Chapter 5 - The Darkness Falls
A piercing scream ripped from Lauren’s lungs as the kitchen went black.
""Michael! What was that?! What happened to the lights?!""
Outside, the sun had slipped behind the dark pine tree ridge across the lake, casting long, eerie blue shadows through the massive uncovered windows. The temperature inside the house, unassisted by the smart dual-zone climate system, began to drop rapidly as the chilly November mountain air pressed against the glass.
Michael scrambled in the darkness, knocking his knee violently against the marble island corner. He cursed loudly, finally managing to pull his phone from his pocket and flicking on the LED flashlight. The beam illuminated the panicked, pale faces of his family huddled in the bare, cavernous room.
""It’s just a tripped circuit breaker,"" Michael insisted, trying to sound authoritative while rubbing his bruised knee. ""Evan, where is the main breaker box? In the garage?""
""Basement hallway,"" Evan answered flatly, his voice hollow and disembodied in the gloom.
Michael hurried down the basement stairs, shining his narrow phone light along the gray concrete walls until he found the gray electrical panel. He yanked the metal door open and examined the switches. Every single breaker switch was resting firmly in the ""ON"" position. There were no tripped fuses, no scorched wiring, nothing out of place.
He reached up and clicked the master switch off, then slammed it back on. Nothing happened. The basement remained as dark and cold as a tomb.
Michael cursed under his breath, bounding back up the stairs. ""The breakers are fine. The whole grid must be down on this side of the lake. A fallen branch probably took out a transformer.""
""Look out the window, you idiot,"" Evan said from the shadows of the kitchen.
Michael turned toward the wall of glass overlooking the bay. Across the water, every single luxury estate along the shoreline was brilliantly illuminated. Warm yellow chandeliers glowed from neighboring living rooms; landscape spotlights painted manicured gardens in soft silver hues; the dock across the cove twinkled with festive party string lights.
Only their house sat pitch-black against the night sky, cold, lifeless, and dead.
""I don't understand,"" Diane whimpered, pulling her thin fleece blanket tighter around her shivering shoulders. ""Why is our power the only one off?""
""Because Claire pays the bills, Mom,"" Evan said, his tone dripping with dull exhaustion. ""Did you really think the electricity was free? Did you think the city just piped twelve thousand dollars' worth of power, water, and gas into this mansion out of the goodness of their hearts?""
Lauren’s eyes widened with horror as she pulled out her phone. ""I need to wash my face! I need to use the bathroom!"" She sprinted down the hall to the guest powder room, twisted the brass faucet handles, and was met with a dry, hissing gasp of empty pipes. Not a single drop of water emerged.
""The water is off too!"" Lauren shrieked from the hallway, her voice pitching into hysterical rage. ""And there’s no Wi-Fi! My cellular data barely gets one bar out here in the woods! Michael, do something! Call the utility companies right now and get this turned back on!""
Michael pulled up the regional power utility's customer service number with shaking fingers. After navigating a tedious automated phone tree for fifteen minutes while freezing in the hallway, an agent finally answered.
""Thank you for calling Puget Sound Energy. How can I assist you tonight?""
""Yes, our power was just illegally shut off at 442 Lakeview Ridge,"" Michael snapped aggressively. ""I need a technician dispatched immediately to flip the service back on.""
""One moment while I access the account records, sir,"" the agent replied pleasantly. Keyboard clatter echoed through the line. ""Ah, yes. The commercial account held by Montgomery Consulting LLC was officially closed effective five o'clock today per direct authorized instructions. The meters have been locked out remotely.""
""Well, unlock them! I live here now! I’m the head of the house!""
""Certainly, sir. To initiate a new residential account under your name, we require a standard utility application, two forms of government identification, a verified lease agreement showing your legal occupancy, and an immediate connection deposit of two thousand dollars due to the high-capacity commercial-grade electrical load of that property.""
Michael’s throat went dry. ""Two... two thousand dollars? Just for a deposit?""
""Yes, sir. That is standard for high-draw luxury estates. Furthermore, because it is currently after regular business hours, the earliest an inspection technician can visit to unlock the physical meters is Tuesday morning. Would you like to proceed with the application?""
Michael looked at the dark room, at his hysterical wife shivering in her designer jacket, at his mother whimpering on the cold floor, and at his brother who had checked out of reality completely.
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""I'll... I'll call back,"" Michael whispered, ending the call.
As the cold wind howled against the towering glass panes, the temperature inside plummeted toward forty-five degrees. The reality of their magnificent victory was settling in: they had conquered an empty, freezing concrete shell that they couldn't afford to illuminate, heat, or furnish for a single day.
