Write a story set in a city where the power suddenly goes out, leaving everyone in darkness.

Posted in Horror on Oct 26, 2022

Submissions are closed

Sorry, we are not accepting submissions for this prompt as it is not part of an active contest. Make sure you don't miss our next contest by creating your free Reedsy Prompts account.

Or create a new Reedsy account:

Why not check out our active contest?

✍️ 187 stories

“Those blue eyes” by Erik Dijk

Submitted to Contest #92

Author's note: This is the first short story I've ever written. English isn't my first language, so there might be some grammar errors. “We gotta be quick, the train leaves in 2 minutes.” Cameron says as we run down the subway stop stairs. I bump into someone and apologize and as we turn the corner we see the C train arrive. “Good timing” I say, and we sit down. The train is pretty empty. Right across from me sits a man reading a newspaper with the face of this news anchor who got accused of assaulting multiple women and is now facing ...

1 comment 1

Read story

“The Blackout of Chicago ” by Mackenzie Wilkerson

Submitted to Contest #92

The date was July 1, 2020, and it couldn't have been a more horrid day than today. In Chicago, Illinois on a regular Tuesday at 5:00 am Michael Robertson woke to an alarming sound. The sound of their house alarm only activated when someone broke in. He almost thought he was dreaming until he heard a high-pitched scream. Michael recognized it almost instantly, for it was his mother. Micheal rushed downstairs to see if she was ok but he was too late. His mother lied there on the bed lifelessly as her blood gushed to the floor. Micheal stood th...

4 comments 4

Read story

“Power's out.” by Mila Perry

Submitted to Contest #92

Ah shit. It’s black again. I get up, walk to the window, open the blinds and look outside. Everything turned black. No fucking power anymore. Shit. It always seems to happen at the worst time. But then I think, is there really a good time for the power to break down? The birds are chirping and the sky clears up. I’m not ready. I’m not ready for another day. Powerless, useless day, one after the other. Then I remember, the fucking power is out. Shit.I’m already a part of the worst people on Earth, and now my power’s out too. The whole fucking...

0 comments 0

Read story

“The Silence of Snow” by Jewel Robbins

Submitted to Contest #92

“Fly, you --” “Fools!” Winston booms. You blink. His baritone rings loud, too loud, before a heavy silence rushes in. You wonder, dumbly, if the Balrog has somehow dragged you down too. Your hand fumbles in the dark for Winston. “Mom!” the cracking voice of your teen son calls down. “Did you pay the power bill?” “Yes.” Your strained voice floats like a tiny island in this blackness. Winston’s warm hand finds yours, squeezes reassuringly. “It’s okay, love, just a power outage. Where do you keep the c...

2 comments 2

Read story

“Story in the Dark ” by Molly Sullivan

Submitted to Contest #92

It was an average day for the Conner family. Mother, Father and Daughter sitting eating supper at the dinner table. The smell of meat loaf circled throughout the kitchen and the dog lay drooling at their feet. It could have been taken out of a book. The perfect scene of the perfect family. Emmaline, the mother, was about to begin washing the dishes when the light flickered. “Looks like we need a new bulb,” the father, James, remarked. He picked up his novel and opened to the beginning. Valorie, the girl, slipped some food to the ba...

3 comments 3

Read story

“The Unexpected Day of My Life” by S_ Barman

Submitted to Contest #92

It was just a couple of months ago. Shivani was enjoying with her family. It was her parents anniversary. Every family member was busy congratulating Mr and Mrs Sharma. Just then, the power suddenly goes out, leaving everyone in darkness. Everyone including the kids started panicking, and as usual, Shivani’s romantic husband Naksh kissed her taking advantage of darkness. After a few moments, the power was back, but Shivani started yelling she was unable to see anything. At first, her husband was shocked, but then he remembered how she kept p...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Rose in the Dark” by Justin Dyer

Submitted to Contest #92

"Sheeeeesh," I heard for the thousandth time coming from my sister's cellphone. It was Saturday, and the two of us were cooped up inside. Mom had been called into work, so we decided to waste our days away playing on our phones. My phone dinged, letting me know that I only had five percent battery left, and I groaned, "Hey, Hannah, you done with the charger?" She murmured a reply I couldn't quite here, so I spoke up a little. "Yo, Earth to Scatterbrain, you done with the charger?" "I said I wasn't using it, dipwad, open your ears," Hannah gr...

0 comments 0

Read story

“In the Dark” by Anna Tishchenko

Submitted to Contest #92

Gloria had always liked the darkness, it felt safe for her. For most others, the darkness meant terror and the unknown but for her it was cover and protection. When she was a little girl, her sister would wake her in the night, asking to go first down the long dark hallway to turn on the light, and she never minded. She had a secret that few suspected. She could feel the dark if not actually seeing into it. She trusted it, more than she ever had the light. &n...

0 comments 0

Read story

“The Surge” by Morgan Wong

Submitted to Contest #92

“We interrupt your regularly scheduled programming to bring you this emergency broadcast. Please standby.” A long droning beep startled Gemma, lounging on the couch in jean shorts and a T-shirt, trying to combat the summer heat. It was a Saturday afternoon in June, and she had been looking forward to watching her shows. Sighing, Gemma placed her cup of water on the coffee table and dabbed ineffectually at the wet spot on her shirt. She sat up and spared a glance towards the TV. Its screen was filled with static. “Anna?” she called out. ...

0 comments 0

Read story

“When Australis Went Dark” by Carlo Sarrosa

Submitted to Contest #92

FOOTAGE TRANSCRIPT CAM 35 - Interview Room #1 Beep. The door softly chimes as Captain Cassandra Ramos enters, followed closely by 2 guards who wait in the rear of the room. She calmly sits down, preparing a personal camera, an audio recorder, and her own notes. Across from her is the only confirmed survivor from the Australis City incident, Dr. Sam Morales. Ramos clears her throat, and starts her recording as the doctor fidgets in his seat RAMOS: Interview Log, number 1, dated January 14, 2025. Interviewer is Cassandra Ramos, Captain...

3 comments 3

Read story

“Metaphysically Challenged” by Joe Swanson

Submitted to Contest #92

“What was that?”The question that echoed around the community, a stark eviction notice from Armageddon.We looked out the window at what appeared to be stars bursting in the air, but after removing the philosophical bent that had arrived with the intrusion of darkness and the fear that accompanies it, I realized it was the electric transformers, our silver moons, exploding in 1912 overture style. The rain pounded on the windows, attempting to breech the glass. Lightning in the bruised sky was reflected in the asphalt ponds that form...

0 comments 0

Read story

“When darkness fall” by Izola Thompkins

Submitted to Contest #92

I’m going to melt ugh i hate when it rains, Melody screamed as she ran trying to get out the rain. I know they need to let us off already, said Crystal Melody’s co-worker. Only in Dallas are they making us work in the storm another coworker said. As the co-workers begin to look outside the wind starts picking up. My phone said we have a tornado heading this way i'm about to call the store manager and she if she will let me close the store early said the shift manager. Nova the shift manager takes out her phone and walks away. I hope she...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Darkness Dwarfs Us All...” by Lennox Ducksworth

Submitted to Contest #92

His name was Carl Hoag. Middle-aged, with salt and peppered hair with a beard he decided to let it grow out because as his wife said, “Reminded her of the day she met him. Carl was in the United States for twenty years, originally from New Zealand, but enough 90s action movies and a woman from across the world he met on a trip she made to his home country, made him realize that love is where the heart is. And his wife was his heart. Of course, life in America was different than in New Zealand, more difficult Carl thought at first, but hey, h...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Pair Bonded” by Sjan Evardsson

Submitted to Contest #92

Curfew had less to do with safety or control of the citizens than an innate fear of the dark. The ruling elite, all grens, instituted the curfew to avoid having to go out in the dark, forcing the working class, including the naturally nocturnal baras, to toil away under the sun. As that sun set, the city was awash in streetlights, floodlights, and the lights from windows where the grens huddled in comfort. Philbert was, to his mind, quite a dashing gren; not too tall, suitably bulky, with iridescent green and gold fur. He cut a handsome fig...

0 comments 0

Read story

“The haunting cult” by Giselle Ingabire

Submitted to Contest #92

Hello guys firstly I am sorry because I am not good at English and my grammar is cheap but I feel honored to share this story with you hugs and kisses to you all. It was almost midnight, everyone minded their own businesses as I was waiting for the right time to approach my crush Mike. Then so sudden the power goes out, oh!! Shit! They screamed on fear of the darkness we were left in. As for me this was the perfect time. ...........few hours earlier...... Hey, Jaz come on let's give it all, nope Rena I am not in a mood sorry. Shit.. you...

4 comments 4

Read story

Load more stories

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story that begins in the light and ends in darkness, or the other way around.

Horror – 383 stories

End your story with a truth coming to light.

Horror – 184 stories

Set your story in a countryside house that’s filled with shadows.

Horror – 170 stories

Write about a character who thinks they have a sun allergy.

Summer – 117 stories

Contest #92

Enter our weekly contest!

This week's theme: Chiaroscuro

$50

Prize money

1051

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - May 07, 2021 EST

Won by Nina Chyll 🏆

Title: On the Origin of Shadows

View details

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

We'll send you 5 prompts each week. Respond with your short story and you could win $250!

Menu

CONNECT

BLOG

APPS

TOOLS

ABOUT

Write a story set in a city where the power suddenly goes out, leaving everyone in darkness.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 187 stories

“Those blue eyes” by Erik Dijk

“The Blackout of Chicago ” by Mackenzie Wilkerson

“Power's out.” by Mila Perry

“The Silence of Snow” by Jewel Robbins

“Story in the Dark ” by Molly Sullivan

“The Unexpected Day of My Life” by S_ Barman

“Rose in the Dark” by Justin Dyer

“In the Dark” by Anna Tishchenko

“The Surge” by Morgan Wong

“When Australis Went Dark” by Carlo Sarrosa

“Metaphysically Challenged” by Joe Swanson

“When darkness fall” by Izola Thompkins

“Darkness Dwarfs Us All...” by Lennox Ducksworth

“Pair Bonded” by Sjan Evardsson

“The haunting cult” by Giselle Ingabire

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story that begins in the light and ends in darkness, or the other way around.

End your story with a truth coming to light.

Set your story in a countryside house that’s filled with shadows.

Write about a character who thinks they have a sun allergy.

Contest #92

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

1051

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: