[ WP ] [ TT ] Someone or something is extinguishing the stars one by one .

I work at the factory. That's my job. I'm not too smart. I'm not that strong. I'm average. And so I spend 8 hours a day, 6 days a week, doing the same meticulous task over and over. 
 
 One that one day though. That single blip of freedom in my week. That's the day I turn my head upwards and gaze into a peaceful oblivion. 
 
 Some people go to church. Many simply sleep the whole day. Not me. I am aware of our presence in the universe and I intend to indulge myself in it. 
 
 The night after I get off work I unlock my bike from the rack in-front of my apartment. I hop on and ride to the nearest coffee shop. The manager there knows me well and we chat for a few minutes before I say goodbye and head off with a mocha. 
 
 I ride with one hand one the bike and the other holding the mocha. On occasion I put the cup to my lips and take a small sip. 
 
 By the time I reach the highway the sun has set and a few planets are usually visable. Across the highway is a thick forest of pine. Taking the overpass I get to the other side and head into the woods. 
 
 I have this secret spot. A small clearing of dense grass and flowers. Finishing my mocha I crush the cup and put it in my pocket. In the center of the clearing I have hidden a telescope in the grass. 
 
 Until dawn I lay in the clearing and observe the sky, mapping it in my little notebook. The telescope has no bi-pod but over the years I've become adept at locking my arms in place. 
 
 This was my life. 
 
 Now I huddle in the sewers, covered in blankets, hoping not to die. 
 
 It began when I looked through my notebook one day during my lunch break. There I noticed something. Over the past few years my entries had gotten more and more sparse. Slowly the stars had been disappearing. I checked. And I checked again. Yes. They had vanished. 
 
 That week I did n't go into the clearing. That week was my last week in the factory. 
 
 That very day, a few hours after lunch, everything went dark. Initially it was chaos. Riots. Looting. Death. 
 
 I stole some food from the local store. Enough to last me a month or two. It's gone now. All of it. Instead of making bullets now I drag frozen corpses from the street underground. I roast the flesh over a fire and eat. I have a near unlimited amount of food above. The sewers are encased in ice that I can melt then drink. The fire keeps me warm. 
 
 Sometimes, rarely, I look up at the ever dark sky. More of the stars are gone now. 
 
 The world keeps getting darker.
