Tommy was scared. The nothingness of it removed all traces of his life. Even his body seemed to be gone. He could sense his hands in front of his face. He could feel his back and legs pressing against the sofa. But why couldn’t he see them? Where had they gone? He had always been able to see them. But now the pitch darkness had removed all form.
Tommy was 14 and he was terrified. Never before had he not been able to see the world around him and now it seemed to be gone. “MOM!” he yelled at the top of his lungs. No answer. Dad was at work. He was alone and frightened.

He sat ever so still on the sofa for what seemed an eternity. He suddenly realized he could feel the sofa beneath him. If it were still there then maybe everything else was too. He slowly leaned forward, flailing his hand slowly in the direction of where the coffee table should be. He couldn’t feel it. Further he stretched, praying that he would find it. Nothing…nothing…..wait. His fingertips grazed something cold and hard. He grasped at it. THERE it was. The table was still there. His world maybe wasn’t gone. He stretched his feet down to see if the floor was still there. It was. Tommy wasn’t quite so afraid.
Now Tommy thought, maybe everything is still here. I just can’t see it. If it is maybe I can get someone to help me. Maybe his friend Bob next door would know what was wrong. If only he could make it there. He decided to try. He placed both feet firmly on the floor and slowly raised himself. Good. He was standing and nothing happened. This might work. Slowly he slid his foot toward where he thought the front door was. His shin was greeted by the coffee table. Reaching down and placing his hands on the table, Tommy worked his way slowly around it. He made it. Now to go for the door.

Working his hand along the wall he found the doorknob. Maybe his world would reappear on the other side. He turned it and the door opened. No luck. All he found was the same nothingness. He worked his way down the stairs and into the front yard. Wait. It didn’t seem quite so dark anymore. There was a faint hint of light from somewhere. Where was it coming from. He turn his head back and forth searching for it. Nothing. He looked up.
Gone was the familiar incandescent haze that he was so accustomed to. In it’s place was what appeared to be a velvet blanket with glitter covering it everywhere. The fear was returning. Yet it was beautiful.
Suddenly a hand grasped Tommy’s shoulder. “Tommy?” Whew. It was Mom’s voice. He spun around and grasped for her like he was about to fall off the world. He squeezed onto her tight so as not to lose her again. “ What happened to everything?” He asked her. “The power went out. It will be back soon.”She told him.

Tommy had never known a world without light. From the nightlight that seeped through his eyelids every night to the flood of the streetlights to the blinding glare of flashing neon in Times Square, Tommy had never known darkness. It was frightening to him. Yet in it he found something beautiful. The night sky. Not the yellow haze created by man, but the beautiful gems belonging to the heavens.