The Blackout

We were walking down the street after dinner and a movie. She was talking about something, and I thought it was really interesting, the way she was telling it. She was funny. I was looking sideways at her as we were crossing the 42nd towards the park. My gaze fixed on her profile, trying to catch her eye. I was able to wear a relaxed smile, no problem.

She was pretty, like the girls I used to date in college. I had a long break, but now I was back on the market, as they say. No, I hate cliches like that. I was… What was I?

She was smart and charming, and so delicate. I wanted to do something for her to know I liked her. I have a tendency to get attached to girls on the first date. Or no date, does not matter. We got to the other side of the road. And that is when all the lights in the city went out.

The night became quieter. The cars did not stop, but a lot of the noises I did not know about suddenly died. It became so dark that, in the well of the street, we could see the stars above. I could sense her tiny frame, her shoulders rising to huddle the head.

Now was my chance. I took her hand and she did not protest. I led her confidently through the dark, as police sirens started to sing beyond the horizon.

Posted by: Paweł Kowaluk