"It just doesn't make sense," Erik said as he, Sam, Kate, Alex, and Adam sat in Adam's room later that afternoon. "How do cuts just appear on your arm after getting scratched in the dream?"

"I don't know!" Alex snapped, rolling her eyes and looking towards the bedroom window, pausing. Sam sighed, and ran a hand through her hair when Alex paused. "I just know that whatever happened in my dream happened to me in real life. The dream alone was so life like. Those two creeps were trying to kill me..."

Kate looked over at Alex, raising an eyebrow.

"Can you describe the creeps?" asked Sam suddenly, putting her hand down, away from her hair.

"Uhh...yeah..." Alex started, staring at Sam. "The one guy had a weird hat...and a really disgusting, I think burnt face, and some weird sweater with red and black stripes or something...and he had this weird claw for a hand...It was really disturbing." Sam's eyes widened as her mouth dropped open slightly. "Why?" Alex asked quickly, seeing Sam's shocked expression.

"You would think I was crazy if I told you..."

"Try me," said Alex, narrowing her eyes. Everybody stared at Sam, waiting, as she closed her eyes for a moment, in thought.

Finally, Sam looked up at everyone and spoke. "I've had several nightmares about that...that...man...and he's been trying to kill me!" She looked around at her friends, her eyes tearing up. "I'm telling you! This man has got to be real!"

"Sam, calm down," Erik said quietly. "Don't worry about it. Nobody's trying to kill you."

There was a sudden knock on the door.

"Adam?" Came a woman's voice. "Adam, dear, are your friends staying over for dinner?"

"Um, I don't know, ma," Adam replied loudly, looking around at everybody. He asked in a normal tone, "Do you guys want to stay over? I think we're having steak."

"Can't," Sam said quickly. "I've got things to do." And by things, she meant search her house for some kind of pills to keep her awake.

"Alright, everyone else?" Adam asked.

"Sure," Erik said.

"We'd love to," Kate replied, smiling as she batted her eyelashes for Adam.

"Yes," Alex replied weakly.

"I'll catch up with you later," Sam said as she quickly stood up and walked out of Adam's bedroom. She passed Adam's mother in the hallway on her way out. "Thanks so much for having me over," Sam replied, warmly.

"Oh, anytime, honey," Adam's mom smiled. Sam smiled back and continued down the hall. She made it to the stairs, and descended down, thinking silently to herself. She got to the front door at the foot of the staircase and pulled the door open, stepping out into the warm sunset. She walked down Elm Street by herself, hidden in the many shadows of the large trees on her street. She came up to her house and walked up across the lawn, trying to open the front door.

"Daddy?" She called loudly after several tries with no success. "Daddy? Open the door!" She lightly pounded on the door, and a man other than her father pulled the door open. She looked confused.

"Uncle Ron?" Sam asked quietly. "Why're you here? Where's dad?"

"Samantha...honey..." Her uncle began, stepping aside. "Come inside..." Sam stared at her uncle for a minute before slowly and silently stepping into her house. She walked past Uncle Ron and moved into the kitchen. Her uncle closed the door softly behind her, and followed her into the kitchen. He sat down the at the small, square table pushed against the wall.

"Have a seat."

Sam obediently sat down in a chair next to his. "Uncle...what's...what's wrong? Where's my father?" She asked again, staring into his dark brown eyes.

"Samantha...your father got into a car accident earlier."

"W-What?" She asked, horrified. "When?! Where?! What happened?!"

"Samantha, calm down! Don't worry! It happened while you were in school earlier today...he was turning off of Elm Street to go to the grocery store, and some jackass in a huge, black Hummer flew into him. Your father was pushed into the side of the car pretty badly, and has suffered severe head injuries, and has a broken arm, with a few scratches from the shards of some shattered glass windows...the doctors say he's going to make a full recovery. Your mother called me and told me to wait for you at home while she rushed for the hospital..."

"Oh my God..." Sam said after a long period of silence. "Can we...go see him?"

"Of course. I'll go grab my coat."

Sam covered her face after her uncle stepped out of the kitchen and silently sobbed for a few moments. all of this terrible stuff was happening to her, and she didn't know where to turn to.

"Oh my God..." She wept as her uncle walked in and silently gave her a large hug.

"Come on..." He spoke quietly, helping her up and leading her out the front door. He led her into his small, white car before getting in himself and pulling out of the driveway. They started making their way down Elm Street, and Sam stared out the car window, silently crying as she passed Erik. Erik looked up and stared into her water eyes as she passed.

"What happened?" He thought, turning around to watch as the car turned off of Elm Street and disappeared. "I'll find out later..." He began to walk towards his house once again, and saw some little girls across the street from his house playing jump rope.

"Hey Megan and Sarah," Erik called, crossing the street to greet his neighbors.

"Hi!" the two girls holding the oppsite ends of the jump rope said merrily. There was no one jumping in the center.

"Why isn't anyone jumping?" Erik asked, smiling at the girls.

"We're waiting for Freddy," They both replied, staring into Erik's eyes as they continued swinging the rope.

"Oh, ok. Well, I'll see you later," He said kindly, waving. Kids and their imaginary friends, he thought to himself as he continued towards his front door. He got onto his porch and turned back to look at Megan and Sarah, but they had both disappeared. That's weird... Erik thought, but opened his door and stepped inside. He immediatley began walking up his staircase, and reached the top. He turned into the bathroom and closed the door behind him, locking it. After going to the bathroom and washing his hands, he stepped out and bumped into his mother.

"Hello, sweetie," She replied, holding some towels.

"Oh, sorry, did I keep you waiting?"

"Only for a few minutes," She responded, stepping into the bathroom. She began to put the towels away in the bathroom's closet. "Why? Were you in there for a long time?"

"Yeah, I guess," Erik said quietly. "Just thinking."

Erik's mom shook her head smiling as Erik walked into his room, closing the door behind him. It was now pitch black outside. He sat on his bed and pulled his phone out. He checked for any new messages as he used both of his feet to slip his shoes off. He sighed when he saw Sam didn't leave him any messages and set the phone down on his nightstand. He laid down on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. He reached over and turned his bedside lamp off, closing his eyes. His last thoughts were of Sam, and what could've happened to her to make her cry when she drove past.