The phoenix through time

The year was 1988 when my grandpa first heard the roars of the 1977 Firebird that terrorized the town of Terrence. My grandma and grandpa were visiting his dad down in Terrence. It was a  nice summer morning and they were down there because it was International Pancake Day and Terrence always had a parade and my great-grandpa always cooked pancakes for the family. On their way down they passed the town of Philip. It was a small farming town and did not have much going for it, just a couple of gas stations and a few pit stops, And a lot of farmland.

 My grandpa was driving a classic red Silverado pickup truck and it was one of the most memorable cars he owned. Once they made it into town they knew something was wrong. The town was a lot quieter and there weren’t many cars on the street. The only person they saw was a teenager wearing some weird clothes. Then he heard the engine was a black and gray Pontiac Firebird and it was heading straight for them. He described it as playing chicken with a cop. But the Firebird swerved away and they never saw it again. 

When they made it to my great-grandparent’s house they told them what they saw and my great-grandpa told them what had been happening to the town. It turns out that there had been a mysterious dragster driving around the town in the same Pontiac Firebird. He just seemed to show up one day out of nowhere. After that, they decided to have some pancakes and go home.  They were going to leave when an unknown assailant stole the truck and drove off. They tried telling the police but they said the guy was long gone by now and that was the last time they ever saw the pickup truck. A few weeks later they found the carjacker in a creek in the middle of nowhere and he was dead. They knew it was him because he had the key to the truck, but the one thing that stumped them to this day is that my grandpa had the keys in his pocket the whole time.  

About 40 years later my grandpa tells me the story about what happened that day and how the town of Terrence, Montana was affected by it. After that, he gave me the keys to the missing  truck as a keepsake. Then I knew from that day forward I was going to find the Pontiac. I decided to look for possible places where it could have gone then I think I pinpointed it as being in an abandoned field outside of Philip, Montana. As I parked my truck outside the barn. I was positive this is where the Firebird was. I walked into the abandoned barn and I saw it caked in dust but there was the 1977 gray Pontiac Firebird. I found out that the car was unlocked when I climbed in. I found out the keys were still in the ignition so I started it up.

 The roar of the engine was so loud that I turned it off instantly then I smelled something, I felt dizzy and I fainted. A couple of hours later I awoke. I decided to get out of the Firebird to go back to my truck but when I got there I noticed my truck was gone. Either someone had stolen it or something else happened I thought. Then I looked back at the Firebird. It was in pristine condition and someone was in the driver’s seat. They saw me and backed out, breaking the back of the barn. I couldn’t get to them in time and they made their way back on the highway and sped off. I decided to try to call my mom or anyone close by but my phone did not work. 

After that, I decided to try to walk to Terrence and see if my great-grandpa could help. When I entered the town I noticed there were a lot of older cars around and there was a video store where I remembered there being a restaurant. I walked around the square and noticed a couple in a pickup truck. Then I heard the roar of the engine. The Firebird was playing chicken with the couple I had seen in the truck. Then it dawned on me that the people in the car were my grandparents and it was in the year 1988 and this was the day my grandpa told me about. Then I remembered I was wearing clothes from the 21st century so I went to a local thrift store and got some clothes appropriate for the time. Afterward, I went to my great-grandpa’s house where I saw younger versions of my elders talk and eat pancakes. As I noticed the truck I remembered something. I checked my pocket and found the keys to the truck then I knew what needed to happen. I decided to take the pickup truck and get back on the road to try to find the Firebird. I tried to find the Firebird but It sped off never to be seen again. Now stuck in the past I wish I never found the car…