~Chapter 15~
"How to Get Revenge"
The Autumn sun gently heated Radiator Springs this time of the year. Instead of its usual boiling temperatures, it was now 8am and 41 degrees Fahrenheit.
Sheriff had just told Mater about what happened with Bubba, how he hung Lightning over the edge like Sally. How Bubba actually let Lightning go, unlike Sally. With this, the only thing Mater could think about was how he wasn't even there to swing down his hook to save his best friend.
Bubba moved since the Sally incident. He now lived in a shack in Ornament Valley. It was all made of this junk wood that had moss growing on it. The wood was moist to the touch, though it barely rained in the desert. When any car drove inside of the place, they choked on the smell of mold. And since it was Bubba's place, one wouldn't be surprised if a car could swear they're able to smell death. The gasoline and oil of another car's soul.
Another car that will never see the sun anymore. Another car that will never breath the clean mountain air again. Another car that will never complain about how late they are to work. Another car that will never complain about getting hurt from a small ding, created by the driving of another careless car. Another car that will never see their family ever again. Another car that will never see their friends again. Another car that will never see the car they would have married. Another car that will never have another chance to say, "I love you." to anyone. Another car that just took life for granted, just like any other car.
That was one of the reasons Bubba never really cared. They're all guilty of it. A car could just be parked inside their home, waiting at the breakfast table. The car could smell their mother cooking up the food, the aroma of bacon and eggs. And while this is going on, another car somewhere else in the world is starving and can't move because they need the gasoline. Then the car waiting at the breakfast table for their food gets the food, squishes their face and says, "I hate eggs." They lift their tire and shove the plate of food away. The food, falling off of the plate, as the mother just stares and a piece inside of her dies.
The starving car would kill, just like Bubba, to get those pieces of food that fell off of the car's plate. That's when one realizes that no matter how good someone is, there's always that bad side. Some cars would say, "Oh, that bad car just can't control himself. He'll find himself eventually and he'll realize all the wrong things he's done."
While some other cars would say, "Ugh, you know, I just hate those kinds of cars. There is nothing good about them. Nothing good at all."
"But don't they all have feelings? Good or bad, don't they all have feelings?"
"Cars like that have no soul. They have no feelings."
"Don't they have a family too? They need parents to grow up."
"Look how they turned out. Some parents."
"Wow, you're as cold as those killer cars!"
"You're as gullible as those killer cars' parents!"
An instant argument. It turns into an argument every single time because there's no such thing as good or bad. The only real thing is: existing. How a car lives their life, is their choice. Everyone is able to make their own choices. Someday, the baby turns into a teenager. Everyone knows how teenage cars are, but they aren't all like what one would think. Not all teenage cars are crazy and rebellious. They choose to be that way while other teenage cars choose to be scholars. Then the teenage car grows up to be an adult.
All of a sudden, there no one helping them out. They're on their own. No one feels sorry for them. That's when the cold splash of reality comes into play. Some cars shake off the water, dry themselves off, and live their life. Other cars freak out when the cold water touches them. They go crazy. They fling themselves all over the place and then it happens: they kill for the first time. Any car that has killed before knows that the first kill is always the scariest one, but they aren't like the cars that shook the water off. The cars that shook the water off would feel guilty and they couldn't live with themselves. The crazy ones, they do it again. Killing becomes their paycheck. It becomes their drug; they need to go out and kill more. That's just how Bubba is.
A car could think they're a normal car, but then something just snaps. Something breaks in their mind. They don't know who they are anymore. They want to feel comfortable again, so they kill. Some murderers don't even remember killing. Some remember, but refuse to, like Bubba.
Poor Bubba.
Lightning saw the sun through his eyelids and he opened them. He forgot, just for a split second, that he got hurt. So he lowered them really fast. They were just slits again. Lightning looked around the room. He saw Sally sleeping in the corner of the room he was in. Jane was underneath Sally sleeping. Under Jane was her little bottle of tractor milk. Lightning smiled at his little family. He looked over to his side where there was a table, and on the table was a piece of the wedding cake from the night before.
Oh, that's right, Lightning thought. We never could cut the cake together...last night was a disaster...it's my fault.
Lightning looked over at Sally again. He had an idea.
"Psst!", Lightning called out, softly. "Sally!"
Sally opened her eyes groggily. She groaned a little. Who likes being woken up? She always does that funny groan when she wakes up, and it amused him.
"Hey, Stickers," Sally whispered. Any other time, she would have let Lightning know once again how much it bothered her that he makes fun of her in the morning, but he need her to amuse him, "How are you feeling?"
"The same," Lightning replied. "Come here.."
Sally gently drove over Jane, being careful not to run her over. When she reached Lightning, he had already has his lips out for a kiss. Sally smiled and put her lips on his. After a few seconds, Lightning started to open his mouth, to open hers, but Sally pulled away fast.
"Jane is in the room with us..," said Sally. Lightning chuckled, "She's asleep."
Sally glanced over at Jane, then back to Lightning.
"Pleeease?" Lightning begged, playfully. "Come on, she won't see."
Sally sighed, "Lightning, Jane can speak a bit now..the last thing I need is for her to drive up to me asking 'Can I kiss you the way daddy kisses you?' That would be more than a bit weird.."
"Sally, I promise she won't see. When am I ever wrong?"
Sally made a face at Lightning, a face that told him: You're always wrong.
"Heh heh...don't answer that..," said Lightning. "Anyway, let's cut the cake together then..we're here."
"Lightning, it's too early for cake! Jane is going to wake up and see us eating cake? What kind of an example does that set?"
"Oh, will you stop? Relax, baby. Look at her over there, she's dreaming."
Sally looked over and there Jane was, kicking her tires out and moving from side to side in her slumber. This made Sally chuckle to herself softly.
"You know, you're cute when you giggle," said Lightning. Sally rolled her eyes, "No grown up kisses, Stickers.."
Mater drove to Ornament Valley and went straight for the wooden shack that Bubba lived in. He started to bang on the door. Bubba pressed a button from the inside and the garage door opened. He looked at Mater who wore a rare angered expression.
Bubba growled, "Whatuh you wan-"
"Me. You. Tractor Tipping. T'night," Mater interrupted.
Bubba relaxed a bit, thinking that he came for something to do with McQueen, "Outta here. I ain't doin' anything with the likes of you."
"Oh yes ya are!"
"Ugh fine," Bubba smirked, "As long as I'm able to take one home for dinner."
Mater thought for a few moments, nodding, "Yeah somethin' is gonna be dinner alright."