Nightmares - Lucas Sinclair

The Monster and the Superhero (Part 3)

Lucas felt weird being back at Hopper's old cabin, but if he had to pull this off, he had to do it this way.

"So, if Sinclair's right, the freak is hiding here," Jason said, drawing an X on the dirt just outside the cabin to form a plan. "We move through the woods here together, then Patrick and Andy, you split up. Go around this way. Me and Sinclair, we keep going, then flank his ass from both sides. That freak won't know what hit him."

With that, both groups split up like they were told. Lucas and Jason stayed together as they went up the porch steps to the front entrance.

Lucas took a deep breath as Jason kicked open the door and walked in. He soon followed him in and looked around at the place Nikki used to call home. It got destroyed by the Mind Flayer on Nikki's last day. Looking up, he could see the stars in the sky from the hole the Mind Flayer made.

"Where you at freak?" Jason called out in the empty cabin.

Lucas watched as Jason kicked down Nikki's bedroom door and looked around. In the room was some of Nikki's old stuff El had left behind when she moved in with the Byers. He remembered her thinking that she was a terrible sister to Nikki and that she didn't deserve to take any of it with her but Lucas managed to convince her to take a few things, as did everyone else. The entire party had a little piece of her stored away in safe places, only to be taken out and looked at when they needed to be reminded of her and all she did to save them.

"You sure Eddie was here?" Jason asked, shining the flashlight in his face.

"Yeah. I'm positive," Lucas answered quickly as Jason continued to search.

"Let's check around the back."

Jason and his friends followed him as a photo caught Lucas's eye. One of him and Nikki, it was his first day of summer, first day off of school for summer break and he had spent the whole day with her, showing her all the places he wanted to take her to over the summer to have a good time, getting some ice cream. At one point towards the end of their day they got their ice cream and sat down at the end of his driveway and his mom took a picture of them right at the right moment. They were looking at each other, clearly loving every moment they had together, never wanting it to end.

It was his favorite photo of them. Of her. He has his own copy of it in his room. It helps him remember the good times.

With Jason and the others gone, Lucas started to back up as it felt like the walls were about to cave in on him. He needed to get out of there.

He turned and ran out the door and through the woods, dodging tree roots and branches getting in his way. He didn't dare look back, his only mission was to get to a safe place away from them.

And that's what he did.

He finally slowed down when he was by the main road but still covered by the trees. His plan was to stay there for a few minutes before heading to the school, but that was a lot easier said than done. Because now it was silent, and he had to wait, alone, with his head running a thousand miles an hour.

All he could think about was Nikki. Her smile in the photo. The memories he had with her. The memories had with her "ghost". The nightmares of her brutal death. The multiple last hugs or kisses he had with her in those dreams.

It was just Nikki.

All he could think about was Nikki.

He just wanted Nikki back.

"Lucas," Nikki's voice came from behind him, making him shed more tears that he never realized were there till now.

He turned to face her. She looked worried and shocked by the tears.

"Nikki, I'm so sorry," Lucas sobbed. "I'm trying to fix things. I promise you, I'm going to make it better. I never wanted to disappoint you."

Nikki stepped closer to him. "Lucas-"

"I know I was being a jerk friend, I regret it," Lucas cut her off before she could say more. "I'm going to try to make it up to them. I'm not going to let you down again."

Nikki looked like she wanted to cry herself. "Lucas."

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry," Lucas muttered, looking down at his shoes and closing his eyes. He couldn't look at her anymore.

He let out a quiet sob as he heard her footsteps just in front of him.

His breath caught in his throat as he felt her wrap her arms around him and hug him tightly.

"Lucas," she whispered to him as she continued to hold him. "You could never disappoint me and you have never let me down."

"Nikki?" He started to question how sane he really was as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"I'm here," she sniffled. "I'm sorry I left. I never wanted that to happen."

Lucas pulled away a little to cup her face in his hands making them both smile. "How are you here? We were there when..."

"Long story short: I've been dead until about two weeks ago, and Brenner, he brought me back to a lab. A different one in Nevada and it took me a while to get back to you, but I just had to wait for the right time." Nikki went quiet thinking of something until she looked up at him again. "You look different, how long have I been gone?"

"Eight months," Lucas replied almost immediately.

Nikki sighed and rest forehead against his. "I'm sorry for leaving you, but now I'm here, I'm alive, I'm okay. And we're going to fix whatever problem is happening now, together."

Authors note
Yay!!! ❤️❤️