No one seemed to hear it. No one seemed to see it. It never appeared in any newspapers, local or worldwide. It was like it never happened, which, honestly, some would have preferred. The only evidence left from the phenomenon was a scorched trail leading up to a crater hidden in the abyss of the states trademark lake. Had there been someone who cared enough to see it, they would say it was the result of a government conspiracy. Had there been someone to bear witness to the story they would know it was just the crash site of something sent on a wild goose chase; one that stretched across the cold depths of space itself.
Had there been someone on the site, they would've noticed the changes in their car. Changes that took only a few seconds to make. Changes that would change the lives of an unsuspecting citizen and those around them.
Humidity. Sweat. Hot. Three words that every good Floridian knew and used on a constant basis. Today was no different from the days that came before it in terms of weather. Everyone went about their day dressed in shorts; damp from the sweat that cascaded down their thighs. A pessimist could've said that nothing interesting would happen on that day; that there would be no difference made in their life as of now.\par \par For one person, that was the complete opposite.
It had been only a few days since she last stood inside that building, for the third time this month, in fact. Paperwork clutched in one hand, teeth nervously gnawing away at the already shortened fingernails on the other, she awaited the verdict. Would today be the day she was finally granted the priviledge her friends had already received? To cruise along the roads with the others? To finally, finally be allowed to drive?
As her eyes made contact with the driving instructor, she tensed. A single sweat drop ran down the bridge of her nose, fell, and settled upon her upper lip.
"Nervous?" A vague question.
She nodded.
"Don't be. It's not good to drive when you're nervous," the much older woman said with a grin.
The second the laminated card that was a Drivers License touched her fingers, the antsy teenager knew what heaven was. This..this was what it felt like to finally be granted freedom after months of trying in vain to escape the imprisonment of bicycle transportation.
Her father was waiting for her outside the License Department with a sly smile on his lips. There were smiles, hugs, and words of celebration.
"There's a gift for you back at home."
As they drove home, the girl squirmed about in the passanger seat, barely able to contain her excitement. She knew exactly what awaited her. She knew it would be parked in the driveway among her parents cars, just waiting to be driven. It was something she had been waitinf for ever since she first earned her driving permit. The minute she sat in the drivers seat and ran her fingers along the steering wheel, THAT was when she would break the last of her chains and become a driver.
Her excitement turned to impatience which in turn became agonizing dissapointment. What awaited her at home was not at all what she was expecting.
"Mother of God.." A whispered curse to no one in particular.
The middle aged man she was suddenly embarassed to call her father beamed proudly at his find.
"It's just what you always wanted! Your own car! And in our budget! Pretty great, eh?"
The vehicle that stood before them was one that had seen better days. Beneath the layer of dirt and grime there was a peeling coat of silver paint accented with thin black stripes running across the length of the body. Its hood was dented, as were the doors and even the trunk. The shining Cadillac logo that adorned its side was missing, leaving only a rust imprint of where it once was.
Let's not even get into describing the interior.
"Oh...my..how...retro. Where ever did you find it?" She faked interest in order to hide her crippling dissapointment.
"A man down at Lake Okeechobee was selling it in the paper for a great price!"
The father patted the car on the hood, leaving a handprint in the caked on dust.
"Your old man done well, eh? Welp, I'll just be leaving you two alone to get to know eachother." He smiled, patted his daughters back approvingly and departed into the house.
The girl stood beside her 'gift' with a look of mixed emotion. Yes, she was glad she finally had a car to call her own, but she was also honestly pissed at all the work she had to do to make it half decent in the aesthetics department.\par \par
"You're disgusting.." she said to what she assumed was just an old car and nothing more.
She was going to quickly learn she was completely wrong.