A/N: So I hope I'm not completely screwing this up. Some background: this story takes place in an AU of the first film... Nancy, Glen and the others will be in it but may not have as large of a role as they once did. However if a CC has a death, that won't change. Hope you enjoy! As usual bold is dialogue and italics are thoughts.
Warnings: Male x male cuddling and kissing. Should warn that will be a feature throughout the chapters, and probably "worse" so those against such things, please see your way to the door. :D
Ryder woke up bright and early when his alarm went off, rolling out of bed and yawning. He went to
rub his eyes and was reminded of the previous night's dream when he winced at the pain in his cheek. Ow! Oh yeah...I forgot. Damn that hurts. He brushed the pain off and went about the business of getting dressed for school. He walked to his dresser, pulled open his underwear drawer, and selected a pair from the top. He gave it a sniff, winced, and threw it to the hamper by the bed. Grabbing a different pair he slid them over his feet and put them onto his naked bottom half. He turned and surveyed the way they looked in the mirror, and satisfied with their appeal opened another drawer to grab pants and a t-shirt. As he went to take off the shirt he'd worn to bed he noticed the slashes in it, and shuddered throwing it into a corner of the room. Finally dressed he descended the stairs and sat down at the table for breakfast.
"Ryder, did you get back to sleep after your nightmare last night Sweetie?" His mother asked. "Yeah, Mom. It was a pretty creepy dream...but I was able to fall back to sleep after." I have no idea how...I mean first my face, then my t-shirt. I'm not even gonna comment on the fact that whoever that creepy fucker was he saw everything below the waist...his fault for pulling me into a sick demented dreamland half naked. Ryder was lost in thoughts until he checked his watch and saw he was going to be late if he didn't hurry. This prompted him to begin eating more quickly which garnered a dirty look from his mother. I don't even want to think about what Cody is gonna say when I tell him... "Mom, I gotta go or I'll miss Cody on his way to school." Ryder said, jumping up and grabbing his backpack from it's space beside the door. "All right, have a good day at school, make good choices...be careful!" She shouted after him as the door slammed. I swear I don't know what that boy is thinking half the time.
Ryder ran off his front porch heading for the house across from his own. He lived on Elm Street, at 1426 and Cody lived directly across at 1425. I still can't believe I actually fell for the boy next door... what a total cliché. Ryder thought as he was running up the front walk. He noticed Cody standing on the sidewalk across the road staring at his watch, hand firmly on hip an exasperated look on his face. Cody looked up seeing Ryder and rolled his eyes,his face breaking out into a wry smile. "What're ya trying to do, Baby boy ruin our perfect attendance record?" Cody said, causing Ryder to giggle. "What perfect attendance record? You must have me confused for someone else Sir" Ryder said. He placed his arm around Cody's waist and kissed him gently, lingering for a moment on his lips. As he pulled away he giggled at the dumbstruck grin on Cody's face,and linking hands they started their walk to school.
"Cody? You ever have nightmares?" Ryder asked, not sure how else to bring the subject up. Cody looked pensive for a moment and answered "Yeah, I guess so. I mean everyone does at some point don't they? Why?" Ryder took a breath, and exhaled before he started to speak again. "Well, I just had one last night and it freaked me out pretty bad is all. I kinda wanted to talk to you about it...see what you thought about it" Cody brought their linked hands to his lips placing a kiss on the back of Ryder's and said "Oh come on, babe you know you can tell me anything...what was the dream about?" Ryder closed his eyes trying to remember as much as he could. "You know that old factory on the outskirts of town, the one that's all burned out?" He asked, his voice shaking a bit. "Yeah. I think so." "Well I was there. I woke up in the boiler room. I could smell...I dunno smoke I guess, and the place wasn't deserted. It was like all the boilers were running. There were chains hanging everywhere and water was dripping all over the place. It was totally creepy. I didn't know what to make of it at first." Ryder steeled himself for what he was about to say, knowing he was going to sound crazy. "I was looking around trying to see if I could find a way out, when I heard somebody laughing. When I turned around...there was this guy standing there. He had on this totally gross red and green sweater, and a fedora like from the 60's. His face and body were burned pretty badly, and he had..." Ryder stopped, trying to decide if he wanted to go further. "Ry, just tell me. He had what?" "Knives. He had a glove, looked like something he'd made in some sick metal shop project. Had knives or razors or something attached to the fingers." Ryder held up his free right hand extending the fingers as if they were clawed. "He was wearing them like claws or something I dunno. Anyway I asked him who he was, and he just laughed at me. Then he raised his arm up and charged at me. I was so scared I just ran. Eventually he caught up to me, I don't remember what I tripped over but I'd tripped and fallen. I rolled over to stand up and he was standing there behind me. He swung his arm at me and caught my t-shirt, and I tried to back away but I ran into something. When I turned to see what it was the boiler behind me burned my cheek...and then I woke up" Cody was silent for a minute or two and finally he said "Well, I don't blame you being scared I would be too." Cody looked at Ryder, and noticed a red spot on his cheek. "What's that?" He asked as he pointed at it. Ryder felt the place he was pointing at and said "That's where the boiler hit my cheek." Cody's eyebrow raised. "What? You're fucking with me right?" "No! I'm serious! When I woke up I went to the bathroom to splash some water on my face and noticed my cheek...and my shirt." "What about your shirt?" "It was ripped...right where he'd clawed me." Cody wasn't sure what he thought about the whole thing but they were nearing the school so he knew he didn't have much time one way or the other to keep discussing it. "Well, just don't think about it. It was probably just a freaky coincidence or something." He noticed Ryder's dejected face and stopped walking, turning his face toward him. He kissed him, pulling him into an embrace and then said "Ry...I believe you. I do. I just don't know what there is we can do about it right now. We gotta get to class. You sure you're gonna be ok without me until 3rd period?" Ryder, leaned back into the embrace feeling safer already. "Yeah...I'll be fine. I swear. I'll see you in 3rd period. I love you, Cody." "I love you too, baby boy." Cody smirked and smacked Ryder's ass pushing him toward the front steps to Springwood High. The two shared one last quick kiss and broke their hands apart heading their separate ways to their first period classrooms.
Ryder spent the first 2 periods doodling lazily in his notebook, occasionally drifting off into daydreams. In the middle of 2nd period English though without warning Nancy Thompson jumped out of her chair screaming bloody murder. Everyone turned to look at her, as the teacher ran up and tried to wake her up. Once she'd woken up, Nancy just muttered that she was okay, and that she'd go straight home. Ryder noticed her clutching a spot on her forearm and wondered what had happened. Following her out of the room with his eyes he did a double take as she walked out, certain he'd seen blood in the hallway. He raised his hand asking to be excused to the bathroom, and went after Nancy. "Nancy! Wait up. Nancy!" He called after her, catching up to her just before she made it to the main exit doors. "Do I know you?" Nancy asked, her eyes heavy with lack of sleep. She looked terrible. "No...Well not really. You live at 1428 Elm right?" He asked innocently. "Yeah...How'd you know?" "I live at 1426. I'm your neighbor, Ryder." He extended his hand, which she shook. "Oh, right. I'm sorry. I'm not feeling well. I think I should get home." "Wait, please. Just now in class...Were you...dreaming?" "How'd you know that?" She asked her eyes widening slightly. "Well when the teacher got to you your eyes were closed. It looked like, you were having a nightmare?" She nodded, wiping a few silent tears away from her face. "Yeah, so what? People have nightmares it's not a new thing." "No, I- I know that. But when you stood up I noticed you were clutching your arm...did something happen?" She stared him down, unsure she could trust him, and apparently decided she couldn't, turning to leave. "Look, Ryder I'm sorry if I scared you, but I have to get home." She headed for the door, and opened it turning back to say "Thank you though...for being worried about me. It's sweet." She left the hallway and the door closed behind her leaving Ryder standing alone in the hall. He checked his watch, and turning on his heel walked back to his classroom.
I know I'm not crazy... she did something to her arm, and I KNOW I saw blood in that hallway... I just wish I could talk to her, and find out if she saw him too. Ryder had spent the rest of the day worrying about Nancy. He didn't really know her at all, just in passing and as neighbors. Something about her today however, he'd sensed something...or picked up on something. He decided to call Cody and tell him to come over. He needed to bounce his thoughts off of someone...and he also wanted someone to hold him. "Cody? Hey it's Ry. Can you come over please? I need you." "Ry? What's up? Are you ok?" "Yes I just...I still can't get the goddamned dream out of my mind and I need someone to hold me." Ryder felt his voice cracking and heard himself sob slightly without meaning to. The weight of his own fear was escaping him still, but he suddenly noticed he was shaking. "All right, calm down. I'll be right over. The front door unlocked? Or you want me to just climb the trellis?" "Ju-just c-come in the fr-front d-d-door. Mom won't give a shit. I'm in my room...I'll see you in a minute." Ryder disconnected the call, and went into the bathroom to blow his nose and wipe his eyes. Once he'd done that, he stripped off his pants and shirt leaving just his boxers on, and sprayed himself with body spray. He ran some water and a comb through his mousy brown hair, and looked into the mirror into his own baby blue eyes. You are going to be ok. Everything is going to be just fine. He splashed some water on his face, used some mouthwash gargling for 45 second before spitting it out and walking back across the room to his bed. He sat down in the middle of his bed, reaching to his bedside table for his pack of cigarettes. He sparked one up, cracking the window and moving the ashtray closer. He lay back, and took another drag blowing the smoke toward the window, waiting for the doorbell. Finally it rang, and he heard his mother answer the door and let Cody in. He took another drag, a single tear slowly falling over his left cheek and as he exhaled the smoke he heard his bedroom door open and close, and felt Cody climb onto the bed with him. He looked up into Cody's hazel eyes and smiled as best he could. "Hi." "Hi...decided against keeping the clothes eh?" Ryder chuckled, placing his hand behind Cody's neck and pulling him into a kiss. The two boys kissed for a few minutes longer before Ryder finally sat up and cuddled himself into Cory's arms. "I'm not crazy Codes. I swear it. Check the damn t-shirt." He pointed to the tattered remains of his t-shirt in the corner of the room. Cody walked to the corner picking up the shirt and examining it. "And you're certain it wasn't like this when you went to sleep?" "Of course not, I just borrowed it from you...yesterday." Ryder's face flushed as he realized he hadn't let slip that part yet. Cody examined the shirt closer and said "Ry! This was one of my favorite tees...I-I didn't even know you had it." "I borrowed it yesterday when I was at your place. You wear it so often...I wanted to have it so I'd have something that smelled like you." Cody wanted to be upset but couldn't help but smile. "Well ya could have asked ya know." "I know. Look I didn't just call you over here to hold me, which you've barely done by the way, I wanted to tell you what happened in English class today." Cody walked back over to the bed, and climbed past Ryder, laying on the inside of the bed next to the window. He patted the space in front of him, and unzipped his hoodie throwing it to the floor. Ryder unbuttoned the button-flies of Cody's pants and threw them down with the hoodie cuddling skin to skin into a spooning embrace. Ahhhh...He always makes me feel better. I'm lucky to have him. Cody kissed the side of Ryder's neck, caressing his side and running his hand through Ryder's hair. "Why don't we try to nap for a little bit... then you can tell me all about English class later ok?" Ryder nuzzled into Cody's chest and nodded letting out a yawn.
Ryder and Cody both sat up when they smelled smoke. The two boys stood up off the ground of the boiler room wondering how they'd come to be here. "Ry? Where are we?" "It's the boiler room. The one from my nightmare." They looked around, taking in their surroundings, and noticing that they were both still clad in nothing but their underwear. Ok well normally if I were dreaming about Cody and I in underwear this would be neither the location nor the scenario I'd have in mind. They linked hands and walked forward looking for a way out. Cody went in front leading the way, and looked around in every direction as they went. "You see anything Ry?" Ryder shook his head, and his breath stilled as he heard the screeching metallic sound he'd heard before. "Codes he's here somewhere. I can feel it." From behind them came another screech and a laugh. They wheeled about and saw him standing there burned and disgusting as ever. "Well, well, well...so you've returned?" "What do you want!" The man pointed his index razor at the two of them, flicking his tongue at them and laughing. "Ry, we need to wake up...seriously we need to find a way to wake up." Ryder was rooted to the spot, but somehow he willed himself to turn and run in the opposite direction pulling Cody along behind him. "What're we gonna do Codes? How do we wake up?" "I- uh I don't know... how'd you do it last night?" "I burned my face. It was an accident but I think it might work. We just need to burn ourselves on something." "On purpose!?" "Well it's that or wind up shredded by that guy's glove. You choose!" "All right all right... find us something then." Ryder kept running until he reached a pipe that was emitting steam. Oh my god please let this work. "All right Codes. Just grab the pipe...and don't let go until you wake up." "Right" They both took a deep breath and exhaled before grabbing the pipe in front of them and screaming as they awoke, hands burning. Cody sat bolt upright and looked down at the red welt on the palm of his hand, looking into Ryder's eyes he said "Ok...so that was real... Now what the fuck are we gonna do?"
A/N: Sorrry it was so long. I wanted it to be a good second chapter. Character development, Freddy involvement, etc. etc. Please R&R! Look For more chapters soon :D
