Cleo’s Day the Lights Went Out
When the power goes out across town, Cleo and friends become the neighbourhood’s superheroes.
It was a stormy Tuesday evening, and Cleo was about to start dinner when, FLICK! All the lights went out. The fridge stopped humming. The street went dark. ‘A power cut!’ said Cleo.
Cleo found a torch and looked out of the window. All the houses were dark. Rain drummed on the roof. ‘I wonder if everyone’s okay,’ she said. She thought of Stan the bear, who lived alone at the end of the road.
Cleo phoned Hattie and Lena. ‘Let’s be the Night Heroes,’ she said. ‘We’ll check that everyone’s all right.’ They grabbed raincoats and torches, and set off through the puddles.
They knocked on every door. At the first house, a family had run out of candles. Cleo gave them one. At the second, a baby was crying in the dark. Hattie sang a soft song until the baby calmed down.
At the end of the road, Stan was sitting in the dark with a blanket. ‘I didn’t want to bother anyone,’ said Stan. ‘You’re no bother,’ said Cleo. ‘Come to the village hall. We’re all gathering there.’
Soon the hall was full of neighbours. There were candles in paper bags everywhere, glowing in every corner, and somebody had a kettle on a camping stove. Everybody sat on blankets. There was a story circle and lots of laughing.
Then, with a soft click, the lights flickered back on. But nobody wanted to leave. ‘Switch them off again!’ laughed Lena. And the whole hall went quiet, and looked at the stars through the windows.
On the way home, Cleo looked at the lit-up houses. ‘It’s nice having lights,’ she said. ‘But I think the best lights tonight were all of us.’ Stan squeezed Cleo’s hand. ‘Super neighbours,’ he said.
The little lesson
Real superpowers are caring for your neighbours and working together.
Let’s talk about it
- What would you do in a power cut?
- How did the neighbours help each other?
Finish stories to collect Cleo as a sticker in your Sticker Book.
More Superheroes stories
Captain Elsa Has a Cold
Captain Elsa has a bad cold and can’t use any superpowers. Sidekick Esme has to save the day!
Yusuf’s Day the Lights Went Out
When the power goes out across town, Yusuf and friends become the neighbourhood’s superheroes.
Wren’s Homemade Cape
It’s Cape Day at school, but Wren forgot to bring a cape. Can a hero be a hero without one?
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