The Power Cut

“It was getting late in the evening, the time of night when I was lounging around in just a nighty, all alone and sprawled out on the sofa in front of the TV, with a small lamp glowing in the corner of the room. The weather outside was awful. Rain was hammering against my window and the wind was wildly trying to find a way through any tiny gaps. I was half way through watching a comedy that had started at 11pm, when as quick as a flash, all was in total darkness. Silence quickly filled the room as I began to realise that nothing seemed so funny any more!

There was a strange feeling within me, a cold sweat, an uncomfortable feeling lasting just seconds with nothing but pure silence, except for a horrible high-pitched whistling noise in my ears.
Lying there extremely still for what seemed to be forever, but was probably not even one minute, barely moving a muscle from the sudden shock of the darkness, too scared for what might happen next, I encouraged myself that I had only had a power cut. I told myself I had to find a torch and realising I had no idea where I could find it, I very slowly sat up and began to feel around for the little brass lighter that my dad always used to light the fire, so that I could light some candles around the room.
Finding my way across the room to the fireplace and running my hand along the mantelpiece, trying not to knock off the picture frames, which were scattered along the top, I discovered the lighter. Phew!! Relieved, I quickly lit it, only to find it was running out of gas, typical! So I had to move quickly if I was to dig out the candles before the flame totally died on me.
Again I shuffled across the floor to where I kept the candles, but as I did so, I felt a horrible atmosphere just before me and had a discomforting warm feeling as if I were about to bump into somebody. I tried telling myself I was just worrying and being paranoid but I found it hard to do, when horrified, I felt… Something soft and warm brushed past my hand. Gasping out loud I froze, pulling my hand back towards me in shock and holding it tightly against my body. My heart was pounding so hard that it almost felt like my chest was about to explode on every beat.

Rapidly I struck the lighter once more and as the flame grew, I saw nothing but shadows around me. Panicking, I lit my first candle and then a second one and carried them over to the big bay window in my living room. I peered out onto dark hilltops and misty fields with hard rain crashing down onto the hazy foliage. On a good night you could see for miles and miles across the highlands, but tonight of all nights was not a good night!
The curtains were pulled half closed and as I drew them back further so I could have a view of the only two other houses in sight just to check they also had no power and that I wasn’t alone, to my probably worst nightmare, they hadn’t! Both houses had light, how could this be?
I was becoming terrified now because I was on my own in my bungalow with no form of light besides my two pathetic little candles, in an eerie silence. ‘How could I have a power cut & my neighbours haven’t?’ I thought to myself, I had to pull myself together and start being realistic and accept that it was… probably just a tripped switch. So fumbling to the kitchen in the shimmering glow of a candle, I swung open the cupboard door to where the electric board was and became aware that the switches were all on…. There was something peculiar going on and it seemed only to be within my house.
Heading back towards the bay window in the lounge and setting down the candle beside the other, I leaned forward with my head pressed up against the window. I cast my eye out into the blackened night to see… ‘What?’ a person staring back at me. Terror-stricken I jumped backwards, gulping hard and dropping a candle, spilling hot wax all down one of my legs. The shock of what I thought I’d seen and the pain of the burning wax made me flinch again, almost losing my last flame to the darkness that surrounded me. Being extra careful not to let my last remaining candle blow out I cupped one hand around the front of it and hustled as quickly as I dared to move, to my bedroom.

Reaching the room and securing the door hard behind me, I dived into bed trembling in the creepy ambience and burying myself underneath my goose down duvet covers, because this was always the most appealing place to hide away from any uncertainty! I felt invisible for what must have been close to thirty minutes, as I lay speechless and not to mention shaking with fear, listening to the sound of my trembling breath as I exhaled and my thumping heartbeat. The quieter I tried to breathe the louder my heartbeat was getting, or so it seemed.
Suddenly I was startled by the unexpected thud of footsteps out in the hallway. I gulped, pulling the covers tightly over my face and tucking my knees into my chest, I waited…waited for something to happen whilst praying to myself that it wouldn’t as there was no escape for me had I of needed one, the only exit from my bedroom was out into the hallway.
The footsteps were closer now and I began to feel light-headed with fear. I had tried telling myself it was just my imagination running wild and playing nasty tricks with my mind, as faintly, in the darkness, I could see the round, brass door handle slowly turn clockwise. My eyes fixed on what I could make out to be the doorknob, waiting for that terrifying moment it would swing open to reveal what exactly was behind the old oak door in the corner of the room. Then ‘bang’ the lights went on just as quickly as they had gone off, blowing bulbs everywhere, slithers of glass flying through the air.

The few bulbs, which had not broken, aloud me a glint of light as still, I paused and I waited for someone to enter.
But the footsteps had vanished and I heard no more noises, so in a trembling voice I asked, “Who’s there?” But all was now silent. I hesitated as I slowly plucked up the courage to slide out from under the covers and placing my feet quietly on the floor, I tiptoed over to the door and placing my hand gently on the brass knob I swung it open wide to catch the sight of…nothing but an empty hallway!
Shaking like a leaf, the only conclusion for what had happened was that I had frightened myself so much over the sudden power cut that I had imagined everything I’d seen and heard. Although deep down, something was telling me this was not my imagination, it was just the best thing to try to believe for now and maybe I could get some sleep. But still, this didn’t explain why it was only my house with a power cut!
I lay in bed for what seemed like hours going over and over that evening’s events in my mind, until finally the fear faded enough for me to close my eyes and drift off to sleep.