Work Text:
Kisara was driving her car, listening to music and generally having a good time, when she encountered it.
One moment, the world was fine. The next, lights blinking in all colors of the rainbow assaulted her retinas, searing into them with such force that she forgot whether the familiar road curved left or right.
She slammed down on the brakes. When the car tilted, she could only feel it. Her vision had made a hasty retreat. The car came to a sudden stop, flinging her forward. The motion was stopped just as abruptly as her seatbelt punched her diagonally across her chest.
She fell back into her seat and remained still, dazed.
What had just happened?
It took several seconds before her vision returned. The world was tilted, and dirty snow surrounded her car. She’d ended up in a ditch. The silver lining was that the car hadn’t flipped over, and it sat at an angle that let her open the door.
She grabbed her phone and looked up the number of the traffic authorities.
She hadn’t been able to read its license plate, but she didn’t need a registration number to report what she’d seen.
---
Several cold, miserable hours followed.
She’d grabbed the shovel she kept in her trunk and started clearing away the snow, only to find that her car kept slipping back into the ditch no matter what she tried.
A tow truck would be the only way to get her car back on the road.
When she called for help, she was met by an apologetic operator telling her that there was a lot going on today, and she’d have to wait, possibly for several hours. At first, she stood outside in the wet snow, as if her presence would make the tow truck arrive faster.
When she realized the pointlessness of it (and the bottoms of her pant legs began to freeze) she ducked back inside her car and swaddled herself in a blanket that she kept around for situations like this.
She should’ve done that to start with. While she’d been warm after shoveling snow, inactivity had dropped her temperature fast. At this point the cold had crept so deep into her bones that it would be hard to shake.
When the tow truck finally arrived, she was torn between throwing herself on her knees to praise them and chewing them out for taking so damn long.
She opted for the golden middle – a simple ‘thank you’ that was neither enthusiastic nor hostile. With her car back on the road, she set course straight for home. She’d worry about dents and other damage once her bones weren’t trying to turn into icicles.
---
When Kisara pulled into the parking lot at work next day, she wasn’t prepared for the sight that met her.
Right there, a few spaces next to the one she’d picked, it stood. Mercifully, the lights were turned off, but the cables that wrapped all around the frame of the vehicle gave it a tortured appearance. The owner had paid no mind to leaving the license plate visible – she was about to approach the car and have a closer look when a familiar voice called out to her.
“A pleasant morning to you, Kisara.” There was Dohalim, stifling a yawn. “What do you think?” he asked, nodding to the cable-wrapped car.
“Oh, good. Since you’re here you can help me out. I was about to take the registration number to report the owner of this vehicle to the traffic authorities. If you report them too, they might take action sooner.”
Dohalim looked confused.
“Report the owner? Why would you do that?”
“Why? Because this thing is a traffic hazard! I encountered it on the road yesterday and ended up in a ditch because it blinded me. The jerk didn’t even stop to check if I was okay!”
“I… see. That is… certainly a cause for concern. I know, why don’t you allow me to handle the matter? I’ll have a word with the owner and let them know that such conduct is not permissible.”
Something felt off. Dohalim was rarely eager to take on responsibility of any kind. He hadn’t even understood why the lights were a problem before she’d explained it to him.
“I still think reporting them is the better option,” she maintained. “These things ought to go through the proper channels.”
A silence followed, during which Dohalim’s stance grew increasingly tense. He looked like a string about to snap.
“Kisara? I have an admission to make.”
There it was.
“This car… is mine. I had lights left over from decorating the house and thought I would spread the holiday cheer beyond my abode. I certainly did not intend to leave you in a predicament yesterday. In fact, I had not realized that anything was amiss. If I had known, I would have stopped the car at once.”
Kisara sighed and pressed her palm to her forehead. She should have realized it sooner – this kind of non-malicious carelessness was characteristic of Dohalim.
“Is there anything I can do to keep you from reporting me?”
“I’m sure plenty of people already have,” Kisara grumbled, “Although you’re in luck that the registration number isn’t visible. I’ll let it slide if you remove all the lights now and promise never to pull such a stunt again.”
“What if I simply reduced the number of-”
“No.”
“But… think of the holiday spirit!”
Kisara crossed her arms in front of her. It was just like Dohalim to try to bargain, not realizing that traffic security was a matter one did not mess with.
“Absolutely not. All the lights go, or I’m reporting you straight away.”
“Fine,” Dohalim deflated. He walked over to the car and began to loosen one of the many cables. “Do you require any Christmas lights?” he asked with a look that reminded her of a kicked puppy.
“I’m not big on wasting electricity during the time of year that it’s most expensive.”
“Always so focused on practicality,” Dohalim lamented as he pulled off string after string of lights and rolled them up. “Where is your joy?”
“There are plenty of other, cheaper, ways to get in the spirit of the season,” Kisara stepped over and started to help him.
It sort of made her an accomplice, but she found it hard to maintain her anger in the face of Dohalim’s genuine confusion. He might be her boss, but over the years she had also grown to consider him a friend.
“Next time you have an idea like this, promise you’ll give me a call first.”
“I’ll try.”
“Good.”
And so, its short-lived reign of terror came to an end. There was a notice on the local news that evening, encouraging bystanders to report sightings of a car covered in Christmas lights, before interest died down a few days later. Its owner was never officially located.