Taylor squared their shoulders, eyes locked on their phone, as the TikTok dance trend “The Cactus Shimmy” blared through the coffee shop speakers. A dozen townsfolk sat frozen, phones raised like rifles, waiting for the cue to flail their arms and stomp their feet in unison. Taylor’s best friend, Marco, muttered, “This is how civilizations fall,” while Mrs. Pritchard, the town’s 78-year-old librarian, attempted a headspin that ended with her knocking over a stack of romance novels.
“Ready? Three, two, one—” Taylor yelled, but the audio cut out. The room erupted in chaos: Mr. Chen from the hardware store launched into a interpretive dance about plumbing supplies, and Lena, the barista, started moonwalking into the espresso machine. Taylor’s phone buzzed—a notification: “Your video went viral! 10K likes!” They glanced up to see the town’s grumpy postman, Delbert, mid-twirl in his mail truck, yelling, “I’m not a dancer, I’m a *messenger*!”
By sunset, the town square was a circus. A toddler performed the shimmy while riding a tricycle, and the local pastor tried to incorporate it into the sermon. Delbert, now clad in a sequined jacket, led a group of seniors in a synchronized dance that left the pavement cracked. Taylor, sweating and laughing, realized the trend had spiraled into something unstoppable—until the power died. Darkness fell. Silence. Then, a single phone flashlight blinked on, followed by another, until the entire town glowed like fireflies. Delbert’s voice cut through the dark: “Alright, who’s gonna start it again?”
