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The clock above the diner clicked past midnight,

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casting a steady, electric green glow onto the

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asphalt.

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Outside, the city had settled into a heavy,

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quiet stillness, save for the low, rhythmic hum

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of a neon sign buzzing above a barbershop

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across the boulevard.

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Tucked against the curb sat a masterpiece of

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twisted metal and pure ambition.

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It was a gleaming vintage hot rod, its

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chopped top an exposed engine block radiating a

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sense of restrained power.

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The dark paint swallowed the shadows, while the

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sweeping curves caught the vibrant magenta and cyan

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flickers of the streetlights.

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Every inch of the detailed chrome texture, from

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the massive exhaust pipes to the pristine headlight

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casings, seemed to bleed faint, colorful reflections across

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its polished hood.

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Eli stepped out of the diner, the screen

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door slamming shut behind him with a sharp

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twang that shattered the quiet.

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He wiped his grease -stained hands on a

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rag, walked over to the driver's side, and

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ran a finger along the blistering hot fender.

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The retro atmosphere hung thick in the cool

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night air, smelling faintly of high -octane fuel

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and ozone.

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He didn't bother turning on the headlights as

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he slid behind the thin -rimmed steering wheel.

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With a twist of the ignition key, the

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V8 engine exploded to life with a deep,

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chest -rattling roar that rattled the nearby storefront

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windows.

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Eli dropped it into gear, and the hot

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rod surged forward into the neon -washed night,

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leaving only a fading rumble and a trail

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of glowing reflections in its wake.