Jacob could hear their distressed voices.
His wife, Stephanie: "Somebody help. Help us!"
His older son, Richard, through tears: "Daddy…."
He could see his younger son Stephen, in his clouded vision, frozen with fear.
The driver: "Fuck! I didn't see him! I didn't see him!"
"Hello…we need an ambulance…a guy just got hit by an SUV…He's on the ground bleeding…no he's not moving. Miss, they don't want you to touch him, miss!"
Stephanie didn't listen to the bystander. She was touching Jacob's jacket, and her hands were trembling.
She's told me so many fucking times! Why don't I ever listen? Don't just walk out in the street without looking. I was…so excited to give Stephen his toy…he lost it back at the playground. I found it in the sandbox.
Jacob could feel himself fading away.
"No, Jacob, stay with me! Jacob!"
He could hear an ambulance siren, but it was like a pillow was over his head.
In the afterlife, the Elm Street parents waited for what felt like an eternity. And then, the pipes crackled with steam and fire. Freddy Krueger was back. It was just like Donald Thompson said. Alice Johnson's son must have died, thought Elaine Parker.
With the exception of Marge and Donald, the Elm Street parents last saw Freddy Krueger when he was still human. Now, they were all facing a supernatural monster. They shook in fear as a familiar figure's shadow appeared along the walls. Only now, they were seeing what their children had seen. Freddy Krueger was using the wall to steady himself. His burned skin was sticking against the wall in slime. He was heaving through a jaw that hung slackly on his face. His sweater almost reached his calves.
Freddy's feet dragged as he passed the walls, and stepped on a catwalk that would lead to the Elm Street parents.
Maybe they didn't need to do much to banish him. Perhaps chanting the memory of their dead children would be enough.
"For Nancy," said Marge and Donald together.
"For Tina."
"For Rod."
"For Glen."
Every parent uttered their child's name to remember. They needed the strength to face him. They created him with their vigilantism. They made him into a bigger predator than he was alive. Maybe in death they could finally stop him for good.
Elaine and Alan Parker stood the farthest back. They looked at each other sadly as they said her name: "For Kristen." For survival, Elaine had to forget Kristen to find another rich husband. Now, Kristen's name weakened her with grief.
Freddy had barely acknowledged their presence. But when the last Elm Street parent uttered their child's name, Freddy's eyes twitched. At first, the parents thought it was in fear.
Suddenly, Freddy's tongue shot out of his mouth, and snatched Ann Crusel by her neck. Her husband, Danny, grabbed onto her arm. Everyone shuddered in horror as Ann's body glowed yellow and shriveled into a husk. His tongue whipped and sliced Danny in half. He also became a husk.
Everyone now knew what that twitch in Freddy's eye was for: delight. Freddy licked the charred lips of his now restored jaw. He laughed sinisterly. "Souls…"
David Lane grabbed a pipe wrench, as did Silas Anderson.
"No, don't, we have to stay together!" yelled Marge.
"Fuck off, Marge. We can handle this!" responded David, as he led the other men towards Freddy. The other men consisted of Brian Peterson, Chris White, and Doug Caulfield.
"Hey, fuck you, David. Don't talk to her like that!" yelled Donald.
"You want to start something?" asked David.
"Remember the last time you started something?" replied Donald. "Your wife blew your fucking head off. Think of what I'd do."
"This isn't the time," said Siobhan Caulfield.
"She's right," said Ross Kincaid. "If anyone has a reason to be pissed, it's me…Ain't that right, Don?"
Donald stayed silent.
"What's he talking about?" asked Mary Anderson.
"Nothing," interrupted Marge. "We're all going to be civil, right?"
Marge was addressing both Donald and Ross. Ross nodded as he looked at Donald.
"Help me out here, Eric," said Donald, as he reached for a sledgehammer. Eric Lantz grabbed a chain and began swinging it menacingly. Ross stayed behind to plan his attack.
The men ducked Freddy's lashing tongue and surrounded him. They began beating him with their weapons. Freddy groaned in pain from the assault.
He's not going down that easy, thought Marge. Donald, how could you fall for that?
With a howl, Freddy punched a hole in Eric's chest. Eric's soul slid out of his body like butter.
"Eric!" screamed Beth Lantz.
David swung crazily in anger, and knocked Donald in the teeth by accident. Donald fell back, and his sledgehammer hit Brian's knee. There was enough time for Marge to run and drag Donald away.
"What the hell are you doing, Marge?" said Donald.
"Shut up, Don" replied Marge. "We have to be smart about this."
Silas tried to hit Freddy on the head, but Freddy caught his hand. He pushed Silas over the catwalk. When Silas was impaled on a haphazard pipe, his soul floated into Freddy.
David threw his pipe wrench away in frustration, and began pummeling Freddy with his fists. Freddy laughed at David's attacks. It was like an ant trying to attack an elephant. Freddy jumped on David, and ripped David's scalp with his teeth. David twitched as Freddy's tongue lapped at his brains like a cat to milk. He let out a faint cry as his soul entered Freddy's body.
Like harpies, Beth, Linda White, and Patty Gray jumped on Freddy's back. They were scraping on his skin with scissors, metal scrapers and pocket knives.
"Get off me, you bitches," roared Freddy. He tossed Beth on top of the beam. As Linda and Patty tried not to lose ground, Freddy flipped them over him. He ripped Patty's jaw open and sucked the soul from her body. Then, he bashed Beth's head against the beam as he fought off Linda's attacks with the switchblade. Freddy got the upper-hand, and turned the knife on Linda. Just then, Beth's neck snapped. The souls of Linda and Beth entered Freddy's body.
"Now…let's have some real fun," said Freddy. He looked on his person, and just noticed that he was missing the…
"Looking for this, you fucker!" said Marge. She waved Freddy's gloved hand teasingly. Donald wiped the blood from his mouth.
"That's mine, you cunt" hissed Freddy. "Give it to…ahhhhh!"
Freddy was too distracted to notice Ross. Ross was melting the right side of Freddy's face with a blowtorch.
Alan smashed the glass case of a fire ax.
"What the hell are you doing, Alan?" asked a panicked Elaine.
"I'm finishing this once and for all," said Alan.
Freddy roared and the fire spit at the remaining Elm Street parents. They all fell back with the impact. Alan dropped the axe as he fell onto Elaine. Most of them were blistered from the sheer heat. Donald was rolling on the ground in a panic, as his arm was on fire.
Marge shrieked as Freddy grabbed her by her left arm.
"Give me the glove, Marge," said Freddy.
"No," said Marge.
Freddy grabbed her left hand, and started with the index finger. It snapped like a twig.
"Ugh," cried Marge.
"Let's try another one," said Freddy.
He snapped the ring finger.
"I don't feel like playing anymore," said Freddy, as he snapped Marge's wrist.
The glove fell from her hand as she howled in pain, and it clanged to the ground.
When Ross tried to attack Freddy, it was too late. The glove was in place. He let it whip with a snap, and the metal hit Ross in the temple.
"If your brat children couldn't stop me, what makes you think you could?" said Freddy, as a smile spread across his face.
"Enough!"
In a flash, Freddy was thrown against a wall.
The remaining Elm Street parents looked up in astonishment.
Alice Johnson was standing before them. She resembled a phoenix. Her eyes were completely white and her body was ablaze.
"What are all of you doing?" screamed Alice. "You're fighting like you're still alive. You hit him like this."
The impact was so great that Freddy's head snapped backwards. With his hands, he snapped his head back into place.
"You're not the Dream Master anymore, bitch," said Freddy. "You don't got what it takes."
With that, Alice extended her hand again and Freddy flew to the other side of the room.
"I don't need to be the Dream Master to kick your ass," said Alice. "Nancy, gather the rest of them while I hold him off."
Golden orbs floated from the ceiling and formed into Nancy Thompson.
Nancy picked up Marge, who was holding her left wrist in pain.
"Mother, let me," said Nancy. She touched Marge's arm and it healed instantly.
"Pumpkin?" asked Donald in shock. Nancy touched his arm and shoulder, and the burns went away.
"Daddy, I need you to gather the others," said Nancy. "It's time."
"For what?" asked Elaine.
"It's time for you to cross over," said Nancy.
"But the others…" said Siobhan.
"I can only take whose left," said Nancy.
The light enveloped the rest of the Elm Street parents.
"I'll see you both on the other side," said Nancy.
"What about you…Nancy?" pleaded Marge.
They disappeared from the boiler room.
The pipes were getting hotter. Steam filled the room as the fight between Alice and Freddy progressed.
Jacob found himself floating over the scene.
"Mom?" cried Jacob.
"I'll take care of him, honey," said Alice. Her face changed to her regular visage. "Worry about staying alive. Ugh!"
Alice was so distracted that she didn't notice Freddy getting closer. He sank his blades into her torso.
"Feels like old times, doesn't it, Alice?" joked Freddy.
Nancy used the sledgehammer and knocked Freddy in the face.
"You're right about that, Krueger," said Nancy. "Are you…?"
"I'm all right," said Alice.
Nancy grabbed Alice's hand. "Are you ready?"
Alice nodded. The both of them concentrated, and a force field came between them and Freddy.
Jacob was trying to materialize to help them. How couldn't he help? He was the Dream Master, after all. Then, he heard it in a far distance. Everyone stay clear. He could feel the electricity jolting through his body.
Jacob was moving back and forth between being a free spirit and the pain of his body.
He could see Freddy trying to push the force field back.
"Concentrate!" yelled Nancy.
Alice and she were giving it all their might.
"Mom," cried Jacob. But his voice was barely a whisper.
Jacob's eyes opened. He was in an ambulance going at high speed.
"He's stable," said the paramedic. "We got to keep him conscious."
Jacob barely comprehended that he was alive again. He could only think of his mother.