the Frozen Cube

chapter one

It was a hot summer and I had just gotten done with a shift at the bakery. I work at the bakery because I needed a job, and the person who owns it was a friend to the family. But he was a fair man who was not afraid to tell things as they are.

I was riding home on the bus when I saw a car lot. on the lot I saw six motorcycles lined up one after the other. they all looked to be the exact same, but the sign said the one on the end was only 500 dollars while the others were well into the 2 or 3 thousand dollar range. I wanted to at least check this out because I've always wanted a motorcycle, but I never could afford one.

So, I pulled the cord to get off at the next stop. as soon as the bus stopped I ran back to the car lot to ask the dealership people why that motorcycle was listed at such a low price. "h-hey, I saw that motorcycle out in the parking lot. I've been trying to get a motorcycle for a while now and I've never seen one listed at such a low price."

the person behind the desk looked at the sign through the window and said, "Sorry, someone must have mispriced that motorcycle."

I looked down, a bit sad to find the price of the motorcycle must have been an accident. but another person came up to the counter from a backroom. "No, that is correct. I was asked to make sure that one gets sold today. our boss said it needs to be sold today and that I could lower the price as low as 500 if that gets it sold."

I was super confused, why would they be so desperate to get rid of that motorcycle? "y-you're sure she said that one? that one just got in brand new yesterday. could she have been talking about the piece of crap one that's been sitting here for 3 years on the opposite side of the lot?"

I held my hands together in anticipation because this is a brand new motorcycle? if they were really selling it for 500 dollars that would be amazing, but why?

"No, she said that one. I asked. sorry about wasting your time, if you'd like to buy the motorcycle, let me get you the paperwork. there's no place for a key because it is one of those new vehicles that turns on with a button if the key is within a good enough distance."

I handed the guy five hundred dollars and he gave me the key and paperwork from a shelf in the back. before I could walk out he grabbed some strange cannisters of blue liquid from under the counter. "You will need these because this motorcycle doesn't run on gasoline." I was confused but took the canisters and tied them down tightly to the back of the motorcycle with a rope I decided to also buy for 20 dollars.

I left, still very confused, and at one point on my way home a police officer pulled me over. this guy knows me. he knows I have a proper driver's license and everything, but he also knows I don't drive any vehicle because I've never been able to afford one.

I pulled over to let him question me. "are you aware why I pulled you over?"

"Because you suspect I stole this motorcycle?" I asked half jokingly.

"don't even Joke about something like that. you're brother is in prison because he killed 3 innocent people with a stolen vehicle. I know you wouldn't steal a vehicle, that's not like you. but yeah, you are suspected of it because your brother had stolen vehicles before and you could not afford something like this."

"the guy sold it to me for only 500 dollars. I was very confused by that myself because they said it had just arrived at the dealership yesterday. but I can show you the paperwork." I pulled all the paperwork out of my coat pockets and handed it to him.

"Everything seems to be in order, you may go." he said as he handed the paperwork back to me.

I started back on my way home, wondering about all of this. why was it so important they got rid of this brand new motorcycle that doesn't even run on gas? wouldn't that fact alone make it more expensive, not less?