"Good morning, Fred," I spoke to m husband whom had just awoken from slumber.

It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon. Little Katherine had actually allowed us to sleep in, but then again, I had allowed her to stay up late the night before with it being the weekend and all and Fred having to pull a late night shift at the factory the night before.

"Good morning, Loretta," Fred smiled at me giving me a peck on the lips before rising to a seated position. He slung his legs off the end of the bed and I scooted my own body to lay beside him, my head in his lap.

"I think I will go make pancakes for us today," I laughed, sitting up and kissing Fred on the cheek before hopping off the bed and skipping to the door. "Chocolate chip?" I grinned.

"Chocolate chip," Fred smiled back, one of his actually sincere smiles.

I chuckled and left the room, walking quietly down the hallway past our daughter's room. I could see her out of the corner of my eye as I passed. She was still sleeping sweetly in her bed. I loved that little girl, I thought I did anyway, but could not love her nearly as much as Fred did. The man spent every moment he could with her.

I had to admit, that it at first bothered me. Not because I thought something more was going, which I did, showed no signs of problems either at home or school and she had had no problems thus far with development or with interacting with others. So, I felt it didn't concern anything. Besides, the reason it bothered me is because she had more of Fred's attention than did I.

"Mom?" i turned from my thoughts to realize I had already made it down to the kitchen and had begun pulling out ingredients for breakfast. Katherine was standing behind me in her nightgown, rubbing her eyes.

"What is it, sweetie?" I asked the little girl nicely as I kept on with my chore. I had said I wanted to make breakfast for her but the truth was that I was more concerned with Fred.

I didn't hate Katherine and indeed I felt something for her that had to be some kind of love, but if I were to have to choose between the two, I would have no hesitation in saving Fred's life over hers. I took care of the girl as I should. I birthed her late into my life even though I would have rather never had a child. It was Fred that wanted a little one. He really wanted a daughter and that's what we ended up with.

"Whataya doing?" the girl continiued.

"I'm making pancakes," I answered, smiling.

"Ooooh! Chocolate chip?" Katherine piped up.

I heard a chuckle behind me and shot my head around to see my husband standing in the doorway of the room. So many people thought he was mediocre in his looks, but I couldn't disagree more. His eyes were piercing and his features were long but strong. I thought he was the most handsome man I'd ever known. Not to mention he was charming.

"Yes, chocolate chip," he smiled,walking past me to pick up his daughter.

"Yay!" she squealed.

I tried to ignore the two playing together as I finished up with the cooking and served my family. Fred did take a couple of moments to reach around and hug me or to peck me on the lips, but I felt that the interactions were forced... I almost always felt they were forced.

I loved that man so much. He couldn't even possibly know. I would do anything for him and yet it seemed all he ever wanted to do was spend time with that little girl. The last 6 years, the child had taken so much from me. Not to say that Fred was ever really the most attentive husband, but now that Katherine was here, I was no competition.

After breakfast, we had moved outside and began to play tag. I tried desperately to make more contact between myself and my husband, but failed miserably.

The focus was always on Katherine.

I finally gave up and decided to go inside to begin cleaning up the mess in the kitchen. It was easiest to go in through the basement and climb the stairs so that's the way I was heading when something shining caught my attention from the corner of my eye.

I turned my head toward where the light had shown and noticed there was an opening in the wall of the basement that I had not seen before. The house had been Fred's before we got together, so I was certain there were still oddities about it that I hadn't picked up on. Especially down here where I never spent much if any time. I found it very dismal, but Fred seemed to have no problem working there.

Walking over to the hole, I found that there was an entire panel that moved and behind it was a small room. Curious, I stepped into the almost cubby and what I saw...I couldn't handle...

The Springwood Slasher had been a problem in the town for quite some weeks, but the idea of him didn't set my teeth on edge. In fact, despite Fred's promises to keep Katherine safe, I secretly wished every day that she would be the next to be taken. Without her, Fred would have nobody but me. I would be the only subject of his attention. And the idea made me happy beyond anything else.

But this...

This explained a lot...the late hours...the unreal amount of attention given to our daughter...the fact that she had remained safe...

Fred was the Slasher.

Around the small room was newspaper clippings, gloves, knives, a few tools, some children's toys...I wondered if they had come from the kids he killed. I didn't recognize any of them as being Katherine's...

And there in the center of it all was what looked to be a mechanical claw sitting on a small table. I walked up to it and without placing a finger on it, saw that there was just the smallest bit of dried blood on one of the blades. It looked like there had been more, but it had been cleaned off...or licked...

I ran back into the main part of the basement, grabbing my head and repeating the word 'why' over and over under my breath.

He hated me.

He could have easily killed Katherine...could have realized his mistake in wanting her in the first place...but he didn't. Instead, he had killed so many other children and allowed Katherine to live...He didn't love me...he couldn't. He only loved those goddamned little girls!

"AAHHHHHHHHHH!" I let out a scream as I stumbled to the steps of the basement and back up into the yard.

I could see Fred and our daughter in the yard just a bit away. They had stopped playing and were both looking at me. I tore my gaze from the little girl to the man that I loved...and I realized...I did still love him...even if he didn't or couldn't love me...I still wanted the chance to hold him at night...to speak to him...so I said the first thing that came to my mind.

"I won't tell."

you know the rest...

AUTHOR'S NOTE:: Please let me know what you think with comments and votes! I have other Freddy Krueger and Nightmare on Elm Street stories if you are interested. I also write my own original horror, fantasy, and sci-fi stories. user/baphy1428