SATURDAY

Lucas slept in that morning, but did not sleep well. His dreams were tortured nightmares. The monster stalked as it was looking for prey and it was looking at his own building. Lucas woke with a start, breathing deeply trying to calm his mind.  

He sighed, deciding to get up since laying in bed was not making him feel any better.

Getting himself a cup of coffee he saw his dad sitting at their table looking deep in though.

“Everything ok, dad?” Lucas asked tentatively.

His dad flinched as he had not noticed him. “Oh, I'm fine. Glad you're here though. I wanna ask you something.”

“What's up?” Lucas sat across from him. 

“Well. I got this job offer. It will be in a few weeks. But I will be gone for a few months.”

Lucas nodded slowly.

“The pay is good. But do you think you and grandpa would be ok to do it?”

“I think we'd be fine, where'd you stay?”

“Oh, I've got a buddy, an old friend from college.”

He and his dad hung out for a little while longer before he had to leave for his work. Lucas had to get ready anyway. He and Penny were going out to coffee. She arrived soon after his dad left. As they sat sipping their hot drinks Penny sighed and looked upset.

“What's the matter?” Lucas asked.

“It’s, it’s nothing,” she said with another sigh. 

“Come on, what's the matter?” se said pushing a little. She caved.

“It's just. Do you hate Mark?” 

“Um… No.” Raising his eyebrows in surprise. Did he act like he hated Mark?

“Oh good,” Penny said, relaxing in relief.

“Do I act like I hate him?” Lucas said, trying not to sound annoyed. 

Honestly he felt like he had the right when someone you're supposed to be friends with thinks you're crazy and is only friends with you because of something his mom said, that something being to keep an eye on him so he doesn't mess up his daughter. Penny had told him all about their little chat in the car.

“No, you dont act like you ‘hate’ him, just kind of annoyed, like really tense when he's around,” she said, playing with a strand of hair that had fallen out of place.

“Well I got to give him something to report back to mommy,” he said sarcastically.

“Hey, that's not fair. She is my mom.”

“I know, sorry. Part of me doesn't blame him, I mean expecting him to believe it was a stretch. But I mean, I'd think he’d hide his utter disbelief a little bit better,” he added.

“Yah. I'm sorry.”

“But honestly. Maybe it's best. Maybe he won't ever see it. And he'll never know,” Lucas said, forcing a smile.

“Yeah, that'd be good. Do you think we'll ever see it again?”

Lucas thought for a moment. Truthfully he didn't know. At all. He didn't know how it worked at all.

“I mean we haven't seen it or heard of it. Heck we haven’t even heard of any strange deaths recently. I-I think we're going to be ok,” Lucas nodded. 

The rest of their time was pretty normal. They hung out for a while before heading home. Penny drove Lucas as both were sticking to rules of never being outside alone. He didn't even like the idea of her driving alone but she insisted. And she wasn't going too far after dropping Lucas off since she was going to hang out with Roxanne. It did make Lucas feel a bit better. 

Once home he and his grandpa were deep in a card game match. Lucas left him to it. His dad had texted him, he wouldn’t be home until early the next morning. Lucas settled into his bed trying to get some of the summer reading done. At the moment he was reading the classic, “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”. He wondered what it'd be like being so tortured as to not be able to control something in you like that. He sighed and putting down the book he clicked off the lamp and lay down.

SUNDAY

 Lucas woke with a start. He blinked hard trying to focus on the clock. His eyes finally recognized it as 1:37. He had not been asleep for too long. He listened but heard nothing except the ticking of the clock. It was dead silent in the house. He laid back down trying to realize, it was only then he became aware his body was shaking. What mattered was the matter he was safe and home. He tried to ignore it but the more he laid in bed the more the feeling seemed to grow in his chest. Finally he sat up, turning his lamp on. Nothing was there in the room. He got out of bed feeling a growing sense of dread. He put his hand on his door knob preparing to check the rest of the apartment. And then he heard it. The sound had been burned into his brain. It was kind of painfully quiet giggling. Lucas  covered his mouth with his hand so fast he smacked his own face. But he did not make a sound, only listened to the sound of the painfully quiet laughter. It was not really laughter but some sick and twisted gurgling made to mimic the sound of human joy.  Lucas stood frozen, his ear to the door. Then he heard a quiet stepping sound. And then another with it, came the giggling just so slightly louder. Lucas wanted to scream but only stood. He bit his hand trying to keep quiet. The stepping sounds grew louder. 

Soon, soon it sounded like it was right outside his door. Lucas could hear the breathing of it. It was not his grandpa or his dad. It was the thing in his home. He had been right, it had come after him, it was here now. Lucas dared not move. And then he heard it keep going. The laughter got quieter again. Was it leaving? Or was it going to someone else. And then Lucas heard a door opening at the end of the hall. It was a very particular creaking sound, when he was little he used to be scared and wake up whenever he would hear it. 

Lucas desperately longed for the days when one was afraid of doors and not demons. But there was a creak in his grandfather's door.  Lucas wanted to throw open his door and scream for his grandpa to run. But he couldn’t move. And his grandfather could not run. He heard the flick of lights in the hallway, light streaked in from under his door. And then he heard his grandpa shout. And then he heard something slamming into the hallway. A groan. And then thudding on the walls. He heard something slam into his door and it shook. A red liquid streamed in from the crack under his door. This was it. Lucas screamed. Immediately he stopped himself by biting down on his hand again, It was quiet for a moment. And then he heard a kind of squelching sound. Like when you gut a chicken or step on a frog. And then snapping like a dry branch. 

He backed away into the wall. Holding himself against it. And then ever so quietly he began to move his bed. He dragged the mattress in front of his door, placing it against it as quietly as he could. And then he moved his desk. First moving everything off of it piece by piece. He moved more than he ever had in his life. He still heard the monsters chewing and ripping. Lucas sunk to the floor in the farthest corner of the room from the door. He stared, waiting for the door to burst open and the demonic creature to crawl inside. Lucas sat shaking and held his face with hands tight. Breaking the skin. Warm blood slid down his chin and fingers. And yet he sat unmoving and quietly shaking. Finally he heard something from outside. The clock read 7:30. It was a door opening to the building. 

And then he heard a scream. It was cut short, he heard the door slam shut. Lucas sat frozen. He felt heat run up his body only to be replaced by ice cold pain. He only sat staring at the pool of blood that had made it past his barricade. And then he heard something outside. It was sirens. And then he heard shouting. Then the door to the apartment was kicked open. More yelling. Then it grew quieter. He still heard people muttering. And then he heard someone yelling again. He recognized the voice as his dad’s.

“My son! I have a kid in there!” he heard him screaming, “LUCAS!”

Lucas wanted to answer but no words were coming. He only opened his mouth a little. Finally taking his hand out of his mouth. He looked at it. He had bitten himself deep and bad multiple times causing a bad kind of gash. He looked up sharply. The door was being moved but it was blocked. It could not be opened from the outside so easily.

“Lucas, it’s me! There's police here!” he heard his dad yell. 

He just could not muster the force to speak. He only sat looking from his hand to the red pool soaking into his carpet. He heard more muttering and after five minutes he heard sounds from behind him. Jumping up he spun around. There was someone on the fire escape outside. He heard heavy steps on the metal staircase. and then his own window being shattered. He stood backing away starting. And then his book shelf was kicked in. There were a few guys there including his own dad. 

“Lucas, y-you’re ok!” his dad said, jumping into his room and running over. “Y-Your hand,” he said, grabbing it with fear. “And your face,” he said, staring at him tentatively. 

Lucas reached up with his good hand and touched his own face gingerly. He could feel deep cuts in his own face from himself.

“Looks to be self-inflicted,” someone said, coming up beside his dad. 

It was some guy. He was not wearing a uniform, just normal clothing. Lucas stared at him in a daze. And then looking at the stain on the floor his eyes locked onto it. He heard his dad say something, but his mind just couldn't process all of it. He just stood locked onto the stain on the floor. He felt himself being pulled away back towards his window. He was guided up and back into the building through the fires escape and then outside. He sat in an ambulance. Someone asked him questions, cleaning his hand and his face. Lucas did not respond to their questions; he felt trapped in his head. Just listening for the monster to come back. He knew it would, and he would hear it coming and run. So he sat listening for the laughter. 

MONDAY

Monday was only pain. He woke up in a hotel he and his dad were staying at while their house was a crime scene. Lucas looked around, barely remembering how he had gotten there. Someone came by and asked if he could talk. He did not. They sat for a while with him. Talking to Lucas like he was some child but Lucas did not care and only ignored him. And besides he was trying to think of what to tell them. He slept most of Monday.

TUESDAY

On Tuesday he was ready to talk. He told the guy everything he thought appropriate. Only leaving out the laughing. And his past experience of it. The guy wrote it all down. He seemed satisfied with what Lucas had told him. Again Lucas just lay in bed most of Tuesday.

WEDNESDAY

As Wednesday rolled around they were allowed to return home. Lucas refused to go into his room though. Or even his hallway. He texted Penny, Roxanne, and Mark a little. But mostly just letting them know he was ok. Penny wanted to come over. Lucas said to wait a few days. He found that the person who had gone into their house was their neighbor. She was going to leave something for their family as Lucas's dad had asked her since he was not going to be home until even later than he thought. She walked in and saw the blood and the corpse. Called the police. That was about as much as Lucas was told. His dad did assure him that he was not a suspect. Lucas honestly didn't care what the cops thought. All he knew and cared about was that his grandpa was dead. 

THURSDAY

As the days passed it seemed the shock wore off. And with that came fear and pain. His grandfather had been a second parent as his dad worked so much and his mother was gone. And now he was dead. Lucas could not help but think if he had gone out and locked the door sooner. Or even gone and fought the thing. But he had only cowered in his room like a frightened child. Really it was his fault.

FRIDAY 

Finally his friends visited him. Penny came first and Mark went to pick up Roxan. 

Penny and Lucas sat on the couch. They did not talk much, only sitting with each other. He did not want anyone to break the silence. He didn't want anyone to break their peacefulness. But soon Mark and Roxanne came. It was still peaceful, but not the same. All too soon they were up preparing to leave but as his father left the room he grabbed Pennys hand, the other to stopped as well.

“Mark I know you dont believe me. B-but. I need you to swear. Swear to it you will never go outside alone. And never go outside in the dark.” 

“Was?” Penny whispered.

“They said an animal.” Roxanne whispered.

“It was here. We can talk more. Not here. I don't know. But swear it.” He said. The intensity in his voice shocked the other, but they nodded. Even Mark. He still did not believe the others. But something about the way Lucas was. It was getting to him. 

SATURDAY

More people came to visit. His grandpa's friends. His dads friends. More people from school. Bringing meals and their empty condolences. Lucas found himself more angry at their fake concern then he found himself confronted. Why wouldn't the thing have gone to one of their houses? 

SUNDAY

Less people came by now. It was quieter. And so the first week since his grandpa's death had passed.