call the earth home. The evolution of sight was a divine miracle, for the first time creatures could interpret distance, time, and colour without the need for sound and touch. Light brings with it life and beauty to our home of earth. When the lights went out, it all seemed to fade.

They thought it may have been a solar flare that started it all. When the poorer nations began reporting mass blackouts, backup generators failing, and even the most fail-safe of electronic devices giving in, there was panic. At first, the wealthiest nations only felt social tension; Parades of protests in cities, demanding the government provide aid to the nations suffering these blackouts. In a few cases the protests turned to riots, and the government promised they would move to action. No less than a fortnight passed before the lights began to fade in the west. Rural communities began reporting widespread blackouts and failed backups. Tensions continued to rise and violence in cities rose with the mass of panic. Another day passed and it seemed all but the most durable electrical systems in the world had weakened or failed. Global communication had ceased, and the nations of the world were alone.

Looting, rioting, and violence increased overnight. The urban sprawl of my home in Toronto was overwhelmed by the screams of the crowds and the bright red light of burning buildings. Our modern life had become so dependent on our power over electricity that society fell to its knees within hours of the event. I decided it would be best to leave the city as soon as I could, and so I mounted my bicycle and rode out of town as far as my legs would take me. As I left the city and the sun set in the sky, the light of the burning metropolis faded behind me. You never understand what you’ll miss until after it’s gone. I wish I had watched the sunset that evening.

I arrived at night to the home of a friend who lived along the highway. The road had been littered with cars that no longer functioned and when I had arrived I found my close friend locked inside and lit with only a few candles. He allowed me sanctuary, hoping we might stay safe until the world came back. The world we knew was gone, and we had only just started our journey into darkness.

The sun never rose in the morning. I wouldn’t have known it was morning at all, but I awoke to a darkness unlike any I had seen before. As I fumbled around the shadows In the room, I managed to feel around for a candle and lighter, and as I lit the candle my friend turned to me. He told me he was scared; Scared for his life, for the life of his daughter. He hadn’t seen his daughter in months, nor spoken to her. He told me he wishes humanity could continue, but he doesn’t think they will. I sat with him and lamented. I always felt that humanity could overcome any obstacle, be it war, plague, famine, or drought. The strength of man was unlike even the forces of nature, and it truly felt as if we were immortal. We stepped outside and saw the faint glow of the burning city, and the glimmering expanse of the stars above us.

We sat for hours, pondering what may happen next. Perhaps there were engineers and scientists somewhere who could return light to the earth, or at least save enough people until they could. We imagined some rich billionaire locked in a bunker with functioning lights, hoarding the remaining light as they had horded their wealth. We sat with our thoughts and each other, wondering what could have caused this. The air was quite warm, and so the sun must still be heating us, right? A flare could explain the loss of power easily enough, but when the sun stopped rising we began to lose hope. Time began to lose meaning, and eventually we fell asleep again, praying to whatever god may listen that this horror would end.

When I woke, I again attempted to find the lighter and candles. After a while feeling around, I collected them and attempted to light the candle. No flame came from the lighter, not even a spark. I could hear the fuel inside, but it refused to light. I figured I could use the little starlight we got outside to see what the issue might be. I walked outside and continued to try to light it, until I noticed something strange over the horizon. The red glow of the burning city was gone. The only light I saw in any direction came from the sky above me. I looked in every direction, dread setting deep in my stomach. I looked down to the lighter in my hand, and furiously tried to light it. Nothing. I fell to my knees, hopeless. The world was ending, and there was nothing anyone could do to stop it.

I returned inside to find my friend. Pale starlight glistened through the windows in his hall as I made my way to his bedroom. I called for him, but was met with silence. I stumbled to his door and over to his bed. As I rested my hand on his arm, I felt a sticky substance across him. I tried to shake him awake, but he didn’t respond. I shook harder and harder, but as his knife fell from his hand to the floor, I broke into tears. I stood there crying, the one person I had left in this dark world was gone. As the last light of the stars glimmered through the windows, they shone over a heart shaped locket on his chest. He had shown it to me the night before, it was a picture of his daughter that he kept with him at all times. I held the locket close to my heart and I prayed.

Even the stars are gone now. Blackness can not describe what surrounded me. I had always known a world of vibrant colours, bright sunlight, and sparkling stars above. That world was gone. My friend was gone. There was nowhere for me to go, I had no way to navigate home, or find anyone else. I had two choices, end my journey here and join my friend, or wander into the abyss in hopes of finding salvation. I was weak, and scared. The world I knew was gone, and so I raised the knife to my throat, and joined the old world in oblivion.