Here we have the penultimate chapter... dun dun duuun! As always, the parent's of Springwood know far more than they let on...

*NOES belongs to Wes Craven/New Line Cinema*

*Mr Rogers belongs to Fred Rogers/Small World Enterprises*

Chapter 12

As he stalked further into the dreamscape, Fred Krueger felt his powers peak and gave himself a moment to enjoy the buzz now flowing through his veins. Savouring souls was always a thrill.

He paused before carrying on down the steel corridor, listening intently to pinpoint exactly where his next victim was. It amused him to find that she wasn't afraid. Not yet, anyway. Though why should she be? He had gained her trust, offered her the safety of her brother for returning that bitch Thompson to Springwood. So far he had posed no threat to her and the stupid fuck had been taken in by it all.

Now he had Nancy taking part in his twisted games, it was time to tie up loose ends. Now what to tie them up with, that was the question.

Kruger smirked, dragging his claws over the steel walls as he went.

Come out; come out, wherever you are...

XXX

Back home Elaine Parker lay awake, listening to the snoring coming from the man sleeping next to her. She hadn't expected to find herself divorced at forty with her only child about to be admitted to the local mental hospital. Neither had she expected to find herself trying fill the void left by her husband with booze and a new date almost every week.

Yet here she was.

This town was acidic poison, corroding everyone to the core. Melting away the happiness till all that remained was a husked out shell of a human being, existing rather than living.

It had all started with that bastard Krueger.

She hadn't been there that night, but her husband had. He had been young then, swept away by mob mentality. Rightly so as that sick pervert had mutilated the kids of this town, tore them apart like the gutted pigs hanging in the butcher's window. That wasn't the half of it.

Then to top it off, the Springfield Police Department failed to fill in their paperwork. The bastard was free, just like that. In her heart she couldn't blame her ex-husband for what he had taken part in. She grew used to his erratic sleep pattern, his mood swings, and when her daughter started waking up screaming in the night, it was then Elaine knew something was coming for them.

Evil never died. Evil rested, it watched... it waited.

Then that fucking coward had jumped ship, leaving them to face this alone. For that she hated him, it was that she could not forgive.

Sitting up, she opened the middle drawer of her bedside cabinet. Underneath Kristen's pile of grade school drawings was a bottle of cheap vodka with two thirds gone. The last of it would help her sleep for the night. Then she could deal with whatever the morning brought with it.

Elaine was asleep before the bottle was empty.

XXX

Gwen waited for Krueger to appear in his usual spot. This was it, their final meeting. She had kept her promise and, after tonight, it would all be over. She could finally get out of this town and get back to making a home for her and, when he got out of the looney bin, her brother. Their teenage years had been snatched from them, but Gwen was sure there was a life to live outside of Springwood.

It was a thought that filled her with hope.

The sudden screeching made her jump. Freddy did like his theatrics. She shuddered as she felt herself wondering what else he may have been up to this evening. They usually met after he had finished his... work for that night. He explained that a fresh kill lowered his chances of losing control and ripping her delicate throat from her. Gwen doubted very much this was true as she had caught him looking at her a few times in the same way a lion looks at its prey. A sick, twisted lion, which would enjoy the kill rather than the feast.

One more night girl, just one more night.

It was his eyes that scared her the most. Not that glove with the blood crusting the blades, nor his spine chilling cackle. It was looking into his eyes that struck terror deep into her heart. There was nothing to be found in those milky blue orbs than a crawling madness that would consume you if you stared too long. It was for this reason that Gwen conducted most of their business staring straight at the floor.

Some time had passed since Krueger's blades screeching along the metal wall had announced his arrival in his...what was it? Dreamscape? Gwen shifted from foot to foot, a feeling of unease beginning to form in the pit of her stomach. Something was wrong. Her surroundings began to grow dark, the walls and ceiling disappearing as the floor expanded in all directions.

What the fuck? If this was Krueger's idea of a last night surprise, she wasn't in the mood. She wanted to get this shit wrapped up quick and go home. Let Nancy deal with this crispy fruitcake.

As the unusual silence continued, Gwen's feeling of unease grew. It almost felt like her legs were made of lead. The sensation then spread to her arms. Before she could open her mouth to scream she found herself trapped in her own body, unable to move a muscle. Her eyes moved frantically back and forth, scanning around her. From what she could see of her own body, her skin and clothes had morphed into one, shiny plastic mould. As her surroundings began to take on shape and form, the realisation hit her like a punch in the gut.

He had lied.

A voice in the back of her mind screamed at her, of course he fucking lied! He's an un-dead psychopathic child killer, not Mr-fucking-Rogers!

Now it was too late. She was trapped here, in his own version of hell.

Krueger suddenly swept in front of her, pausing to give an exaggerated bow. He looked up at her, an evil smirk playing on his lips. "Good evening, Gwendolyn."

With his arrival, the dreamscape now looked like a huge version of the Dungeons and Dragons playing board. A low light filled the space where the ceiling should have been, hushed whispers coming from above. Suddenly an oversized dice rumbled past causing the ground to tremor beneath her.

She was in someone's fucking game?

The next voice she heard gave her a surge of hope, Will! With horror she remembered she could no longer open her mouth, not to speak and not to scream.

Her brother was going to kill her.

With one swift movement, Will moved his piece to the square in front of her. This piece was horribly disfigured, its mouth gaping and twisted, the eyes glowing red. As her brother set his piece down, the mouth grew bigger, drawing her in. She tried to struggle, but it was in vain. In her head she screamed as she was sucked into the hellish void. As the vacuum pulled her in, she felt her body being ripped apart piece by piece. The surroundings began to swim around her and all she could here was Krueger's laughter filling the air. With one final tearing sound, the world disappeared completely as the darkness engulfed her.

Game over.

XXX

For the last time both Nancy and Max watched the sun come up while seated in his small kitchen. The coffee maker was working overtime as usual.

It had been only a half hour ago Max had got a phone call from that asshole Lorenzo telling him about the crazy shit that had gone down that night. Parker had been found in his office, a suspected heart attack. Probably alcohol related, his little problem was well known amongst the staff at Westin.

Fuck, thought Max, show me someone in this town who doesn't have a drinking problem and I'll show you someone who's surprised.

He had passed the information onto Nancy, who didn't even blink.

"That's it then. Path's clear for me to get back into Westin."

"Hmm, and what then Nancy, huh? You gonna end up in line for the morgue? Gotta lot of people on there now so you might be waiting some time."

Nancy smirked, "Is that your idea of gallows humour Max?"

"I'd say it was more of my defence working in this weird ass town."

"Gotcha."

"Look Nancy, I'm no more clued up than I was when you first showed up here. I know there's some freaky shit going on, but I don't know who's telling the truth and who's not, y'know? What I'm gonna say is this, if you do get back into Westin, which may just be the best place for your crazy ass, then as far as anyone is concerned, we don't know each other. I don't mean no harm by that, but I'm not losing this job. I gotta wife and kid to look out for and I'm not letting any bogeyman motherfucker or messed up teenagers ruin that."

"I understand Max and thank you for all you've done for me. It's more than the average person in this town would have put up with."

"You're okay Nancy; I think if things were different we could have been proper friends. I want you to have something though, hang on."

Max got up from the table to rummage through the store cupboard at the far end of the kitchen. After going through two fairly large boxes, he found what he was looking for in a third.

"Here," he said, holding up what looked like some kind of voodoo doll.

Nancy burst out laughing, "Thanks Max, but I don't think black magic is the way to deal with this."

"Naw Nancy, it's some kind of dream doll. Brings good dreams to the person who owns it. My wife brought it back from Malaysia when she went to visit her parents last time. She gave it to me when I moved, but to be honest dreaming about her and my baby girl is pretty sweet so I guess you should have it."

Touched, Nancy felt herself welling up as she took the ceramic doll from Max.

"Now don't tell me you've come through all you have and now you're gonna cry over a doll?"

Max was startled as Nancy got up quickly to kiss him on the cheek.

"Thank you Max, for everything."

He shrugged, a little embarrassed by her sudden display of affection.

"I think that's my payback over for you keepin' my secret, hey?"

"Yeah Max, I think so."

XXX

The next chapter will be the last, kids. I've had fun with this. Thanks to all who've taken the time out to read and review.

I have no idea of how a D&D board works; I just made this up to fit how Gwen was going meet her maker.

So on with the next chapter! Back to Westin Hills we go...

Lara xx