Every night at 1:09 the power flickers and then goes off, it struggles to come back but then fails again and stays off until 1:11… It was curious the first couple of times. Tonight was the seventh night in a row it has happened.
Maybe it’s something more, maybe, just maybe, every night at 1:09 there is a force at work, struggling to break through, to gain entry.
Imagine masses of hungry, beady eyed monsters, snouts slick with hunger and nostrils flaring as they push and strain, crushing the smaller ones in their surge. Hate rising like steam from their scaled flesh as their cries slip passed the barrier, filling the night with terrible sounds. The birds burst silently from their nests within the trees and disappear into the folds of night, the insects all fall silent in fear, waiting with abated breath. The neighbors sleep unaware as I stand at my window, waiting for the dam to break, for the lost battle to begin, as I cautiously stare into the darkness.
For two minutes I wait, alone…
Then the lights come back, the fridge hums to life, the clocks begin their flashing alerts, and I alone breathe a sigh of relief…
Pray for the light. Pray that you last that long. The Long Hour Before Light is a classic collection of Horror tales, re-mastered by Champagne Book Group
