“Have you closed the curtains?”

She said, in a sudden hurry.

My heart sank. They could get in at any moment.

I rushed to the living room window, passing by the kitchen and crossing the main corridor. Three steps from the window, I stopped immediately. The sound of my thumping footsteps echoed out into the dense darkness. Realizing I shouldn’t have made that much noise, I crept up to the windowsill slowly. The blackness that filled up the open rectangle looked like somebody had smeared tar all over a large panel and stuck it to the window. It felt heavy, and breathed a chilling breeze into the house.

I had to check if we were safe or if we had to get out of there immediately. I had to know, for the safety of myself and my family.

I stuck my head in the darkness beyond the frame and tilted my head around. Countless white dots filled the black screen that was the outside world, like a starry night.

The problem is that stars don’t blink.