It was dark that day. The sun had been shining for nearly fourteen hours now, yet the shadows of the night still lingered. Dark corners of pasts forgotten were common in the dark. Most people avoided it. There were, of course, the intrepid, explorer types who delved into such mysteries, though it was mostly to no great avail. Satanic cults filled with poetic teenagers were most common within the dark, something the police had eliminated long since. The people of the city often ignored the dark. Nothing special came of it, and it found its way into every corner of their lives. Only the children seemed to understand the dark. They would spend hours staring into it, as if possessed, without blinking, eating, or sleeping. Only they knew what fascinated them, or why, and they soon forgot anyway. The dark was useless, many people thought, it is useful only for entertaining children and frightening fools.
But it was dark that day. Much darker than had ever been seen before. The city was growing full, yet it remained. Nobody much cared. Until the children fell asleep.