When Lightning Strikes…

"Yawn!" The day was dawning in Radiator Springs. Sally was just getting up, ready for a new day. Lightning was still asleep.

"Lazy old so and so…" she mumbled, and then set off to the office to start a new day. She looked out the window. Already tourists were gathering round the motel. Red was watering the plants for a bright, hot day. He looked at Sally, smiled and nodded in her direction. Sally returned the greeting. Mater was nowhere to be seen; then again he was always off tractor tipping. Doc Hudson was opening his health care centre. It was just a normal starting day for Radiator Springs, but they didn't know it was going to change drastically…First, Lightning was acting very strangely. He snapped at everyone, and kept himself to himself. Sally tried to ask him what the matter was, but he didn't want to know. He just roared off…

Lightning hadn't come back that night. Sally was very upset. Where had her beloved Lightning gone? Why did he go? These thoughts raced through her head. Then, she saw two flashing lights on the horizon. No, four. They were coming closer to the little town. Why were the cops here? She found out soon enough.

"Sally Carrera?" One of them asked.

"Yes…"she said uncertainly.

"We found Lightning on the route 46. He was completely written off. I'm sorry, but he-he-he, died before we could get him to the health centre. I'm so sorry.

Sally burst into tears. Her Lightning had gone. Why did he go!? She yelled in her thoughts. She was so angry she burst a fuse and had to be fixed in the morning.

The next day, Sally just sat in bed. All the cars had come to visit her, but she was so sad they couldn't do anything. Not even Mater, who had given his best goofy smile, had made her even smile. She just sat, motionless. All the cars went home. They had given her cards and oil bars and the best petrol they could find. Sally didn't move, although she did admit a sound that sounded like "Thank you." She was now on her own, crying…then she heard the sound. It was a sport/racing car sound. She looked out. There, raising clouds of dust on the dusty road, was Lightning. He was coming down that route at least at 150 miles per hour. SCREEEECH! He hit the breaks. He stopped right in front of Sally.

"Lightning! I thought you were dead!" Screamed Sally with delight. All the cars came out and looked on this moment of happiness. They uttered comments like

"So happy…I could cry!"

"Aww, now that's true love!"

"Lightning, I love you!" Sally told Lightning, and Lightning just smiled.

That night Lightning and Sally were talking.

"Lightning, I wanna know how you survived. Its impossible. How did you do it?"

"You wanna hear the truth?"

"Yes."

"Well…ok. As long as you don't tell anybody."

"I wont!"

"Well…It was strange. I was driving down the road and I got hit by a huge lorry. He didn't care. He just laughed. And then I was left to die. But I found out something, and what I found out was that I had the same strange power of that car that came to our town long ago. I could heal myself, Sally. It was amazing. I could heal myself anytime, including all my transfers. Sally, I couldn't believe it myself."

"Lightning, what's happening to you? You've changed. You're not the Lightning that I loved. Where are you?"

"Sally, I want to say. Its over." And with that, Lightning left, leaving Sally dumbstruck.

Lightning was racing down route 66, smacking cars out of the way, getting more and more power from the cars that were killed. A glow started to form around Lightning, making him smile evilly more and more and more.

"They don't call me LIGHTNING for nothing…heh heh heh…"