Chapter 33: Lucas’s Secret Pursuit

As a member of Hawkins’ monster-hunting squad, the courage of the young Black man, Lucas, had always been the greatest among the four. Michael was steady and calm, Dustin clever and resourceful, Will gentle and silent; Lucas, however, was the embodiment of fearlessness, brave to the point of recklessness.

In the original storyline, after a falling-out with Michael, Lucas ventured alone to search for Will, even tracking down the laboratory’s stronghold. Had he not seen the lab personnel mobilizing, he might have stormed in by himself.

The adults were unaware that, since Will’s disappearance, the three friends had secretly discussed what measures they should take if someone else went missing in the future. Lucas had suggested, when circumstances allowed, leaving secret symbols along the route so they could be tracked more easily.

Though Dustin hadn’t taken this too seriously, Lucas remembered. Today, while searching for Michael, he happened upon several symbols nearby—icons from their beloved game, Dungeons & Dragons.

Uncertain, Lucas kept quiet. After leaving Jonathan’s house at dusk, he returned alone to the woods, continuing his search for the symbols. On a rock not far away, he found another sign: two interlocked Ds.

By rights, upon finding the symbol again, Lucas should have immediately called the police, or notified Jonathan and the others to join the search for Michael. Yet, at that moment, the notion of personal heroism seized him.

He recalled the scene when Lin Xiao and Eleven unleashed their powers and repelled the Mind Flayer. Suddenly, Lucas felt he too could be a lone hero, rescuing the missing Michael—or at the very least, uncovering his whereabouts and earning everyone’s admiration.

The hunting instincts quietly stirring in his DNA propelled Lucas onward, following the trail of symbols deeper into the heart of the woods.

Unconsciously, Lucas found five or six more symbols. The sense of accomplishment encouraged him to press onward, venturing ever deeper as the daylight faded unnoticed.

Only then did Lucas realize his own recklessness. Though he carried a flashlight, the silent, still surroundings unsettled him.

The forest at night was shadowy and forbidding, like the fabled Black Forest, saturated with a sense of dread.

Lucas trembled with fear, regretting his impulsiveness, but thankfully, he found his small backpack, which contained his secret weapon: a walkie-talkie.

But as he touched the device, Lucas hesitated. He was already here—if he gave up now and returned, Dustin and Will would surely mock him. How could he hold his head up after that?

Determined, he switched on the walkie-talkie and found the signal still alive. He continued his search, unaware that a shadow was closing in from behind...

Eleven lay on her bed, clutching the walkie-talkie, repeatedly calling Michael’s frequency, hoping to hear his voice. But only static responded, with no sign of him.

Suddenly, static crackled—the signal connected.

Eleven’s heart leapt. She frantically pressed the button, and a voice came through: “Come save us...” Then the transmission abruptly cut off.

But that was enough! Eleven recognized the voice instantly—Lucas!

The desperate call for help was from Lucas. Eleven sat cross-legged, activating her psychic search.

Her mind traversed space and time, darting through unknown dimensions, piercing endless darkness, until she reached a shadowy realm.

There, she saw something astonishing—a bizarre creature hunting Lucas.

Poor Lucas ran with all his might, only to be tackled by the monster. His walkie-talkie was crushed beneath its feet.

At that moment, a strange force broke Eleven’s connection, interrupting her ability.

Yet, before she was forced out, she caught a glimpse of Lucas’s location—a dark forest with a low, rounded hill.

Eyes snapping open, Eleven dashed to Lin Xiao’s room. Under her power, locks and doors were meaningless—she opened them with a mere gesture.

“Lucas was taken by a monster,” she announced. “I saw where he disappeared—a black forest with a hill shaped like this. Do you know where that is?”

As she described the scene, Lin Xiao and Will answered in unison: “The Gloomy Thicket!”

Lin Xiao was astonished by Lucas’s daring, tracking from their forest all the way to the Gloomy Thicket—five or six kilometers apart. How had he managed it?

Without delay, the three set out, not alerting Joey, slipping quietly from the house. Lin Xiao started the car, bringing Eleven and Will with him toward the Gloomy Thicket.

The Gloomy Thicket lay behind Joey’s old house, connected to their woods; from their current location, they’d have to cross the forest, which was much farther. Entering from the old house was closer.

Speeding through the night, they arrived at the old house in five or six minutes. Lin Xiao jumped out, followed by Eleven and Will, and all three hurried into the depths of the Gloomy Thicket.

On the way, Lin Xiao asked Eleven what she’d seen. Eleven described the creature that took Lucas.

“Could it be that monster?” Lin Xiao felt a chill—he hadn’t expected the creature to be that one. Had Michael been taken by it as well? Eleven must have thought of this, which fueled her urgency.

The Gloomy Thicket was familiar to both Jonathan and Will—their father often took them hunting there, and the brothers had played within its bounds for years.

The hill Eleven described was deep within the Gloomy Thicket, where their father once hunted foxes. Many small animals called it home—an animal paradise.

As they neared their destination, Lin Xiao paused and retrieved the Star Destroyer Axe from his inventory. Eleven pulled the Sprout Staff from her pocket.

Will watched them with envy; he and Michael and the others all wished for superpowers, but such gifts were innate, beyond their grasp.

“Will, no matter what happens, don’t panic. Stay behind us and don’t wander off, understand?” Lin Xiao warned sternly. As long as Will stayed close, Lin Xiao was confident he could protect him—unless they faced something even he couldn’t defeat, in which case all hope would be lost.

Will nodded. The three slowly approached the hill, where a strange, pungent odor wafted on the air—like the scent of wolf-dogs, strong and acrid.

A piercing howl startled them. Following the sound, they saw atop the hill a creature resembling a wolf, howling at the moon.

Then it rose upright, forelegs transforming into arms, its body swelling rapidly to over two meters tall, covered in black fur, like a bear yet not a bear.

It was—a werewolf!