The lights flickered and went off, then came back on briefly, only to go out once more. Magda waited, listening for signs that the lights would turn back on, but there was nothing. She started to feel dizzy and realized that she'd been holding her breath. Inhaling and then exhaling deeply, she felt her way to the window and stared outside into the pitch black night. The moon was under cloud cover, so hardly any light fell onto the yard. She could almost make out the movement of the trees as they bowed deeply to the left then to the right under the intense winds. All she could hear was the rustling of the leaves.
As Magda continued staring into the darkness, her eyes began to adjust to the low light and she could make out the movements of the trees more clearly. She tried to see if there was a knocked down wire, but the yard was still too shadowy to tell.
Elsewhere in the house, two boys slept, dreaming and murmuring, unaware that the power was out and their mother was tense. Magda began to see more movements among the shadowy trees and, afraid of what may actually be outside, decided ignorance was best and drew the curtains tightly against the glass. She then made her way along the wall to the kitchen, tripping over toys and jamming her toes into dining chairs until she finally felt the cabinets on her right. Digging into the miscellaneous stuff drawer, she felt around for anything that could be a flashlight. After what felt like hours, but was likely five minutes, her hand closed around the thin base of a tiny keychain flashlight. She knew she had a bigger one somewhere, but she was thankful to have anything in hand that could push away the darkness.
Clicking on the flashlight, her second prayer of the night was answered when the light instantly turned on. A narrow beam shone across the room, illuminating the fridge and cabinets. Magda turned toward the hallway and walked to the boys' bedroom.
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