Car Starter

“I can help you.” A stranger stood at my shoulder.

“This is an impossible situation,” I muttered. “How in the world can you?”

Someone tall, a bit shiny answered, “Not in this world. In my world.”

“Right. And monkeys fly out of my butt. This is a serious problem, buddy.” My car just died, for no reason.

“Curious picture you give. How is that possible, given your anatomy?”

“Focus, focus. Back to the problem.” Rising up, I gave the stranger a once over. He was taller than me, all glittery, dressed in some sort of suit that seemed odd somehow. “You say you can help me. Do you know cars?”

“Cars? Is this what you call this machine?”

“Never mind.” I took my cell phone out, searched for a tow truck.

“Primitive technology I haven’t seen before, but perhaps I can help. I’ve been given knowledge of this.” The stranger brought a small device from beneath that glittery suit, waved it over my car. It instantly started. “The problem is now solved.”

I stood dumbfounded. My car never sounded this good, purring like a giant cat.

“What was the problem?”

“First, you have to go with me to find the solution.”

“That seems a little backward, usually you diagnose the problem, then…”

I woke to a strange light. It shimmered, then dimmed.

“Where am I?”

The stranger lifted me, we floated then slid into to a giant bubble.

“You will now see the solution.” A mysterious fluid lined the bubble, colorless, odorless without density. We floated inside the bubble for a time. “This is solution #10, it will heal your machine. It is the solution.”

Literally and figuratively, I thought. Then I woke in my car. On the dash sat a container. I opened it to find the magic solution.


W/C 300