The Longest Night Level 3

Maria sat on the sofa in her apartment on Maple Street. A big storm was outside. The wind was loud, and the rain hit the windows. She wanted to text her cousin about school and her new job at the bakery.

Suddenly, the lights went out. The room became dark. Maria reached for her phone, but the battery died. She felt for the drawer, found matches, and lit a candle. The small light made the room warm and calm.

Her brother David came home from work. His jacket was wet. The hallway lights were flickering. “Maria, are you okay?” he called. “I’m fine,” she said. They heard a soft drip near the window. Water was coming from the ceiling. “Roof leak,” David said. He put a pot on the floor to catch the water.

Neighbors were also moving around. Mrs. Patel from 3B knocked on the door with a flashlight. “My ceiling is leaking, and my grandkids are scared,” she said. Maria invited her in. Mrs. Patel said the whole block lost power. Her grandson Arjun was building a cushion fort, and her granddaughter Nila asked if the moon could “turn the lights back on.”

They heard a noise in the stairs. Mr. Greene from 4C was sitting on a step with a bag of cat food. His cat, Miso, walked around his feet. Maria made tea on a small camp stove. Mr. Greene told a story about another blackout many years ago when people shared candles and soup and sang from their balconies.

Time passed. The rain slowed. Someone upstairs played a guitar softly. Maria and David checked the basement. They saw a small leak and put two buckets under it. Back upstairs, the building felt friendly. People shared cookies and checked on one another.

Near midnight, the refrigerator started again, and the hallway lights came on. A small cheer moved through the building. The power was back, and the roof stopped leaking. The children fell asleep under the fort. Mr. Greene waved with Miso on his shoulder. Outside, the street was full of puddles.

Maria wrote a short message to her cousin: “We waited in the dark for hours, but we found light anyway.” She smiled, turned off the lamp, and listened to the quiet rain with her brother. The long night finally ended.

David: Maria, are you okay?

Maria: I’m okay. The lights went out. I found a candle.

David: The wind is strong. Are the windows leaking?

Maria: Not the windows, but the ceiling is dripping.

David: I’ll get a pot. Put it under the leak.

Mrs. Patel: (knocking) Hello? Are you two all right?

Maria: Come in, Mrs. Patel. We have candles.

Mrs. Patel: Thank you. My grandkids are nervous.

David: We can make tea. That helps.

Mr. Greene: (from hall) I’m okay! Just missed a step.

Maria: Come sit, Mr. Greene. This is Miso, right?

Mr. Greene: Yes. He thinks this is an adventure.

Nila: Can the moon turn the lights back on?

Arjun: My fort is ready! Everyone can visit.

All: (cheer) The lights are back!

Write complete sentences. Use past tense.

1. Maria / light / a candle because the room was dark.
2. David / put / a pot under the leak.
3. Mrs. Patel / visit / with a flashlight.
4. People / share / cookies in the hallway.
5. The children / sleep / under the fort.
6. Maria / write / a note to her cousin.

The was loud, and the went out. Maria lit a and heard a soft from a ceiling . David put a under it.

Mrs. Patel came with a , and her grandkids made a . Mr. Greene missed a step on the but was okay. His , Miso, walked around.

In the , Maria and David placed under a small leak. Upstairs, shared while someone played a . When the lights returned, a small rose. Maria wrote a and listened to the .

Teachers: reveal keys as needed.