I don't own Nightmare on Elm Street or any of its characters...
A Nightmare on Elm Street: Resurrection
Chapter Four: Family Comes First
Frank walked into the living room mere seconds after Kathy had awoken.
"Hun, I'm sor-" he briefly lost ability to speak when he saw her expression and heavy breathing.
"What's wrong?" he asked with extreme concern.
"Uh..."
"Was it a nightmare? One of those bad ones you told me about?"
"Kinda."
"Well, how? Tell me please. The look on your face is making me wonder who I need to beat the shit out of."
"It was more like a...memory. Of his."
"Like the other ones you told me about?"
"Yeah."
"So he wasn't really...tormenting you?"
"No."
"Then why are you so scared?"
"Because it's him!"
"I think it's just the house. You know what he looked like and couldn't help but picture him here."
"My mother was in it too."
"You saw her in a memory here as well though. Didn't you?"
"Yeah but-"
"You're the psychiatrist. Don't tell me you've never seen or heard of this happening to others."
"Okay, okay. I guess that is more likely."
"Then there you go. Stop being so worked up about living here. If you let go of your stress you won't have bad dreams like that anymore. That sounds logical doesn't it?"
"Yeah, it does. It's just that when it comes to him nothing is logical."
"Katherine, please."
"Alright. I'll note this as stress until I get more settled. Happy?"
"Very. Thank you. I came down here to apologize for snapping earlier."
"It's fine. You're stressed too. Did Jack eat?"
"Yeah. He came down and got some pizza about twenty minutes ago. You've been asleep for about an hour, Hun."
"Really? Well then. How's the bedroom comin?"
"Clothes are still in boxes but I've got the bed finished. Although it's only got our pillows, bottom sheet, and an old quilt on it."
"Sounds good to me right now."
"Same here. The water heater is working if you want to shower before bed. The girls already have."
"I think I'll do that."
She got up and wandered toward the stairs as Frank walked into the kitchen.
Across the street, Lori and Will were lying in bed. The kids were already asleep, so was Will. Lori realized that she had forgotten to take her Hypnocil. Quietly, she got out of bed and lightly made her way down the stairs. As she opened the medicine cabinet she saw the door was open. When she got to the door she heard a child crying. She ran to the door, her heart pounding.
"Emily? David?" she shouted he kids' names, fearing that they had tried to go play in the snow. When neither answered, yet the crying continued, she quickly went outside. Once outside, she froze. She wasn't in her yard. She turned to go back to the house and screamed. Her house was gone and a factory was in its place. She looked down and saw a small child's footprints in the snow, leading away from the factory. Her eyes followed the footprints and she saw a little girl, probably five years old, hiding behind a tree. The girl had quit crying and was just sniffling. Lori looked back to the factory and became short of breath. A man, probably thirty years old or so, was slowly following the tiny footprints. He had a sadistic grin on his face and a very familiar glove on his right hand.
"Freddy?" Lori breathed. He didn't remotely notice her.
"Lindsey?" whispered Fred Krueger. The little girl ran to another tree. Fred's smile got even larger.
"Lindsey...Come out, come out wherever you are." teased Freddy.
"I don't wanna play anymore Mister Krueger." said Lindsey. Then she ran to another tree.
"Aww...are you sure? I thought you liked playing with me Lindsey. I thought we were friends. Don't you like me anymore? You're gonna hurt my feelings."
"You scared me."
"I'm sorry Sweetie. Come back out. I promise I won't scare you again."
"No. I wanna go home."
"Lindsey, don't make me have to find you. Aren't you cold?"
"Yes. But I wanna go home."
"Lindsey, this is your last chance to come out. If you don't I'll come get you."
"No!" said Lindsey, then she ran behind another tree. Freddy's grin got even more sadistic, if possible. He stalked around the tree line slowly. Pretending he didn't know where Lindsey was. He began to chant a rhyme that all hear in their nightmares and a chill went down Lori's spine.
"One, two Freddy's comin for you." he began in the soft voice he used to possess. Lindsey began to cry again. He crept around a tree and right begind Lindsey, claws clinked open-
Lori sat straight up and barely stopped herself from screaming. Will jumped awake as well.
"Lori! What's wrong? Is it him!" asked Will all at once. She made the quickest decision. What she thought best for the sake of Will and the kids.
"No. Just a normal nightmare. Not a red and green sweater in sight." she knew the sweater part was true. Freddy hadn't been wearing it.
"Are you sure?" he asked anxiously.
"Yeah. I'd tell you if it was him. I forgot to take my dose of Hypnocil. I'm gonna go get it now. You go back to sleep."
"Okay." he lay back down and Lori crept downstairs. Awake this time.
Jack was laying in bed and decided to check out the basement again. He crept through the house and down the basement stairs. When he got down there he didn't know what he wanted to do. He went to the padlocked door but it wouldn't budge. He stared at the lock, wondering if he could glare it open.
"Nice to see you again Jack." said a soft, familiar voice. Jack turned. The man smiled, that friendly smile that made Jack feel so comfortable.
"It's you. You were in my dream." exclaimed an astounded, yet happy Jack.
"I was. And you're dreaming now."
"I am?"
"Yes."
"Who are you?"
"My name is Fred."
"That's my middle name."
"Is it?"
"Yeah. How do you know who I am?"
"You're family."
"I'm related to you?"
"Very much so."
"How?"
"I'll tell you but you have to promise me something."
"What?"
"That you won't tell anyone about your dreams. No one. Especially no one in your house."
"Okay. I don't tell them much anyway."
"Not even your mother?"
"Especially not her. We have nothing in common and don't talk much. So I won't be telling her a thing. Or anyone else."
"Good."
"So who are you?"
"I have been called many things. However, my name is Frederick Charles Krueger."
"That's my last name...Are you my Grandfather? Mom's Dad?"
"You're a very clever young man Jack. How do you have the same last name? And middle name? You're mother doesn't like me."
"I was born before my parents married. Mom passed out when I was born. They had come up with the name Jack but my Dad had no idea what to use for my middle name. He remembered Mom saying her Dad's name was Fred so he used that."
"I'm honoured that your father let you have my name. Your mother wouldn't have been so kind."
"Why not?"
"You've never asked her about me have you?"
"I have but...she always says that we'd talk about it some other time. As if you did something bad."
"She hates me Jack."
"But you're her father."
"She never really knew me."
"I heard that. She said you died when she was little."
"She was taken from me. I died not too long after. "
"Who took her and why? And if you're dead how am I talking to you now?"
"You're talking to me now because of a very complicated reason. And they took her because of another very complicated reason. Both stories are going to take a very long time to tell."
"Okay. Tell me. I want to know. I want to know you."
"You will. Just not tonight."
"When?"
"Soon." Fred put an ungloved right hand on Jack's shoulder and smiled again. A smile of pride almost. Something in the distance was ringing...
Jack sat up. He had fallen asleep on his bare matress that was on his new bedroom's floor. His phone had been ringing. After checking who had called he silenced the ringer and put the phone down. It was a little after three in the morning. He couldn't fall back to sleep and began to quietly unpack his things.