Chap. 2 Freddy's comming for you...
Patricia stood with the help of this seemingly concerned man before her. He was tall, skinny, and almost intimidating. His smile was warm and inviting, but his eyes held something dark...almost crooked. He crouched down and met her crying eyes.
" My name is Mr. Krueger. Who might you be?" he said, picking up her binder.
" Patricia." she eyed her binder and the placement of his hands. There was something about that smile that made her hair stand on end.
" What a pretty name. Where do you live, Patricia?" she shifted uneasily. Father used to tell Stephanie not to tell people she didn't know where she lived. Still, lieing is a bad bad thing.
" A street over from here."
" I live right here." he handed her the binder and gestured his house. Patricia took one look, nodded, and turned away. She murmered a "thank you", and began to limp away. The papers didn't matter. She needed to get home on time. The pain in her knees doubled with every step, and her hands still dripped blood. Did she really fall that hard? The man--no, Mr. Krueger, placed a hand on her shoulder, making her stop. She turned in confusion.
" That's alot of blood, Patricia. Can I have a look?" he said, taking her right hand. It was bleeding more than her left. He ran his thumb over the scrapes, wiping away blood and dirt. When he came to a bloody lump on the heel of her palm, she hissed in pain and attempted to jerk her hand back.
" Well now..." he said, inspecting her hand closer. " You did have quite a fall." There, wedged in her hand, was a thick piece of glass. She hadn't even noticed in her rush to get away.
" We should take care of that, shouldn't we, Patricia?" Patricia didn't respond.
She stared at the glass in her hand like a deer in headlights.
" Come on inside, and I'll get you all fixed up." He led her by the wrist to his front door. Whether it was from the almost unbearable pain in her palm or the fact that someone cared enough to help her, Patricia willingly followed Mr. Krueger inside.
Mr. Krueger ushered Patricia into the living room, and she was instantly hit with the smell of cigars. He left into the kitchen. She surveyed his house, mapping out all the doors, hallways, and the single flight of stairs. The living room had a couch, coffee table, a desk, and a tall grandfather clock. There was also a doorway under the stairs. Must be to the basement. Mr. Krueger came back with a towel. He smiled that creepy smile, held her hand, and took hold of the glass.
" I have to pull this out now, Patricia. This is going to hurt very much."
Patricia nodded uncertainly. How much could it--?
Freddy yanked the glass shard from Patricia's hand and was rewarded with a high-pitched scream. She cradled her bleeding hand and failed to notice his satisfied smile. Well, one thing has already gone right. She was in the house. Ah, little girls. So trusting...so delicious. He carelessly tossed the glass onto the coffee table next to her pink binder, and waited until she stopped her sniveling. She really must not have expected it to hurt that much. She was taller than his last one. Lighter hair too...almost like--
She looked at him in half anger and half relief. He still needed to win her trust before carting her off to the boiler room...Freddy forced small grin and took her hand back. As he cleaned her palm, she was very quiet. She chewed on her nails and kept a watchful eye on his hands. Five? Six, maybe? She was cute, but a sickly little thing. And thin. Her eyes were deep, too. Almost like Loretta's...Loretta...He frowned. Yes, little Patricia would look better without them, considering how well blood blended with her skin. Shame to wipe it off. Her skin wasn't brown, or horribly pale. It was a little yellow and unhealthy. Katherine had nicer skin. She was perfect...
Katherine...
She's been gone for two days now. Had she run away? Did someone come and take her? Where is she?...Katherine...Kather--
Fuck.
The silence made him think too much.
" Do you know why those kids were chasing you, Patricia?" he asked, wrapping her hand. Just a little longer...
" No, Sir. They're kids from school." she murmered, finally calm.
" I see. Are they cruel to you?"
" Not really...they just call me names." And kick dirt in her face, and throw things at her in class, and chase her on the way home. Sometimes, she wished that she could really just dissapear--
The grandfather clock tolled loudly, and Patricia's head snaped toward the sound. Her faced suddenly lost half it's color.
Oh no...
" It's...it's 5. Mother and Father will be home soon!!" Patricia jumped to her feet and snatched her binder off the coffee table. "Mother's going to be so angry with me--" She ran for the front of the house. How could she be so careless? An hour and a half, and she didn't notice?? Mr. Krueger was at her heels.
No way in hell she was getting away. Not after he was so close...
She pulled open the screen door, ready to sprint home, when Mr. Krueger, Freddy, grabbed her upper arm.
" Please, I have to go!"
" What's the hurry, Patricia? You can stay awhile--"
" NO!" she turned to him, face stricken with terror. Something horrified this child so deeply, she was trembling from ankles to eyelashes. Often, he'd see this look on his children, and be filled with gratification, excitement. What was wrong with this picture? Suddenly, it dawned on him. She didn't fear HIM. She feared something else, and that pissed him off. Who fuck could govern more fear than the Springwood Slasher?! Who?!
" Mother will be very very mad at me." her voice shook with every word. " You don't understand. She'll--" She stopped short and hung her head. Mother said be quiet. Be quiet, and she won't be punished worse. That's right..." I need to get home, Sir. Please. Mommy and Daddy are going to be so angry...Please Mr. Krueger!!" She stared up at him, teary-eyed and frightened.
He couldn't kill her. Not this child. Not yet. Not when he can't receive all the fear she has. That lied with her parents. Fuckers...they don't know who they're dealing with. No matter. He could wait. He'll have her soon enough...
Freddy relented her arm and she staggered onto the walkway. Patricia stared at him for a moment, clutching her binder to her chest.
" Thank you, Mr. Krueger...thank you."
He grinned. Little bitch.
" Hope to see you again, Patricia. Real soon, I hope."
Patricia took off down the sidewalk, a new spark of hope in the pit of her stomach. Someone cared about her. Someone took her in. Though, a little creepy...really creepy...he was still someone. She smiled. Patricia was looking forward to seeing Mr. Krueger again very soon.
~~~~~~
After looking in on Mother later that morning, and making sure she was indeed asleep, Patricia walked to her bedroom, shut the door, and picked up the phone. She dialed a number and and pulled a large box from under her bed. Someone picked up.
" Hello?"
" Hi, Sara."
" Trish! I can't believe you're calling! What's up?"
" Mother's asleep. Can you come over?"
" Yeah, sure, Trish. Anything wrong? You don't sound so good."
Patricia cradled the phone on her shoulder and opened the box.
" I'm fine, Sara. Just a little...upset."
" Upset? Over what? Was it your mother?"
" No..." she sifted through newspapers, growing dimmer and dimmer with every headline.
" Well, then, what is it?"
" Remember when I told you about when we used to live in Springwood?"
" Yeah, what about--...Oh..it's..that time, huh?"
" Yes..." One front page laid in her lap. Her fingers traced bold words and the small outline of the picture below it.
SPRINGWOOD SLASHER BURNED ALIVE
" Anything I can do, Trish?"
" I just...don't want to be alone today."
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Read and Review please! Mm...candy.
