There Goes the Sun

And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.

Mark 15:33

The walk from dormitory to classroom takes three minutes. Clouds are rolling in
taking away the sun. There is no concern. Weather changes rapidly in the mountains.

Not this quickly though.

As I approach Building Two, the area becomes very dark gray. Campus lights turn on.
The surrounding building’s windows wink as room lights flicker on.

Street lights wake up.

Late arriving students who were lingering or moving slowing are now walking briskly as if expecting pissed-off sleeping dragons to awaken from their slumber. Other students emerge from classrooms to take pictures of their ominous campus; a shroud that completely covers and darkens everything.

2:15pm becomes 2:15am.

Some students are now spooked.

No feeling of electricity in the air.
No calm-before-the-storm premonition.
No sound of rain or thunder.
Just dark silence.

I join the flock of students taking pictures. Curious but nervous, I snap a few photos too.

This is damn peculiar.

Eventually, I resume teaching but few stay focused. They keep peering out the window to
see only darkness and hear bodiless muted voices of passers-by outside their classroom window.

Peizheng College, April 2, 2014, 2:00 – 2:25 pm