New York had always been a center of importance in the world, and no one really noticed the smog and filth in the air. It had always been there, and always would be. That was just how things were. When the changes came, no one noticed any difference in the city. However, in the desolated countryside of a small farming town, the residents saw a dark cloud spreading across the sky, blotting out the sun and taking away all light with it. It was as if the lights had been turned off, taking all warmth and feeling that everything was alright with it. The news reporters were confused, unsure of what could have caused this disaster. The president declared a state of emergency, advising people to stay in their homes until they could figure out what was going on.

The first day passed, with the darkness staying in place and worrying people even more. Without light, the world would freeze, and everyone would die eventually.

One week after the strange blackout, the sun was uncovered and light was restored to the earth. However, the damage had already been done, as people began to get sick, creating an unusual epidemic. Plants were no longer growing correctly, and the animals began getting sick from the diseased vegetatian. People thought that the world had been in trouble when the darkness had fallen, but it had just begun and was about to become much worse. Invisible hands had gripped planet Earth, and no one knew how to get out of its grip. They were doomed, as far as everyone was concerned.

There was hope, however, and it lay in the hands of The Eternal Source. The men and women there knew what was going on, and how to combat it. They would just have to find the people for it. Pulling out a box, the leaders pulled out one name, followed by another, and so on. When they reached seven, they knew they had what they needed. These seven people would be the ones to turn this entire situation around and bring true light to humanity again.

*

Yoongi sat on his couch, next to his cat, Sasha. She was the best thing in his life, and his closest friend. The black and white animal had been with him since his junior year in high school: the worst year of his life. He had gone through hell in high school, becoming the of everyone else's jokes and being picked on even more, now that he wasn't a child. Now he was very glad to be out of high school and in college. Even though he hadn't stayed to graduate, he had been able to get his G.E.D, which allowed him to continue and make something of himself. The young man had worked hard to get where he was, gaining the respect of his boss, after three years as an employee. Unfortunately, he hadn't gained the respect of his single mother, who still looked at him as a failure at everything. He would never be good enough, in her eyes, and that had begun to chip away at his self-esteem, depleting what little confidence he did have in himself. That was the story of his life. At least he had Sasha. She would never betray him. 

Settling back on the couch with his cat, he fell asleep quickly. He would deal with life later.

*

The next morning, he awoke to thunder cracking and heavy rain hitting the roof. He hadn't seen any rain since the darkness had hit a week before, so this was a surprise to him. Getting up quietly, he walked over to the window and peered outside. The sky was grey, and the rain was coming down in sheets. The young man shivered, feeling the cold, tiled floor against his bare feet. This didn't bode well for him, since he had to ride the bus to work. Wrinkling his nose, he made his way over to the cat food to feed Sasha before heading out into the storm.

*

Once he got to work, Yoongi stayed in his cubicle and tried ignore everything. The strange darkness and the rain had darkened his mood, so he didn't want to deal with anyone. However, after about thirty minutes, his luck ran out, as he had to go to a meeting. So much for hiding!

At the end of the day, the young man was so tired that he just wanted to fall into his bed and not wake up for a week. That could be possible the next day, since it was his day off, so he was going to sleep like the dead. When he stepped off of the bus and began walking up his driveway, he checked the mail on the way in. Cocking his head, he inspected the white envelope he had pulled out. It looked official, so he sighed as he carried it into his house, sitting down at the kitchen table. As soon