The Darkness (for current lack of a better title) - Chapter 1

This is the beginning to a story I started awhile ago. I'm hoping to make it into a novel or longer story than what I usually write. I have some great ideas to where I want it to go, just haven't really had the motivation to write much more of it in the last six or seven months. This is the first chapter, or section (enjoy!):



Chapter 1: Blackout

She was walking down the sidewalk, and her shoulder bag gently swayed back and forth behind her. The sun beat down upon her face, forcing some of her water supply to leak out and stream down it. She reached up with her left hand and pushed her hair behind her ear. Her eyes squinted as she peered at the shop signs. She moved over to a wall and dug her hat out of her bag. She placed it upon her head and moved back to the sidewalk, merging with the slowly moving crowds. She was almost there.
Cars were buzzing past her on her left. They stopped briefly at intersections, and then quickly continued onwards. Everyone wanted to get home to enjoy the warmth. This was the first warm day they’d had all week.
Her right hand moved to grasp the strap of her bag as she walked. She approached the building. The bricks that made up its walls were chipping away. Upon the glass door there was a sign that read: Mick’s Music. She grabbed the handle and pulled the door open, remembering the small step as she entered. A bell swung against the door, making a quaint jingling noise. Her mouth smiled slightly when she heard it.
She made her way over to the Pop/Rock section, wondering why they had to combine the two. She wasn’t really looking for anything in particular; she never was. She just liked to run her fingers over the many CDs, flipping through the artists’ names. Sometimes she would end up taking one home. She took her bag off her shoulder and placed it up against the counter at her feet.
“Emma!” Someone called.
Upon hearing her name, she turned. It was Jake; he worked the cash register. “Hello Jake. What’s up?”
“Just coming over to say hi,” he smiled, showing off his braces. He remembered them and quickly shut his mouth. He just got them a week or two ago. “I see you’re back again. How often do you come in here anyways?”
Emma smiled and replied, “I honestly don’t keep track.”
“Well, are you looking for anything specific?”
“Nope.”
“I figured. That’s what you always say,” he started to roll his eyes, and then thought better of it. “Well, if you need anything, I’ll be over there,” he pointed towards the desk where the cash register was. There was an open comic book lying next to it. Emma watched him as he went over and picked it up. He leaned up against the wall behind the desk and began to flip through it. She turned back to the rows of music.
She had forgotten where she left off, so she started from the beginning. She had made it to the letter ‘H’ before the lights went out. “Hey! Why’d you turn off the lights Jake? Not cool!”
“I didn’t do that!” He shouted.
“Well who -?” Emma started to ask, but was then interrupted by a loud honking noise from outside. “What was that?”
“I don’t know,” Jake was saying, but she was already moving toward the door.
Shock hit her hard as she peered out the doorway to the chaos outside. It was a blackout. The traffic lights ceased to function, and the cars, once governed by a simple color-coded system, now panicked. The ones going straight refused to stop for the ones trying to turn. The ones trying to turn tried to force their way through the traffic. It was a mess. “Jake… the whole block’s out.”
He moved to join her. He was unable to say a word, so he just left his mouth hanging open.
She let him take the scene in for a few minutes, and then turned to him and asked, “What should we do?”
“I… I…” He pressed his mouth together, and then nervously bit his lower lip. “I don’t know.” He turned to her and stared blankly. “I’m still on my shift… I suppose I should stay here…”
She looked into his eyes, searching for something more.
“Will you… will you come back when you know what’s going on?”
“Yes,” she replied with a brief nod, “definitely.” She went back over to the racks of CDs and grabbed her bag. She placed it back upon her right shoulder and headed for the door. She reached for the handle.
“Emma?”
She stopped turning it and looked back at Jake.
“Please be careful.”
“I will.” She turned back to the door and pushed it open, making sure to step down from the raised platform of the shop as she left.
It didn’t take long for the passengers in the cars to give up on their vehicles and start walking. It took even less time for the sidewalks to become just as chaotic as the roads had been moments before. Emma was having trouble pushing her way through the crowd. She wasn’t exactly the aggressive type.
A guy wearing a suit shoved her out of his way, knocking her bag halfway off her shoulder. “Thanks a lot!” Emma called after him, but he didn’t seem to hear her. She quickly readjusted the strap.
She had no idea where she was going. Who would know what was going on? she asked herself as she walked. I guess I’ll check in at home first. She took her next right down Tucker Street, and walked down to number seventeen. Luckily, there were far less people on her street.
She practically ran up the front steps to the front door. She opened the screen, and held it open while she opened the main door. When you’re in a hurry, those damn screens can be a real pain. She briefly recalled that day it had snapped shut and pinched her fingers. They twitched now, remembering the pain. She returned her attention to the matters at hand and pushed the door open.
“Who’s there?” A female voice asked from the living room. She guessed it was Lily’s.
“Hey there sis, it’s Emma. Are mom and dad home?”
“No. They went out an hour ago.” She rounded the corner and looked Emma straight in the eyes. “Do you know what’s going on? Are they alright?” Her eyes glossed over, ready to let loose flash floods at the hint of any bad news.
“I don’t know,” Emma replied, biting her lower lip. She put her bag down on the bench in the hallway. She looked back at her younger sister. “I came here wondering the same thing.”
A few moments of uncomfortable silence passed before Lily started moving back towards the living room. She glanced back at Emma and asked, “Come wait for them with me?”
“I was sort of hoping to go find out what was going on…”
Lily turned fully back around so that she faced her older sister once more. Her eyes brimmed with tears and she puckered her lips. She didn’t even need to say please.
“Alright, alright. I’ll wait here with you.” She followed Lily into the living room and sat down in their father’s worn armchair.