DISCLAIMER: In order to maintain authenticity to character, some characters might have different viewpoints than my own, and use language or have actions I do not agree with. But if every character had my system of beliefs, there would be no legitimate character development and diversity. Any language one may find offensive, I apologize in advance. Those words I do not use, so please, keep this into consideration.

Hush Sally, Hush!

Today was not my fucking day.

Still sprawled on the floor, I tried to push myself up but an invisible force pressed itself against my back, squashing my face against the dirty metal. Up above I heard the patient footfalls of rubber against metal as ReFred strode along the cat-walk. I couldn't see him, but I could picture the jagged grin on his face.

"You oughtta be thanking me. Little girls shouldn't be playing with things they don't understand," he scolded, clicking his tongue as though he were a disappointed father, "You're already way in over your head."

"Like I don't know that," my words were muffled, cheeks pressing too hard against the floor. Beside me, those same thick rubber boots appeared, and ReFred knelt down. An almost pitying look on his face.

"You're lucky I found you, wandering so far from your body. Who knows what kind of things could have swallowed you up?" Reaching forward he grabbed a handful of my hair, yanking my head up so I could look at him. The rest of my limbs were still glued to the ground, "You lookin' for your little friends?"

"They aren't my friends." ReFred laughed, throwing my head back down as he stood up.

"Right, right.," his response was sarcastic, "How about your boyfriend? You lookin' for him?" ReFred circled me as he spoke.

"I don't...have a boyfriend…" I replied, still trying to pry my palms from the floor they seemed stuck on.

"You don't?" ReFred cocked his head, stopping near my waist. I could just barely see him in my peripherals. What was it with Freddy's and needing to fuck with their victims? It was tedious. Annoying. Staring at him as best I could, I wracked my brain trying to think of who he meant. It clicked.

"Trey isn't my boyfriend. I barely know the guy."

"Ah, so you'll risk a stranger's life if it means saving your own. A little selfish, dontcha think?"

"I didn't ask him to do shit. He was only there because…" I trailed off. He was only there because I invited him to a party knowing damn well he'd get slaughtered. And he only got away because we needed him to get us the hell out of there. Fuck, ReFred was right, and he clearly knew it too. He was already snickering to himself, clearly satisfied with himself. Swallowing, I added, "All he did was drive us to and from the hospital. I haven't seen him since. Haven't talked to him. Like I said...barely know the guy." Whatever invisible force was holding me down released me, and as I scrambled to my feet, ReFred closed the small gap between us. From one trap to another, I was backed into a corner, staring him down, trying to quell the rapid beating of my heart. It seemed more exaggerated now that I could feel it all again.

"You wouldn't mind if I paid him a visit then?" ReFred asked nonchalantly, boxing me in with his arms. Beside me his rusted blades played with a strand of my hair, lifting it gently and letting it fall.

"Don't," I snapped, not meaning to sound so defensive. Once again my heart did a painful thump against my chest, aggressive enough to alert the dream demon.

"Feeling guilty that your selfish actions got him caught up in all of this?"

"He isn't caught up in all of this. He has nothing to do with any of this so just leave the guy alone," there I went again, getting so defensive over a stranger. ReFred noticed.

"Did I hit a nerve?" ReFred sneered, once again playing with the red threads of my hair, wrapping thick curls around his claws, "Does someone have a little crush?"

A flurry of anger bloomed in my chest, igniting my nerves and pinching the back of my neck. Furiously I pushed my hands against his chest, only intending on pushing him off of me. Instead, he flew backwards, a good yard or so, colliding with one of the many boilers in this endless maze. From this far back I could hear steam spew from the busted boiler. Not wanting to stick around and see how ReFred felt about that little outburst I quickly turned to the wall behind me. Palms to the wall I pressed against it, and when it felt like I had a firm grip, began to spider-crawl up the wall as quickly as possible.

"Don't tell me you're one of those little Dream Warriors now?" ReFred called out, trying to sound unaffected but he couldn't hide the pissed off inflections in his voice. I ignored him, continuing my crawl as quietly as possible, aiming to go higher and higher. If I could at least throw him off of my track I could try and wake up. Shifting horizontal I stood upright, running along the wall. Without any boilers or chains in my way, I could now see the edges of the dream world. Far ahead the world was a blur of colors and darkness. If I could make it to that, maybe I could make it back to the void. Maybe I could wake myself up.

A harrowing groan bounced from wall to wall, the sound of metal bending, and I only had a second to process it before I felt the room begin to turn. The wall I was on was rising, quickly becoming the ceiling where previously there hadn't been one. Just abyss. Using all of my focus I clung to the wall, even as it turned on me, and managed to keep a flat grip on it. Dangling like a spider clutching it's very last thread I looked down at the fall below. Had the room gotten bigger? From here the fall looked less deadly and more infinite.

"Just hanging around?" I jerked my head up to see ReFred standing by my hands. Gravity meant nothing to him in his world, and he was so damn smug about it. Crouching down, he rested his arms on his knees, "How about this? You hang here, and I'll go visit that little boyfriend of yours."

"Fine. Go ahead. See if I care," I huffed, desperately trying to not look down at the deathly fall below me, "He wouldn't be the first person I've gotten killed. I'm tired of feeling guilty for this so do it. I dare you." I glared at him, pushing all emotion deep, deep into my gut. Putting up a barrier around them. All I had to do was throw him off the scent. I could do that, right? ReFred watched me, clearly trying to get a better read on me. Disappointed, he sighed, standing upright again.

"It's no fun if you don't care," ReFred pouted, sounding bored, "Guess I'll have to try that sister of yours. Is she a screamer like you?" He lifted his right knee and drove his boot down on my left knuckles. A scream erupted from my throat, and instinctively I released my right hand to cradle the left one. Almost in slow motion I realized what was happening, and I caught a glimmer of cruel glee in ReFred's eyes as he waved at me, slowly shrinking the further I fell away from him. The rusted orange glow of his domain quickly turned into darkness as I tumbled through the air, still clutching my damaged hand. This wasn't the abyss, this wasn't an endless void where I could travel harmlessly. This was still a nightmare. And at the end of this fall was the other end of a boiler room. A metal end that was eager to snap my spine the moment I made contact.

Mid-air I curled into a ball, as best as I could; it had taken a lot of energy to do what I'd done. Even if I wanted to sprout wings and fly to safety I could barely focus with the searing pain coursing through my hand.

I am in over my head...I'm not some Supergirl. I'm not a badass. I just keep putting people in danger. Maybe...I should stop delaying the inevitable….maybe I should just let it all end here….

I closed my eyes; maybe it would be quick?

And it was.

Despite the never-ending fall, the landing came so fast I still felt like I was falling. I was only aware I'd stopped hurling towards death when I felt uncomfortable warmth around me. The kind of sticky, clammy warmth on a humid summer day. The kind that makes your skin clammy just by exposure. Still curled in a fetal position, throbbing hand pressed tightly against my chest, I carefully pried my eyes open. It was still dark, but cracks of a smoggy green light were lined above me. To my left and my right, this green light was seeping it way through more circular, twisted cracks. It felt cramped, and as I rolled onto my back I lifted my right hand to see if I was boxed in somewhere. I gasped, pulling my hand back, my palm stinging; warm blood trickled down my wrist and forearm.

Without warning the whole room seemed to move, and the cracks split into vibrant bright green light as the "ceiling" gave way above me. My eyes adjusted to the sudden color, and I recognized that what I was laying on was flesh. Warm flesh wrapped in old and withered leather that my blood had trickled onto. Compared to the size of the palm, I was roughly the size of a mouse. Above my head the four jarringly large claws extended upward, uncurling from the fist that had clenched me. Each finger was as thick as a tree trunk compared to my stature, and even though I could hear the low breathing behind me, I did not want to turn around. My peripherals alone could help me see the red and green stripes that were at least a yard wide.

"You just can't keep yourself from gettin' into trouble," Freddy's familiar cadence was booming, yet low, "You're lucky I'm always one step ahead of you." Air rushed around me as Freddy raised his hand, and I tumbled backwards, knocking into his thumb, unwillingly rolling onto my side again. Still curled I stared back at him, frozen in fear. Fucking christ he was terrifying at this size. I could see the thin threads of red in his slightly bloodshot eyes, his pupils pinpoints in the center of his blue iris.

He could squash me, right here right now. I wouldn't put it past him. Oh my God I'm about to be squashed. I don't want to be squashed, that sounds awful- my mind was a flurry of frantic thoughts, unable to slow itself down. The more my heart raced, the more my hand throbbed in pain. If it wasn't one Krueger, it was the other. I couldn't catch a break.

"As fun as it would be to squash you like the tick you are," to prove his point, Freddy slowly closed his fist, his blades hovering far too close for comfort, "You should know by now I ain't done with you. Besides, you need to wake up," he uncurled his fingers again, "you're no use to me if you're dead." For once, I was thankful that Freddy was adamant that I would die by his hand. ReFred was certainly a constant threat, but with Freddy around, I knew I'd be safe by default. Swallowing the sharp lump in my throat, I started to croak out a few words.

"Thank yo-"

"Don't. Thank. Me." Freddy glared, quickly raising his hand to bring me to eye level, "We aren't friends. We aren't pals. Understand that, bitch?" Nodding fervently, I watched his charred flesh crease around his eyes as he grinned, "Good. Now wake up before Bubba can turn ya' into barbecue and chili."

"...come again?" I asked, and Freddy tilted his hand. My body slid against the leather, my own sweat making it slippery. I tried to catch a handful of leather with my good hand but missed it, falling off of his hand and towards the floor again. Immediately my body - my real body - jerked wildly, and I sat up in bed. Two erratic voices screamed at me, both incoherent and jarring, and I could barely hear them over the sound of a chainsaw.

A chainsaw….shit.

Without thinking I pressed both hands against the mattress, yelping as I remembered my injured hand, and I balanced myself on my knees. Someone was making good work of Tasha's door, the teeth of their saw biting into the wood, a decent chunk was being carved. I didn't really need to guess who,

"Ash your hand!" My mother's voice asked breathlessly, her fingers wrapping around my forearm as she inspected it, "Y-You were...you were flying around the room. You hit the ceiling you...you were on the ceiling. Fell from it and landed here. What happened?" Mom's lips continued to move but I had started to tune her out. If this was another nightmare, I'd welcome either Krueger's return. How would I explain any of this to her? As if things weren't already complicated enough. I had forgotten someone else was in the room and saw Zoe staring at me, unsurprised but clearly scared. All color had drained from her face, and despite her understanding she was losing her grip.

"Where's Tasha?" I asked her, and Zoe pointed to the door.

"She went out to try and stop him. I think it's the guy from the...the...," Zoe's lower lip quivered, her chin muscles tightening; she was trying her best not to cry and couldn't finish her sentence. Whatever had been holding her beautiful little brain together was snapping under pressure.

"He's here for me. I'll distract him. You guys should be safe," I climbed off, pulling away from Mom's grip, "If I'm not back in fifteen minutes…" I couldn't finish the sentence. There was really nothing they'd be able to do. Mom stared at me, confused and visibly upset, and she started to shake her ahead. Her expression cut deep and I turned away, inhaling sharply. My body was still heavy with sleep, my brain slightly foggy, but I mustered every bit of energy I had left in me, and thrust my right palm at the door.

It exploded, shattering into splinters and pain chips, but sent ReFace back as I'd intended. I heard the thud of his body, and he let out a vocal cry of surprise. No time to waste I sprinted for the hole I'd made, rushing past him before he could collect his bearings. I had to at least try and get a head start, or I'd be dead meat. I barely registered Tasha crouching, shielding herself from door debris. I almost stopped, tempted to grab her wrist and drag her with me.

He's going to tunnel you, no doubt about that. If he was after her she'd already be dead. Always on point I followed the advice of my inner voice and with adrenaline pumping through me I was able to run down the stairs with surprising speed.

Shards of broken glass were scattered all across the kitchen floor, all that remained of our porch door. I did my best to jump over it all but still stepped on a few pieces, the sting nearly throwing me off course. But hearing the heavy footsteps that were barreling down our stairs I knew I couldn't afford that. It was already dark out, and I could maybe lose him somewhere in the woods. But that would only work if I lost him to begin with, and stumbling around would slow me down. Still, I cast a quick glance over my shoulder.

Wait a damn minute...that's not ReFace.

….that's regular ole' Leatherface.

For a moment I considered stopping; surely he must be on my side, right? Well...about as much as Michael and Jason are. But the way he was holding that chainsaw told me otherwise. Needing to create distance I pushed my legs hard as I could, sprinting across the backyard and straight into the woods. They were already starting to burn, along with my chest. The air felt thinner, breathing was becoming a sharp and painful task. Breaking the line of trees I weaved between trunks, ignoring the crunch of sticks and stones beneath my feet. All the while Leatherface's revved his chainsaw, running after me at an alarming speed.

Closing the gap between us I managed to duck as Leatherface swung his chainsaw, narrowly missing me and allowing me a moment to sprint forward again.I wanted to scream for help but that would be a waste of breath.

Jason, Michael where the fuck are you when I actually need you? I thought, head pounding in unison with my hand and with my feet. The deeper I got, the more dense the woods became. Smaller branches from bushes and tiny trees scratched at me as I ran by, trying to entangle me in their roots. Leatherface grunted and swung, fully forcing them out of his way and onto the forest floor. Every now and then he would close the distance, and I don't know if it was paranoia but I swore I felt the tip of the saw graze my back every so often. Growing darker by the minute my sense of navigation was faltering, and my tumbles and stumbles became more frequent. My plan was starting to backfire. Leatherface wasn't thrown off by the thick of the woods; if anything, he was easily tailing me while I struggled.

Finally, after many attempts, one of the thick roots from the floor caught my foot, throwing me down against the ground. I quickly turned to face Bubba, scattering backwards, gasping loudly as my injured hand sent sharp waves of pain up my arm into my chest. Bubba licked his lips, straddling his legs apart, raising the chainsaw above his head triumphantly. He even wiggled side to side, like some bird from Planet fucking Earth.

Any energy I had in me was completely used up at this point, and I could barely focus between the noise and the pain. There was no fighting back anymore. I couldn't Carrie my way out of this. But maybe I could Caroline Williams my way out of this…in a sense.

"Bubba!" I managed to yell over the sound of his chainsaw. Immediately he stopped, chainsaw freezing mid air, "Can you turn that off so we can talk?" Sweat trickled down my temple as Bubba carefully lowered his weapon. He didn't turn it off, but he did stop revving it, the hum of the motor only barely covering up the crickets and various other insects that chirped around us, "Good. Good. It's nice to meet you Bubba. I'm Ash," I kept my voice as steady as possible, but it was dipping into exhausted territory, cracking every few syllables, "You're here to see me, right?" Hands clutching his chainsaw tightly Bubba nodded, almost comically, his mouth half open like he was trying his hardest to process my words, "That's what I thought. How can I help you?" Pushing his chainsaw dangerously close to me he responded with a string of grunts and noises that were indistinguishable to me. Hunched over, his eyes wild and wide, he pressed the tip of the saw against my chest. Engine still purring I watched with tense anticipation as he reached for the starter cord.

Jason's mask appeared from the darkness so suddenly I swore under my breath, and before Leatherface could even peek over his shoulder Jason had blindsided him, throwing all of his weight into Bubba's side and sending him to the dirt below. Bubba let out a piggish squeal of surprise as he fell over, and Jason stood squarely between the fallen killer and myself. What a difference a couple of weeks could make. Jason was no longer a lumbering zombie, he was stronger, he was faster; he was lethal.

"Jason," I wheezed from my spot on the ground, "You got here fast..."

Hi. Jason looked over his shoulder at me briefly, before turning back to Leatherface.

With fumbling legs Bubba managed to collect himself and get back on his feet. Looking from Jason to myself Bubba was clearly conflicted. After a moment, doing his best to make sense of the situation, Leatherface motioned at me with his chainsaw. Trying to convince Jason to move aside. Jason shook his head slowly. Stomping his foot, a tantrum like motion, Leatherface spewed some sort of angry retort Jason's way, but once again, Jason was unphased.

Pulling the cord Leatherface ran at me, or at Jason, could have been either one of us really. Jason easily dodged Bubba's first swing, shifting his weight all onto his left leg and catching Leatherface's arms as his second and third swing landed inches from my head. Jason pressed his torso to Leatherface's back, and forced his arms to change direction. The saw collided with the thick trunk of an old tree, narrowly missing me.

Can you move? Jason's eye's (holy shit his busted eye was open) watched me carefully for only a few seconds, before focusing on Leatherface, who grunted and thrashed, attempting to throw the Crystal Lake Killer off of him.

"Yes." My answer was short, and I was able to crawl a foot or two away before pushing myself up again. Every muscle was aching and my legs wobbled beneath me. A few months ago I would have been unable to push through it but not anymore. Leatherface let out a furious noise, and slammed the back of his head onto Jason's, causing Jason's grip to slip. Freeing his saw from the tree he twirled around, catching Jason's arm. Blood spurted from the tear in Jason's clothes and Leatherface barreled towards me yet again. Soles stinging from the bits of broken glass embedded in them I knew damn well I couldn't sprint away in time to dodge Leatherface's attack. Luckily Jason wasn't thrown off by a flesh wound, and he caught Leatherface by the apron string. Using both hands to reel him back in like a fish on a hook Jason grabbed each side of Leatherface's head and began to squeeze. Leatherface let out a pained yell, and unwillingly dropped his chainsaw. Hands free he tried clawing at Jason's hands, and Jason pulled Bubba back, whipping them both around and freeing one hand he used the other to send Bubba's forehead straight into the tree trunk. There was a sickening 'thwack' as Bubba's head hit the wood, but Jason didn't stop there. Ramming his head into the tree twice more, Jason curled his finger into Bubba's hair, yanking his head back. Bubba's eyes were barely open, his eyelids fluttering. Jason dropped him to the ground.

Leave, Jason stood over the crumpled killer, bending down to pick up the chainsaw he had dropped. Turning it off, Jason tossed it aside, blood still spurting from his left arm. Walking up to me, Jason cocked his head, Did he do that?

"Oh, no," I shook my head, lifting my left arm and bending my elbow while my wrist dangled, "ReFred actually did that. I ran into him before all of ...this happened. Is he with you guys?" I asked, leaning so I could get a look at Leatherface's near unconscious body.

No, Jason shook his head, but he probably felt you. I could feel you. From far away.

"He came here on his own?" I bit my lower lip, chewing on it thoughtfully, "Do you think...more will come?" Jason sheathed his machete, and after a brief pause, nodded. "Great…"

Can you walk?

"Yeah. Yeah I can walk. It just hurts 'cause of the glass," as I spoke I bent my knee, looking over my shoulder. My entire sole was red, dirty, and cut. No doubt my other foot was the same. I put it back down, wincing slightly, "but it's doable. I've been through worse." I let my left arm hang by my side. Jason stood still for a moment, his eyes almost glassy, like he was deep in his own thoughts, "I need to get back before they all begin to worry about me. Are you...coming back or...are you-" my mouth shut and my muscles tensed as Jason reached for me without warning. Always expecting the worst with these guys I braced myself, only to feel mild confusion as he began to pick me up. I became even more rigid, and while he certainly didn't struggle lifting me, I was making it more awkward than it needed to be. Clearly this was uncharted territory for both of us; I preferred my personal space and he'd probably never carried anyone, outside of a corpse or two. One arm under my legs and the other under my back, holding me as if I were brittle, Jason started to walk in the direction of my house. Unsure of what else to do, I kept my arms tight against my chest, and quietly said, "Thank you...for helping me. Even when you...technically don't have to."

You're nice to me.

With that, Jason carried me through the woods, leaving Leatherface behind. Neither of us said anything (not that he ever said much...or actually spoke), and as we approached the line of trees that separated the woods from the yard, I heard shouting. Just beyond the trees, barely illuminated by the porch light, I could see Tom, Tasha and my mother arguing. Or at least, Tom and Tasha were arguing; Mom was in clear distress, standing there in bafflement. Zoe was nowhere to be seen. I could hear parts of their argument as we approached.

"You're not coming with me, you're staying put!" Tom yelled at Tasha, who still had the bat wrapped tightly in her hands.

"Guns don't work against these guys Tom! Just 'cause you have a gun doesn't mean you're safe!" Tasha retaliated.

"And you think a bat is gonna help?"

"A weapon is better than no weapon!"

"So why are you giving me shit about my goddamned gun?"

They're loud, Jason noted, and as we approached the three, Mom noticed us first, her hands flying over her mouth and her legs slowly starting towards us. Tom noticed, and followed her line of sight.

"Jesus, Ash, are you okay?" He called out, quickly passing Mom, with Tasha running immediately after him.

"I'm okay!" I replied, looking up at Jason," I can walk the rest of the way Jason, thank you." Carefully, Jason lowered me, waiting until I looked steady enough to stand on my own. Tasha threw herself at me, wrapping her arms around me tight.

"From now on, when you run. I run," she said, burying her face in the crook of my neck, "I thought you were dead meat."

"I would be if Jason hadn't showed up," I whispered back, and she let me go, quickly sniffling and pushing back whatever tears wanted to come out. Mom stood back several feet still, hands still clasped over her mouth. Mascara was smudged around her eyes, and I could see she was trembling. Terrified of the giant looming behind me, "It's okay Mom. I'm okay. This is Jason. He's..." I cast him a questioning look. He didn't give me much response, except for a slow blink, "a friend."

Instead of answering or even acknowledging what I was saying Mom pulled me into a tight but warm embrace. One hand clutched the back of my head, the other squeezing me tight as a snake. Pressing her lips to the top of my head she finally burst into tears, unable to put her feelings into words. I held onto her with my good hand, and she wobbled, falling to her knees, taking me down with her. Kneeling in the cool grass, letting her sob as much as she needed to, I looked back at Jason. He was watching us, his head tilting slowly, taking in the scene before him.

"Lorraine, c'mon. Let's get you both inside, Ash we'll get you cleaned up," Tom offered us each a hand, and I was just able to get Mom to stand with me, hissing as I pressed my feet into the ground. Behind me, Jason had vanished. Tasha noticed.

"How does he do that?"