The night the lights failed

Text 1: Alma Road, by Peter Gaskell

An original novel extract.

The lights went out at seven, in the middle of the weather forecast. At first I thought it was only our house, but when I pulled back the curtain the whole of Alma Road had vanished. The streetlamps were dead. I could not see the Hendersons’ hedge across the way, or the van that was always parked outside number twelve. Only the sky was paler than the houses, a dull grey strip above the rooftops. Then, one by one, doors began to open. Mrs Kaur came out holding a candle in a jam jar, its flame wobbling. Somebody’s torch swept across the pavement and lit up a cat, which froze and fled. Within ten minutes half the street was standing outside, talking in low voices, as if the darkness were a visitor who might be offended by noise.

Give three words or phrases that show how dark the street is during the power cut.