Chapter 5
"So what is this … group therapy, or what?" Candice asked suspiciously as she looked around the darkened room.
"Yes, and no; but before I explain, I think we all should go around and properly introduce ourselves." Nancy said as she started with the boy to her left.
"Well … my name is Brett Sanderson, and I'm here because I tried to … you know …" he trailed off as he made a slicing motion across his wrists.
"I'm Candice, and I'm here because my family thinks I'm nuts." Candice said, not even trying to hide the bitterness in her voice.
"I'm Rodger, and my night terrors got so bad that my parents dumped me off here and never came back." He said bitterly.
"My name is Otis, and same story, my shit got too real for my parents to handle." He said.
"Yep, same here." Twins Greg and Peter echoed.
"Okay … what if I told you that I know who's been tormenting you, and that you can learn how to fight him?" Nancy said.
Brett snorted disbelievingly. "Yeah right, lady. You must be high on some of those drugs you prescribe." He said, the other kids chuckled.
Nancy ignored him and leaned forward in her chair. "His face is horribly burned, he wears a dirty red and green sweater, a brown hat, and he wears a glove with knives on his right hand. How am I doing so far?" She quipped.
The kids were stunned, they looked to each other, speechless.
"How … how did you …" Brett trailed off.
"Because I've fought him before, when I was your age, he attacked and killed my friends, and he almost killed me. Not too long ago, we taught a group of kids just like you how to fight him. If you're willing, I can show you all, too." Nancy said.
Some of the kids looked at each other skeptically.
"Hey … if it'll show me how to keep this asshole away from me, I'm all for it. So … when do we start?" Candice said.
"Okay … How about we start now?" Neil said as flipped the pendulum's light on, pulled it back and let it go.
"Clear your mind of all thoughts; focus on the pendulum swinging back and forth. You feel your eyelids getting heavier, until you can no longer hold them open …"
A moment passed and everyone's eyes snapped open.
"Well? Did it work?" Candice asked.
"There's only one way to find out; think back to your most wonderful dreams, what could you do in them?" Nancy said.
"It's been so long since I've had a good dream, I don't know if I can even remember." Brett said sadly.
"I remember, in my best dreams, I was a martial arts master." Roger said as he did an impressive roundhouse kick, though he landed awkwardly and lost his balance.
"I guess I'm out of practice." He said sheepishly.
"Well … that's what we're all here for, to practice." Nancy said with a smile.
"In my dreams, I've got powers like Superman!" Otis said as he lifted the coffee table up with one hand and twirled it on his finger like a basketball.
"In our dreams, we're shape shifters!" The twins, Greg and Peter said as they transformed into a pair of wolves.
Nancy turned to Candice and Brett. "What about you two, don't you remember what you used to be in your best dreams?"
"Well … when I was young, I used to dream that I was invisible … but I haven't done it in so long … I don't know." Brett said.
"Come on, dude, try … don't you want to be rid of this jerk?" Otis said as he put a hand on Brett's shoulder.
Brett squeezed his eyes shut and concentrated with all his might, and when he opened them, everyone was looking at him, shocked.
Nancy dug into her purse, pulled out a small mirror and held it up in front of him. "Sweet!" He exclaimed as he looked into it and seeing nothing where his reflection should be.
"What about you, Candice?" Neil asked.
"Well … I don't know …" She said as she rubbed her arms uncomfortably.
"Come on, Candice … if we can do it … you can do it." Brett said as the other kids joined in with a chant of 'do it!' over and over again.
Candice could feel it building … the power.
"I said I don't want to!" she shrieked at Brett, who along with Neil, Nancy and the other kids were blasted back against the wall by a powerful Psychokinetic blast.
"Nancy … are you okay?" Neil asked, very worried as he gingerly helped her up, but Nancy didn't acknowledge him, she instead hurried back over to Candice, who's eyes had a wild, almost feral look to them.
"You have telekinetic powers!" Nancy said as she cautiously approached her, still slightly breathless.
"I have what?!" Candice replied, still struggling to reign in her notoriously short temper.
"Telekinesis is a real, tangible psychic ability, Candice. If you can learn how to control it when you're awake, when you sleep, you'll be a force to be reckoned with." Neil explained to her.
Just then, the shrill ring of the timer made them all jump and the next thing they knew, they were waking up in their chairs.
"What the hell …! Did … did we just dream all that or was it real?" Brett said as he looked himself over.
"It seemed so … real!" Greg said.
"It was both." Nancy interjected with a smile.
"Now as of tonight, we are going to be taking all of you off all dream suppressants, because unfortunately they suppress the good dreams as well as the bad ones. But we also won't force anyone to practice if they don't want to, it's your choice." Neil said.
"I think I speak for everyone here when I say that I want to fight! I don't want to spend my life being afraid of this guy." Brett said, the other kids nodded.
"Alright then, we'll start tonight." Neil said.
Nancy slid into the passenger side of Neil's car with a grimace, one that didn't go unnoticed.
"Nancy, are you sure you're okay?" Neil asked as he slid in behind the wheel.
"Yeah … just sore, that's all." Nancy replied as she offered him what she hoped was a convincing smile.
Neil didn't answer, he simply put the car into reverse and off they went.
"Neil … this isn't the way home." Nancy said shrewdly.
"That's because we aren't going home, we're going to the hospital." Neil said pointedly.
"Neil I told you I'm …"
"… Fine … I know … but what if you're not? You don't just have yourself to think about anymore Nancy and I wish you would let me help you being as I'm half the reason we're in this predicament to begin with." He said as he grinned wryly at her, and she laughed in spite of herself.
"Okay … you win." She said as she held up her hands in defeat
"Well?" Neil asked anxiously as the Doctor returned.
"Nothing, everything is seems to be okay." She said.
"Seems to be?" Neil echoed worriedly.
"Yes, the baby is showing a little more brain activity than is normally seen in the first trimester, but other than that, your baby is developing normally, and perfectly healthy. We were even able to tell the sex, only if you want to know, of course." She replied with a kind smile.
"Thanks … but we'd rather wait and find out the old fashioned way, if you don't mind." Nancy interjected as Neil opened his mouth to speak.
"No problem, it's quite normal for parents to want to wait and find out at the birth." She said as she excused herself from their room.
Out of the blue, Nancy turned and gave Neil a hearty smack.
"Hey …! What in the hell was that for?!" He exclaimed indignantly as he rubbed his arm.
"THAT … was for almost ruining the surprise." She said as she waggled her finger accusingly at him.
"But … don't you want to know what we're having?" Neil said, unable to keep the disappointment completely out of his voice.
"Sure, I'll find out when it's born." She replied with a wry smile.
"But this way I won't know what color to paint the baby's room, or which clothes to get or …" He trailed off as he began pacing to and fro in front of her.
Nancy grabbed his hand as he passed by her. "Neil … darling, don't worry we'll pick neutral colors for the baby's room, and as for clothes? They have unisex baby clothes, too. We'll make it work, trust me." She said as he helped her into her coat.
"You're nervous." She said, playfully poking him as they stepped into the elevator.
"Of course I'm nervous! This is a big thing! This is a HUGE thing! Plus we have Freddy to worry about." He said as the elevator dinged and the doors opened up to the hospital's parking lot.
Nancy suddenly stopped in her tracks.
"More brain activity than normal …" she said to herself.
"Oh my god! He's been using my baby's dreams! That's how he's been getting to the kids even with the dream suppressants!" Nancy said in realization.
"So … what does that mean?" Neil asked.
"It means that I'm going to have to do battle with him … again." Nancy said, her expression set.
Notes: Everyone, I am so sorry for not updating sooner. I have been crazy busy with school finals and the holidays, plus my mother had surgery, so I have been helping her while she recovers. I am also sorry this chapter was so short, I had intended it to be longer, it just felt right to end it here.
