Chapter Four
The old Topaz spurted and shuttered as Maggie drove home. The rusted muffler, holding on by a wire, vibrated and shook the floor inside the car. Her ears were buzzing from the loud rumbling, which she supposed announced her arrival from blocks away. “Sorry!” she called, wincing as she waved to her elderly neighbors, who frowned as she passed before pulling in to her driveway. The necessary repairs were fast approaching critical, but on Maggie’s budget, not even an oil change would happen right now.
She blinked as she stood outside her average box-style house and stared at the front door. She turned and looked back at the faded blue car, realizing she couldn’t remember the route she’d taken to drive home. How many times over this past year had she done this?
A familiar scrat
