The Animator

One evening the electricity went out in my neighborhood and at first it felt annoying because everything stopped—the lights, the fan, even my phone charger—but then it turned into something unexpected. The whole street became quiet except for people talking outside or walking around, and the sky looked darker and bigger than usual without the glare of lights. My family lit candles and we sat around the living room, telling stories and laughing at small things we usually ignored, like how the shadows from the flames danced on the walls or how the cat kept jumping at them. It lasted only a few hours, but for that time everything felt slower and simpler, like the world had pressed pause just long enough for us to notice each other and small moments we usually rush past.