I am taking a trip with my parents and siblings. We have stopped at a small town on the side of a mountain. Each neighborhood is retively isoted, each at a different elevation and connected to the neighborhoods above and below it by a main road and scenic nature trails meant to be traversed on foot.

  Half the buildings are empty, albeit well-maintained. It wasn’t like this the st time my parents were here. They bme the city at the base of the mountain taking all the tourist traffic for itself. It is still a very beautiful neighborhood.

  Night falls faster than expected in the shadow of the mount as the sun sets. The darkness is absolute and none of the buildings turn on their lights. None of the streetlights come on. We pull out fshlights to find our way back to the car, but they keep going out. I try turning mine off and back on only for the bulb to abruptly shatter.

  I blindly grope my way through the darkness in the direction I think our car is in, calling out for my family who were at my side only moments before. They do not answer.