Fanfic: In The Fast Lane

18: A bluff

Chapter 18: A Bluff

A Week Later.

"Good night!" Harley called out to the townies who remained parked at Flo's café.

"You are going to sleep already?"

"Di solito non dormi mai a sette e trenta!" Luigi and Guido questioned how early the young girl was headed to sleep.

"Um, hold on…" Harley went through what Guido had said trying to decipher it. "He said… um… something about it being 7:30?" she questioned.

"Guido says you never sleep at 7:30. You usually don't go to bed until 9:00." Luigi translated. Harley stomped her tire on the ground slightly.

"Dang, so close." She said. She had been desperately trying to learn Italian so that she could have a two way conversation with the small forklift. "Anyways, yeah. I'm off to bed; I'm really tired." Doc looked at her curiously.

"It is a little early… you feeling okay?" he asked and she nodded.

"Yeah, I'm just tired. It's been really hot outside today!" Harley justified. Doc shrugged his tires.

"I guess it was a little warm." he agreed. "Are you sure you don't feel sick?" Doc questioned again.

"Yeah, I'm fine." she drove over to him and nuzzled his side. "Goodnight, Doc. See you at the clinic." She said then turned to the others. "Goodnight everyone!" she went off to her room. She turned off her light letting the soft shine of the moon fill her bedroom. She sat there and waited for the town to become silent. In the process, though, she fell asleep herself, but after a few hours, she jolted awake, remembering why she wanted to stay up so late into the night. She looked at her digital clock. It read 11:58 p.m. Harley took a quiet deep breath then headed to the garage door. She opened it up ever so carefully then snuck out of her room. She had a plan. Tonight was the night she finds out what is beyond the rustic buildings of Radiator Springs. She had a plan to escape and drive down the historic Route 66 and come back before morning.

All without getting caught.

She drove by Doc's room as silently as possible.

"He's old, he won't hear, right?" Harley thought to herself. She slowed to make herself even more silent just in case. She made it out of the clinic unseen and looked around. "This must be what it like to live in… what did Sheriff call it?" she thought for a moment as she looked around at the seemingly desolate town. "Oh yeah!" she said out loud, then flinched. "I'm supposed to be quiet!" she scolded herself. "And it's a ghost town. He called it a ghost town…" Harley shook her hood. "Alright. Which way to go?" Harley looked to her left, then to her right, then back to her left. "I think… right!" she looked to her right then started to drive down the road going towards the courthouse. The air was cool, giving her chills. Taking another nervous deep breath, she neared the courthouse. She had intended to drive right last it, but she stopped once she caught a glimpse of the old statue of the town's founder, Stanley.

"I wonder what you saw here." Harley wondered aloud. "What made you want to stay? How far did you need to drive?" She looked up at him with curious eyes, as if the ghost of Stanley would speak through the metallic memorial. But no sounds could be hear. She began to slowly drive away, and almost made it passed undisturbed.

"What the heck are you doing?" There suddenly came a voice from behind her and she froze, knowing exactly who it was.

"I, uh, um…. I'm, uh, sleep driving! Sleeeeep driiiiving!" she said and closed her eyes with a blank expression and slowly drove forward.