In The Twilight

The evening was warm as the sun set to the west. Birds said their goodnights beside the flowing river in the eastern part of the city. The area was quiet and there were no immediate signs that this was a city, nay, a country at war. Mothers called their children home for the night to waiting supper set tables. The moon peeked above the horizon in the east.

As the last light of day passed, an unusual calm filled the air. From the north, a sudden flash of light gave an indication that a storm was brewing. But the lightning did not fade. Another, and yet another flash, four then five; each one closer than the last until all the sky was bright as day. Children and mothers screamed as one beneath the roar of wind as it ripped through their neighborhood, only to be silenced in a flash of light from overhead.

The river was dry, the moon hid from sight, and no life could be found.