California – April 21, 2020
The doorbell rings. I put my pillow over my head assuming it\u2019s the TV in the family room that\u2019s been on all night. It rings again. Followed by knocks. I pop up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat time is it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The blurry clock on the bedside looks as though it\u2019s 6:37 a.m. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I think to myself, \u201cIs this some kind joke?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Slippers? On. Glasses? Check. No sash to tie the bathrobe \u2026 better find something else to put on in case it\u2019s the IRS, since they don\u2019t like surprises any more than I do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brotherhood of Muscle T-shirt? Check. Jeans from yesterday with wallet still (miraculously) in the back pocket? Good enough. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\nopen the front door to find an envelope taped to it. No sign of whoever\ndelivered it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\nreads, \u201cToday is the day.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
What\nthe?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rip. Paper cut. Explicit language mumbled to self.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Open. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I unfold the weathered paper with two diagonal red lines painted on the outside. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cToday could be the most important day of your life. Before you read on, you have to decide. Is now the time to stop with the lame excuses you\u2019ve been telling yourself for years? Like, \u2018now\u2019s not a great time for me to do that,\u2019 or, \u2018next year I\u2019m really going to make a concerted effort.\u2019 Yeah, right. Sell that nonsense somewhere else. It\u2019s time you start living. I mean, really living. Like there isn\u2019t going to be a tomorrow because, well, there might not be, should you fail to take this opportunity that is right in front of you. This mission. Ah, yes. The mission. Now, look up from this note. Do you see what\u2019s parked on the street? Get in. Don\u2019t be shy. The keys are inside. Take those 41 steps. Get in. Start it up. The rest of your mission, if you\u2019re brave enough to accept it, can be heard by simply turning on your radio.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
WHAT THE?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019ve never seen a more beautiful, precise work of art in my entire life. The strong lines from the rear quarter panel all the way to the front fascia \u2013 pure muscle. This is my dream ride. A Dodge Challenger SRT\u00ae<\/sup> Hellcat Redeye Widebody.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Decision\nmade. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 41\nsteps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I open the door, sit in the perfectly-formed-to-my-body seat and start it up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Lights\non. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Seat\nbelt on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Radio on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGood morning. Welcome to your mission. The operation is simple, if you make the right choices. Type \u2018Ticonderoga, NY\u2019 into your navigation system, and follow our instructions on this channel as you drive. We\u2019ll be with you all the way. Your mission is crucial, and all of the unanswered questions going through your head right now will be answered in due time. Now drive.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I pull away from my house and onto Topanga Canyon Blvd. But I feel alive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I hear a rally cry that today is the day I must take it to the edge. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes,\nthe edge. <\/p>\n\n\n\n What\nhave I got to lose?<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\nfeel alive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So far, there\u2019s nothing more from my tour guide, so I decide to see what this monster has inside. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Badass is an understatement. Am I caught in the middle of some David Lynch film? <\/p>\n\n\n\n The vibe\nof the engine note is all too perfect. \u201cSubterranean Homesick Alien\u201d suddenly pops\nup on the radio and I think, \u201cI\u2019m definitely in some kind of movie,\u201d but it\nsharpens my focus on the road. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Like\na wolf darting through wind, I kick into 3rd, headlights piercing ahead with\nferocious intention. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Every\nstreet sign I pass seems to have a subliminal meaning behind it. I don\u2019t see, \u201cPat\u2019s\nTopanga Grille 7 miles ahead\u201d on the billboard. No, all I see is \u201c797 HP \u2013 use\nit\u201d and how could I ignore that? <\/p>\n\n\n\n I\ntell myself not to overthink it, just drive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The\n707 pound-feet of torque growls as this wolf gnashes his teeth, putting everyone\non notice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m on a mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Topanga to Ticonderoga. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Sure, to some living their lives wearing blinders instead of Ray-Bans, this journey may look depraved, but for those who know … yeah, you already know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Passing the Buddha wall, the face on the mural has an envious look in its eye. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And now I\u2019m thinking out loud about this dream state mission I\u2019m on. \u201cAm I being followed, toyed with, even played? Can they hear me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Okay, time to put a lid on that nonsense and keep moving. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The\nbeauty of driving a perfectly designed and tuned machine like this SRT Hellcat\nRedeye is that it quiets the mind while feeding the soul. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And this is a much better recipe for sanity than allowing my imagination to take over, suggesting I\u2019m in the same recurring dream I\u2019ve had since I was a kid. This feels like how it always begins. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The one where I\u2019m on some post-apocalyptic road heading into the unknown. Then, out of nowhere, I\u2019m being chased by a team in over-the-top F1 cars wearing mirrored helmets that are so close I can see the embarrassingly horrified look on my face reflected back when I grip the wheel and glance out the window. Maybe you\u2019ve had this dream too? For your sake, I hope not. Is this all a dream?<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\nshould probably check the rearview, just in case. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Good.\nDoesn\u2019t look like I\u2019m being followed. For now. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I\npinch myself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ouch.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n Definitely\nawake. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Driving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Alive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\nhave an unexpected dreamlike reality in my hands, and 797 horses to reign \u2026 all\nthe way to New York.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s still early. The sky is swallowed in fog, telegraphing a message of uncertainty that I must push beyond and ignore. This bizarre turn of events has me heading \u2013 in a car I don\u2019t own \u2013 across the country on a mission I know nothing about. <\/p>\n\n\n\n