Who Made the Lamps Blink? UFLI Foundations Lesson 88

It was the best night of all. Beams of light shot up high, painting the dark sky gold. Ben rode high on Dad's back, waved a small flag, and smiled so wide his cheeks hurt. 'Best night ever!' he yelled. People held up phones and waved flags of their own. A shadow stayed at the edge, grumbling in the dark.

From high above, the streets glowed with hundreds of tiny lights. Light flowed from every home, every shop, every window. Up in a dark corner of the sky, one fellow was not happy. 'Look at them!' said The Dark. 'Lights on every street! The night is just for me!'

The Dark crept into one little home and switched off the lights. Just like that. Sam sat at the table and blinked. He could not see his dinner. He felt his way in the dark, bumping into things. Then he dived under his sheets and pulled them tight. 'Who turned off the lights?' he whispered.

The Dark slid from home to home, switching off each bulb. A mum and her children had to huddle by a single candle just to see each other. A child tried to read a book by the tiny flame. Two children went to bed because there was nothing to do. Even the cat looked grumpy. 'This,' said The Dark, 'is what the night should be.'

But below, the street still blazed. Streetlights and traffic lights blinked and glowed. Cars and buses rolled along, safe on the road. People walked across with ease. A kid sat on the curb with a tiny dog, looking at it all. The Dark groaned. 'Come on. More lights?!'

Click. The Dark switched off every streetlight and traffic light at once. Cars crashed into buses. Trucks tangled together in the middle of the road. People stumbled between the cars, waving their arms. 'Who turned off the lights?!' they yelled. But The Dark just smirked and moved on.

The carnival was next, and it was dazzling. Children squealed on bright, twirling rides, lit up by golden bulbs. The ferris wheel twinkled against the night sky. People strolled past snack stalls and game stands, and every ride was spinning, glowing, alive. The Dark gave one look and its eyes twitched. 'That,' it hissed, 'is the brightest thing I have ever seen.'

Click. The ferris wheel groaned to a stop. The ride went still and silent. A child at the bottom looked up, afraid. Two kids below stared at nothing. No music, no fun, just dark. 'Who turned off the lights?' one said. No one smiled.

On the water, one light still burned. A tall red and white light swept its beam across the dark sea, keeping ships safe. A big ship and a little rowboat sailed close, safe in the glow. The Dark eyed it from the shore and snarled. 'That,' it said, 'is the last one.'

The Dark ate the beam. A big ship churned the dark sea, heading straight for the little rowboat. The kid inside held on tight and screamed. On the shore, the tall light went dark. No beam. No glow. The Dark felt something it had never felt before. A twist in its belly. A chill. 'No, no,' it whispered. 'What have I done?'

The Dark did not think. It let go. The tall light blazed back, the big ship turned away, and the kid was safe. Every light came back at once. Cars rolled along the roads, homes glowed, and the distant carnival sparkled. All the streets shone, alive, but The Dark drifted back alone, feeling very small.

Then four children came into the night. One waved a glowing star stick. One beamed inside a tangle of bright string lights. Jay held a little lantern, and the last twirled a green glow stick up high. They were not chasing The Dark away. They were playing in it. 'Stars gleam best in the dark,' called Jay. The Dark blinked. Then, for the first time, it smiled.