Jack noticed the cool stillness of the night as he pulled up to the gas pump. This particular station didn't have the normal flood of florescence spilling out into the darkness; instead, some gentle lamps hung from a small awning above. A tiny, elderly woman stood filling her car on the opposite side of the pump. She smiled at Jack.
Jack finished his work and got back in the car, shortly after the old woman had done the same. Jack watched her drive slowly around the pump and toward his front bumper. Jack tried to get his car in reverse, but instead drove forward slightly to meet the oncoming vehicle. Moving at a tiny fraction of their full speed, the two cars bumped lightly, whereupon Jack's began honking loudly and repeatedly. The woman quickly reversed and pulled back to her spot on the other side of the pump. Both got out of their cars.
"Jack, please stop your car from beeping."
"I can't, Mrs. Anivra, it won't stop."
"I must insist, it's much too loud."
"I said, I can't! I tried! You try and stop it!"
"Young man, if you don't stop it, I'm calling the police!" Mrs. Anivra stomped angrily.
Jack could feel the rage coming over him again, the same rage that had taken hold of him earlier and caused him enormous trouble. It was a kind of momentous, uncontrollable anger he had never felt until recently, one that made his chest feel bubbly and his limbs buzz with the heat of pent-up inaction. Earlier when it had taken hold, he had joined the suicidal assault on the office, calmly and efficiently destroyed the turret defenses, and once inside had started ripping apart the mostly-empty rooms as his friends, family and coworkers looked on in astonishment. Jack remembered one remarking at the profound inevitably of Jack's actions, as if the rage radiating from the young man was so palpable it necessarily justified every behavior taken while in its grip. Jack had eventually come out of it after mounting guilt about possibly destroying his friends possession. Afterwards, he'd felt enormously better, but was in all sorts of legal trouble, including a possible indictment by The Man in Glasses. Not to mention trying to explain things to his family.
"It won't stop! I told you!!" yelled Jack.
"Stop it, NOW!"
"NO, YOU STOP IT, MRS. ANIVRA! YOU STOP IT! GO AHEAD, TRY TO STOP IT, MRS. ANIVRA!" Jack spat. Her name was like a curse word on his tongue.
"No!"
"YES, YES, BE MY GUEST, MRS. ANIVRA! YOU STOP IT! STOP THE BEEPING! MRS. ANIVRA, STOP THE BEEPING!! PLEASE, MRS. ANIVRA, TRY TO STOP MY CAR HORN!"
The old lady just stared at Jack impudently. He began waving his arms and stomping back and forth like a caged bull.
"MRS. ANIVRA! MRS. ANIVRA! STOP THE BEEPING! MRS. ANIVRA, TRY TO STOP THE BEEPING! JUST TRY IT! JUST TRY IT! STOP THE BEEPING, MRS. ANIVRA!!!"
Just then a squad car pulled up and an officer came over to Jack and put a calming arm on his shoulder. Mrs. Anivra went back to her businesses.
"Evening, Jack," said the officer.
"Hello, sir. My car won't stop beeping."
The officer bent down and inspected the front bumper.
"Don't worry about it, Jack. Looks like it's broken."
