The Uninvited Guests

2:12 AM. I bolt up in shock this time, screaming. Wait, what? This time? I try to focus on those two words. What could I mean by this time? I've never woken up like this before, have I? I struggle to remember, but, like a dream, it slips away the harder I try to remember. Oh well. Freaky though, I think, stretching up. Whew, that was crazy. I try again to remember, but my mind was elusive with the information. I frustrate myself with trying and don a hoodie, hoping for the help of some night air. I step out onto the balcony, and the city welcomes me with its warm light. The air is cool and crisp. Oh, much better. Life bustles on the street below, and skyscrapers tower above. Something bad happens tonight. Now I sound crazy, but there it was. I feel it. Something bad happens tonight. What? What could possibly happen? I'm fine, I just need some coffee to relax. I brew a couple of cups and sit down, leaving the window open. I sigh, looking out at the lights. Then, without warning, the farthest skyscraper goes dark. What? They never turn all the lights off! Is it because dawn was coming, maybe? I see the first rays of dawn. Then, the next-farthest skyscraper goes dark. And the next. And the next. This is what happens tonight. It's coming, I tell myself. It's coming. Remember that it's coming. In my mind's eye, I see a lamp's light repelling the darkness momentarily. A vision of another reality. Remember! The darkness sears my flesh. The pain destroys all sense of reason. With the last of my will, I scream. "It's coming! REMEMBER!"