It was a dark and stormy night.  Johan looked out at the street, what little he could see through the slit  in the blinds, held open with one finger.  Rain washed down the outside of the glass, f the world outside twisting and churning under flickering street lights.

The shrill sound of the microwave broke Johan from his reverie, and letting the slats close, he turned to collect his lonely, one man meal.  Walking towards the kitchen, his eyes fell on a picture standing on a shelf, surrounded by smaller knick knacks.  He smiled wistfully, then frowned and walked past.

Minutes later he sat at a small table in the corner off his kitchen. The TV dinner was still hot, and he waited, listening to the rain, thinking to himself.  A long sigh dragged from him, and he turned to face the picture on the far wall again.

“Another night alone. The kind of night you loved, before...”

Johan trailed off, realizing that he held his phone in his hands, finger over a speedial button.

“No, not... No, I’m not calling!”  

He slid the phone across the table away from him. “Not calling first.”  His pronouncement to the world at large hung in the air as he stubbornly began chewing down overcooked chicken and corn.

Thunder cracked and the lights grew dim for a moment.  It blasted again, blue white bolts shining through the window, and the crack of thunder came almost instantly behind it.  The lights fell away completely, the sound of the heater fan, the fridge compressor, all was dark and silent except for the howling wind and streaming rain.  

Johan reached over and snagged his phone just as the screen started to darken. That small source of illumination gave him confidence, and he walked back to the window. A quick glance confirmed it was a larger area than just his house.  The darkness outside broke in an instant as the sky lit in a fire of red and purple.  He pulled the blinds away from the window, staring at the sky open mouthed.  As if on it’s own volition, fingers pressed on the speed dial they’d hovered over, and Johan raised his phone to his face.   

A few rings, and then that voice, so familiar and dear, answered.

“Yeah, it’s me.  You looking outside?  Yeah, that’s what it looks like to me too.”

He hung up the line, staring up as the giant metal shell hanging in the sky split open, and thousands of small dots flew away from it, getting larger by the moment.

It was a dark and stormy night.  Johan looked out at the street, what little he could see through the slit  in the blinds, held open with one finger.  Rain washed down the outside of the glass, f the world outside twisting and churning under flickering street lights.

The shrill sound of the microwave broke Johan from his reverie, and letting the slats close, he turned to collect his lonely, one man meal.  Walking towards the kitchen, his eyes fell on a picture standing on a shelf, surrounded by smaller knick knacks.  He smiled wistfully, then frowned and walked past.

Minutes later he sat at a small table in the corner off his kitchen. The TV dinner was still hot, and he waited, listening to the rain, thinking to himself.  A long sigh dragged from him, and he turned to face the picture on the far wall again.

“Another night alone. The kind of night you loved, before...”

Johan trailed off, realizing that he held his phone in his hands, finger over a speedial button.

“No, not... No, I’m not calling!”  

He slid the phone across the table away from him. “Not calling first.”  His pronouncement to the world at large hung in the air as he stubbornly began chewing down overcooked chicken and corn.

Thunder cracked and the lights grew dim for a moment.  It blasted again, blue white bolts shining through the window, and the crack of thunder came almost instantly behind it.  The lights fell away completely, the sound of the heater fan, the fridge compressor, all was dark and silent except for the howling wind and streaming rain.  

Johan reached over and snagged his phone just as the screen started to darken. That small source of illumination gave him confidence, and he walked back to the window. A quick glance confirmed it was a larger area than just his house.  The darkness outside broke in an instant as the sky lit in a fire of red and purple.  He pulled the blinds away from the window, staring at the sky open mouthed.  As if on it’s own volition, fingers pressed on the speed dial they’d hovered over, and Johan raised his phone to his face.   

A few rings, and then that voice, so familiar and dear, answered.

“Yeah, it’s me.  You looking outside?  Yeah, that’s what it looks like to me too.”

He hung up the line, staring up as the giant metal shell hanging in the sky split open, and thousands of small dots flew away from it, getting larger by the moment.

It was a dark and stormy night.  Johan looked out at the street, what little he could see through the slit  in the blinds, held open with one finger.  Rain washed down the outside of the glass, f the world outside twisting and churning under flickering street lights.

The shrill sound of the microwave broke Johan from his reverie, and letting the slats close, he turned to collect his lonely, one man meal.  Walking towards the kitchen, his eyes fell on a picture standing on a shelf, surrounded by smaller knick knacks.  He smiled wistfully, then frowned and walked past.

Minutes later he sat at a small table in the corner off his kitchen. The TV dinner was still hot, and he waited, listening to the rain, thinking to himself.  A long sigh dragged from him, and he turned to face the picture on the far wall again.

“Another night alone. The kind of night you loved, before...”

Johan trailed off, realizing that he held his phone in his hands, finger over a speedial button.

“No, not... No, I’m not calling!”  

He slid the phone across the table away from him. “Not calling first.”  His pronouncement to the world at large hung in the air as he stubbornly began chewing down overcooked chicken and corn.

Thunder cracked and the lights grew dim for a moment.  It blasted again, blue white bolts shining through the window, and the crack of thunder came almost instantly behind it.  The lights fell away completely, the sound of the heater fan, the fridge compressor, all was dark and silent except for the howling wind and streaming rain.  

Johan reached over and snagged his phone just as the screen started to darken. That small source of illumination gave him confidence, and he walked back to the window. A quick glance confirmed it was a larger area than just his house.  The darkness outside broke in an instant as the sky lit in a fire of red and purple.  He pulled the blinds away from the window, staring at the sky open mouthed.  As if on it’s own volition, fingers pressed on the speed dial they’d hovered over, and Johan raised his phone to his face.   

A few rings, and then that voice, so familiar and dear, answered.

“Yeah, it’s me.  You looking outside?  Yeah, that’s what it looks like to me too.”

He hung up the line, staring up as the giant metal shell hanging in the sky split open, and thousands of small dots flew away from it, getting larger by the moment.

It was a dark and stormy night.  Johan looked out at the street, what little he could see through the slit  in the blinds, held open with one finger.  Rain washed down the outside of the glass, f the world outside twisting and churning under flickering street lights.

The shrill sound of the microwave broke Johan from his reverie, and letting the slats close, he turned to collect his lonely, one man meal.  Walking towards the kitchen, his eyes fell on a picture standing on a shelf, surrounded by smaller knick knacks.  He smiled wistfully, then frowned and walked past.

Minutes later he sat at a small table in the corner off his kitchen. The TV dinner was still hot, and he waited, listening to the rain, thinking to himself.  A long sigh dragged from him, and he turned to face the picture on the far wall again.

“Another night alone. The kind of night you loved, before...”

Johan trailed off, realizing that he held his phone in his hands, finger over a speedial button.

“No, not... No, I’m not calling!”  

He slid the phone across the table away from him. “Not calling first.”  His pronouncement to the world at large hung in the air as he stubbornly began chewing down overcooked chicken and corn.

Thunder cracked and the lights grew dim for a moment.  It blasted again, blue white bolts shining through the window, and the crack of thunder came almost instantly behind it.  The lights fell away completely, the sound of the heater fan, the fridge compressor, all was dark and silent except for the howling wind and streaming rain.  

Johan reached over and snagged his phone just as the screen started to darken. That small source of illumination gave him confidence, and he walked back to the window. A quick glance confirmed it was a larger area than just his house.  The darkness outside broke in an instant as the sky lit in a fire of red and purple.  He pulled the blinds away from the window, staring at the sky open mouthed.  As if on it’s own volition, fingers pressed on the speed dial they’d hovered over, and Johan raised his phone to his face.   

A few rings, and then that voice, so familiar and dear, answered.

“Yeah, it’s me.  You looking outside?  Yeah, that’s what it looks like to me too.”

He hung up the line, staring up as the giant metal shell hanging in the sky split open, and thousands of small dots flew away from it, getting larger by the moment.