He Said the Car Was Fixed… It Wasn’t

Description: I arrive at the mechanic’s shop to pick up my car, trusting his message that everything was finally fixed. the place is empty, quiet, almost too quiet… but i try not to overthink it. i get inside the ford, turn the key, pump the pedal, and wait for that comforting sound of the engine coming back to life. but nothing. just sputters. just teasing. i start cranking again, pumping harder, bouncing on the seat as frustration and disbelief hit me all at once. i try calling the mechanic, but of course he does not answer. so i keep trying on my own, pumping and cranking over and over while the engine only coughs and refuses to start. after a while, i get that strange feeling… the sensation of someone watching me struggle. i start looking around, nervous, heart racing. that panic makes my foot pump even harder as i try to start the car, but the engine still refuses to cooperate. i finally gather the courage to step outside and check under the hood, but i have no idea what is wrong. then suddenly i hear a strange noise nearby. i slam the hood shut and hurry back to the driver’s seat. i try again… and the engine actually sounds closer to starting. until finally… it does. i breathe out, relieved, pull away, and start driving. but the relief does not last long. the ford stalls again a little further down the road. i try everything, pumping nonstop, begging it to stay alive, but my desperate pumping ends up flooding the engine. now it will not start at all. that is when i see someone approaching my car. i panic, cranking and pumping frantically as they get closer and closer… the end.