Fred and Bob pulled into the sprawling Walmart parking lot on a bright Saturday morning, the sun glinting off the hoods of a sea of cars.
"Alright, buddy," Fred said, shutting the car door. "Remember where we parked. Last time, we spent half an hour looking for the car."
Bob laughed, patting Fred on the back. "Don't worry, Fred. This time, I got a system. We’re in section J3. Easy to remember, right?"
"Sure, sure," Fred muttered, already skeptical.
Inside Walmart, they split up, Fred heading to the electronics section while Bob veered towards groceries. Fred was soon engrossed in a heated debate with a teenage employee about the best gaming console. Meanwhile, Bob was loading his cart with an excessive amount of snacks and soft drinks, humming to himself.
After an hour, they reconvened at the checkout, their carts piled high with impulse buys.
"Man, do we really need all this?" Fred asked, eyeing Bob’s cart.
"Of course!" Bob replied, grinning. "It's all about the essentials, Fred."
They paid for their items and walked back outside. The parking lot had somehow doubled in size—or at least, it felt that way. Fred and Bob stared at the endless rows of cars.
"Uh, J3, right?" Fred asked, squinting at the sea of vehicles.
"Yeah, J3," Bob said confidently. They walked to the J section, but there was no sign of their car.
"Maybe we’re in the wrong row," Fred suggested, trying to stay calm. They checked every row in section J, then moved on to K, L, and M, but there was still no sign of their car.
After what felt like an eternity, Fred stopped and wiped the sweat from his brow. "Bob, I think we're lost."
"No way, man," Bob insisted. "It's here somewhere. Maybe it's one of those cars that blend in."
Just then, a Walmart employee driving a small, electric cart pulled up. He was a young guy, probably in his early twenties, with a name tag that read "Chad." Chad, 5'7", had spiky blond hair, a lean build, and wore the standard blue Walmart vest over a white t-shirt and khaki pants.
"You guys need help?" Chad asked, looking amused.
Fred sighed in relief. "Yes, please! We can't find our car. It's a silver SUV."
Chad nodded, pulling out a small device. "I can drive you around until we find it. Hop on."
Fred and Bob squeezed onto the cart, and Chad drove them around the parking lot, scanning each row with a practiced eye. They rode in silence, the hum of the cart the only sound.
After several minutes, Chad finally pointed. "There it is!"
Fred and Bob cheered, spotting their silver SUV. "Thank you so much, Chad," Fred said, shaking his hand.
"No problem," Chad replied, grinning. "Happens all the time."
Fred and Bob loaded their purchases into the car and climbed in. Fred started the engine, ready to finally head home.
"Hey, Fred," Bob said suddenly, looking out the window.
"What?" Fred asked, turning to see what Bob was staring at.
"Isn't that your car over there?" Bob pointed to another silver SUV, parked just a few rows away.
Fred's jaw dropped. "No way..."
They both burst into laughter, realizing they had been looking for the wrong car the whole time. Fred's face turned red as he chuckled. "I can't believe this."
"At least we got a fun ride out of it," Bob said, still laughing.
As they drove out of the parking lot, Fred glanced over at Bob. "Next time, we're taking a picture of where we park."
"Agreed," Bob said, still chuckling. "But hey, at least we have a great story to tell."
They both laughed again, the stress of the search melting away as they recounted the adventure. And somewhere in the vast expanse of the Walmart parking lot, Chad was probably telling his coworkers about the two guys who couldn't find their car, even when it was right in front of them.