A Nightmare on Elm Street: Circle of Death

Prologue: The Darker Side of History

"So who did you get?"

"I'm not saying."

"Oh, come on. Why not?"

"Because it's too gross!"

Kelly Anderson stopped searching for her math book and peered around her locker door. Digging in the locker to the right of hers was a slender girl with dark curls tumbling down her back. She brushed one away from her face as she rapidly searched through her own locker. There wasn't much reason to hurry, though; the bell wasn't scheduled to ring for another two minutes.

Leaning against the next locker over was a sandy-haired boy dressed in torn jeans and a T-shirt that read 'Out of my mind, back in five minutes'. He was grinning at the pretty African-American playfully.

"Come on," he urged again. "Why won't you tell me?"

Kelly finally located her math book and closed her locker. "Don't bother, Aaron," she told the lean boy with a smirk. "I already asked, and if she won't tell me, then you don't have a chance."

Aaron Stevens thrust his lower lip out and pouted like a five-year-old, but only for a second. He darted around and leaned against the locker on Kelly's left, grin back in place. "Okay, who did you get, then?"

Seeing that he had switched targets, the other girl relaxed and took her time securing her locker door. "Why do we even need to do this?" she asked as she spun the dial. "It's history class, for pity's sake. We should be studying historical figures, not serial killers."

"Serial killers are historical figures, Tanya," Aaron pointed out. "And having to study one in order to create a detailed report is the most interesting assignment I've had all year."

Tanya said nothing; her shudder of disgust spoke volumes. "I got Ted Bundy," said Kelly.

"Sweet," said Aaron approvingly. "I got Ed Gein."

Tanya shuddered again and hugged a textbook to her chest. "How come Professor Davis handed out our, uh, figures of historical interest at random instead of letting us choose who to study ourselves?"

Aaron shrugged. "I guess to keep us from digging up someone less...colorful."

A locker on the other side of the hallway closed with a bang, and a girl with black hair hanging to her waist marched over to the group with a lopsided grin on her face. "I don't think there's such thing as serial killer light, kiddo."

Though the willowy teen stood almost a head taller than him, Aaron returned her grin with ease. "Well, if it isn't our own little angel of death," he said, eyeing her dark attire. The only color breaking up the monochrome black was a glittering cross hanging from her neck.

"Aaron, don't you and Rowena start," Tanya warned. "We don't have time for you two to gleefully rip each other a new one before the bell rings."

But Rowena just smiled, looking pleased about something. "I got Elizabeth Bathory," she announced with a touch of pride. "AKA The Blood Countess."

"Nice," Aaron exclaimed, raising his hand above his head.

Rowena lightly high-fived him before turning around. "That just leaves you," she said, addressing a muscular brunette who was just joining them. "What blood-soaked maniac did the prof saddle you with?"

The blue-eyed teen shrugged and absently straightened the collar of his crisp white shirt. "Someone named Frederick Charles Krueger."

Aaron started to extend his high-five hand again, then withdrew it with a puzzled frown. "Who?"

"Professor Davis likes mixing obscure names in with the better known ones," said Kelly.

Aaron shrugged one shoulder, uninterested. "You've more important things to worry about anyway, right, Captain Craig?"

Craig rolled his eyes skyward. "Don't remind me. Coach wants us to practice an extra hour later. He says it's to help break in the new guy, but I think he just wants to see how far we can go before we break, period."

"Speaking of breaking things in," put in Tanya, "I just got a new camera the other day. I'm dying to try it out, but now I have to go dig through the messy history of a multiple murderer."

She sighed dramatically and started walking gloomily away. "I'll come help you dig after school," Kelly called after her.

"I don't know what she's so bugged about," said Aaron as Kelly slipped an arm around Craig. "Every name the prof handed out is either long dead or serving multiple life sentences in a maximum security prison."

Craig nodded absently. "Totally. It's not like we're in danger of any of them suddenly coming after us."

"She's just sensitive," said Rowena. "All artists are."

Before anyone could say anything else the bell began to ring, and the four of them split up and hurried to the next class.