Chapter 12

(Jonathan is sitting at the table.  His rifle is next to him.  Martha is busy cooking dinner, hobbling slightly from yesterday's injuries.  The door has been hastily repaired with several pieces of plywood stretched across it.  Footsteps sound outside the door and both of them stiffen; Martha drops the glass that was in her hand.  Jonathan grips the rifle tighter, his hands shaking.  Clark walks in, sees the glass falling, and quickly catches it. They look at him, let out a collective breath, and relax.)

Clark (Handing the glass back to his mother): "Is it just me, or are you two a little tense?"

(Jonathan and Martha exchange an uneasy glance.)

Jonathan: "Sorry Clark, it's just that whatever that thing is, it's still out there."

Clark: "I think I might know what that 'thing' is..."

Martha (Coming over and sitting down at the table): "Honey?"

Clark: "Well, this is just an idea. Chloe told me about this monster that supposedly fell from the sky three hundred years ago."

Jonathan: "Son, I don't think this thing came from the sky."

Clark (Standing up and walking over to the counter): "I know. It's just that... What if the meteor shower had some effect on it too?"

Jonathan: "Kyla was affected by the meteor shower too, Clark, and that didn't make her-"

Clark (Quickly interrupting him as painful memories surface): "Dad, Kyla was... different."

Martha (Speaking soothingly): "We know, Clark. But none of the people that were affected by the meteor shower so far that we know of have been bulletproof.  You can't expect that a cat, of all things, would be."

Clark (Returning to the table, hesitating slightly): "That's why I think the ship did something to it."

Martha: "Clark, the-"

Clark (Getting slightly excited): "Well, why not?  It neutralizes Kryptonite, it saves me and mom, and it made it so mom could..."

(Clark stands slowly, realizing what he had almost said. He walks over to the counter, not facing them.)

Jonathan (Changing the subject hastily): "Maybe son, but the Conroy's weren't in Smallville until a little while ago."

Clark (Forgetting his mistake before, he is back to being eager): "What if they found it, here?"

Jonathan: "Clark, that's a big 'what if'."

Clark: "But-"

Martha: "Clark, your father's right. We just can't know."

(Clark sits back down at the table.  Martha returns to cooking dinner.  After several minutes, Clark's eyes get intense as he listens.  He hears the sound of soft padding on the gravel outside.  Quickly he stands from the table.)

Clark (Speaking quickly, urgently): "Mom, Dad, stay inside."

(Jonathan stands up, shot gun in hand.  He winces as pain shoots up his legs.  Clark is already out the door and on the porch.  Sitting in the middle of the drive way is a dark shape of a cat, silhouetted by the light from the barn.  It suddenly disappears, then reappears sitting on the railing of the porch.  It disappears again, time slows down and Clark sees the cat hurtling at him faster then he can move.  He dodges out of the way just in time, but the cat reaches out a clawed hand.  The claws rip deep into Clark, who retaliates by hurtling the cat into the night.  Time returns to its regular speed, and Clark looks down at his now blood soaked arm, horrified.  Inside, he looks at his parents, who return his horrified look with their own.  Clark rips off his shirt, three slashes down his arm are visible.  They close themselves up as Martha grabs a cloth from the sink. She wipes the blood off, and Lana walks in the door.)

Lana (Seeing Clark with his shift off, blushing): "Oh, sorry!  I'll come back."

(She sees the bloody rag in Martha's hand and takes another step inside, a frightened look now on her face.)

Lana: "Clark? Are you OK?"

Clark (Slightly shaken still): "Yeah... It came back."

(Lana opens her mouth to speak, but Clark speaks first.)

Clark: "Don't worry, it ran off and we're all fine."

(Clark sees a paper bag in Lana's hand. She follows his gaze.)

Lana: "Oh! Almost forget."

(She places the bag on their kitchen table and pulls several steaming drinks out of it.)

Clark: "Just thought you might like something to drink."

(Clark smiles and she returns it.  For a second they look into each other's eyes.  Martha walks forward after a few seconds.)

Martha (Hugging Lana): "Thanks so much, Lana."

Lana (Smiling): "No problem, Mrs. Kent."

(She glances over at Clark briefly as Mrs. Kent releases her.)

Lana: "Well, I better get back to the Talon. I have to close up."

(She smiles at Clark.)

Lana: "See you tomorrow, Clark."

Clark (Returning the smile): "Yeah."

(Lana waves good bye and exits the house. You see her climb into her car and start it, then drive past the white picket fence.  But as she drives off, the camera exits its spot in the bushes, low to the ground, and begins following the car on to the main road. Something is following Lana, and we are seeing through its eyes...)