Now You See It ...

Now you see it …

Oscar pulled up to curb in front of the vacant lot. His GPS intoned, “You have arrived at your destination.”

“This is crazy,” he said to Jack. “I’ve driven by this place a hundred times and I tell you that the Surplus Store was right here!”

“Maybe you’re just confused. Drive around the block again.”

“No. I tell you it was right here. A big store doesn’t just disappear into thin air.”

“Some do,” said Jack with a grin.

“What?”

“Maybe it was a ‘magic’ store,” laughed Jack. He “ooofed” as Oscar jabbed him in the ribs.

“Wise ass! And before you ask, no, it wasn’t painted camouflage!”

“Well, somehow, you’ve gotten your directions mixed up. It sure it isn’t here now, is it?”

Oscar just stared out the car window at the open space.

Inside the store, Bill was banging on the window, trying to get the car’s attention. “Hey, you idiots! I’m right here. Can’t you see me? Can’t you hear me?”

He had been trapped inside for – he checked his watch - almost 18 hours now. He had tried phoning, texting, sending emails, and now was reduced to shouting at strangers on the street. No matter what he tried, he couldn’t get a message out.

Dejectedly, he walked over the humming machine. The label read Machine, Stealth. Self-Powered. Property of the U.S. Government. Sliding down to the floor he yelled, “Who would invent such a device without putting a damn off switch on it?”

His only hope was that whatever was self-powering it would eventually run out of steam. After a moment, he shook his head, answering his own question. “Oh, yeah. The Government.”

An entry for the May 3rd round of "The Writer's Cramp" 
Prompt: A character is accidentally locked into a public place overnight. Write the poem or short story about what happens next. The genre is up to you.
Word Limit: 1000
Word Count: 304