“I assure you,” Lucas says, “we don’t want a fight, but we have you outgunned two-to-one.”

The words hit me like a lightening bolt. What is he thinking? None of us have any guns. All we have are little sharp weapons in hopes that they will help us get away from rogue greyskins. We couldn’t possibly take on the raiders. We’d be dead before the fight even started.

“Now, you can take my word for it and drive away,” Lucas says, “or you can take your chances and blow my head off.” He starts to lower his hands, probably to show Scarecrow his confidence. “So, why don’t you just play it safe and drive out of here and let us pass through?”

No, no, no, I think to myself. I want to reach out to Lucas and pull him down, but won’t the bullets just tear through the both of us? I reach for the silver chain around my neck and feel for the diamond ring at the end.

There is a brief silence before Scarecrow answers Lucas. “If your men are so heavily armed, then why are they afraid to show themselves?”

“Doesn’t matter to you,” Lucas says. “You’ve got a choice to make. For you and your men’s sake, I think you should turn around and let us pass.”

“How old are you, boy? Fifteen? Sixteen?”

Eighteen.

“Eighteen,” Lucas says.

“Barely a man,” Scarecrow answers. “I’m going to give you a counter offer. Your men show yourselves, and we might let the rest of them live. Course, we’re going to kill you either way. There are too many rats like you as it is.”

When Scarecrow says these words, I know I’ve got to do something, but I can’t. For some reason, I can’t make my legs move. And what would it accomplish? Had I not just witnessed the future?

The future… How could I have seen this before it happened? The vision felt like it took minutes, but apparently happened in less than a second. I drop the ring and let it fall to my chest. My hands are shaking.

“This is your last chance,” Lucas says.

His words are ice in my veins because I know there is only one more response before Scarecrow pulls the trigger and ends Lucas’ life. I have to get up. I have to do something.