While the desire to face off against the Dream Demon known as Freddy Krueger was an amicable decision amongst the gathered Ghostbusters the plan itself was seemingly impossible, if not a guaranteed death sentence for the intrepid trio. Confronting lingering ghosts, lost spirits, troublesome monsters and resurrected demigods had seemingly become effortless compared to facing off with a vengeful demon who was hellbent of finishing his quest to eliminate those who once escaped his brutal assault as children.

"Bringing a functioning weapon into the dream world is impossible." Egon admitted after mentally calculating the physics of the theory in question. "While we can construct or modify a trap to strengthen it against the power of Krueger, we would be unable to physically carry any device from the waking world into the dream world."

"Then how do we stop him?" Winston asked as he peeked through the opened lab door hoping that Peter was still nearby pr eavesdropping. "If we can't face him on his terms and win how we even the odds in our favor AND on our terms?"

While Egon pondered the all too important question Ray looked down at his freshly bandaged arm with a twisted sense of fear and awe. It was then an interesting theory came to mind. "Maybe the only way to even the odds is by bringing him to us; confront him with home field advantage!"

"And how do we do that?" Winston was trying to follow Ray's logic but failed.

"Easy." Ray held up his bandaged arm and pointed to it with a smug grin. "What happens in the dream world affects the real world, what should be an illusion becomes tangible and real. That means if Freddy is an illusion than he too can become real if we can bring him into the waking world."

"...How?" Egon was enthralled by the theory but unable to comprehend any plausible scenarios.

"I bring him into the real world." Ray took a deep breath and lowered his arm. "I sleep, encounter him in my nightmare and confront him head on. I get a hold of him and hang on until I wake up, then he'll be here in the firehouse and we can trap him!"

"Ray," Egon was reluctant to go along with the plan. "even if it was in fact possible to bring something physical from the dream world into our waking world... It's t dangerous."

"I know, I've been hurt and we know he won't hold back, but we have little choice."

Winston chimed in with a somber tone. "I hate to break it to you Ray, but that sounds completely crazy! Don't get me wrong, you're my friend and I know you're sane, but this is too farfetched to be believed."

"We should at least try." Ray argued. "If I'm wrong and there's no way to stop this Freddy freak then that means it really is just a nasty nightmare and it spread over to Egon from hysteria or repressed memories. None of us are in any real danger and I'll stop reading horror stories so close to bed."

After dismissing himself from the conversation in the lab and retreating to the bunk room up on the second floor Peter let out a deep, sleepy yawn and fell into his bed with a heavy 'whump'. Fatigue had overrun his mind and made sleep the only priority for the psychologist that night. It didn't take long for Peter to drift off into a much needed slumber.

It wasn't long before the voices from downstairs roused Peter from his much needed sleep. Annoyed, exhausted and fed up with the nightmare nonsense that had disrupted the normal routines of the four Ghostbusters. "Ray... Will you PLEASE drop it!" Peter grumbled bitterly as he pulled his pillow from under his head and pressed it against his face. The voices were still loud despite the cushion providing a sound barrier. "That's it! I'm going to put an end to this once and for all!"

Tossing aside the pillow Peter practically jumped out of his bed and made his way over to the fire pole into the corner. Sliding down into the garage Peter was ready either yell at Ray or grab him by his good shoulder and shake some sense into him.

"All right you guys, it's time to-" Storming into the lab Peter was ready greeted by an unexpected sight. A long figure was standing amongst steaming pipes that snaked over the walls and standing before a massive roaring furnace that burned with a bright orange flame. The figure had its back to Peter, its gaze seemingly fixated on the fire raging in the furnace. "You're not Ray... Or Egon. Or Winston."

The figure extended its right hand revealing a glove with four long razors attached to each finger.

"Oh... Shit."

Turning to face Peter the figure revealed its horrifically burned face and released guttural chuckle.

"Shit... You must be 'Freddy'." Peter tried to back out of the room only have the door slam shut behind him and lock. Reaching for the knob with one hand he began wrestling with the lock as he stared with unparalleled horror at the burned man who took a step forward. "This isn't real. This is a dream."

"No." Freddy waved a single razor at Peter as if shaking a finger in correction. "This is a nightmare. YOUR nightmare."

"Is it too late to wake up?"

The fire in the furnace rushed upward with a renewed energy that illuminated the pipes in bright orange glow that cast long, slithering shadows against the walls. Steam hissed loudly from the pipes like a thousand angry snakes surrounding the trapped psychologist.

"This isn't real, it's NOT real!" Peter repeated to himself in a desperate bid to awaken from the nightmare.

"Seeing," Freddy hissed as he appeared right in front of Peter, slamming his gloved hand against the wall beside Peter's head. "is believing."

Peter slunk down against the wall as he locked eyes with Freddy's bright green irises that glared at him with a twisted glee. "Being 'ready to believe you' is just a slogan buddy, don't take it so literally!"

Freddy's clawed hand dragged down the wall with a loud screech, the razors gouging deeply into the surface leaving behind four long cuts that scarred the bricks and mortar. "You're stubborn." Using his ungloved hand Freddy grabbed onto the front of Peter's shirt and pulled him closer to his own face. "I like that."

"I know at least four other people who would side against you."

"Your mind, it's strong. But your fear is stronger." Freddy dragged his claw down over Peter's shoulder, over his chest and pointed his index finger directly at Peter's heart. "Let's see if your heart is just as strong... Shall we?"

"I'd rather not!" Peter rebutted as he immediately grabbed Freddy's wrist with both hands and tried to hold it back with all his strength. Peter's white knuckles strained to hold back the demonic hand of his attacker, his fingers tearing into the fabric of the sleeve of Freddy's shirt. "I'm very sensitive!"

Freddy was much stronger than any mortal man in the dream world. Grinning with a demonic joy Freddy toyed with Peter as he slowly overpowered the man and pressed his razor closer and closer to the Peter's heart as it pounded with adrenaline in his trembling chest.

Rarely outsmarted Peter thought quickly and remembered that Ray had awoken from his nightmare covered in painful wounds. The injuries were enough to cause Ray to call out in pain from his sleep. Releasing one hand from Freddy's wrist Peter stretched his own arm outward toward the billowing steam of the nearest pipe and cried out in pain as the dangerously hot mist quickly pain searing into flesh.

Peter suddenly shot upright in his bed as he pulled himself out of the nightmare and back into the real world. Panting in pain as the adrenaline coursing through his veins made his heart race Peter stared down at his arm and saw the massive red burn that had saved his life.

"Peter?" Egon entered the room quickly and stared at his friend with confusion in his eyes. Retrieving his glasses from the nightstand he walked over to where Peter was sitting and looked down at his arm. "You've been burned."

"Remember when I said I was done with all the nightmare stuff?"

"Yes."

"I think I was a little premature."

"You were attacked as well." Egon shook his head angrily. "We must find a way to stop him. We can't possibly continue our lives with these nightmares plaguing us."

"I'm on board. What do we do?"

Egon didn't answer, only because he didn't have the answer to give.

Ray and Winston joined their colleagues in the bunk room and stared at Peter with wide eyes.

"Great," Winston sounded more annoyed than worried. "three down and one to go. I'm going to go make some coffee."

Ray put his hand on Winston's shoulder but didn't break eye contact with Peter. "You okay?"

"I've been better." Peter admitted as he held up his burned arm for Ray to see. "Maybe we'll have matching scars that we can get covered up with matching tattoos. How about you get a heart with my initials and I get skull with your initials?"

"Did he say anything to you?" Ray asked as he ignored Peter's joke. "Did he give you any clues as to how we could possibly defeat him?"

"He said my fear was stronger than my mind. Which is good because that means I'm not as bullheaded as you all think!"

"Be serious, Peter! Please!"

"I am being serious! I'm seriously irritated, seriously tired, seriously sore; I mean look at this!" As Peter went to point at his burn for emphasis a swatch of torn fabric fell from his hand and landed on the floor beside his bed.

"Wait a moment." Egon bent down and picked up the tattered piece of fabric. Studying it carefully between his fingers Egon realized he recognized the fabric, he had seen it before. In his nightmare. "Peter, where did this come from?"

"I... I grabbed onto his arm when he came after me. I guess I tore a piece of his shirt in the struggle."

"You... brought it back with you? From your dream?"

Ray's eyes lit up with excitement as he snatched the fabric from Egon's hands. "I knew it! I was right! We CAN bring objects out of his dream world and into our world! I can go after him in my dream, I can bring Freddy back into the real world!"

"Ray." Winston's voice of reason was singing proudly as he pulled the fabric from Ray's grip and held it tightly in his own fist. "That sounds incredibly dangerous. You can't do anything so risky unless we know for sure we can stop him, that is, if you can even really bring him into our world."

"I have to try." Ray defied firmly. "He's attacked us three," he gestured to himself, Egon and Peter as he spoke. "he'll likely go after you, too. He'll probably go after Janine and who knows who else! We have to stop him. We have to protect everyone before he begins a new reign of terror. There are so many innocent children in New York City alone, what if he spreads beyond our minds and into the minds of everyone connected to us?"

"Ray's right." Egon reluctantly sided with determined engineer. "This 'dream demon' managed to awaken itself just from Ray stumbling across newspaper articles that stimulated a long repressed memory. He's strong and if he really does feed on fear then we have to stop him as soon as possible."

"I agree, he needs to be stopped." Winston was still trying to be the voice of reason. "But Ray, why do you need to confront this guy? He's already injured you pretty good, why not have us all go after him together as a team?"

Ray bowed his head guiltily. "Because I'm the one who's responsible for his return. I have to stop him. I won't let anyone else get hurt. It's my fault."

Peter's instincts as a psychologist kicked in. "Ray, it's NOT your fault. You were the first of us to have a nightmare dealing with this lunatic but you aren't responsible for his actions or for the actions of the people who killed him all those years ago. You're a victim just like me and Egon."

"It's still something I have to do." Ray wasn't going to back down from his decision. "I won't lose another friend to Freddy. No one else is going to die by his hand."

...to be continued...