Lights off
They pulled over on the quiet countryside road. It was almost time. All the lights from the nearby cities were about to be turned off.
It was the fifth year since parts of several governments had created a holiday where, at ten o’clock, every light in the city went dark.
For one hour, the cities stopped. The only spectacle left was the universe above.
This year, every major city near them had agreed to join. No light pollution anywhere nearby.
They pulled chairs from the trunk and sat down, starting a countdown.
“…Two. One!”
A wave of darkness rolled across the horizon. They waited a moment for their eyes to adjust, then looked up.
The sky erupted into stars and constellations.
Across every city, people stepped onto balconies and rooftops to witness the universe.
