At quarter to four, Vic sat in a booth at Joe’s Deli, a dive downtown where he liked to stop from time to time on his break. His bus idled outside—in this weather, Vic didn’t want to cut off the engine for fear it might freeze up on him. He was one of maybe a handful of customers, eating hoagies or waiting for their orders, all of them eying the windows with the false hope that the ice would stop soon. Despite the early hour, the overcast sky had grown dark, and the streetlights had turned on in a weak attempt to hold back the encroaching night. Hunkered over his sandwich, Vic glared at the foul weather as he ate. He wanted nothing more than to be home already, with Matty.
Suddenly the lights flickered around them, once, twice, then winked out.
Those customers still in line moaned. Fro
