Your car's ignition lock jams. The mobile mechanic you call breaks down on the way to fix it. Eventually he arrives, too late to do the repair. He diagnoses the fault and says he'll order a new lock set for the following day. He shows up at 0600, parks his truck blocking the driveway your car is in, and goes to sleep in it. A concerned neighbour calls the police. They hammer on your door to confirm his story, are satisfied and leave. He removes the old lock, but the new one has not yet arrived.

You're tearing your hair out because you need this car working in three days to get to work. The new lock arrives, the mechanic says he will fit it. He fails to show up. Apparently he's been involved in an accident, is detained by the police. He arrives at sometime after 2100 and you're asleep with the phone ringer off. He gets everything done, but can't get the car to start. He texts saying he'll be back in the morning. You call other mechanics but none are available for days.

Your agitation is rising with every passing moment. Hands shaking, you retire indoors to make a cuppa to calm your nerves. Time is slipping away, your stress levels are climbing as you're also trying to find a new place to live. He returns and confirms that the security system is not allowing the engine to start, though it turns over nicely. Now you need to get the car towed to a dealership to have the keys recoded.

You have a pounding headache and want to collapse into fœtal position. Your guts are churning and you're worried about starting a migraine. You're in The Twilight Zone.


The slow blade has penetrated the shield.



$ xclip -o | wc -w
298