The sun as nearly overhead now. The three, Junior, Tom and Gomer, walked along the yellow road silently. The only sound was the soft hush of the gentle breeze and the metallic squeaking of Gomers toolbox as he pulled it along behind him.

The trio stared out at a landscape around them that had turned from the woods where they'd spent the previous night, to gently rolling green hills as far as the eye could see.

Their movement along the road had been the same for several hours.

"Down the hill, up the hill" Junior said to himself.

They'd go down then up to the next hill. And when they'd come to the top, the landscape was still the same.

About mid-way up on of the hills Junior noticed a tattoo on Tom's right forearm, an eagle perched on a globe with anchor behind it.

Junior yawned. "Hope we don't have to go too far", he said hoping to make conversation.

"Tired of walking already?" Tom quipped.

"Just bored," came the reply.

"What do you do, by the way?" Junior asked Tom.

Tom sighed, "I own a machine shop up in Kernersville," he said.

Junior nodded.

"Bought it about ten years ago." Tom added.

"You were in the Marines before?" Junior pointed at Toms forearm.

Tom chuckled and held the arm in front of him.

They'd come to the top of the hill. The landscape was still the same. The trio stopped, Tom sighed. Both men stared straight ahead.

"Twenty-two years" Tom said. Then started walking again. Junior quickly followed, soon matching steps with Tom.

"Wathca' do?" Junior asked.

"Whatever they told me" Tom said with a smile.

Junior chuckled.

"When I retired I was a Gunnery Sergeant in an infantry company." Tom sighed again.

"Married?"

"Longer than you been alive, boy". Tom answered still smiling.

"Kids?"

"Look, are you really interested, or just bored?" Tom said. "A little bit of both" Said Junior.

Tom was silent for a few moments. The men walked along and started down yet another gentle hill.

Tom sighed heavily before he spoke.

"I had two kids, a daughter, who'd be oh about, three years younger than you and a son."

Junior could sense that there was something painful in Tom's words. He felt it would be better if he allowed Tom to speak without too many more questions.

The trio was just cresting the top of the next hill when Tom continued,"The daughter ran away from home when she was sixteen," Tom hesitated then sighed again, "The son died when he was four."

"I'm sorry, "Junior said.

"Ah heck, don't worry about that," Tom put a hand on Junior's shoulder, "It's been a long time and I'm okay with it now," Tom looked over and grinned, "My son would have been about your age had he... Anyway guess that's why I follow you like I do."

"Thanks," Junior said. He'd forgotten who he was, back in the 'real world'. Of course he'd be that again, if he ever got back.

" You know, I was mad at God for awhile, then the Marines and heck then the whole world." Tom was walking slower now, staring straight ahead as he spoke.

Junior felt like he was hearing some kind of confession.

"I was in some god forsaken port, on some godforsaken boat somewhere, when they told me. A Navy chaplain came broke the news about my son. Told me that sometimes God has reasons for everything, said that we may not be able to figure it out at the time,maybe not even until we stand before Him on Judgement day, but in the end there is some kind of reason for what He does."

Tom paused.

"Know what I thought, Junior?"

Junior simply shook his head. Tom stopped and looked over at him.

"I thought God was an idiot."

Tom started walking again, Junior followed.

They were in a small valley between two hills. Tom walked to the edge of the road and sat down. He took the backpack off. Tom then reached inside and pulled out more of the beef jerky.

Junior sat down beside him and took one of the pieces Tom offered to him. Gomer stood a respectable distance from the men and stared at them.

Tom looked at the metal man.

"Why would God, supposedly kind and loving and all that, take a child barely four years old?"

He said while he slowly chewed. He spoke again before Junior could answer, not that Junior had a answer to give.

"Leukemia, they said, nothing they could do, hmmph,ain't no good reason I've figured out so far. Guess maybe I'll have to ask Him myself, when I see him."

The men ate in silence for a few minutes.

"You reckon God'll ever give you a good reason?" Junior finally asked.

"Well if he don't boy, I'm liable to punch him right in the nose... if has one." Tom looked over and grinned.

"And if he sends he to hell for that, well then so be it. Trust me, I've been there, done that. My hell was filled with little men in black pajamas when I was a teenager and hot as a desert in the Middle East,years later." Tom sighed, then finished his jerky. He stared straight ahead, "Led a bunch of Force Recon Marines there, worked awful hard at keepin' them kids alive too." Tom's voice trailed off." Thought for awhile that heck maybe that was it,maybe God wanted me to see my own son in those teenage Marines there in that desert. You know, work harder at keepin' 'em alive.Guess it worked too, didn't lose a single one." "But, in hindsight, I don't think that was the reason, aww heck, I don't know, guess I'm still searchin'".

Junior was looking at the piece of jerky in his hand, it tasted like cardboard and he was having a hard time chewing it.

"You better eat that boy," Tom pointed at it, "It may taste like a piece of tree bark, but you need something in that skinny belly of yours."

Junior heeded the advice and tore another bit off with his teeth, he forced a smile as he tried to chew it. Tom smiled back, then turned and looked straight ahead again.

"What happened to your daughter?" Junior said while chewing.

"Oh we hear from her every once in a while. She went to Florida, doin' okay." Tom drew his knees up to his chest, he'd finished his jerky.

"She never married or settled down or anything. Works in a restaurant, waitin' tables."

"Do you ever see her?"

"Naw, we haven't seen her since she left. She doesn't want to see us, she says."

Tom looked back at Junior, the look on his was face was hard, stern.

"We never abused her or anything like that. Jenny, that's her name, blames it on the fact that we weren't a 'normal' family. You know me gone all the time."

Tom's gaze softened.

"Boy, I lost so much while I was a Marine, but at the time I didn't realize it. Lost my daughter, my son, my family, my wife left about five years ago, we still talk and I hope we can patch things up, we're still not officially divorced or anything."

"Anyway, I figured if I were in some port somewhere on some ship somewhere that the Marines were my family and that was good enough for me. Least that’s what I thought. But you know something? The day I retired, the day I took off that uniform, was the day, I lost my Marine family too."

"Came home, my wife didn't really want anything to do with me, I knew then it was only a matter of time, and without my kids or my Marines, I had nothin'...well as corny as it might sound, 'cept you and that racin' stuff." Tom looked over and grinned slightly.

"Don't ever get so wrapped up in this stuff that you forget who really cares about you, boy. I did and sometimes I think it cost me everything." You're a hell of a race car driver, but without family, you're really nothin'."

"You don't have a girlfriend do you boy?" Tom asked.

Junior had a brief flash of an image of the woman he 'd met what seemed like a lifetime ago now, a whiff of a memory. He shook his head.

"You know, havin' a mom and dad's great, but not having someone there ,waiting on the other side of your front door when you get home at night, well let me tell you, that's the worst feelings in the world."

Tom looked up towards the sky.

"I remember bein' home on leave for the last time before he died. He'd just started walking. I came home one evening and he toddled on out to the driveway to meet me. My wife was standing at the door, she looked so pretty, smiling, leaning against the door. I scooped my boy up and at that moment I felt somethin' I'd never felt before or since."

"I don't know what it was or how to describe it but man it felt good and I wish now I'd done everything in my power to keep that feeling alive." Tom sighed, "I should have quit the Corps right then and there. Walked away, worked on my family. But like an idiot I didn't and that ,boy, is one of the biggest regrets of my life."

Tom looked over at Junior again.

"You know another big regret?"

Junior shook his head.

"I never cried" Tom sighed,

"I was a United States Marine, big boys don't cry."

"Now?" Junior said.

"Too late, too late for that now," Tom sighed again then smiled," I'm too far over it."

They heard a noise behind them. Tom acted almost without thought, or so it seemed to Junior. He turned and in an instant had spun around and was flat on his belly on the ground. He grabbed Junior by the shoulder and brought him down as he went, roughly. Junior got a sense of what one of Tom's privates must have felt like during combat in a desert halfway around the World.

The noise, it sounded to Junior like voices, seemed to be coming from just the other side of the hill that they now lay at the bottom of.

Tom looked over his shoulder at Gomer still standing on the road. Tom pointed at him then motioned for him to get down. Gomer quickly and thankfully, silently, complied.

The noise, it was a voice or voices he was sure of it, now sounded like shouting.

"You two stay here," Tom said, "Silver man, if there's any trouble I expect you back me up ok?"

Toms voice was barely above a whisper.

"Okay." came the muted reply. Junior glanced over and was surprisd to see Gomer laying no more than a foot from him.

"Jeez, how do you that?" He whispered to Gomer.

"Well, I can be real quiet..."Gomer started to whisper.

Tom put his hand up," SSHH" He said, "Hush."

More shouts drifted from the other side of the hill.

Tom rose up slightly and began to head up the hill. Junior tapped him on the foot as he went by.

Tom stopped and looked back over his shoulder.

Junior lifted up and took the large wrench from his waistband, then handed it to Tom.

Tom took it, looked at it, then glanced back at Junior with a grin." Wish this was an M-14," he whispered hoarsely. He then turned and continued up the hill crouching on all fours.

Junior watched Tom make his way up the hill slowly. He was impressed and grateful, that Tom was going. The skills Tom had learned and no doubt used in the military were evident as he made his way towards the top of the hill.

About five feet from the crest, Tom flattened back down and "low-crawled" , inching quickly along the ground on his belly the rest of the way. He slowed almost to a stop as he reached the top. Tom slowly, cautiously, peered over to the other side. Another shout could be heard.

After a moment, Tom slowly rose to his feet. He put his hands on his hips and cocked his head sideways. Without turning around, he motioned for the Junior and Gomer to join him.

"C'mon," Junior said to Gomer. He got up then looked behind him only to see Gomer back at the road reaching for the handle to his toolbox.

Junior shook his head. How the heck did he do that? He wondered.

"Leave that here, we'll come back for it." He said to him. Gomer complied and after a moment the two joined Tom at the top of the hill.

Tom was staring down into the small valley on the other side if the hill. Junior was amazed at what he saw.

The figure of a, well Junior couldn't exactly tell what, was at the top of the far side . It appeared to have two arms, a head and two legs, but they looked like large doughnuts stacked atop one another. The head had two large ears protruding from it and large bulbous hands that were at the moment, held straight up over it's body. The entire figure was jet black.

"WHOO HOO!" It shouted, then much to Juniors surprise, jumped sideways and rolled down the hill.

"Tires" Tom said.

"What?" Junior replied.

"Tires, it looks like it's made out of tires.

The figure, now 'rolling' to a stop at the bottom of the hill, immediately rose and started running back up to the top of the far hill. When it got there, it held it arms up again.

"WHOO HOO!" It shouted again, then repeated the roll down the hill.

"C'mon," Tom said as he started down the hill. Junior and Gomer quickly followed.

The three stood at the bottom of the hill where the figure had last stopped. The , whatever it was Junior thought, was back at the top now, he seemed to be in his own world and hadn't noticed the trio.

The black figure rolled towards them. The three moved out of the way to let it pass by.

"Whoo, whoo whoo!" It was saying as it passed.

The three stared at it. Tom had his hands on his hips. Junior noticed that the wrench was stuck in the small of Tom's back as he turned to watch the figure roll by.

The figure stopped about ten feet beyond Tom, who stood slightly in front of Junior.

The figure looked at Tom with eyes that seemed, unnaturally large.

"Oh, hello!" It said.

Junior noticed that Tom reached slowly behind him and placed a hand on the wrench.

"Hello," Tom said.

The figure quickly rose to it's 'feet'. Tom took a step backwards, Junior did as well. Junior couldn't tell where Gomer was, his eyes were fixed on the figure in front of him.

Junior could now see that whatever 'it' was, really was made of tires all stacked on top of one another. the figure stood slightly taller than the men, hands on it's 'hips', smiling through a large, almost cartoonish looking mouth.

"And who might you 'fellas be now?" It said.

Tom spoke first,"I'm Tom and this is," he stepped aside to expose Junior," This is..."

The figures eyes grew larger and slight his grin now turned to a full smile.

"WHOO HOO!" He shouted. Junior was startled.

The figure advanced towards them. Tom had the wrench out in an instant and now stood in front of Junior and held it in front of him.

The figure stopped and began to laugh, loudly, "And what pray tell would you be going to do with THAT?" he asked pointing to the wrench.

Tom felt a flush as he looked at the wrench he held out in front of him. He felt almost embarrassed.

"Hit me." The figure said , holding out one of his arms out. Tom hesitated.

"Go on...HIT ME!" The figure said smiling.

Tom swung the large wrench with all his might towards the 'arm'. The wrench struck, there was a dull 'thunk' sound. The wrench then bounced off the arm.

"OWWW!" The figure shouted pulling his arm in, "I think he broke it!" The figure seemed to cringe, "WAAAA! That'll leave a mark!" The figure was bent over now holding one arm with the other, "He bwoke my wittle arm!" he said. Then he suddenly stopped. The figure rose up, put his hands on his hips and laughed.

"Okay, all better now!"

Tom looked at the wrench in front of him. His hand still stung from the force of the blow.

"Dude," The figure said almost flippantly. He slapped his torso, there was another dull 'thunk'. "I'm made of rubber. Steel belted, my friend." He walked forward, "Now let me see that one behind you."

Tom moved out of the way.

Junior was frightened as the large dark figure loomed before him.

"Well what 'a you know." It said, "It really is, after all this time." He reached out and gently picked Junior up by the shoulders, "A driver!" he said laughing, "a real honest to goodness driver!"

"Been a long time since I seen one of you guys!" He said as he slowly placed Junior back on the ground.

"Mechanic, you ain't got nothing' to fear, but if you come any closer, I'm gonna' turn that toolbox into a pile of metal." He winked at Junior and smiled.

Junior noticed that Gomer was now almost directly behind the figure, pulling his toolbox closely behind. Junior shook his head.

"Never mess with a gearheads toolbox, gets 'um every time." The figure said to Junior under his breath with another wink.

"'So, what's you're name?" Tom said.

"Name?" the figure replied, "Hmm, let's see now, my 'name'...Oh yeah! I got it!" The figure put his hands on his hips and stuck out his chest, then put his chin up and looked into the distance.

"I am Tireman! Da, da daa!", He ended singing, "Defender of truth, justice and the wheel rim!"

His voice now changed, it deepened and it reminded Junior of a radio announcer, "Along with my trusty sidekick, 'Chassis Boy, I roam the country side seeking to defend the poor and bent rims!"

He paused, put down his hands and looked back and forth at the two men standing on either side of him He cleared his throat before continuing.

"Uh hum, well okay, so I'm not REALLY a superhero, and I don't have a sidekick, but jeez you guys, it gets so boring out here, all alone for all this time, I gotta' do something!"

Junior and Tom looked at each other.

"You know who he looks like, don't you?" Tom said.

"Yeah, the guy from that tire commercial." Junior replied.

The figure looked back and forth at the two men as they talked.

"Hmm, so there big guy, I think we'll call you, 'Mitch.'" Tom said. Junior chuckled.

"Perfect." He said.

"Mitch?" The figure said, "Mitch?" The figure put his hands on his hips and stared out into the distance,"...hmm, Mmmitch. Not bad, not bad, Matter of fact it's 'kinda got a nice ring too it. I like it!" He looked at the two men in front of him, "By the way, what's a 'commercial'?"

"Don't worry about it, you wouldn't really understand and besides we've got to move on." Junior said.

"So, are you 'fellas going to a race. Please,PLEASE, tell me you're going to a race...It's been such a LONG time since I've been to a race." Mitch said.

"Well, to be honest we really don't know where we're going, just following that road." Junior pointed to the road. He took a moment and gave a brief history of their adventure to that point.

"You were at the track?" Mitch said after Junior had finished. He reached out and gently took Junior by his shoulders." Man, it's been so long since I've been to the track."

Mitch stood back and looked into the distance again, "I remember those days: plenty of cars to work on, cheering crowds, drivers, racing around, cars zooming by...ZOOM!" He waved then held his hand down and drew it in front of him as he made the 'ZOOM' sound, "Gosh, those were the days."

"What kind of work do you do on the cars? " Tom asked.

"Well my friend, with apologies to my mechanic friend there, "He pointed at Gomer," MINE, is the most important job of all."

He looked at Junior, "Let me ask you something driver, 'loose in tight out", how would you fix that on a pit stop, under green...hmm?" He cocked an 'ear' towards Junior.

Junior hesitated before answering, trying to think of the right answer," Umm, 'Wedge?"

Mitch frowned then shook his head.

"Track bar?"

Mitch continued to shake his head.

Mitch put his hand up in front of Juniors face, then looked at Tom, "Nice enough guy, this driver you got here," He pointed a thumb at Junior, " but seems to be a couple cylinders short of a full engine block, if you know what I mean."

Tom smiled.

"Question, there driver, how 'bout adding a little air pressure on the right rear..." He cocked his 'ear' towards Junior again, then held his hand, palm up and curled his fingers back and forth, "say it, c'mon, won't hurt, I don't bite,"

"Tire" Junior said.

"WHOO HOO!" Mitch shouted, "You 'da man! Give him a gold star!" Mitch threw his arms up into the air. He then leaned over and put his arm around Juniors shoulder.

"You can have yourself the best engine in the world, fastest crew, best driver, but my friend if you can't get that power to the ground, you ain't gonna go anywhere. So mine is the most important job on a race team...shocks, suspension and oh, I like this part, TIRES, oooh, I just got a chill, let me say that again...TIRES!" He smiled and winked at Junior, "Where the rubber meets the road, that's where I work."

"How did you end up here?" Tom asked.

Mitch stood back and looked into the air, "Well, to tell you the truth, I don't really know. I remember working at the races, a long, long, LONG time ago. Then one day, the Wizard came along with those, uh umm 'drivers' and told all of us that we were finished, didn't need us anymore. Them 'drivers' of his started causin' all the 'gearheads'," He pointed at Gomer, "and the rest of us to vanish. I didn't quite know where everyone was going to, so I figured it was best if I snuck out the back. I left through the 'back door' so to speak and just started walking.”

“Since then I've just kinda' been wandering around these hills and to be honest getting bored, bored, BORED."

"So you know the Wizard then, huh?" Junior said.

"Sure do," Mitch replied, "Don't quite know what made him turn like he did, used to be a pretty nice guy, then that one day, man..." Mitch hesitated a moment, "Are you guys going to try and actually find him?"

Tom nodded.

"Well I sure would like to ask him what happened to him."

"You wouldn't be scared he'd make you vanish like the rest?" Junior said.

"Nah, heck, if he made me vanish, it actually be a nice change, "Mitch sighed, "cause it sure is boring out here! Besides, maybe there'll be another race, MAN, that'd be great!"

"You ever heard of "Race City?"" Tom asked.

"Yeah, but I'll be darned if I could ever find it." Mitch said.

"Well that's where we're headed. You're welcomed to go along, if you want to." Junior added.

"If I want to? If I WANT TO?" Mitch laughed, loudly, "OF course I want to! Driver, if I spend another day wandering' these hills like this, I'm liable to blow a valve stem, if you know what I mean!" He put his arms in front of him and looked at them, "Shoot, I already think I've lost some wheel weights."

Tom and Junior looked at each other. Tom rolled his eyes.

"Well then, let's get goin'. We're burning daylight" Tom turned and headed for the road.

A new sound now drifted in the air around the group. Along with the rattling of Gomer's toolbox, was the sound of rubber squeaking as Mitch walked.

Tom looked over at Junior. Both men were in front of the little group.

"I hope we find this place soon." Tom said.

Junior looked back over his shoulder, Mitch made a loud rubbery squeak as he raised one of his "arms".

He looked back at Tom and winced, then smiled, "Yeah me too."

Mitch would not stop talking. The entire two hours the group had been walking along the road, up the hill, then down the hill, Mitch had been talking.

"So then, he came in and I knew, man I knew. Two rounds of wedge and a little bit more air pressure and BAM, he just about lapped the entire field!" Mitch said.

Tom stopped suddenly. He turned and faced Mitch. Junior and Gomer both stopped and watched.

Tom put his hand up in front of Mitch. Keeping his hand up he turned and faced Gomer.

"Do you have a scratch awl somewhere in that toolbox of yours?" He asked Gomer.

"Um sure, third drawer down, left hand side." Gomer replied.

Tom reached over, opened the drawer and retrieved a small pointed object with a wooden handle. He then turned and faced Mitch, raising the tool pointing it at him.

"Would this thing go through them steel belts of yours 'tireboy'?" Tom asked.

Mitch's eyes grew wide, he put both his hands up and began to walk backwards.

"Don't do that, please, PLEASE,!" He said.

Tom put the tool down,"Then keep your dang mouth shut." He said. Tom placed the tool back into the still open drawer. He then turned and continued walking.

Junior and Gomer looked at each other, Junior raised his eye brows. Gomer slowly closed the toolbox drawer.

The group began walking again. Mitch followed, silently.

The sky off the far right hand side of the group was slowly changing. Dark clouds were beginning to build, slowly. No one said a word, until the gentle rumble of thunder was heard from the distance.

Tom looked around at the bleak, barren landscape.

"Great," He said, "That's just great."

The sky to one side grew darker. There was a flash of lightening. Followed moments later by another soft rumble.

Junior was looking at clouds building on the right and seemingly closing in on them as they walked. The group, led by the two men were just cresting another hill. Junior was still watching the gathering storm on the right.

"Well Tom, now what?" He said.

He hadn't noticed Tom had stopped until Tom reached out and gently put a hand on Juniors shoulder to stop him. Junior looked over at Tom, who was staring straight ahead.

"Guess that's your answer, "Tom said as he dipped his chin slightly forward. Junior turned to look.

There slightly below them, a woodline now stretched from horizon to horizon. The road led directly into the center of the woods. Another rumble, louder this time came to them, followed by a cool gust of air.

Junior began scan the woods from left to right. The woodline looked the same as far as he could see. A flock of large, black, birds circled over part of the woodline on the left side.

"Looks like we've got a welcoming committee." Tom said. Junior looked at Tom, who was still staring straight ahead. Tom dipped his chin again.

In the distance almost at the point where the road entered the woods, stood a lone figure. From this distance though, and considering where they were at, Junior couldn't be sure if it was a man or something else. A putrid smell lingered in his mind.

As the two men got closer, Junior could see that it was indeed a man, wearing a drivers suit and dark sunglasses standing in the road. His arms were crossed in front of his chest. Junior thought he recognized the man has they drew nearer.

"Matt?" Junior said, "Matt is that you?" The figure didn't move.

Junior began to walk towards the figure. Tom took hold of Juniors arm and stopped him.

"Hold on." Tom said.

Tom slowly walked towards the figure. Junior couldn't tell where the figure was looking because of the dark sunglasses.

Tom approached the figure cautiously. He walked around first the left side of the figure then the right. The figure turned only his head in response to Tom's movements.

"Matt?" Junior said again.

"It isn't him," Tom said as he walked around behind the figure, who's head turned slowly as it followed Tom, “Matter of fact, I don’t think he’s even here.”

It was then that Junior saw what Tom meant: he could see Tom as he stood behind the figure, because the figure itself was actually transparent.

Tom slowly reached his arm out towards the man, it went through to the other side. Tom moved back.

The figure began to laugh. It's head leaned back, the arms still crossed in front.

But there was no sound.

Then the figure stopped laughing. It turned towards Junior and slowly removed the sunglasses.

They eyes that stared back at Junior were as black as coal.

The figure smiled.

Junior felt a chill. Thunder echoed across the small valley. In the distance came the sound of a single crow.

A flash lit up the sky followed closely by the sharp crack of thunder.

And then the figure was gone.

The group stood four abreast across the road about five feet from the point where it entered the dark woods. Raindrops were beginning to fall. A heavy damp smell hung in the air.

"You ever been scared boy?" Tom said. He stared at the woods in front of them.

"Sure" Junior replied.

Tom turned towards Junior, "Nah, I mean have you ever been REALLY scared."

Junior hesitated for a moment and thought.

"Once, just before I was going to do my first parachute jump." Junior said, "You know jumping out of a perfectly good airplane."

Tom looked back at the woods, "How did you handle it?" He asked.

Junior smiled, "I jumped, of course."

Tom smiled.

The group walked forward into the darkness.

At that moment Junior felt he was walking into a very uncertain future indeed.

Thanks for your time
Greg Engle
A&J NASCAR Racing Enterprises