Chapter 4

Freddy's horrid burnt face was etched in shock at what had happened. He flicked his right wrist, forcing Stephanie's fire ravaged body out of the dream. He knew that she was dead. Her body was marred by burns, it covered nearly eighty to ninety percent of her body. Also, inhaling that thick smoke would have caused significant damage to her lungs.

This girl Shannon, this bitch was indeed crazy. To do that to her friend? That girl Stephanie was his ticket to stopping Shannon. Now it was gone. But not only that. A future potential victim, a soul, a source of strength was taken from him. She had taken it from him!

He was only planning on allowing Stephanie to live until she got Shannon admitted to Westin Hills. It was now all fucked up, his chance of getting rid of this bitch was gone. Unless he reached out to her other friends. Yes, he would pay them a visit. There was still hope for him. He had to optimistic.

"I'm sorry about that" Shannon spoke. Her voice was tainted with annoyance. "But she's gone now"

He sneered at her and turned away.

"What's wrong now?" Shannon moaned, then pouted in dismay as it dawned on her. "Oh god, I screwed up. Didn't I? You wanted to kill her yourself?"

Freddy ignored her, his blades flexing vehemently at his side. He so wanted to rip her heart out, but what was the point in wasting his energy on attacking her? It was useless. He couldn't hurt her. He heard her approach and he spun around to glower at her. "Get the fuck away from me!"

"I'll make it up to you Freddy" Shannon gave a furtive smile, "I can bring Ellie to you. Or maybe Josh or Zach. Maybe all three of them!"

He grounded his rotten teeth together. This girl was going to drive him nuts. What did he do to deserve this? Was someone punishing him? "Listen, you crazy ass bitch, I don't want anything to do with you. Got it?"

"I'm sorry about Stephanie. Honestly!" Shannon appeared to disregard his dismissive nature towards her. "You should have stopped me. I would have allowed you to kill her!"

"ALLOW me?" Freddy barked, "I don't need anyone's permission to kill someone!" he pointed a blade at her, "Now, leave me alone!"

Shannon opened her mouth to reply, but a force propelled her backwards. Out of the dream and into the waking world. Her head shot up as she sat at her dressing table. Blinking blearily she frowned and stood. This was the most daunting pursuit of a man, she had ever experienced. Her last two 'boyfriends' were easy to talk to. At the start of course. But then after a month or two, they had put out restraining orders on her. Perhaps she was a little too forward. Seeing as she had kept turning up at their places of work or college. The first boyfriend was 'Kevin', a freshman in College. She was fifteen years old at the time. He had lived in her street and she had always had her eye on him since she was thirteen years old. Oh, she had flirty and kissed a few boys in her own year. But Kevin was the first boy. No, the first man that made her heart flutter. She remembered skipping school to go to visit him at his college campus. It then spiralled from there to visiting him at his work, sometimes at his home whenever he came home for the weekend. She had honestly thought that he was the one for her, but no matter what she tried to say or do for him, he would brush off her advances.

It had broken her heart. Shattered it into a million pieces.

But her heart was soon mended when she had the fortune to meet bump into a gorgeous black haired student at one of the fraternity parties she had gatecrash with her old friend Sonia. He was twenty one and in his last year of College. His name was Nathan. He was far more mature than Kevin. Again she fell in love with him quickly. Just as before she had bunked off school to frequently visit him after his classes. He had chatted to her on numerous occasions in their street. Things were going so well, until she discovered that he had started to date some other girl. Some slut from his college class. It had infuriated her how he could that to her. She had loved him, showered him with gifts, hand written love letters.

Perhaps with Freddy, it would be third time lucky.

A bright smile flashed across her face as she grabbed her scrapbook of him and turned to the first page. Her fingers gracefully stroked his picture. "I love you" she whispered.

She knew that taking a quick nap this evening was a good idea. Especially now after witnessing what that little back stabber Stephanie was going to do to her. Trying to plan to get her committed to Westin Hills. And for what? So she could try and get her filthy hands on her man? That wasn't on. As for her other so called friends, she would have a little harsh and bluntly honest word with them tomorrow.

They had to be aware that no one was going to get in between her and Freddy.

x x x

"I can't believe this" Ellie sniffled and dabbed at her tear streaked face with a handkerchief. "Stephanie was my best friend. Now, she's gone. She's dead!"

Josh gingerly rubbed his friend's back as they sat on the small wall outside Springwood High. It was late last night when news broke out that a small fire had devastated the Diner on main street. The diner where Stephanie was working last night. The customers had managed to escape unharmed, while the chef and other waitress had suffered from smoke inhalation. The fire crew though were not able to rescue Stephanie. Her horribly burnt body was found in the back pantry. The cause of the fire was yet to be discerned.

"We'll get through this" Zach mumbled from the other side of her. "I think we should still go through with what she told us yesterday"

Ellie looked up at him. "You mean talk to Shannon's parents?"

He gave a curt nod. Soon their attention was drawn to their right as a figure approached them. It was the girl in question. Shannon.

She crossed her arms astutely across her chest. "I take it you heard. About Stephanie!"

The trio nodded slowly. Then Josh rose to his feet. "Shannon, please listen to us. We can get you the help you need. Before it's too late!"

"Well, it is too late!" Shannon snapped angrily. Then a malicious smirk grew at the corner of her pink rosy lips. "It's too late for Stephanie"

"What do you mean by that?" Ellie glowered at her. "Did you do something to her? Was it you-"

"Me?!" Shannon laughed, "It wasn't me. Freddy found out what her pathetic fucking plan was. He took care of her!"

Ellie swallowed thickly. Took care of her? God, he had killed her. She must have fallen asleep. He took advantage of that and murdered her, burnt her body. "He burned her alive?" her voice was barely above a whisper, it was hoarse and full of panic.

Shannon giggled madly. "Yes, he was enraged that she was going to send me away to Westin Hills. You see, I told him everything you said yesterday. I heard you all. Your little scheme to get me committed! You see, he was devastated. I told him not to kill Stephanie, but he wouldn't listen. He can't control his anger you see. He has his sights set on you all now"

The look of terror flashed across each of their pale faces. There was no way they could go through with their plan now, could they? "He did that, because he doesn't want you taken away?" Josh stared at her intently. Trying to decipher if she was telling the whole truth. Or was she playing a trick on them?

She gave a stern nod. "Yeah, I think he's finally coming to his senses. I think he's starting to fall for me. Why else would he do that?" she gushed with insane glee. "So, I'm just giving you a warning. I wouldn't want anything terrible to happen to you three?"

Ellie nodded eagerly and grabbed the strap of her school bag. "Uh, thanks for the warning. I'll see you guys later" she hopped off the wall and rushed into the building.

Shannon glanced at the two boys as they too gathered their belongings. She could feel the fear emanating from them. Her little ruse was working. By making them believe that Freddy had murdered Stephanie because of his growing 'feelings' for her, then they would cease from going through with their proposal of putting her in that nut house. She wasn't crazy, she just had a strong, passionate feeling of adulterated love for Freddy. There wasn't anything wrong with that, was there?

x x x

Ellie stared dourly at her English test. The question regarding comprehension was whirling around her weary mind, but she couldn't concentrate on it. Her eyes fluttered fervidly as her head drooped forward onto her right arm. She then shook her head and straightened up.

Her body then froze as she was now alone in her classroom. The door to the room creaked opened, revealing a darkened misty corridor of the power plant. Ellie shrieked and staggered to her feet, backing away until her back was pressed against the wall.

He was coming for her.

Her eyes were set in stone on the corridor before her. Through the dense mist she could faintly see a shadow slithering it's way towards her. The rim of a fedora hat was barely visible in the dim lighting.

Freddy stalked towards the doorway, his rough burned muscles constricted as he stared at her gravely. "Ellie…"

She shivered under his penetrating gaze, then shuffled to the right. "I know that you killed Stephanie"

He glared at her. "What? Who…" his voice trailed off. Why did it not occur to him that she would spread tales to her friends that it was him who killed Stephanie? He had wished it was him who had killed her, to gain another piece of strength. But that was not to be. However, he had to persuade this little piglet to continue with their plan. "I didn't kill her, you stupid bitch!"

"No!" Ellie shook her head madly, "You're lying. It was you!"

Freddy snarled, losing his cool. "I wish it was me who had killed her, but it wasn't!"

"He's right! It wasn't him"

Ellie's head swung towards the owner of the voice. Her eyes widened in surprise as the person spoke again.

"It was me" Shannon said with a vile smirk.

Before she could react Ellie felt a sudden sharp pain in her stomach. Her lips trembled as she looked down to see a Stanley blade embedded through her taupe blouse. A deep red stain began to pool around the blade and then she gargle as the blade was driven in deeper to her stomach.

"What the fuck?" Freddy roared and charged towards them both. His left hand wrenched Ellie backwards, the blade plucking out from her wound with a squelch.

The girl stumbled onto her back and she pitifully wrapped her palms over her wound. Trying to stem the flow of blood. Freddy snarled as he glanced down at her dying body, then again forced her from the dreamscape. He turned towards Shannon who was coolly wiping Ellie's blood from her red Stanley blade. Advancing towards her he curled his burnt hand around her throat and rammed her into the wall. "You fucking whore! Why are you doing this to me?"

"I-I was just h-helping you!" Shannon choked, "She was going to t-take me away from you!"

He tightened his grip on her flesh. "Do you ever think that maybe I don't want you? Huh? Why won't you get that into" he slammed her head against the wall. "your" he did it again, "thick" another slam, "head?"

Shannon gasped and rubbed at her throat as he unwrapped his hand from her throat. "I'm sorry for killing her, but it had to be done. I'll let you kill Josh and Zach" she smiled considerately at him. "Will that make you feel better?"

He raised his glove, ready to strike out at her. To feel her blood running down his blades, that would help him feel BETTER. But it would be a waste of his time and his strength. That stupid spell was still over him. He had to take a different approach to stopping her. But how?

Snarling in aggravation he stormed back to the boiler room. Leaving her alone with the bloodied body of Ellie laying at her feet.

In her English class, several students gathered around Ellie's desk. Their teacher Mr Summers gingerly shook the girl's sleeping frame. "Wake up Miss Pearson"

"She's bleeding!" a girl shrieked.

The teacher's eyebrows knitted in uncertainty and he stooped onto her haunches and that was when he saw it. A trickle of blood oozing from her top onto the cream tiled floor. A pool of blood was forming beneath her desk.

"Call 911 now!"

At the back of the class, Shannon rose to her feet with a heinous smile spreading across her face. She averted her gaze across the room to Josh and Zach, then hurried over to them. Her voice was low and thick with venom. "Freddy did that. He's still pissed off. So, I'll tell you again. Don't you dare tell my parents what is happening. Understand?"

They glimpsed nervously at each other, then turned their petrified gazes to her and nodded in unison. The only thing that mattered to them now was their own lives, they couldn't care now if Shannon wanted to pursue a relationship with Freddy. At the end of the day their lives were more important.

x x x

Freddy groaned as he slumped despairingly into a dusty wooden chair in the side room of the boiler room. The last several weeks were wearing his patience, making him feel fatigue and weak. His verve was withering away. And it was all because of her. She was draining him, bleeding the mental dynamism that made him who he was.

He wasn't scared of her. Oh no, he wasn't scared of anything. But being near her caused him great discomfort. It made his scarred skin crawl with repugnance.

Inhaling deeply he rolled his head backwards so that it rested against the brick wall, his blood shocked blue eyes fluttered closed as his muscles began to slacken as he began to relax…

He woke with a jolt. His head jerked upwards as he stared up at thick heavy chains suspended from the metal ceiling above. A frown crossed his lips as he saw that both his arms were spread apart, stretching upwards to two chunky metal cuffs. He noticed that his cherished bladed glove was missing from his right hand.

The rough edges of the cuffs dug into his scarred flesh as he tugged at them vigorously. He bucked and thrashed at his restraints, his back colliding into the wall behind him. "Fuck!"

He narrowed his eyes, concentrating on unshackling them. Focusing his power on melting or breaking his binds. After a few seconds, a growl tore from his throat. Why wasn't it working? What was wrong with his power?

A body entered his vision as they stepped into the light.

Shannon stood draped in a silk red nightdress, the brim of the fabric stopping a few inches above her knees. She flashed him a charming smile as she seductively strolled up to him. "Hello, Frederick, I'm glad that you're finally awake"

He sneered at her with contempt. "What the hell is going on, bitch?"

She giggled and was soon before him. "It's about time I showed you how I really feel, my love"

"I ain't your fucking love!" Freddy retorted in disgust.

Her right hand reached out to stroke his scarred face gently, "Oh, that's where you're wrong. You are my love. And I'm yours. The only one you will ever need"

As her fingers caressed along his chin he snarled and attempted to gnash at her finger tips. "Stop touching me!"

She smirked. "You like to play rough. I can learn to play rough too" her hand stretched up to snatch his fedora hat and she placed it atop of her head. "Do I look sexy Freddy?"

His lips curled up into a snarl of revulsion. "You look vile!"

"Now, now!" she wagged a finger at him and adjusted her nightdress to try and reveal her ample cleavage to him, "Stop you lying mister!"

He yanked at his manacles.

She ran her right hand over his scarred head, then cupped the back of his head. "I'm going to prove it to you"

He flashed his jagged teeth at her in another viscous snarl. "When I get out of these and break that spell, I'm going to break every bone in your body!"

Igorning his statement of intent, she stood on her tiptoes and brought her face towards his. "I love you Freddy"

Freddy sneered and tired to pry his head from her grasp, "You're fucking crazy!"

"Maybe I am crazy" Shannon gave a shy smile, "I'm crazy in love with you. You're constantly on my mind, every minute of every day. When I think of you, it makes me happy, it makes me smile. You're the one for me"

Freddy looked fiercely at her. A feeling of abhorrence engulfed his body at her words. In all his years of being alive and in the dream world, he had never came across a situation like this or a girl like this.

"You can't tell me there isn't anything between us Freddy?" Shannon continued and wrapped her other hand around his waist, pinning his body against her curvy frame. "I know that deep down in that twisted soul of yours, that you feel something. Don't you?"

"I'll tell you what I feel" Freddy hissed, his eyes glowing red with ire. "It's called repulsion! You repulse me!"

She sighed in exasperation. This was harder than she expected. Unless, she convinced him of her feelings another way. A more shrewd way, a way that would send men's hearts racing. Her fingers stroked the back of his neck and she smiled seductively and quickly pressed her smooth, soft lips against his coarse, burnt ones.

Freddy gagged and groaned in distaste, struggling against his metal binds…

"Ahhh!" Freddy jerked up in his chair, awakening from his dream. He wildly looked around, bemused as how he could have a dream? How could that happened? Did those dream demons cause him to have a nightmare within his own domain? Were they the ones who was behind this over the last few months? Perhaps he had done something to provoke the dream demons? They may have been disconnected from his body years before, but their essence still flowed through his body. In a way they were still joined as one.

Do you really think we would use that wretched girl to get back at you for all your failures throughout the years?

If we really wanted to punish you, you would have lost your powers Krueger!

"Then what I am mean to fucking do?" Freddy moaned. "She has that spell cast on me! Anytime that I try to brush her off, she pays no attention to what I have to say! She's living in her own little fucking fantasy world!"

Then maybe you should reach out for help…

"Who can help me?" Freddy hissed.

You know who.

They're still there. They haven't left that City.

Freddy shook his head. The thought of going to ask them for help was ridiculous. His anger towards them was still raw and strong. "No. I'm not going there. Why the fuck would they want to help me? Look what they did to me the last time!"

That was several years ago. Maybe they have changed their mind regarding you and what happened in both your pasts.

Don't forget Krueger they, have experience in circumstances like this. Especially with teenagers like Shannon.

Freddy slowly began to pace the room, considering and musing over the demons proposal. Should he actually risk it? Put his trust in that person? Would they help him?

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