The sound of steam running through thick metal pipes set an eerie, demonic, rhythmic undertone by which Nancy Holbrook paced herself. She ducked behind a large staircase as a shadow passed within inches of her. She didn't like nights like this. Well, to be entirely honest, she hated any nights that she had to fight off Fred Krueger.
"We're playing hide-and-go-seek, again? Nancy, this is so unlike you…I'm disappointed!" Freddy's booming voice mocked. Just his voice sent cold chills running up Nancy's spine so bad it temporarily paralyzed her.
"The trouble with this game though…" His voice boomed from everywhere and nowhere all at once and then trailed off.
Nancy trembled and permitted herself one stolen glance from behind the stairs. She saw nothing and sighed in relief. Maybe he had found someone else to torture tonight, as soon as the thought crossed her mind-she realized with a sickening feeling deep in the pit of her stomach that he hadn't…
Suddenly, with tremendous force, Nancy went sprawling face first onto the grimy concrete floor.
"…The problem with hide-and-go-seek is that we both know I always win."
She hadn't expected him behind her. Well, she had actually, she'd just dared to hope tonight could be different, and that was her real enemy here, in his world: Hope.
She screamed. Not in fear-but in pure, undiluted hatred.
Feeling Freddy's full weight on her back, she screamed again and struggled to flip him off of her. After a few moments of wrestling, he shoved one bladed finger under her throat.
"You know, I never really understood exactly how horrible getting your throat slit was until you sliced into me. Would you like me to explain how it feels?"
Nancy's mouth went dry , and she found herself sobbing. She didn't want to die by this lunatic's hand. Freddy ignored her sobs and sighed.
"When you lacerate the veins and arteries of the neck, especially the carotid arteries-It will take you precisely four minutes to bleed out, and since you're considerably smaller, half that."
Nancy shivered as his cold voice spoke the truth for once. She'd just learned that in anatomy herself. Freddy pressed the blade deeper and Nancy squeaked in discomfort as both the blade and his knee pressed into her muscles more urgently.
"Think, you also have to slice through tough muscle tissue, and to some extent a layer of fatty tissue. And that's just a real bitch to saw through. Trust me. I know." Freddy stated matter-of-factly.
Nancy cried and even with her face buried in the concrete she could feel he was smiling at her. She trembled and bucked one final time, catching Krueger off guard and shambling to her feet.
"I can't believe that worked!" She mumbled in astonishment-not sure if she was gloating over Krueger's failure or complimenting her own strength and cunning.
Freddy stared at her and his eyes blazed in anger. Nancy stared back defiantly, nostrils flaring in rage. Without much thought she lunged at him unsure what she was really doing or trying to prove. Equally as enraged, Freddy fought back.
He'd managed to slice her shoulder open, and knee her in the ribs all within the first thirty seconds of direct contact. Nancy fell hard on her side and tried to drag herself to safety or at least somewhere that her body could be free to show just how much pain it was being wracked in.
"I hate you." She spat viciously.
"Aw! What a mouthy little brat you turned out to be Little Nancy." Freddy bellowed before he strode across the room bent down, and without hesitation back handed her in the mouth.
"You can hate me all you want, it's really no consequence to me if you do-Mainly because I don't care what you think." Freddy lied confidently.
Regardless of the words he had just spoken, he did still have a small soft spot for the girl that he couldn't ever really admit. Sometimes, it even made him uncomfortable just how much of a soft spot it was-But regardless, he could never let it show. Ever.
Nancy trembled violently and rubbed her cheek gingerly. It was sore and likely to bruise. Nancy took a moment to think while Krueger stood lost in his own thoughts.
Spotting a rusty metal pipe, she summoned all her remaining energy and sprinted to its side, grasping at it in desperate style. It finally registered in Freddy 's mind what was going on and he too made a desperate grab for Nancy's make-shift weaponry, miserably failing to seize it from her tight grip.
Both quarreling parties made eye contact. Nancy's clear green eyes locked on Krueger's brown and blue mismatched ones. Krueger looked away first. Nancy decided she'd had enough.
"No! Look at me! Look at what you did to me!" She screamed, fresh tears making their way down her flushed cheeks.
Freddy's eyes snapped once more to her face. Every angle of it was gorgeous-that he could not deny no matter how hard he tried.
Nancy stared at him unflinchingly.
"I've had enough feeling victimized. I'm not afraid of you. I'm not." She said through clenched teeth.
Freddy sucked in his breath.
"Is that a fact?" He said almost conversationally.
Nancy sent the pipe through Freddy's heart and he screamed. He knew he couldn't die in his world, but he could be injured-not mortally wounded, but he did need to recover. Nancy watched him writhe against the cinder block wall in anguish before pulling the pipe from his chest. Krueger tumbled to the floor in a wretched heap of burned skin and ugly Christmas sweater that seemed decades old.
"I hate you. That's true, but I don't want to be a murderer like you. You'll heal up again, I know that, but for now-I'm done with you tonight." Nancy sighed warily before pulling her phone from her pocket.
Her alarm was set to go off any second. She turned to bid Krueger a snarky goodbye only to see he was already gone. She sighed knowing he'd been in too much pain to try to follow her or make another attempt on her life tonight. She was so fatigued she'd forgotten why she'd come back tonight.
Her alarm went off right on schedule, and without much hesitation Nancy let herself start awake.
Author's Note: *Should I leave this a one shot or continue it?*-CMK