The Night the Power Went Out
The storm rolled in just after dinner. First the lights flickered, then buzzed, and then — with a soft pop — the whole house went dark. The hum of the refrigerator stopped. The glow of the TV vanished. Maya groaned into the sudden quiet. No shows, no tablet, no Wi-Fi. “This is going to be the most boring night ever,” she muttered, flopping onto the couch.
Her dad, though, was already digging through a kitchen drawer. He pulled out three fat candles, set them in a row down the middle of the table, and struck a match. Warm light bloomed across the walls, and the shadows danced whenever the flames wobbled. “Looks like an adventure to me,” he said, grinning as he slid a worn deck of cards from his pocket.
At first Maya only shrugged. But her dad dealt the cards anyway, and soon she was leaning in, guarding her hand and trying not to laugh when he made a terrible move on purpose. They played three rounds. Then he told a ghost story in a low, spooky voice, and Maya told an even spookier one back. Outside, the rain drummed steadily on the roof, and thunder rumbled somewhere far away — but inside, at the little island of candlelight, it felt cozy and safe. Maya laughed so hard at one point that her sides ached.
When the lights suddenly buzzed back on two hours later, the kitchen looked ordinary again — bright and plain. Maya blinked, surprised to feel a small pang of disappointment. “Can we turn them off again?” she asked. Her dad just winked and blew out the candles, saving them for next time.