Dark City
It was late. Almost midnight. The drive from Houston had taken three and a half hours so far but the journey was almost over. Austin was behind me and soon I would be in Llano. I was looking forward to getting there. Unload my things from the van, check the mail, put the provisions in the fridge, have a cool drink and relax for a while before I go to bed.
The road was familiar and I was more or less on automatic pilot. Taking each bend as I came to it. Enjoying the clear sky and the full moon shining on the hillsides.
Suddenly I felt uncomfortable. Disoriented. I seemed to be on a stretch of road that I did not recognize. I could not possibly have taken a wrong turn. This was the only road. There were no turn offs except the occasional dirt road and this was still the highway but not a section I was familiar with. I slowed down, puzzled.
Then I saw the old high school come into view and I knew exactly where I was. But something was different. There were no lights. None, anywhere.
Part of my confusion was due to not seeing the lights of Llano a mile or so earlier. It always happens when I drive home at night. I come over the brow of a particular hill and there they are, as pretty as can be. Always gives me a warm feeling inside – especially when it is late and I’m looking forward to that comfortable bed. I know that the city is just a little further. But tonight the lights were not there. Being on automatic pilot I had not noticed because I was not particularly anticipating them.
Then, coming onto that stretch past the old high school there are the big street lights at the intersection where the highway from Austin joins the highway from Fredericksburg. But tonight, no lights. Strange how you get used to seeing something a particular way. Then when you see it differently you get disoriented.
I followed the main highway into the town driving slowly and looking all around. Not a single light in any of the houses. The streets were deserted. Further down the road at the intersection by the county courthouse square I could see the flashing blue lights of a police cruiser where I would normally have seen traffic lights.
I drove slowly onwards feeling decidedly spooked as though I were driving into a town where the inhabitants had all been spirited away. As I approached the courthouse square a police officer with a lighted traffic wand moved into the center of the intersection. My mouth was a little dry as I prepared to stop. He waved the wand to motion me on through the intersection but I wound down the window and stopped anyway.
In the dim light of the wand I recognized the officer’s face.
“Hi there. What’s happening?”
“Danged cat got into the main power transformer. Shorted it out and caused a meltdown. Cut off the power to the whole city. Should be back on in another hour or so.”
“Wow. Well don’t get yourself run over out here.”
“Not much danger of that. Goodnight!”
I wound the window up and drove on to my destination. No spaceship gliding silently down from the stars to suck the inhabitants into its gleaming belly. No staring zombies stumbling down mainstreet. No officer in a biological suit directing me to the decontamination station. No crowds of local people gathering in the darkened courthouse square to howl at the full moon. I felt relieved, and disappointed.
Hey – I reminded myself – this is Llano. Population just over three thousand. Even without the fried cat the town would already have been asleep. You could probably turn the lights off every night at eleven and not many people would notice.
I lit a few candles and unloaded my stuff from the van. There was still ice in the freezer so I mixed myself a cold drink and sat on the balcony quietly clinking the ice in my glass and looking out on the darkened town with the full moon shining down peacefully upon it. It was good to be back.
Steve Roberts, November 2004. All rights reserved.