The moon sits in the night sky along with the stars doing their best to shine through the light pollution. Cars on the street honk and move on their way as people walk the busy streets, out and about after a long day of hiding from the summer’s heat. Sho places a cigarette in his mouth and ignites it, placing the lighter back in his pocket and watching the people passing him by. All those out tonight glow with a certain confidence, each happy to be out and exploring the city. Stores and restaurants are full, and the smell of food makes Sho slow just for a moment to take in the wonderful scents, making his mouth water. His stomach argues with him, annoyed that he hasn’t eaten for hours and only consumed a small sandwich he had bought from a drug store across from his work. Sho’s head begins to agree, paining him with a headache as he stops in front of an Asian market that seems to be selling fresh and hot meals, with a line that isn’t as bad as the other vendors on this side of the street. His hands reach into his pocket as he feels the money sitting and waiting to be spent on this meal. Sho’s body makes the move before he has a chance to say no as people have already begun standing behind him in line, each reading the menu and choosing their selection. 

Fifteen dollars lighter, Sho sits at a nearby table by himself, enjoying the moment of peace he has as he watches the line grow longer and longer. People around him smile at the taste of the food as the pink and red lights in the small marketplace shimmer. Nights here aren’t usually this crowded but since the temperature spike lately, people have been waiting to get out at night to enjoy their social time. Sho didn’t mind, fewer people out during the day meant less work he had to do. 

“Sho! Order for Sho!” one of the cooks yelled from the counter as he made eye contact with Sho who had already gotten up, eager to eat. He placed the white styrofoam box in front of him, seeing steam lifting from openings in the side of the box, the smell of it bringing him to reach for his utensils immediately. Inside the box was Pad See Ew, flat rice noodles stir-fried with egg and drizzled with a black soy sauce and some broccoli. Sitting on top of this beautiful mixture was BBQ pork and a side of spicy sauce that glistened from the red light overhead. Sho beamed at the sight of his food and blessed it, digging in and feeling the meat melt in his mouth with the sauce complementing the flavor. He took a sip of soda that refreshed his pallet for the Pad See Ew and dug in, feeling lost in the taste. 

An hour had passed and the food was just about finished as he played with the last bits of pork. His stomach had been full thirty minutes ago but to throw away such a dish without finishing it felt like a crime to Sho, who had spent most of his time looking at videos and funny posts on his phone. The number of people in the area hadn’t slowed and Sho felt guilty taking up a full table that could have easily been occupied by a couple on a date. He took the final sips of his drink, tipping his head back to get the last drops when he noticed something strange. Through the tarp and cloth that was used as a covering for the area, he couldn’t see the usual glow of the moon. Sho wiped the remains of the food and drink off his mouth and got up, throwing the scraps of leftovers in the trash and stepping out to the street to get a better look at the night sky. The street stood still as nobody talked or moved, the world itself was silent. Sho looked around, noticing everyone very much alive but all holding their heads to the sky, their eyes staring at the night. The silence disturbed him, a night here had never been this quiet, it was as if time had stopped. Sho joined the crowd and looked up, noticing the moon getting smaller. 

The moon in the sky looked like a fading spark of light in a deep sea of black. The sky itself started to grow deeper and deeper into darkness, going from faded black to tar. Stars crept out of the sky one by one like they were being taken from view. It was as if someone was stealing the lights in the sky, leaving us with nothing. Everyone around stared into the night sky, being greeted with nothing more than empty darkness, a black they’d never experienced. Such darkness made Sho’s body shake, the hairs on his arms standing and the fear placing him outside his body. People around him began to react to the sudden emptiness differently, some still staring and expecting something to occur, others beginning to panic, looking to those standing beside them for comfort or explanation and getting neither. Everyone felt the same, a chilling fear that none of them had ever felt before, mass confusion, and a true sense of helplessness shared amongst all. It was like being told the world was going to be destroyed, a feeling of sheer powerlessness in the face of death, except this death was not yours to bear alone, it was the death of everyone. 

Sho gasped and sprinted away from the crowd who had begun to show signs of hysteria and madness. People began shouting, crying, some becoming violent as everyone was looking for answers. Sho fought his way through the crowd and ran through the streets of people that all gazed up, waiting for the moon to shine but still staring at the imposing darkness. His eyes scanned those around him, people sitting on steps and crying in terror, others arguing with some even packing their cars and vehicles, looking to escape. Escape seemed impossible, Sho thought as he tried to go down the line of possible actions and things to do. An escape would mean to have somewhere else to go, somewhere to escape to, Sho looked up and felt that his home on Earth was a prison, and for the first time, everyone together shared it. 

Sho didn’t have roommates, didn’t live with anybody but his cat who slept peacefully on his couch. The living room was a mess but that was something he no longer cared about, truthfully he cared about nothing at all but the state of his planet. He grabbed the remote and switched on the television, each channel playing the same news broadcast that was hosted by the government stating that there was an emergency but one they hadn’t yet addressed. Sho rushed over to his window and looked out, noticing the sky still pitch black and seeing neighbors fight while others drove off quickly. The program switched over to a news anchor, a man with a dark grey suit who introduced himself with a shaky voice. 

“At this time we are in a state of emergency and ask everyone to remain calm. Currently, multiple nations are working to explain the current state but we have yet to find an answer. At approximately 12:23 AM EST we have lost sight of our galaxy and cannot accurately deduce where we are. Scientists around the globe have yet to establish coordinates as to where we are in the galaxy. As it stands there is no moon, stars, or light for scientists to use to accurately estimate where Earth now is. We ask everyone to remain calm and remain indoors, locking all doors, windows, and any other entrances to your home.  We will return with an update shortly. Good luck.” 

Sho’s hands tremble as the program shuts off and an Emergency Broadcast begins playing. The striking alarms of the program pierce his heart and he stands completely frozen. Shock begins to set in as he sits on the couch, his body sinking. The screen flashes as the program begins again and text appears, snapping Sho’s attention and gluing his eyes to the screen. 

> Close and lock all windows and doors, as well as other entrances to your home.

> Remain silent.

> Turn off all lights, electronics (apart from your television or radio), heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems. 

> Do not look out any windows or at the sky.

The program continues to play as Sho feels panic start to set in. He gets up and moves to the window, beginning to close the blinds as he looks over to his neighbor’s home, seeing through their window and noticing them moving. His eyes stare at the neighbor in the living room as he notices the person’s feet swaying, and realizing they were hanging. Sho’s body tenses and he closes the blinds, running toward the door and locking it, moving a shelf in front of the door to block it. He fills his sink and bathtub with water and clogs the piping, keeping the water to drink as he sits back on the couch, watching the black screen flicker with the Emergency Broadcast message. He grabs his cat, Mustard, and walks to his bathroom, locking the door and laying in his shower, closing his eyes and feeling the cat’s breathing as he drifts to sleep, the world around him black.