The key turned in the ignition. The engine spun and chugged. It died. A second attempt brought less success than the first. Kate threw her hands on the wheel, then lowered her head on them. She rested there for a moment. Her sense of where she wanted to go had escaped her as well.
She looked at the time. It showed on the console, signifying her battery was fine. Kate felt like letting it drain to spite the car. She breathed in deep again as she opened the door.
“I guess I can try.”
Kate closed the door again and turned the key to the off position. She dug into her purse and pulled out her phone. After a few minutes of scrolling and she found what she was looking for. How to Start Your Car With Magic. The title of the article was ridiculous when she saw it a couple of weeks ago. It still seemed absurd, but the world had changed in ways no one could describe.
The directions called for an inscription and reading an incantation. The worn leather seats and torn-up armrest made this car a prime candidate for more damage. Kate dug through her purse again and took out a multi-tool pen. She uncapped the pristine screwdriver from one end.
Her left hand held up the phone as her right scratched away at the top of the dashboard. She completed it once and then a second time over the first. The scratches were deep, and she felt like they matched perfectly.
She placed the phone in her lap and waved both arms out to get the full feeling back in them. If this worked, she thought, maybe she would make herself stronger next. She picked up the phone and continued through the directions. She put the key back into the on position without attempting to turn the engine over. The words were written in English letters. Kate scoffed, knowing that wouldn’t help.
She lowered the windows and readjusted her ponytail. It was now or she wasn’t going to try at all. Kate mouthed the words first. She glanced up and down the road. Another deep sigh and she said them.
Nothing.
She looked around to check that everything was the way it was before. There were no changes around. Her relief and confusion battled across her face. Kate breathed in and spoke them out loud once more. She got the same result as the first.
The article was filled with comments of success and failures as she scrolled through. She double-checked the steps and looked for further insight from other browsers like herself.
“No.”
She placed two fingers on the scratches on her dashboard. She barely got the words out before she felt a heat rise inside of her. It pushed out from her and lit up the inscription. The engine roared to life.