Parasite
Chapter Two:
What's Worse Than Death?
Psychological trauma-- an emotional or psychological injury usually resulting from an extremely stressful or life-threatening situation.
I'm still extremely tired when Hayley is driving me home, but I don't dare to take a nap. Not just yet. By looking at the sky, it allows me to wake up just enough to get through the day. Still, Hayley's concern for me is practically driving me over the edge, and I don't want to take the risk of telling anyone but Cassie about Krueger. She noticed the marks on my neck and the huge blue spot on my shoulder when I was putting new clothes on. Again, I lie, telling her I had probably done that to myself while I was thrashing around. I can tell Hayley doesn't buy it, and I know full well she's not stupid enough to ever fall for it. It kind of makes me feel bad for lying, but I keep telling myself that it's for her own good.
"That's right. Don't let Freddy get to her." Does he really have to talk about himself in third person like that?
When we get to my house, I thank Hayley for taking care of me and make my way back inside. "Hey, Claire!" she calls after me. I turn back toward her. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"
"Yes, Claire. You can tell her anything." Ignoring the voice in my head, I answer Hayley. "Yes, Hayley. I'll be okay, got it? In fact, we can go for pizza at the mall tomorrow."
"Well, alright. Call me if anything's bothering you." With that, she drives off.
Traumatic experiences often involve a threat to life or safety, but any situation that leaves a person feeling frightened and alone can be traumatic, even if it doesn't involve physical harm.
Dad is sitting at the kitchen table reading the newspaper, and Cassie is at the counter eating a bowl of lucky charms. Right away, Dad notices the marks on my neck. "Claire, what the hell happened to you?" He gets up to examine the marks. Luckily, my shirt is covering the monster bruise on my shoulder. I simply tell him I was having a nightmare and Hayley was trying to wake me up, hoping he'll presume she had accidentally created those marks. "Tell Hayley to be more careful. They look horrible."
Cassie looks up from her lucky charms to examine the marks herself. 'What happened?' she mouths, knowing exactly what is up. She is the only one who knows about Krueger and will probably ask me to spill the beans later. Not now. Not in front of Dad, who is now informing us that we're going out to lunch today. When I look at the clock, I notice it's already eleven and figure it will be a late lunch. I go upstairs to wash my face and decide I can get away with not taking a shower for one more day to avoid lude comments from a certain someone in my head. Instead, I lean over the tub and wash just my hair.
Since I now go two or three days without bathing, I douse myself with body spray and put on pounds of deodorant, hoping it will hide the smell. I have also been wearing long sleeves, which usually does the trick. Maybe I can avoid showering all together by running away and becoming a hippie. Then I'd just be running away. I have to get rid of Krueger altogether, because I can't live like this forever.
Now, I think about Coop and how much of a freak I must seem like after last night's events. Perhaps I can make it up to him later and come up with some explanation.
"Still thinking about that pansy? What's so special about him when you've got me for company?" He inquires. "You think so highly of him. Just forget it. Chances are once you sleep with him, he'll dump your sorry ass. Obviously, I'm here to stay." Oh, I can just see the smirk on his face right about now and I'm yelling at him in my head. Unable to think of a good insult, I merely tell him to shut up.
Instead of knocking, Cassie barges in and shuts the door behind her, plopping herself onto the bed and staring me right in the eyes. "What happened." There is no bullshit with Cassie. When she wants to know something, there is no beating around the bush with her. I have to come straight out with it.
"Nothing. Krueger just gave me a little trouble last night." I inform her. "Yes, take the easy way out and blame it on me."
"Claire, there is no way you can keep this up. Your grades are starting to slip and Dad's gonna notice when the next report cards are coming out. There have been like, a million messages saying you've been falling asleep in class. I've been deleting them, Claire because I love you and you saved my life. I can't cover you forever. There's got to be some way to kill him off." Cassie, being the drama queen she is, is doing a whisper-yell so the message gets across without Dad hearing.
"I know! I'm trying to figure it out, but it's harder than you think. It's not like he enjoys being trapped in there, anyway." Research has failed me, and I feel like I should give up. If I did that, Krueger might kill me, or at least taunt me until I die of natural causes and take him with me, what with our souls being connected and all. "Last night he went crazy, and the only reason I'm still here is because I kicked Hayley in my sleep and she woke me up."
Both of us jump when we hear Dad knock on the door. "You girls in there?" We tell him we are getting ready to go, and it's good enough for him.
"Look, Claire, I'm worried and I want him out of your head as soon as humanly possible." Cassie says as if Krueger and I don't want the exact same thing.
--
After the day passes, I get ready for bed in my usual manner: brushing my teeth, slipping on pajamas (whilst ignoring the comments I am, unfortunately, very used to by now) and lacing up my combat boots. Carefully, I slip a butcher knife in between the laces for easy access when I enter the dream world, and make sure to have a wooden pole and my trusty softball bat in my arms.
Traumatic events can be constantly experienced as if they were happening in the present.
When I first enter the dream world, I am confused as to why I have not entered in the usual room, which is the boiler room. Instead, I am in my bedroom, and Krueger is at the foot of the bed, looking smug. I bolt upright and grip my softball bat for dear life. This can't be good. Besides that, what are we doing in my house? Obviously, I don't take this as a good sign. "What are you planning?" I jump out of bed and he smirks.
"Don't worry. I was being irrational last night. I realized being trapped in your head doesn't completely limit me. While you were dawdling with your research, I found a way to kill anyone close to you." His claws are tapping my small white dresser, and instead of thinking of who he could kill in the household, I selfishly wonder if he's planning on digging through my drawers to find blackmail.
Before I can react, he turns and walks towards the door, I rush to the opening and my eyes widen in horror when he enters Cassie's room. "No!" I scream and tackle him from behind, but he easily throws me off. Various chains and the like reach up from the ground and steal my weapons away, leaving only my nails and teeth to attack with. Living in my brain, I thought his powers were diminishing, not realizing that I was feeding him enough fear. I still have my boots, which is just enough for me, and we are wrestling outside the door. Soon enough, I feel my own kicks along with his blows and we both become exhausted quickly. Now, he is carelessly slashing, and holding his claw away is becoming quite the task.
Suddenly, using his dream powers to his advantage, I am wrapped up again, and he puts his hat back on his head, which had gotten lost in the wrestling match. "Stay here, bitch." I look over at the butcher knife as he goes into Cassie's room. Just barely, I am able to reach it and butcher whatever had wrapped itself around me.
I see him standing right over my sister. He hooks his claws over the blankets and carefully pulls them over her. So deep in sleep, Cassie doesn't even notice as he pulls the comforter and sheets over her feet.
"Don't!" I shout, ramming myself right behind his knees and causing him to lose balance before he can get to her. Unfortunately, I am so drained of energy, he easily pushes me to the side. Here in the dream world, he heals much faster than I do and is up and standing over her. "Don't hurt Cassie!" Now, I am gripping his leg and his claws are flexed, ready to slice. "I'll do anything!" This phrase makes him stop in his tracks, and I let go and back up against the wall, realizing what I've just said. At least his attention is diverted from Cassie. He kneels and meets me at eye level. The claws are under my chin.
"Anything?" I nod, and he moves closer. He now realizes the offer. "You should never tell someone like me you'll do anything. Too late to go back." Now, we are in the boiler room. He paces back and forth, tapping his claws to his chin.
"What's the worst you can do?" I inquire, gaining back a bit of bravery and managing to pull myself to my feet. He head turns quickly, and it startles me a little. I barely have time to react before he is in front of me, but I can't do much about it. If I struggle, there's a chance Cassie could be killed. His left hand is on my face and he leans in uncomfortably close.
Many traumatic memories are relived rather than simply remembered.
"Let me show you." Images flood my head and I see deaths I could never imagine, nor would I wish on someone. Small children are killed off one by one. A sleeping teen innocently listening to his headphones is sucked into the bed and all that's left of him is blood, a girl is violently slashed in the stomach before being dragged around like a ragdoll, one is tricked and the claws twist and turn painfully in her stomach. A petite student trapped at her desk literally has the life sucked out of her, one is stuffed with food and the last one receives painful cuts on her chest before the claw slides between her legs. "You naive little bitch. You have no idea what you've just done to yourself. But don't worry. I won't kill you. No, there are things much worse than that." He walks away examining other knives and leaving everything to my imagination.
"You know, as soon as I escape, that bitch sister of yours is first." By the tone of his voice, I can tell he's trying to get a good response. If I stay calm and block everything out, I can at least make it out of here with some dignity left. He looks over, but I try to keep my face expressionless. Now, he is over at the wheel, sharpening his claw. "Then your pretty little friend Hayley, and that Cooper kid. You know. . ." he holds the claws up and they look intimidating enough to match up with something like a machete. "You came so close to losing your virginity. Then you turn around and offer me something in return for sparing your sister." Pretending that I have no idea what he's implying, I close my eyes and take a deep breath. By listening closely, I can hear his footsteps and how far away they are. "No kicking? No screaming? C'mon, I like my victims to be a little more fun than that." The claws run down my arm just enough to make the skin tingle, but he is not pressing hard enough to cause a cut. "Show me you can put up a good fight, Claire."
It is then I realize there's no way I can go through with it, and I have to wake myself up before he can carry out his plan. I'll show him I can put up a fight.
TBC...