Disclaimer: Anything biological in this story is mine. Dog, human, horse, bald headed rabbit named Bill. Though if someone else would like to use them just ask. The cars of course belong to Pixar. Mostly. Seth is my baby. As well as will be a few others that will pop up. I'll point them out as we go.
Notes: It starts again! Ok let me explain something. Life's Lessons and Death's Lessons were part of a Lessons series. That series is over with Life's Lessons. However the story is not over yet. In a nut shell the story goes on. This takes place a few months after Life's Lessons. It also includes a general recap of what has happened to this point so if you decided that the Lessons stories were to much for you you shouldn't be to entirely confused. However this one will be a little disturbing in parts as well. Just a light warning. Also note that this means if you are still reading those stories read them first because this story will most certainly give away the ending. Note that this was not meant to come next. This is by popular demand! Anyway enjoy! And Rock on! As always please review!
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Bright golds and pinks spread across the sky in a dazzling light show of color, reflecting the hues of red and orange of the surrounding landscape as the sun slowly rose over the horizon. Darkness was slowly cast away as the life giving light of the morning sun slowly washed its way over the land.
Silence of the night had not let up just yet as an early morning mist settled upon the Earth, obscuring the early morning sunrise into a that of a soft blue as the sun gained ground, the gentle rays lighting up the dessert into the wooded area beyond. Trees where thin near the edge of where the dessert started but thickened into a thick wooded underbrush quickly enough closer to the river that came down from the mountains, feeding the surrounding plant life and bringing on a trail of greenery in an otherwise barren landscape.
Silence was cut by the soft chirping sounds of birds and the rush of water from the river, the waterfalls bringing it down from the mountains creating a dull roar of in the distance. Perfect peace and serenity flowed across the valley, the fine mist that hung over the river and surrounding woods creating a soft blanket of serenity.
The silence was shattered abruptly, the shards of serenity crashing down among the trees as a sharp, harsh bark like sound sent the birds scattering in all directions. The sound was persistent and irritating, that deep bellowing sound cutting through the trees like a blade, sending the woodland creatures scattering in all directions.
It was quick, rapid and loud, cutting its way through the peace and quiet and ending in a hurried, cut off yip sound different from the first. Still the birds refused to remain in the area as they scattered from the trees, hitting the sky and heading for higher ground in the mountains, rather than remain with whatever it was in the valley.
After several minutes, a heavy silence once more fell on the valley.
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"Did you hear it?" It was the first question out of Mater's mouth as he came tearing up to Flo's cafe. The once proud station wasn't as it had always been. It was slowly on it's way up, however the actual building was still under construction, the roof that would have kept off the weather half finished and under construction. However as unfinished as the place was, the fuel tanks worked. Which Flo had open. She couldn't afford it otherwise. The insurance company had picked up a lot but not everything. She had to be in business. After the explosion from her station that had nearly knocked out half the town, the fuel tanks were the first thing to come back. The local habitants simply stared at him over their morning fuel as if Mater had lost his mind. The excitable tow truck was hopping back and forth with that odd method of shooting back and forth from someone who was excited over something to someone who was scared senseless. Though for this brief moment in time it looked as if his fear had given way to intense excitement.
"Did you hear it? This morning!" He repeated, pausing in his jumping for a moment to stare at the others gathered.
"Mater it might help if you tell us what 'it' is." Doc reprimanded with an infinite amount of patience.
"The howler!"
"Oh not that old story again..." Sheriff closed his eyes, a slow shake of his grill given as he heaved a heavy sigh.
"I heard it! This morning!" Mater insisted with a quick nod.
"Mater, that story is just an old campfire story that folks tell in these parts. Don't take it to heart." Doc insisted, gaining a slight nod from Sheriff.
"Actually Doc I kinda heard it to." The entire group turned their attention briefly onto Seth who only shrugged a bit. "Well I did."
"See? It's real!" Mater insisted with a quick nod, gaining a heavy sigh from Doc.
"You probably heard a tractor or somebody's pet scooter. Nothing to worry about Mater." Doc insisted with a slight nod and quietly shifted into gear. "Now if y'all will excuse me I have some work to do before this afternoon." Doc muttered, silently pulling out of the cafe.
Mater's gaze instantly went to the other's somewhat expectantly. "Well?"
"He's probably right Mater. Now that the Wheel Well is open again, there have been a lot of people up there. Might have been someone who brought their pet scooter or somethin' camping. Might have even been someone up there playin' tricks. Don't let them get to you." Sheriff advised, silently kicking into gear himself and rolling off to head out onto patrol.
Mater's gaze swept around to Seth who only shrugged. "He's right. It didn't sound like a scooter but what else could it have been?" Seth theorized with a shrug, silently shifting into gear himself and following after Sheriff.
"Hey Mater, calm down would ya? I mean there's no sense in going looking for the weird stuff that happens in the desert." Lightning advised, gaining a slight nod of agreement from Sally.
"Lightning's right. It was probably just some creature. I mean this is the early spring. For all we know he was just happy to be alive." She pointed out, a soft smile crossing her grill. "Well I'm going back to work." She declared, silently finishing off the last of her fuel and rolling towards the Cozy Cone.
"She's right ya know." Lightning pointed out, silently backing up and taking off in the direction of the Butte.
Mater gave a blink and sighed quietly as the rest of the town disbursed, heading off to their own little jobs and lives. "I did hear it..." He muttered with a slight huff and let his own engine turn over. He needed fuel then he needed to get to work himself.
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"Sheriff it's the fifth night in a row! If it's hooligans I want it stopped!"
Sheriff sighed heavily and nodded a bit as he stared at Flo once again across the rarely used desk in his even more rarely used office. It had been years since he had, had an actual complaint that required the use of the station. Even with all the cars now coming and going from their little town since Lightning had settled down in the area, there wasn't any real use for the place. The tourists kept to themselves and things could normally be settled quickly and quietly. The impound saw its share of people... Mostly speeders... But nothing more than a little fine and maybe a little lecture from Doc wouldn't cure.
This however... This was serious. Someone was stealing fuel from Flo's Cafe. The first night it had happened Flo had been convinced she had just miscounted for something. After all she did that herself frequently. When someone was having a difficult month with finances she often 'forgot' to add it up on their tab. However to keep track of fuel she normally did write it down for her own notes. However sometimes she simply forgot. When the amount of fuel didn't add up with the day be-fore's notes she wrote it off.
The Second night she had been concerned though still thought it was her own mistake. She kept a careful tab on it. Made sure to take note of everything. To add things up before she left at night as well as soon as she came in, in the morning. She had discovered something then. It was happening at night, when the place was closed.
The third day she was sure there was no mistake. She mentioned to Sheriff that she thought there may be a problem. Possibly a leak... That day Red had checked over everything with a fine toothed comb. There was no leak. After all, everything was new at this point! It shouldn't have been leaking! It had only been in the ground a few weeks! Everything was as fine as it should have been.
The fourth day she had truly been concerned. Again she had mentioned it to Sheriff at breakfast. Thus Sheriff began looking into it.
Now the fifth day and it was officially a police matter. Flo was a kind fuel pumped car and he hated to see someone taking advantage of her. He knew she lost enough money on the place for all the times she had helped out the locals. She had been very lucky that her insurance company had picked up the cost to rebuild. She could have very well taken it and retired. However, she hadn't wanted to leave the town without a cafe. As it was the insurance hadn't been enough to get started on the project. However, a substantial donation from an unknown source had tipped the scales so that she had been able to continue. A donation everyone claimed to know nothing about. Though everyone looked rather smug about it. They had all put in what little they could through the damages of their own businesses and homes. However it had been Lightning that had pulled it all out of the frier. However, still now that someone was actually stealing from her she was losing money tread over tire.
"I know Flo. I know... I'll tell you what. Me and Seth will set up a stakeout at the cafe tonight. We can be fairly certain it's happening at night. Tonight me and Seth will keep watch of things." Sheriff assured her calmly.
"Oh Sheriff I hate to ask you to do this." Flo mused, a flinch crossing her features. "Maybe it's nothing. Maybe it is just something I'm missing."
"Flo don't be silly. You've checked the numbers over. I've sat here with you and checked the numbers over. If someone is stealing fuel from the tanks at night I want to know about it. I really don't think it would be any of the locals. That's what worries me. If there is someone new in this town I want to know. Aside from that something is up. I found some very strange tracks in the desert yesterday. Very thin tires with circular like tracks between them. Something is up." Sheriff insisted, gaining a slight nod from Flo.
"Thank you Sheriff" She said, with a genuine smile.
"It's what I'm here for Flo. Now why don't you go get back to your normal routine. The last thing you wanna do is let whoever it is know you're on to 'um." Sheriff reminded her.
Flo chuckled and nodded, quietly rolling out of the office, almost bumping into Seth on the way. She offered a quick apology to the young Mustang, before she would hurry her way back across the street.
"Dad what was all that about?" Seth questioned, poking his grill into Sheriff's office.
Sheriff repressed the wish to stare at the car for a moment and shook his grill. He had confused Seth so badly the first few weeks of his new life. Every time he had heard the word Dad or Seth's equally favorite use of the word Pop, he had been taken entirely off guard. For the first few days Seth had obviously understood the to him odd behavior. In the middle of the final fight Flo's Cafe had been virtually destroyed. Even now it wasn't even halfway finished. The explosion had sent Sheriff flying down the street. The obvious trauma had been enough to cause Sheriff to be a little... Lost for a few days afterwords. However, the confusion had quickly faded back, as had getting use to hearing himself called Dad. Seth now seemed to have thrown off Sheriff's odd behavior the first few weeks to physically thrown down the street.
"Someone's still stealing gas from the cafe's tanks. You and I are going to have a little stakeout tonight."
Seth blinked for a moment, seeming to take that in. "Really? Cops?" He questioned, gaining a soft chuckle from Sheriff.
"Not, not like on Cops. That show is more drama than you will ever find on the force. You shouldn't watch that nonsense. But we are going to be on a stakeout tonight so for God's sake get some sleep." He advised, quietly shifting into gear and heading out of the office. Seth stared after him for a moment, and Sheriff couldn't suppress a chuckle as he left the station. A clear 'woop!' filled the air as he pulled away. He knew Seth would be excited over that.
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"Don't lose it on the outside Lightning! Keep going al the way through. Don't let your rear drift to much or you'll be in the wall!"
Lightning instantly shifted his stance as Doc called out directions, correcting his path along the more tricky curve of the dirt track they practiced on. The exercise differed from day to day. Some days it would be as it was now. Doc would park up on the ridge and watch Lightning race, calling out corrections and comments about how he was doing. Some days Doc would come down onto the track with him. Race him a few laps then stop and give him little tips and instructions. Others Doc wasn't there at all and he was handed over to Sarge's tender mercies... That normally happened when Lightning was slacking... He didn't do that often anymore...
"Good! Go one more lap then pull up here!"
Lightning nodded briefly and surged forward. He always put more speed on the last lap. As Doc once explained it was the most important lap of the race. After all Lightning could go the entire race trailing behind the other cars. So long as he crossed the finish line first he won. The same went the other way around. He could go the entire race ahead of the pack. However, if someone passed him in that last lap and crossed the finish line before him it was over. That last lap was important. Therefore it required more speed even if Lightning was way ahead.
After he had passed that tricky final turn for the last time he quickly hit the breaks, spinning in a somewhat controlled fish tail as he slid up beside Doc. Doc closed his eyes and gave a soft cough as dust flew up around him, though by now he had learned to ignore Lightning's little antics.
"Good. You're doing fine. We're a little late in the season but I think you can catch up."
"Is this the kind of talk that includes the information of a race..." Lightning coaxed, drawing a brief smirk from Doc as he rolled his eyes a bit.
"This is the kind of talk that says there is a race and we'll see how your next few practice rounds go before we confirm our presence in the race." Doc corrected, a soft chuckle released as he kicked himself into gear and rolled off towards town. Lightning didn't hesitate to do the same, rolling slowly beside Doc.
"So, I'm not sayin' anything about it." Lightning promised, though he bounced excitedly on his shocks. Bugging Doc about races only annoyed the old car and he knew it. As his crew chief and coach he had come to realize... The old car did know best. Doc picked carefully which races Lightning would be going into. The first year Doc was his coach it annoyed him just a bit. Until the end of the season... Only then did he realize just how horribly he had stressed himself that first season. Needing so badly to be in the Piston Cup. He had actually lost races because of stress and being over worked which had in fact lowered his points to be even with The King and Chick Hicks. If he had Doc's plan in the first season it probably would have been no contest in that final race. He hated to admit it but Doc did know best.
The old car was careful to give Lightning a rest between races, and focused only on the races that would benefit Lightning the most. He had finally seen that towards the end of the last season. In the Piston Cup he had been so ahead on points he could have come in last place and still won the thing. However not finishing the race at all had bumped him so far down in points that the RPM car had come out on top. Not that Lightning minded. The car was a talented racer and deserved it. Besides that Lightning had been more concerned with other things. Like not dying.
This year he was going to have to work harder. It was down to the wire. He had already missed so many good racing opportunities. As Doc pointed out the Piston Cup was just an empty cup. It wasn't worth tearing Lightning apart to get. He had been to one small race as a warm up a few weeks before. It had been simple and easy. The greeting had been a loud one and Lightning had loved every moment of it. Now he felt he was ready for a race that would really count. If he kept going like he was, he felt Doc would agree with the entry.
"You stiff anywhere? Any pain?" Doc suddenly questioned, gaining a smile from Lightning. "My side's a little stiff but it doesn't hurt."
"Good, good. Why don't you and Sally go take a drive up to Wheel Well and make sure every thing's in order up there. The quiet drive will do you some good and work that stiffness out of you." Doc advised, bringing a ready nod from Lightning as he surged forward ahead of him to round up Sally.
Doc only chuckled, his attention turning away from town for the moment out across the desert. It was quiet out today. A rabbit streaked across the plane, bookin' it for his den. He hadn't seen one of those in a long time. It was getting more and more rare to see those biological critters.
He shrugged a bit and turned his path off across the desert land scape, humming softly to himself. Across the horizon something streaked by catching his attention rather abruptly. Something black and low to the ground, a billow of dust flying up from beneath its tires. Doc smirked to himself and threw himself into gear, leaping forward to surge ahead. The thing on the horizon turned abruptly heading his way following the makeshift dirt road between town and Sarge's Obstacle course on the outside of town. Doc slammed on the breaks throwing himself cross ways across the road. Spotting the block the black thing slammed on his own breaks, the high powered Mustang sliding to a stop a few inches from Doc.
"Doc!" Seth blurted out, eyes widening at just how close he had come to running into the older car. "Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?"
"Do you have any idea how dangerous what you're doing is?" Doc countered, pulling a sheepish little look from Seth.
"I thought so. Your father would be fit to be tied if he caught you speeding along these roads." Not that Doc was really surprised. The model of the Mustang was an old one but his body was young and so was his attitude. The ex angel of death only remembered being as young as he was now. True the timelines didn't add up... He should have been older if the memories rang true. Though Doc shrugged it of with the reminder that muscle cars like Seth tended to age a bit slower. He imagined the car did have energy to burn.
"Don't worry Seth I'm not going to tell the Sheriff. Though if you're going to do that kind of thing take it further out into the desert or out onto Lightning's track. I know there's not much traffic out here but there is enough. You never know when you're going to run up on someone as you've done to me." Doc pointed out, quietly rolling off, taking a direction away from town. He didn't really expect Seth to follow but after a moment the Mustang pulled up along side him keeping pace.
"Hey Doc, what Mater was saying about the Howlers this morning... Was that true?"
"Of course not Seth. It's an Urban legend. Like the ghost light or the Screamin' Banshee. It's nothing but a ghost story that campers tell. Mater just happens to believe them." Doc explained, gaining a slight nod from Seth.
"But... I heard them myself. Something out in the desert howling. It's been happening the past few nights now that I've been on night patrols with Dad."
Doc let a frown cross his grill for a moment thinking on that. "Which has been how long Flo's been missing fuel... Which reminds me. I hear you have your first stakeout tonight."
A grin crossed Seth's grill as he bounced on his shocks. "Sure do."
"You to be careful out there." Doc commented with a soft chuckle. "And keep your father out of trouble."
Seth only grinned as he surged off with a nod. "Will do Doc. See ya later!"
Doc laughed softly as he watched the black bundle of energy take off at high speeds across the desert. Seth wasn't a racer. But he still had some speed.
The old car gave a slight shake of his grill as he turned around to head back towards town. He paused in mid stride a sound catching his attention. From where the woods met the desert following the river down through the valley... A howl followed by two quick barks rose up above the sound of the river. He blinked quietly moving in that direction but everything had gone silent. The howlers?
He shook his grill a bit and took a glance down. Through the soft dirt there were the strangest tracks he had ever seen. Very thin tire tracks. Tracks that went in a strange half circle between them. There were more of those half circle tracks... And quite a few tracks like those he had never seen... Maybe Mater was right...
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"Now if you boys need anything you be sure to come get me."
Sheriff chuckled softly as he nodded. Flo did have her mother hen ways about her. She had always been that way. Since he could remember. She and her husband had more or taken him in when he had first come to this town. Now he had the memories of them taking in Seth as well. Poor new deputy with a young son tagging along at his side. Now had to raise him alone. Neither of them talked to much about the young deputy's wife...
That had pulled at the two to make sure they settled in at the police station. However fond those memories were Sheriff knew them damn well to be false. Strong were the memories of coming into town alone. Years later running into the Angel of Death. Seth... The meeting had been bitter as Lightning's life had been the one in the toss up. Lightning had survived... Just barely but he had survived. Seth had been severally reprimanded for taking things into his own tires as he had done.
Then came the demon... Seth had been the one to return and attempt to deal with that. From there Sheriff was actually a little fuzzy on the exact events along with the rest of the town. He supposed he had learned to much... Even for a medium. He knew all the answers had been written down. In hundreds of journals... Now hidden safely beneath the station. Seth's journals...
Sheriff himself would never read them, though if ever Seth remembered enough to ask for them, he would be happy to give them back to the car.
Sherif remembered Flo's cafe exploding. He remembered Seth being dead... He had been brought to life for the first time in that time... Then he had died. Taken his own life to do the town some good. Those in the afterlife had decided to give Seth back his life and put him in the care of Sheriff in form of a son.
It had been difficult to get use to at first but now... He couldn't help it. He was fond of the boy. He was also very proud of him.
"Thank you Flo but I don't think we'll need anything. I think Seth brought enough supplies to last us a month."
Seth quirked an eye at the Sheriff, a smirk given around the Gask-it cookie sticking out of his mouth. "Hey you said bring supplies."
"Seth don't talk with your mouth full." Sheriff scolded, a soft chuckle given as he Mustang quickly swallowed what was in his mouth.
"Sorry..."
Flo laughed and nodded as she backed out of the cafe, preparing to go her own way for the night. It was close to midnight before everyone had pulled away for the night. They hadn't wanted to hurry folks away from the place. Let it seem that things were going on as it should. Sheriff really didn't think it was anyone in town.
However whoever it was could have very easily been watching. Doc had finally chosen a real race for Lightning who was absolutely beside himself with excitement. Come the weekend most of the town would be at the track. They had hung around the cafe laughing and chattering on until near midnight. Now Seth and Sheriff were safely hidden in the construction that was the cafe, unseen from the road, hiding in what would be the cafe's office.
"I'll bring you boys some breakfast around three or so. That should perk y'all up for the rest of the mornin'."
"Thank you Flo. That would be great." Sheriff offered, a smile crossing his grill as Flo backed out and headed home for the night.
"So Dad, what do we do for a stakeout?" Seth whispered softly, causing a smile to cross Sheriff's grill.
"Well you just keep very quiet and watch. Speak very softly if you do and make sure no one comes near the cafe." Sheriff explained with a nod.
"Oh you mean like guard duty?"
"Sort of but not exactly. You see a guard would stand right out front so no one would try to come near the cafe. We're hiding because we want whoever is stealing fuel from Flo to try it again so we can catch them in the act. Understand?"
Seth thought for a moment then gave a quick nod to that. "I got it."
Sheriff chuckled softly and gave a slight nod. "Good. Now watch the tanks."
"Hey Dad who do you think it is?"
"I'm not sure Seth. No one from this town I don't think. I took a look around the other day. Found some of the strangest tracks I've ever seen."
"Ya know Dad I got to thinking... What if... Someone's using the howler legend? We started hearing those howls around the time this started happening... What if it's someone making those noises so no one will come looking outside when their doing what their doing at night."
"Seth I told you not to watch those cartoons... That talkin' scooter will rot your brain right out from under your hood."
"I haven't been watching any more Scooby Doo. I'm just sayin'... Maybe it's tied in."
Sheriff sighed heavily and nodded. "Alright I'll give you that. It could be and it would make sense."
Seth smirked a bit and nodded. Sometimes that Mustang gave a look that almost seemed like Death. Other times he was his innocent new self... It was rather disturbing.
"Dad do you remember how this happened?"
Seth suddenly questioned, glancing around the cafe. "I don't... Not much of it anyway."
"Well no not really. I was knocked out cold remember?"
"But I wasn't." Seth pointed out slowly. "Yet I don't remember it. It's a little strange if you ask me."
Sheriff turned his gaze curiously to Seth, a frown crossing his grill. He never knew how much to tell Seth. What he knew... What he didn't... The afterlife had put Sheriff in a very strange place.
"Seth... Do you remember your mother?"
Seth blinked at that and cast Sheriff a sideways glance. "Sort of. She seems a little like a dream. Like it didn't really happen or it wasn't really my life. A lot of my life feels that way... Like I'm watching the life of someone else and just happen to be tagging along for the ride."
Sheriff blinked and nodded slowly. It made perfect sense to him... Absolutely perfect sense. Though that was something he could never explain to Seth. Could never say to set his 'son's' mind at ease. "I'm sure it will get better in time. The explosion was a difficult thing on all of us..."
Seth nodded quietly, a heavy sigh given. "I had a dream..." He muttered after a moment.
That caught Sheriff's attention as the Mustang frowned deeply. "Doc was sick. You had gone out of town to go with him to the hospital in the next town over. I was alone here... Chick was here... And there was something I was suppose to be afraid of. Like a demon or something. I kept calling it the demon. There were two others two. I knew them for some reason." Seth mused, a slight shrug given.
"In my dream I went into Doc's office... While he was at the hospital I mean... I found his medicine cabinet... I took enough sedative to knock out a semi... I didn't want to... It was like I had to be dead, but I didn't want to be. I wanted to live. I was dead... For that time I was dead... But I was still here. In my dream you came back and asked me what I had done. Everyone was so upset and you kept asking me what I had done. And I kept saying that I was dead. To deal with it so we could get rid of the demon. Which I'm not sure how I could have done if I were dead..." Seth mused and sighed, a slight shake of his grill given. "Does... That mean I'm crazy?"
Sheriff blinked slightly as he stared at Seth for a few long moments. He had never known the exact details. However that tied in perfectly with all that had happened. With everything that had taken place that night. Seth's desperation to help... He had thought Seth hated being alive that much. He had never known that at that point Seth had wanted to live.
"No Seth... It sounds like a very interesting dream. Maybe you should cut back on the fuel before bed." Sheriff explained, pulling a slow nod from Seth.
"Sometimes I hear things." Seth admitted softly, gaining another look from Sheriff.
"Like... Voices? Like someone's playing a radio in another room?" Sheriff questioned softly, gaining a nod from Seth.
"Exactly..."
Sheriff smiled a bit, the feeling of pride welling up far beyond his understanding. Seth wasn't actually his son... It made little sense that he was this proud that the car that wasn't truly his son seemed to be turning out to be a medium.
"It's nothing to worry about Seth. Before you go to bed tell them you don't want to speak to them while you sleep. Your mind will be open to them later." Sheriff advised.
"What are they?" Seth questioned slowly, eyes widening a bit.
"You have the gift. It's not something to be afraid of Seth. I have it."
Seth balked just a bit and sighed. "No offense Dad... But I don't wanna be the one whispering 'I see dead people' in a nut house. I mean you've always talked to them... But I don't think I want to."
Sheriff blinked a bit and glanced in Seth's direction. Seth remembered the fact that he was a medium? No one in the town had known. Yet somehow it was common knowledge with his son. Somehow... It felt good.
"We'll discuss it later Seth. Just don't worry on it alright? I promise you, you're not crazy."
To that Seth would only smile softly and nod. Hearing that from his father, somehow made him feel just a bit better. Through the simple act of hearing it from the so entirely down to earth Sheriff.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The excitement that Seth felt would be quick to fade unfortunately. Stakeouts he decided... Were very dull business. Minutes stretched out into hours. Absolutely nothing happened with the tanks and there was very little communication between Seth and Sheriff.
It seemed like years had gone by before Flo brought them each a can of oil and some fuel. Seth was happy to see her just for the fact of seeing some kind of life. Stakeouts were dull... It was near four in the morning when Seth groaned softly and thumped to the ground, catching the attention of Sheriff.
"You alright Seth?"
"Is it possible to die of boredom?"
"No, I don't think so. You loose your mind a long while before you can actually die. Then you have imaginary friends to entertain yourself with."
Seth quirked an eye and looked up at the normally so serious Sheriff with an intelligent sounding 'eh?'
Sheriff only chuckled softly, his attention never wavering from the fuel tanks.
"Dad what do you think-"
Seth was cut off abruptly by Sheriff who had gone just a little tense as he looked out at the tanks. Seth's gaze instantly followed the Sheriff's, out to the far tanks near the road. Something was moving around out there.
Seth blinked and silently rolled forward a few inches. All he could see was a shadowy outline of a figure. However, it was no vehicle. It moved on fours like a vehicle... But its tires were extended into long stick like appendages. Another stick like appendage stuck out from behind it, a rounded head with a pointed snout sticking out on the front. Twin triangular appendages stuck ontop of its head in what Seth thought he remembered as ears... He had seen something like that before... He couldn't remember where but he had...
"Looks like a fox... Their not in this part of the world... Those things are suppose to be very endangered." Sheriff mused.
That was where he had seen it before. Discovery Channel... But no... It was different. And he felt it had been somewhere else. "It looks to big to be a fox. The red fox I saw on T.V. was small like a Jack Rabbit... That thing looks like it would come all the way up to my hood." Seth mused, his voice then turning soft, almost that of a nervous squeak. "Maybe it's a howler..."
"Don't be silly... I wonder if this thing is what's been taking the fuel."
"I don't know Dad... What would a bio thing want with fuel? It can't drink it..."
"Shh" Sheriff suddenly muttered, more movement coming from the road as another shadowy figure came forth. This one moved on two's, though still had the same extended stick like appendages. A rounded head but no triangular ears and no pointed snout. The one on fours let out a bark like sound, though it was quickly shushed by the other.
"See? I told ya." Seth whispered, but Sheriff silently put a tire on his grill to shut him up.
The first figure on twos was joined by a second, this one carrying a large container and dragging something behind it on the ground.
"Did you have to bring that dog?" The two vehicles fell deathly silent as the second spoke the first. The first wheeled around on him... Yes the second had a male voice. Decidedly so... When the first spoke it was with a soft female voice. "He was a huge help last time. You leave Ranger alone."
"I'm not saying that he wasn't a help I'm saying that someone's gonna hear him."
The first ignored her partner as she knelt down on the ground and set the container in place. She then fiddled with the tanks for a moment, attaching something to it and starting a soft hum from whatever was on the thing they had been dragging. She sighed and began pumping a lever on the machine, the scent of fuel touching the air as she began the process of filling the container.
"We've got our suspects Seth. Lets go." Sheriff muttered abruptly kicking into gear and surging out of hiding. Seth was right behind him, following like a shot. As their headlights hit the two they snapped their heads up, eyes widening as the dropped what they were doing and bolted. Fuel spilled across the pavement but Seth and Sheriff managed to swerve around it, the pump disconnecting and shutting down as Seth accidently clipped it. The dog leapt forward with a snarl, it's teeth sinking into Seth's right tire, which sent the car into a frenzy of attempting to get the critter off who was at the moment hanging on tight. Sheriff kept after the two still running. The male bolted out of there as fast as he could.
The female was right behind him. Sheriff was gaining on them as they cut around narrow passages to the edge of town. Two more four legged critters stood waiting at the edge of town. One wearing an odd leather contraption on its back. The other pulling a large flat wagon behind it. The male jumped onto the lone four legged critter and healed it on. It surged off across the desert like a shot. The female jumped onto the wagon of the second and likewise urged it on. With the speed it had gone the empty containers flew off the wagon as they went. Seth's indignant sounding voice rose up as he came up behind Sheriff, the dog he had been chasing taking off like a shot after the others. Sheriff was slowed up a bit as he was forced to move around the containers but in moments he was gaining on them again. On the flat without the twists and turns these things were not very fast. He was barely pushing thirty five and he had a feeling those four legged critters were pulling their load as fast as they could.
Sheriff nodded at Seth and the Mustang pulled up abruptly beside the edge of the wagon. The female gave him a look of panic but it was only doubled as Sheriff pulled up on the other side. They both clipped in, the wheels of the wagon cracking then breaking easily beneath their duel weight. The female's features shifted to that of horror as the wagon's bottom hit the ground and pitched her forward then back. The four legged critter gave a snort and surged on. The female attempted to call out to calm the animal but it was no use. Not in this case. The critter turned abruptly, snapping the shafts that held the wagon to it. The reins slipped through the female's fingers and loose as the rest of the rigging snapped free. Without its burden it moved faster, surging onward into the night after the other. The wagon flipped towards Seth. Seth quickly moved out of the way as the wooden thing turned over, throwing its driver several feet away and landing in a heap on the ground, laying very still, forcing Seth to swerve to avoid running her over. Both of the large four legged critters kept going on into the night, leaving their fallen friend behind. The dog however, spun around and came at the two vehicles, snarling and snapping as it stood over the fallen female.
"Seth deal with that thing would ya?" Sheriff ordered, gaining a pained look from Seth as he limped forward, one tire already punctured with a slow leak because of that thing. He growled right back at the dog, which only sent it into a furious barking. It leapt over the fallen female, proceeding to chase after Seth. Who let out a yelp, trying to save his other tires and took off to get away from it.
Sheriff ignored the shenanigans of the two, headlights turning to the female. It looked... His eyes widened just a bit as he stared at it. It had pale almost pink features. Those long appendages broke off into five shorter ones. If he recalled correctly those were arms, hands and fingers. Was this thing human?
It stirred from where it lay, blood caking across her face. She blinked up at Sheriff, a soft whimper of panic given before she collapsed once more. Sheriff sighed heavily and dipped his grill down low, brushing against the ground as he dug forward forcing the female's body up onto the edge of his hood. He then flipped her upward so that she landed across his hood, the patrol car then backing out carefully. "Seth stop playing with the howler and come on." He called, causing the Mustang to instantly bolt towards town. Sheriff followed behind, the female's body sprawled lifelessly across his hood oblivious to the eyes watching him carefully from the safety of the woods...