A Startling Discovery
This is my response to a prompt from my writing group to describe a normal object as unfamiliar.
I slid behind the wheel of my car and turned the key. The engine purred as usual, but my hand grazed up against a strange object. It jutted out of the left side of the steering column. It was cylindrical and seemed to be made of hard plastic.
Panic overtook me. What was this device, and who had put it there? I screeched like a frightened chimpanzee and slapped at it, inadvertently knocking it into an upward position. A flashing green arrow appeared on the right side of my dashboard. The device ticked in time with the arrow.
Oh shit, a bomb!
With a terrified yelp, I dove out of the car and scrambled for cover, shielding my head with my arms. Minutes passed without an explosion. The car still ticked softly. I arose cautiously from my hunched position and walked around the car. A red light blinked on the right back bumper.
Puzzled, I climbed back into the car. With much trepidation, I pushed the lever down. The green arrow stopped flashing and the ticking ceased. I pushed the lever down farther. The ticking resumed, and a green arrow appeared on the left side of the dashboard. Amused, I toggled the lever up and down, watching the arrows switch sides. What an amusing feature! But what could it do in practical terms?
Baffled, I pressed the button for my car’s onboard assistant. After a brief jingle of hold music, a cheery female voice answered.
“How may I assist you today?”
“Yes, there’s a lever in my car that I’ve never seen before. When I push it up and down, these arrows appear on the dashboard and the car starts ticking. Do you know what it is?” I asked.
“Yes, that’s called a ‘turn signal’. It signals to other drivers when you want to turn left and right. It’s also helpful when switching lanes and merging.”
Wow! What a handy device! Normally while driving, I’d just jerk the wheel violently in whatever direction I wished to go. Maybe this was why so many people honked at me. I’d always thought they were responding to my “Honk If You Love Loud Noises” bumper sticker.
“When did they install this in my car?” I asked.
“Turn signals have been factory standard issue for cars since the 1950’s,” said the woman. "“Is there anything else I can assist you with?”
“No, you’ve been an incredible help,” I replied, pressing the button to end the call.
I stared in amazement at this “turn signal”. This changed everything. Excited to use my new-found accessory, I reversed out of my driveway into oncoming traffic, ignoring the inconveniently placed mirror in the middle of my windshield. A flurry of honks greeted me, and I flicked my turn signal knowingly.