Countdown to Midnight

I slipped onto the cool kitchen counter under the shroud of 9 PM darkness, tracking a glowing green digit display on the microwave. Perfect. A cinematic countdown clock ticking away toward doom. I angled my painted blade with dramatic precision, stalking closer across the speckled laminate until my reflection warped in the dark tinted glass door. I raised the phone edge to dramatically press the 'Timer' pad and whisper my chilling verdict... but instead of a hollow drone, the appliance emitted a loud, cheerful chime that lit up the entire interior with a bright yellow bulb. It wasn't menacing at all—it just looked ready to melt cheese. Total buzzkill.