“I-I think we could.” Lucas said finally having some desperate hope for it all. Could they really kill it. Could they fight it and win? Could they really walk away from this? The feeling, it was so unbelievably spectacular. The first tiny hint of real hope. No, not hope for a real plausible escape. This was not him hoping the thing wouldnt come after him. No matter how hard it might be, they would kill it. Somehow deep down he knew that. He couldn't contain it any longer. He fell onto his back laughing, not even wincing as the pain spiked. 

The others went quiet and looked at him for a long moment. They were all half relieved Lucas was laughing and this was not exactly the same laugh from the parking lot. But it was not normal either. It seemed genuine but paired simultaneously. Like forced joy, but so forced even he believed it. Finally he stopped to a kind of quiet giggle.

“W-what's so funny?” Mark asked, forcing a smile.

 Something about Lucas's demeanor fell off. It was unnerving.

“It's just. I want to kill it so badly.” He said sitting bolt upright caused the others to jump.

“I want it dead, no not just dead. I want to make it dead. Mark, Penny. Roxan, I want to be the one to drive its life from it. Man, i hope it can feel fear.” He said before another fit of laughter came over him. This time it seemed even more messed up. 

“How do you think we do it?” He said looking up at the sealing, still grinning. 

“Um, what do you think would do it?” Penny asked, trying to shake off the unease she felt from Lucas' sudden energy.

“We could shoot it. Any of your parents got guns?” Lucas asked, seeming to grow calmer and more service the more he spoke. 

“Um, my grandpa. He um has a. He's got a storage container, and he's got lots of hunting equipment there. There are weapons and stuff like that.” Roxanne said hesitantly.

“Perfect. Who knows how to shoot?” Lucas asked, still grinning ever so slightly.

Roxanne and Mark raised their hands. 

“Grandpa took me a few times.” Roxanne said.

“Went with friends a few summers back.” Mark said.

“Perfect.” Lucas said, the others could see a plan coming together in his mind.

“Um, Lucas, what do me and you do then?” Penny asked nervously.

“I think we should make sure it's dead. Get an ax, and cut the things head off.” He said his smile was growing again. 

He looked distant. it was clear enough to see the idea of cutting the monster to pieces, it seemed too good to be true. 

“So, what first?” Penny asked.

“I think we'd get my grandpa's guns.” Roxanne said, taking a deep breath.

The adrenalin was rushing through them all. The plan was insane. To really try it. It didn't seem possible. But it did at the same time. They at least had a chance finally. 

They did not discuss the plan much longer. The rest were tired and very emotionally overwhelmed. Mark and Roxanne left first. Penny got up to leave but stopped seeming frozen.

“What's the matter?” Lucas asked much softer than his tone had been for the past few days it seemed.

“It's just… Lucas, are you ok.” Penny asked, turning.

“I mean not that, but how are you doing?” Penny asked, her eyes brimming with concern.

“Am I ok?” Lucas repeated

“Mph, i dont know.” He muttered quietly looking down.

“Lucas, I'm here for you. I know I can take the pain away from you, and I know you're in pain, a lot happened but I'm here. you know that right?” SHe said taking his hand.

“I mean, im im going to be ok.” He said but it came out almost choked.

“Well do this, we'll kill it and then we can get better.” She said, hugging him tightly.

Lucas flinched in surprise as she hung onto him. She squeezed tightly but it felt comforting. It was nice and warm and safe. He didn't want her to let go. She didnt for a long time and they just sat together. Lucas felt his eyes watering. What was this, he felt exhausted with so many mixed feelings. Pain, anger, love, sadness, he couldn't make sense of them. They swirled around in his head. He felt so tired. So so tired. He would never not be tired. Lucas closed his eyes. He felt Penny there next to him. It felt good to not be alone at night in the dark. He almost felt safe, almost. 

TUESDAY

Lucas dreams that night haunted him, he lay in bed thinking them over. He had watched his friends die, many many times. Over and over again. Because his plan failed. Or the monster came for him in the night. Every different possible way for them to fail and die they did. Blood splatter, dripping down. Screaming. they were mad at him, his friends hated him, they knew it was his fault, his fault the monster was there. Lucas finally sat up trying to shake off the dreams. Penny was gone. SHe had left before he woke up. Lucas sat on the bed for a moment before heading down stairs.  He felt horrible the last few days were really catching up to him. Finally he stood and went downstairs. The others were already up. 

“Morning.” Lucas muttered. 

“Morning.” Penny said smiling and sipping her coffee. Easther she had been awake longer or just woke up faster. Roxanne also looked more awake while sipping coffee. Mark was sitting at the kitchen table looking half asleep. 

“Where's her mom?” Lucas asked looking around.

“Oh yah, you were asleep, she's going to be gone for a few days, some business meeting in another city.” Penny said, handing Lucas a cup of coffee.

“Perfect.” Lucas said, sipping it.

“Whyt Perfect?” Roxanne asked raising an eyebrow.

“We can talk and plan freely with her gone.” Lucas nodded.

“You want to do it all in three days?” Penny asked, sounding sceptickall.

“I'm not sure. But we should at least plan on getting as much preparation done in the days she's gone.”

“Makes sense. I agree with Lucas.” Mark said, sounding groggy.

“I mean, are you sure? That's not a lot of time?” Roxanne said.

“We dont need to engage the thing per say. Only prepare as much as we can while Mrs Lanes out of the house.” Lucas said deep in thought. 

“WHy is it better to do this when she's gone. what's the difference?” Penny asked.

“You know, he's right, her out of the way is probably good. We can plan as much and not have to waste time about worrying about the rover hearing us. And dont need to worry about any unnecessary questions, I mean think of when we brought Lucas in.” Mark said rubbing his eyes.

“Oh yah i met to ask about that? What did you guys say?” Lucas said, turning around to face the trio.

“Oh, well Penny and I distracted her mom.” Roxanne began.

“And I dragged you through the window. I mean man you were out.” Mark nodded.

“You got me through a second story window.” Lucas said skeptickly.

“I mean, honestly it was a lit easier than I thought.” Mark said, shrugging.

“Uh huh… And what you tell your mom?” Lucas asked.

“Oh that you and Mark had gotten home a while ago cuz you weren't feeling well, and just had gone to bed.” Penny said, shrugging.  

“Honestly Lucas, I cant believe her mom believes her, this girls a horrible liar.” Roxanne said laughing a little.

Penny shot her a look but laughed in spite of herself. It's my weakness, what can I say? 

“So um guys, I dont want to kill the mood or anything but I mean what exactly is the plan?” Roxanne asked.

“I'm not too sure exactly, but what I think we could do is, like I said last night. Roxan, Mike, you guys could sit somewhere, I dont know where is a good place yet, I mean where we should make this, I mean go down. But were ever we do this, I want some place with a good spot for high ground. And you guys with the guns up there. And I can somehow maybe draw the thing out, you guys shoot it. And then. Then i can cut its head off with an ax.” Lucas said clenching his fist. Even though he felt a lot better and more clear in the head, he still felt the anger, and the deep desire to kill the thing. To cut off its head.

“Lucas, that plan seems kind of haphazard I mean, what if it doesn't come.” Penny said, folding her arms.

“Oh it'll come. I know it's haunting me. Come on guys every single time I've gone outside at night. It's shown up. I mean, I know it'll come. Whatever it is, it's haunting me.” Lucas said darkly.

“Ok, but what about scrapple?” Mark asked.

“What?” Lucas said looking up.

“Shot guns, right. When they hit their target, it has shrapnel.”

“Not all of them do, and I mean i dont think a shotgun would be the best idea. All my grandpa has for a shotgun is bird shot, that won't do it.” Roxanne said looking deep in thought.

“Well what will I do then?” Lucas asked.

“Well, I mean like the classic.” Roxanne said almost a smile on her face.

“What's that?” Mark asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“An AR15,” Roxanne said, nodding.

“Will that work to kill it?” Lucas asked.

“It should, I mean it's not like we have a lot of other options.” Roxanne said.

And so their plan was set further into motion, it was agreed that day they'd go and look for a spot to fight the thing at. So only a few hours later they sped down the roid in Pennys car. It was quite. All deep in hangout, but with really just the same thought. Were they really going to fight this thing? They couldn't, it was unreal. It was unbeatable. They all knew that it had fallen off the bridge, and lived. What else had it gone through to get here? Where did it even come from? But no one wanted to ask, and so it was quite.

The group had a few ideas of spots and were driving around checking them out. This was their third one. Lucas didn't like the other two because they were too close to other people and if someone heard a gun, they might call the police and then things would just get messier. And so they headed to the third spot. Penny pulled the car off to the side of the road.

“We'll have to walk from here.” Mark said, stepping out of the car.

The air was hot and muggy. It seemed oddly humid and felt oppressive. They walked for a little bit, the trees hung over them. Lucas felt a shiver run up and through his body. It was too similar to his first encounter with the monster. They all emerged from the tree line into a little clearing. He felt his stomach flip. It was too similar. There in front of him was a bridge. Much bigger than the other one had been. This one seemed to have in the middle of it a viewing deck where you could go above the bridge and look down into the small canyon from a better view.

“Perfect for us with guns.” Mark said pointing to it.

All Lucas could do was nod. He felt sick. It was disturbingly similar. but he couldn't deny the area was perfect. 

“What do you think?” Mark asked the group.

“Its good I think.” Roxanne said, stepping onto the bridge a little and looking down.

“Lucas? You ok?” Penny asked nugging his hand with hers.

He looked at her and for a split second his face betrayed him, the fear and hate sickness was clear in his eyes, the complete terror he had been feeling so consistently, the eyes looked almost on the brink of insanity. Full of pain, and then he blinked and it was hidden again.

“Oh yeah I'm ok, this place is perfect.” He said grinning determinately. and straightening up. 

But Penny had seen it. She felt shaken. How did he lie so well. She felt really disturbed. Something about the eyes, it looked like pain, anger, sadness, and death. For a second they looked gray and empty. So had his face. He had looked so broken. And then so, so perfect and smiling. He looked tired, yes, and he did look like someone who was sad and in pain. But still smiling, not defeated. But was he? Penny wondered. Had he been broken? His eyes haunted her as they walked back to the car. The group was quite again. Penny turned on the Radio trying to just feel calm again. 

Once they got home it seemed kind of normal at first. Lucas was quite looking deep in thought. but finally spoke up.

“Roxan, how do you think we can get into the storage unit?” 

“UM, I think i know the password.” She said, looking at the ground.

“Is it really that easy?” Mark asked, shocked.

“I mean I guess.” Roxanne shrugged.

“I mean I kind of feel bad stealing from my grandpa though.” Roxanne said suddenly, looking like she was about to burst into tears. 

“Roxan,” Penny said, hugging her.

“I mean if you really dont want to.” She said, hugging her.

“It's just. I mean this is all so crazy! And know Im about to steal from my family.” SHe said tears starting to come from her eyes.

Mark came over as well hugging her.

“I'm sorry Roxan, but we need them.” Lucas said in a kind of odd tone. It seemed warm but cold. Just strained.

“I know! I know i'm making this harder than It needs to be but i dont know how you guys can be so strong! I mean I'm just so scared.” She said, starting a fresh stream of tears and hugging Penny. 

Mark shot Lucas a look, apparently angry for him not being softer.

“Roxan, I'm scared to, believe me I am, But think about it, If we kill this thing, No. Once we kill this thing. Life can go back to normal, We can do normal things. Hang out, go to the movies. Life will get better, We Just need to get past this part.” Lucas said much softer now.

Roxanne laughed through her tears. 

“You make it sound like its easy.” Roxanne said, smiling tears still flowing from her eyes.

“I know, it's not going to be. But, we can do it.” He said smiling. 

Roxanne finally really smiled, sighed and hugged Penny and Mark, and then Lucas.

“Thanks.” She said, taking a deep breath.

“Ok, we can do it.” Roxanne said. 

Not much longer Lucas went upstairs to shower and go to bed. He stood with the hot water pouring over him. He felt sick. He had lied to Roxan, the others had believed him too. He felt sick. Deep down he was sure that they couldn't all walk out ok. They had already lost so much, which one of them would they lose next. He whimpered and covered his eyes, hugging himself. He turned off the water and dried off and got dressed. He said on the bed trying to breath evenly but he felt himself began to hyperventilate. He felt so sick. The sickness came in waves. Finally he jumped up and ran to the bathroom. It made his ribs ake again.