Lights Out Novels & Stories

She was just a hollow shell of pleasure and exhaustion, her skin glowing with the mess they had left. Suddenly, a bright, white light cut through the darkness. Tracie flinched, squinting her eyes in pain. Kelin was standing by the door, holding a smartphone with the flashlight turned on. He wasn't the only one. Blake and the others were all holding phones, their screens glowing like small stars. "Alright, Kelin," Blake said, his voice casual and calm, as if they were just finishing a group project. "You can turn the main lights back on now. The show is over. We got everything we needed."

The lights in the rink suddenly cut out. Darkness. Complete. Gasps. Shouts. Panic. Lila’s heart pounded. Then Emergency lights flickered on. Dim. Red. Unsettling. And the screen lit up one last time. With a countdown. 00:10:00 Her breath stopped. “What is that?” Lucas whispered. Carter’s voice echoed “Ten minutes, Lila.” “Let’s see if you can still control the outcome.”

"When lockdown happens and the lights go out, you will do exactly what I tell you to do. You do not ask any questions. Do we have an understanding?" My heart hammered against my chest and I felt a strange thrill in my chest. "Yes, Officer. I understand." "Good." He released my chin and took a step back toward the door. "Lights out is at nine. Be ready.”

*[SFX: GULLS. THEN FOOTSTEPS. THEN KNOCK.]* *6:03 AM. [SFX: OCEAN. THEN GATE. THEN NOT BEAR.]* Bedroom. Not 3 AM. Not nightmare. Not Reese. Just light. June light. Through curtains. Susan picked them. “Blackout is for court. Sheer is for home.” Me. Awake. First. Day 7 of not-counting. Adrian. Next to me. Not next to me.

I envied that kind of peace. I clicked through a few more images, Silas smiling at her, his lips against her forehead. For a moment, I forgot to breathe. My chest tightened, my throat dry. I leaned back in my chair, pressing my palms over my face, exhaling into the silence. And then— The lights went out. Pitch black. The hum of the air conditioner died instantly. The laptop flickered once before shutting down, I had forgot to plug it in the morning thinking Sienna will take it alongside her. I was left in complete darkness.

Chapter 7 The Conversation That Isn’t The power went out just after nine. One moment the apartment was filled with the usual low glow of the lamp in the living room and the blue light of Noah’s laptop; the next, everything dropped into thick, sudden dark. The refrigerator’s hum died. The distant city noise outside seemed louder without the buffer of electricity. For a few seconds neither of us moved or spoke. Then I heard Noah’s quiet curse from the couch and the soft thud of his laptop closing.

Staring blankly at the ceiling, I suddenly broke down into a hysterical, sobbing fit. “I won’t run away! I swear I won’t run! Please, just save my pup... I’ll do anything you want, just let my pup live…” “The Luna’s emotional state is highly unstable. Administer a sedative so she doesn’t harm herself or the pup. Martha, keep a close eye on her.” Matt frowned, delivering his final instructions to Ronald and Martha before turning on his heel to leave. I stopped fighting. I lay there, letting the cold needle pierce into my arm.

For five years, I had stood by my girlfriend as she worked her way from a tiny street stall to a successful chain of stores. Three times, I waited for her to finally give me a home. The first time, she bought a one-bedroom apartment. I packed my bags, ready to move in, only for her to hand the keys to her childhood friend, who had just gone through a divorce. "He's raising his daughter on his own. It isn't safe for them to live somewhere else," she told me. "Just stay with me in the basement for a few more months." The second time, she bought a two-bedroom apartment. I had already bought new sheets and gotten everything ready. Then, by some twist of fate, her childhood friend's apartmen

ASHER I went to bed and lay in waiting, my eyes fixed on the ceiling. Every nerve in my body was awake. The house was too quiet, the kind of silence that hums before a storm. When the time finally came, the lights flickered once, then went out. Total darkness. The power had been cut. This was it.

he said. Dara laid back down on the bed and turned off the lamp. Charles took his shirt off, “I have this habit of sleeping shirtless.” he chuckled. “No worries.” Dara uttered, “You can sleep on the bed with me.” she said. “I’m good here.” Dara held his hand and uttered, “Please Charles, I want you to sleep beside me on the bed.”