Author's Note: I've finally managed to get a decent version of this one written! I started a cars version a while back, but that's one seems to have come to a halt. I wrote this version (with different names) for FictionCentral. It seemed to go down well there, so I'm posting a cars version of it here. The characters are humanised in here, as I would have to change it a lot to turn them into the cars we know so well.
The titles of the chapters are actually song titles. They seem to fit pretty well with the chapters, which is why I used them. I'll say at the end who the artist of that particular song is.
A Hidden Past
Chapter 1 – When I Get Where I'm Going
Thunder rolled through the valley. A fork of lightning lit the sky, briefly illuminating the deep puddles on the road. I let my car sit for a moment before I tried to get it going again. The rain hammered on the roof of the vehicle. With no supplies to hand, I knew it would be a long night.
I had passed a sign around a mile back, but there was no sign of life. I wasn't able to see the words on the sign, just that there was something written on it.
Rain was rare in the desert…so was help. I removed the keys from the ignition after another failed attempt. I was going nowhere, and I had all night to think about it. The whole reason why I'd hit the road in the first place was to get absolutely nowhere. They had turned me out of the only job I had ever known mere hours ago. I'd been on the road since then. I'd not even returned home first.
Another flash of lightning lit up the sky, shortly followed by an even louder rumble of thunder. There was no other choice, I would just have to wait the storm out, but without the engine running, there was no heating in the car. I pulled my jacket from the back seat and wriggled into it. It didn't help much, but it was better than nothing. I hoped the storm wasn't going to last long. The cold set my cough off again. It had come and gone a lot over the last two years. So much for staying warm and sheltered.
The storm finally blew itself out around one in the morning. I tried to start the car again, but still I had no success. It was just a blank, black mass in front of me. There really wasn't anything. I hadn't felt this alone for a while, and that was saying something. I sighed lightly. Walking would get me warm again, but I really didn't want to abandon the car. I wasn't able to push it at all due to old injuries though, and I didn't really want to sit in the cold any longer. I opened the door slowly and stepped out. The road had turned to mud after all the rain. I locked the car, pocketed the keys and set off into the night.
I was very glad I always kept a torch with me, and even more glad that the batteries still worked. At least I wasn't completely in the dark.
I was walking for some time before I found the town. It wouldn't have taken me long to reach if I'd been in the car…oh well. I needed the exercise anyway.
Despite the late hour (I was sure it was gone two in the morning), there were people gathered in what appeared to be a café. Gas lamps sat on every table inside the building, and weak floodlights lit the road. I guessed they'd had some sort of power cut.
I stumbled across the parking lot, glad of the tarmac, and into the café. All faces turned towards me as the door shut with a gentle tinkling noise. That was the last thing I remembered.
"How is he?"
"He's a fighter. I'm surprised he's survived the night. He was very ill when he found us. Did you find a vehicle yet?"
"There's a 50s Hudson about a mile out; Mater's bringing it in. There's no way to tell if the car belongs to this guy or not though."
"He was wearing a racing jacket."
"Perhaps. The car is a little battered. I've never seen the damage racing can do at close quarters."
The voices were faint. Everything hurt, including the old injuries. The only part of me I seemed able to move was my eyes. I opened them slowly and looked around the room. It was quite large, and very white. I became aware of a rather loud bleeping noise in my right ear. That was when the tubes and wires attached to my body became apparent. I wondered for a moment if I'd crashed again, until the memory of the night before caught up.
"I'll want to speak to him when he's well enough, Jason."
"I'll let you know when he's fit."
A door creaked nearby. I closed my eyes once more and gave in to the weariness in my body.
The next time I woke it was dark outside. Lamps had been lit in the room and there was a figure sitting at the desk in the corner. I recognised him as one of the men from the café. I rolled onto my side and cursed quietly.
"Lay still, sir. You need to rest."
"I'm fine." I croaked and made to sit up.
The man was beside me in an instant. "Sir, please, you must lie down. You've been very ill. Don't make me get the Sheriff in here."
The threat of a police officer got me to lie down again. I knew I had been speeding in order to get here from the coast of California in a day. I was surprised the police on the highways hadn't caught me.
"Thank you, sir."
"Doc." I muttered. "My name is Doc."
"What did you do to you r car?" The doctor wrote something on the clipboard hanging off the end of the bed.
"Crashed."
"When?"
"Couple of years ago."
He made me stay in the hospital for another two days before letting me go. I had, somewhat unwillingly, done what he had asked. The longer I could go without seeing a police officer, the better. I quickly learned the doctor was called Jason Brooke. He asked me my full name on a number of occasions, and asked if I had any family. I refused to tell him anything besides my first name and what injuries I had sustained in the crash. Another thing he wanted to know was how I had crashed, and where it had happened. Once again, I refused to tell him.
I quite liked getting to see the town in daylight. Since the storm, the weather had been hot and sunny. My car, parked outside the small surgery part of the hospital building, had accumulated a thin layer of dust. I wondered for a moment if there was anywhere around that had a car wash. I then reflected that it might be better to leave it. They didn't need to know who I really was, it wasn't important any more.
The buildings in the town were just as dusty as my car, and some were looking run-down. I wondered when they'd last had any visitors. The road was just as deserted as it was some nights previously. I followed Jason along what appeared to be the main road to the café. I recognised most of the face, though one or two were new to me.
"Felling better, sir?" The lady behind the bar smiled at me.
"Much." I looked around nervously. They weren't looking at me this time around. "Where is everyone?"
"Oh they don't come by here any more. It's just us folks in the town. Makes for a quiet existence. Except when Sarge and Fillmore get into one of their arguments of course. So what'll it be, sir?"
"Just a coffee, and please, call me Doc."
"Take a seat then, Doc. I'll be right with you."
I looked around the café. There was someone sitting a every one of the tables. I could tell straight away who owned the VW minivan. There was only one man in the building that could fit that vehicle.
"Doc!"
I looked over at Jason. He was sitting with another man in the far corner. I went over to them and perched on the edge of the free chair.
"Relax, Doc." Jason chuckled. "We don't bite. Oh, this is Sheriff Burnell."
The Sheriff didn't look too pleased to be introduced to me. The feeling was mutual. He glanced at me and reached for his jacket.
"Excuse me." He said and headed out the doors.
A few minutes later a police car passed on the way out of the town.
"What's up with him?" I asked as the waitress brought my drink over to me.
"Oh don't mind him; he's always been like that." She put the drink down. "Anything else, gents?"
"No thanks, Flo." Jason replied. He waited for Flo to leave us before he spoke again. "Sheriff has always been distant. He's a lot like you really. He won't say where he's from, or why he's come out so far."
"Things happen to people." I sighed.
"You know, it might help if you talk about it."
"Yeah, maybe. "I downed the rest of my coffee and left without saying another word.
I caught the look on Jason's face as I turned in the opposite direction to Sheriff. I knew he would ask me about that moment again. I also knew I wouldn't tell him any time soon. I didn't need that sort of attention. Besides, it was much too late for my problem to be fixed.
I turned my back on the town and walked a short way into the desert. I found shade at the base of an interesting rock formation, and there I spent the rest of the day.
I was still there some hours later when sunset arrived. I heard the roar of a car engine coming closer and then silence once again. I had followed the shade around the rocks so I could no longer see the path back to the town.
Something crunched towards me and a figure appeared around the side of the rocks. I watched him looking around for a moment before I said anything.
"Are you looking for someone?"
Sheriff turned around. "Jason sent me out to find you. He's getting worried, nobody's seen you all day."
"I wanted some time alone." I replied getting to my feet.
Sheriff turned and looked at the setting sun. "You and me both." He muttered.
I wondered what he was on about, but let it slide. Jason had said he didn't like to talk about his life before arriving in this town. I suddenly realised I didn't know what the town was called.
"Say, where are we?"
"Radiator Springs." Sheriff replied shortly.
"Thanks. I never saw what was written on that sign."
"We should be getting back."
I frowned as he returned to his car. I followed a little slower. There was definitely something bothering him.
We sat in silence during the short trip back. Sheriff stopped the car outside the café.
"How did you know I hadn't left?"
"Your car was still here. You won't get far without it."
"I won't get far with it unless I can get it fixed." I said casually as I opened the door. "I guess I'm not much of a mechanic after all."
Song Artist: Brad Paisley