Chapter I

Obsession

"I don't know why you're so obsessed with those movies, Beth." Leanne commented quietly in regard to the pencil drawing Beth was working on. Though the professor carried on with her lecture, Beth wouldn't have been able to repeat a single word her teacher had spoken-she was far too into drawing to pay attention to a petty lecture.

"Beth? Are you with us?" Professor Quinn's voice broke through the barrier of Beth's thoughts; hearing her name caught her attention.

"Hm? Oh, yeah, sorry professor." Beth slid the drawing under her textbook and began to chew on her pencil as the professor picked up from where she had left off. Leanne turned to sneer at Beth, and Beth could hear her friend Michael snickering behind her.

"Pay attention." Michael whispered mockingly. Beth rolled her eyes.

I don't need to pay attention, I'm already getting a fucking A in this class as it is. Beth thought, huffing in defeat as she rested her chin onto her textbook, and gazed mindlessly at their pacing professor. College is such a drag.

"I'll see you guys later!" Beth waved to her classmates, Leanne and Michael, as they walked in opposite directions through the parking lot.

Beth made her way to her car, the silver and black 1988 Cadillac deVille that she'd been working on since before Christmas of last year. Hopping into the driver's seat, she turned on the car, switched on the lights, and turned the radio on with the volume at full blast. The heavy metal coming from her custom speakers pulsed throughout the car, and the bass throbbed from the subwoofers like an erratic heartbeat as she shifted gears and raced out of the parking lot. It didn't take long for her to get home, Beth never paid any mind to the speed limit signs that adorned the highways in Ohio. She came to a full stop after pulling a sharp turn into the driveway of her parent's house, with whom she still lived. Opening the garage, she snatched her backpack from the back seat, and made her way inside. She was pooped, to say the least. The idea of laying down even in her jeans and t-shirt sounded like an offer too good to pass up. Greeting her mom and dad briefly, Beth made her way into her bedroom, and flopped onto the bed after shutting the door behind her.

With a long sigh, her eyes began to close. The blankets were just washed, and still warm from the drier. After laying there for around ten minutes, she realized she had an assignment due the next day for English class—one of which she had yet to start. Cursing, Beth sat up and rubbed her head. "I just want to sleep," she whined as she slid from the bed. She stripped of her clothes, and rummaged through her dresser for a baggy t-shirt, and a pair of boxers. Once she dressed, she drug her feet on her way out of her room. This was the story of Beth's life—she was busier than anyone she knew. She worked part time, and attended night classes in college, and not to mention the endless holidays and events that brought on repetitive family reunions, which she was expected to attend. She never had any time to herself, much less to sleep. As Beth stepped toward the living room, she realized that her surroundings had made a sudden change. She was taken aback by the sound of steam hissing, and the overall murky atmosphere that replaced the quiet of her house. It took a second for it to actually register in her mind, but when she realized where she in fact was, her heart skipped a beat.

"Holy shit." Beth's voice trailed off. She examined every bit of the boiler room within sight, and then she heard that familiar laughter. Her heart sank into the pit of her stomach, and her breath caught in her throat. The laughter sounded far away, and right at her ear all at once. "I can't believe it... I must still be asleep..." She murmured, gawking at her new surroundings in disbelief. "I haven't had a vivid dream like this in years... if I've even had a dream so vivid..." Beth carefully padded her way to a nearby catwalk. She gently grazed her hand along the railing as she studied every hissing pipe, every roaring furnace, and every shadow—even the one that seemed to quickly move out of sight. The laughter grew louder, closer, more focused in one spot now—behind her. Beth pivoted to face the figure that now stood before her. His right hand reached out at his side, fingers extended apart, elongated by four gleaming blades. His sinister laughter shrunk into a malicious chuckle that drove chills up Beth's spine. She took a step forward to get a better look at him; normally dreams were not this detailed.

She could see every scar that decorated his face, every bit of burnt flesh that told a story in itself as to who he was: Freddy Krueger. The man that she so determinedly drew during class, the dream stalker that she obsessed over from sequel to sequel.

"Freddy?" Beth whispered timidly, examining him closely. He smirked, and with his left hand removed the tattered fedora hat from his head, gesturing in a quick bow.

"In the flesh." Freddy said with mirth brimming in his voice.

"Is this dream real? Like... in the movies? Are you really here?" She asked with nothing but hope, and sincerity in her tone. That's all she could have ever wanted, for Freddy to be real. She didn't care that he was a serial killer, she didn't care if she was in any potential danger—all she cared about was that moment, as he stood before her. Freddy flexed his gloved hand, and snickered ominously. Beth felt that she should have been intimidated by this, however, she was so used to the idea of Freddy that it didn't bother her like it would have one of the characters in the movies.

"I'm as real as you allow me to be," Freddy started. He began to circle her as a predator would its prey; sizing her up. "You've given me strength, made me strong enough to gain access to the dream world."

Beth eyed him curiously, confusion building in her expression as her gaze followed his every move. "How?" She asked. Freddy's chuckle dripped with venom. He stepped closer to her, and inhaled her scent from the nape of her neck before continuing to move around her. Goosebumps prickled to the surface of Beth's skin, her hair standing on end now as his hot breath brushed against her.

"Your desperation—your need for me has brought me here. I've been feeding off your life force, your soul, because you let me in." It was just as he finished his sentence, with a hiss, he closed in on her. His gloved hand rested atop her shoulder, his left hand gripping her waist as he pressed himself against her back. Freddy breathed along the curve between her neck and shoulder, a low laughter erupting from deep within his throat. "And now... you're mine to do with as I please." He whispered, almost seductively into her ear.

Beth shuddered, her breath catching in her throat, and her body tensing against his touch. Quickly, Freddy spun Beth around so that she would face him. He grasped her shoulders with both hands, the tips of his blades grazing her back with a gentle threat.

"Understand, bitch?" His lips curled up into a iniquitous smile, baring his rotting teeth and rancid gums.