Few noticed when the darkness came.

Sally Anderson, video-calling her husband, marked the time right before the screen blacked out; 2:56. Mr. Smith, to worried about his recent layoff to sleep, lay in bed staring at the alarm clock, it shined 2:56, right before the face blinked out of life. Grannie West, who was coming in after allowing her Pomerania out, noticed that her small analogue clock had frozen at 2:56. Tori, sneaking in from a late party. Andre, who awoke when the whine of his televison stopped.

No one stopped to think about it. The occurrence was chalked up to a few things. Forgot to pay the bill, short-circuits, bad batteries, blackouts.

No one thought twice, until the screaming started.