CHAPTER THREE

Clark Kent sat with his parents, Jonathan and Martha Kent, at 2:30 in the morning, all taken abacvk by Clark's nightmare. They had poured Clark a cup of milk in the hopes that it would take his mind off the dream. It wasn't working. He thought that they would know this by now. Ever since Clark found out by the billionaire scientist Virgil Swann that he was actually a strange visitor from the planet Krypton, these strange things had been kind of a normal thing. Not to mention that Clark did live in Smallville, KS, kind of attracted these kinds of things. Clark had witnessed these things first hand.

Clark had ony taken one, maybe two sips from his milk that his parents had poured for him. He was just staring out into space, thinking about the nightmare. It seemed that with every minute that passed, the dream seemed to fade so he tried to hold onto it as long as he could.

His parents obviously noticed this, because they shouted, "CLARK!"

He still stared out into space, trying to piece it all together. "I can't help but feel this is some kind of warning."

Martha just shrugged off that comment. "Now, Clark, it was nothing more than a bad dream."

"You used to have nightmares all the time when you were little, remember?"Jonathan then chimed in, as if in agreement.

Clark shook his head. "This time's different. It felt so real. And if it is a warning, I need to do something."

"No. What you need to do is get some shut-eye so you're not half-asleep tomorrow when they hand you that diploma," interrupted Jonathan.

"Your dad's right. Don't let a little nightmare spoil your high school graduation."

Clark had almost forgotten all about graduation. That was tomorrow, wasn't it? Soon, he would be graduating from Smallville High. It all happened so fast when he entered high schoiol with Chloe and Lana, and everything. It was truly a commencement day for him.

"A nightmare? So that's what this commotion is about," called a voice from behind.

Both Clark and his parents tunred around to see who it was. They shouldn'e have been surprised when they saw a 19-year-old girl right behind them. It was Lois Lane.

Lois Lane was a young city-girl who was just staying in Smallville to be with her cousin Chloe Sullivan, who was one of Clark's triuest friends. Something Lois was not. Clark did like Lois, but he didn't really have a bond with her as he did with Chloe or Lana.

As Lois came down the stairs, she headed to the refrigerator, obviously to get a drink as they were doing. Then, Lois leaned in to talk to Clark

"Clark, if it makes you feel any better, I have nightmares all the time."

Then she leaned back. Clark should've known that Lois would make one of her outgoing remarks. That was just who Lois Lane was.

"In fact, Smallville, I had this one last week. It was really scary. It was about this guy in a red cape."

Clark wasn't overall comforted by this. In fact, it didn't comfort him at all. It didn't make his ordeal any better. A dream about a guy in a red cape didn't even compare with Clark's nightmare. It just seemed to him like a girl fantasy dream. After all, what did Clark Kent care about a guy in a red cape anyway? But he decided to just to let it go with a sarcastic remark.

"Oh, that sounds horrible, Lois."

But, Clark could tell from the look on Lois' face that she didn't particularly care for his sarcastic remark. But, Clark didn't really particularly care about Lois.

"Well, there's something I wsnted to tell you guys, so I guess two in the morning is good a time as any."

"What is it, Lois?" asked Martha.

"Oh, the general's recruited me for a recon mission to locate my sister, Lucy. So we're headed for Heidelburg tomorrow."

Martha expressed her sadness. "Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that, Lois."

Clark remembered trying to help Lois help her sister Lucy earlier in the year. Now Lucy apparently was on the run again. But this tim Lois was going to Europe to locate her. Last time Clark checked, Europe was as far from Smallville as Krypton was from Earth. He just stared at Lois and tried to cover his delight, as Lois would finally be out of his hair.

Lois must've saw Clark's delight, because she just sighed, smiled at Clark, and said, "Clark, I know how devastated you must be but if you could just keep your tears to a minimum, I'd appreciate it."

Clark just smiled giddily and replied, "I'll try, Lois."

"Thanks," Lois said, and then turned to Clark's parents. "Mr. and Mrs. Kent, I just wanted to thanks for everything. You guys are like the mom and dad I've always wanted to have."

Clark's parents smiled at Lois, as if humbled by the comment. Then, Jonathan put his arm over Lois. "Lois, I just want you to know that you are welcome back here anytime."

"Well, actually - -," Clark interjected, not quite ready to let Lois come back so easily as she had fallen out of his hair.

"We'll all miss you, Lois," interjected Martha, giving Clark a nasty stare.

Clark just nodded and smiled at Lois. Lois just smiled right back at him, that little snarky smile he had come to despise ever since Lois walked into Smallville earlier this year. Then, Lois gave a sincere smile, and said, "I'll miss you all, too."

Then, Shelby the Kents' dog jumped up at Lois, as if to say that he would miss her, as well, as if he knew of Lois' allergy to dogs, but loved her just the same. Then, Lois replied to Shelby. "No, I won't miss you, dog. No, not at all."

Clark couldn't help but laugh. In this moment with Lois and her farwell, he had almost forgotten about his nightmare the night before.

Almost.