A Nightmare on Elm Street: Harvest of Souls

Chapter Five: Fate

By: Fernando Rangel



Spike quietly walked down the corridor of his home. Where is everyone? "Eric! Karen!" No answer. "This is definitely bad. I was just looking at them five minutes ago." He walked into his room and caught Eric and Karen in bed together.

"What the fuck!" He pulled the covers off exposing them.their naked flesh wrapped around each other. "Eric?" He looked at him as if he were going to cry. Eric and Karen stood up; Spike watched as neither one of them exhibited any shame. "What did you expect Spike?"

"I-I love you."

Eric gave him a gentle smile giving Spike a bit of hope and suddenly Spike was crushed. Eric cackled at him with Karen joining in. "How sweet," he said. He turned to Karen and said, "The fruit loves me." He still laughed aloud.

Tears leaked and trickled down his face. Eric grabbed Karen and kissed her passionately. He pulled away and said, "Such a dumb ass." He turned to Spike, "It's nice to know you love me," he smiled again and said, "but I don't love you. It was just a game. You're nothing to me. You're shit. You're no one. Non-important. I could care less if you died." Eric laughed again and turned back to Karen and Spike watched as they crawled back into bed. He slowly backed away shaking his head and said, "Bastard." His chin trembled and tears streamed down his face. "I still want you." Freddy said as he grabbed Spike's shoulders. Spike tensed and said, "Oh shit." Freddy smiled evilly as Spike whipped around slowly backing away.

Freddy grabbed Spike and threw him down to the first floor. Spike landed with a hard thump. The pain crippled him for a few moments as he rocked side to side in pain. Slowly he got up, and held his back. He limped as he tried to escape. He trudged along to the door, but as it opened it led back inside. "This isn't good," he said. Suddenly Freddy grabbed him and threw him to the wall.

Spike sat back up, and coughed up blood. "Bad.I'm in a lot of trouble." He coughed a little more, and blood still came. His body trembled; he wasn't going to make it. Freddy edged closer, "Where are all your friends? Guess they weren't as good of friends as you thought. Just like you were wrong about your little boy toy." He chuckled as Spike's head bowed. He stood up and front kicked him. "This is my dream." Spike kicked him despite the pain he felt in his body-he wasn't dying. He sent a punch to Freddy's jaw but Freddy grabbed the arm and broke it in many places. Spike cried out in pain.

Freddy kicked him in the stomach, and punched his face, and then slashed him. Spike flipped on to his stomach from the punch, and touched his face as his hand trembled with fear. Suddenly Freddy drove the glove home into his chest, breaking the ribcage, stabbing Spike in the heart. His eyes bulged and teared.

As Freddy lifted his hand to drive the glove home, the door had bursted open, and as Freddy slammed the glove in his chest Eric, Karen, and Chris exploded in. Eric's eye swelled as he watched Spike's eyes tear. He and Chris ran up to them and Chris managed to push Freddy away. Eric caught Spike as he collapsed onto the floor in his arms. Eric rocked him back and forth and said, "You'll be OK, stay with us. Come on, I need you, please don't go." Tears streamed down his face and watched as Spike's chest slowly heaved up and down, preparing for when it would stop. He turned and placed his bloody hand on Eric's face. "I knew you'd come." He smiled and Eric painfully smiled and said, "Always." Spike's eyes closed and he said, "I," he took one final breath and uttered, "love you." His hand slid down to his side, his body went limp, and his head went to the side. "Spike? SPIKE!!" He hugged Spike tighter, cradling him, rocking him back and forth again. "No." Chris said as he watched this, "no," was all he could say. Karen wrapped her arms around Chris and they all cried together. *I'll get him, I swear. * Eric said in a sort of prayer and promise to Spike.

* * * * *

The three teens cautiously walked through the long corridors of the strange house. The walls were dark, and damp, permeated with mold. They shivered with the cold breeze of death on their backs, keeping alert for any sign of their little boogieman. So far, he was keeping his distance.

"Keep together, strength in numbers is the way to go.I think."

"Yea," Eric said as Karen held on tightly to Chris.

"So what was the info you got from Deep Throat?"

"Oh.he's harvesting souls, he wants to "go global" so to speak. Remember how he first did this just for revenge, how they took his life, and took his daughter away, that was just an excuse for the real thing. Fred Krueger never had a soul. He was a black void, son of a hundred maniacs. Pain loving, murder loving, fuck. He did many of it because of power, and now he's had a taste of almost limitless power, he wants more. He's stuck in Springwood, he's stuck in Elm Street, our little Jack wants out of his box."

Total darkness filled the room, Chris couldn't see his own hand in front of his face. "You guys, can you see anything?" The was a long silence, "You guys?" He could hear chuckling in the background. A chuckle that could freeze his blood. Freddy was here.

* * * * *

Karen fell through a hole and landed on her feet. She shot up and looked around. Where was she now? "Oh God, please help me." She spun around, sand as far as the eye could see. No one was around it was as thought she were the only one there, and soon she felt the searing sun. Thirst overwhelmed her. "This is a really crappy nightmare." She said surprised.

Freddy stood next to a palm tree with sunglasses on, and a thermometer in his gloved hand. "Says you," he chuckled. She backed away as he pushed a lever up on the thermometer, and she could feel her body growing hotter. The pain shot out even more pain, and she fell back, screaming in pain. She convulsed and cried out as she watched her skin boil, and suddenly she went limp, as her skin, and tissues, and nerves and organs liquefied into nothing but steam.

* * * * *

"Chris! Karen! Where are you?" Eric shouted, trying not to become crippled with fear. He jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder, "You seen Karen?"

"Chris!" He hugged the guy. He pulled away, "I just.I just thought I was alone for a minute."

"You, I know the feeling, don't worry, we'll get out of this, we have to." He looked around his voice cracked a bit, "But I don't think Karen's here anymore."

"You think she woke up?" He asked with a bit of hope. Chris gave him a quiet stare. "Oh." They walked down the corridors. From all over the room they heard a booming voice, "You know it amazes me, how you kids keep coming, and inventing ways to kill me. But you three. You three just come in, no plan, nothing." Freddy fell from the ceiling landing on his feet, in a crouching position.

The room was big, dark and dank; just like the rest of the house. The walls were full of maroon, aged maroon satin curtains. Chairs riddled the room, and paintings by Rembrandt and all the greats hung on the walls.

"What have you done with Karen!" Eric shouted.

"I don't see why you should care? Aren't you more upset about your little boyfriend?" Freddy suddenly materialized behind them. "You didn't even love the girl. Both of you." He pushed them to the ground, and they slowly back away as he headed towards them. "Funny thing about dreams, there's one thing that people always get right. Dreams are gateways to the soul. Eyes are windows, but the mind, that's the kicker." Eric jumped up, and ran for him. "Eric no!" Chris shouted. It happened so slowly, he watched as Freddy readied for the attack, and he saw Eric jump, the background getting brighter and brighter. Soon there was a blast of bright white light, and he wasn't in Kansas anymore.

* * * * *

Freddy held Eric up close to his face, "Chris was right about one thing, on a basic level," he chuckled, "this was about revenge, but the root of it. It was all about power." Freddy chugged Eric to the wall, landing hard. Eric coughed up some blood, "Oh shit."

"That's right. Oh shit." Freddy laughed. He grabbed Eric's hair, and held his glove in the air, and pulled it back, "Have a nice sleep.forevermore." He began to start ramming the glove into Eric.

* * * * *

"It's time Chris."

"For what?" He stood in a bright white room, he turned but he could see nothing. He didn't know who he was talking to. He was tired, alone; always alone.

"It's time Freddy died."

"You think?"

The voice chuckled. "We've chosen well, you are a spirited one."

"What are you talking about!"

"Freddy can only die by the hand of his own blood, flesh of his flesh in the Dreamscape."

"Me."

"You. But also.there had to be a spirit; a sense of right. We thought your brother had been the one; we were wrong. He wasn't strong enough. But you are."

"Ben? No, no you're wrong, Ben was so much stronger than I was; he's stronger than I would ever be."

"No, because had never faced him before."

"Who?"

"Freddy."

"What about me huh? I didn't even know the guy existed!"

"You're wrong. There was a combination we need to defeat him, and you are the incarnation of it."

"What?"

"They mean me; from your subconscious, we have faced Freddy before, and we've won." He turned, the first person he'd seen. She was not that tall, she had brown wavy hair, with a gray streak. She wore a pink sweater, an old pink sweater with bloodstains. "Who are you?"

"I'm you." She smiled a bit, "At least an old version of you. Personally, I like you better. I was weak."

"Why are you telling me this, I am not the strong one."

"Yes you are. You're much stronger than any of the survivors, much stronger than I, much stronger than Freddy; we can stop him."

He fell to his knees, "I can't."

"You can't give up kid." He looked up in horror, "Ben?" His voice was trembling, "Who? Krueger if this is some kind of."

"No trick kid, it's me, I can't stay; he'll know I'm here helping. You can do it, I believe in you. You are stronger, you can beat him. I couldn't, but I know you can. Save your friends."

"They're all dead, I'm alone."

"No you're not. One is still here, don't lose him. You have to kill Freddy to set us all free."

Nancy kneeled down, "Who are you?" Chris looked at the girl in amazement.

"My name is Nancy, I'm you. The."

"The first survivor." She nodded her head, "We've come a long way kid, I've watched, and waited; you're ready. We can stop him."

"His first humiliator, and his kin, it's an unstoppable force, something we over looked; together you can."

"How?"

"I have the power, you have the strength. Accept this part of you; your added strength. The strength that you've always had, and we can beat him."

"But."

"You'll know. Do you trust me?"

"Yes."

"Do you trust yourself."

He thought for a moment, "If you don't trust yourself, then this will all be for nothing, case closed, here ends the story and we all stay here, and Freddy wins. He gets you, and no one sleeps." Chris snapped, "I'm ready." Something inside him told him this was it; that this was what he should be doing, this was who he was. He looked into Nancy's eyes and stared into his eyes.

"I'm ready. Let's send the fucker to hell."

She smiled, "Alright then." She cupped his face, "Be ready." She leaned over and kissed him and they both began glowing a bright white and blue light that soon filled the room.

* * * * *



And with a gust of wind, and a flash of light he was back in the satin room, he looked about a bit, as if he didn't know if he was still there or not. Once he saw Freddy beginning to drive his hand down on to Eric he snapped out of it. "No!" Suddenly he was sent flying, knocking him out of the way. Freddy fell flat on his face.

"Wh-hat took you so long?"

Chris rolled his eyes, "Now is not the time to joke, it's time for you to wake up." And with a snap of his fingers, Eric faded away. He stood up, "Now let's end this."

* * * * *

He woke up rapidly at the snap. He shot up, and looked around, he was definitely in his room; he pinched himself just to make sure. How had Chris done that? He looked at his clock; it was almost midnight. Suddenly he heard the phone ring, and his parents crying. He jolted downstairs.

* * * * *

They circled around each other. "How did you." Freddy began cautiously. "Same as you, it's cool having this power, you can do anything.' Suddenly a sword appeared in his hand. "It's like playing a V.R. game." And as quickly as it appeared, it disappeared. Suddenly he was gone, and Freddy circled around. "There's not enough for the both of us," he began.

"I know." Chris said from behind Freddy, kicking him to the wall. "Guess who's the keeper."

Freddy sneered, "You just acquired this new power, I've had it for a long time."

"And you've grown tired, and a little knife happy. Let's face it, grandpa, none of this is ever going to let you out. You're stuck. Even if you kill the entire world, you're going nowhere, in fact, you die. No one to kill, no one to maim." Chris grinned at him, "And where would your fun be?"

Quickly Freddy lifted off, charging at Chris, back handing him, and then sending him into a glass wall. The shards fell everywhere, slicing Chris's skin. He fell limp, and Freddy grinned, walking closer to him. "I guess you've been unplugged." He stood up again, and suddenly a roar came from under him, and he was knocked onto his back. Chris stood up, not a scratch on him. He chuckled, "Neat trick."

"But y-you're."

"Dead? No, it's just an illusion."

He sneered, "I tire of this. You want power," his voice began booming, "I'll show you power!" He slowly grew taller, and bigger. His clothes ripped, and his legs twisted. His skull contorted, and he took a true shape, the shape his mind had always been, a demon, his clawed glove grew larger, and the knives sharper and longer, and sleeker.

"Whoa." Was all Chris could say. I think I'm in trouble.

* * * * *

"Mom, Dad, what's wrong?"

"Eric honey, it's your friends, they're terribly."

"What?"

"Karen was found dead in her room."

He gave them a long mournful look, "Karen?"

I have to go, it's just Chris and I; Freddy got Spike, John, Jen, he can't get Chris. He's all I got left, and I owe him. I have to wake him up. He turned back and headed to the front door. "Eric honey where are you going? You can't go to Karen's the police are there, you won't be able to."

"You're not going to go see that Spike fellow are you? I've already told you, you are never going to see him again."

Eric gritted his teeth, "I'm going to check on a friend." He closed his eyes for a few seconds as he fought back tears, he indeed was never going to see Spike again.

"Its awfully late sweetie," but he shut her up with the slam of the door.

* * * * *

Freddy slammed his foot in Chris's stomach. Chris slammed into the wall, this time he couldn't get up, "Shit," he wiped his mouth. This was definitely bad. Why didn't they tell me about this? "What's the matter Chris?" He grabbed Chris with his gloved hand by the neck. He tightened his hold, "No more glib boy?" Suddenly Chris was suffocating. He closed his eyes. When all of a sudden, strangely flashes of Spike, Karen, Jen, John, and Ben flooded his mind. Memories, things he saw from their lives. He opened them, and saw on Freddy's chest were their face. His eyes teared, and his chin trembled. Freddy had their souls, and he could now see their memories, feel what they were feeling. And it was fear. He sobbed, fear for him. He let out a scream, and suddenly a blast erupted from Chris, knocking Freddy down, and reverting him back to his old familiar burned appearance. He staggered to get up. "You let them out."

Freddy laughed, "They're my souls. Once I have yours, no one sleeps!"

"Well, there's a faulty in your plan."

"Oh really, what's that?"

"You're not going to kill me."

"There's that old glibness."

He took a breathe, "What can I say, it runs in the family." Suddenly Chris high kicked Freddy, sending him flying into the wall. Freddy got back up, and he flew over to Chris and pinned him to the ceiling. "You stupid son of a bitch, don't you get it? This is my world, this is my domain. I win, always win. You can't win this." He punched Chris hard, repeatedly. Suddenly Chris caught his arm. "Until now." He rolled over, and then pinned Freddy face down on the ceiling, and broke his arm. Freddy let out an agonizing yell of pain. Silently Chris whispered into his ear, "How do you expect to win, when you don't have your weapon of destruction." Suddenly Chris flipped down to the ground, landing on his feet. He slowly walked over to the glove Freddy had completely forgot he glove was missing, and with a thud, landing on his stomach Freddy landed on the floor. He inched to get his glove, but Chris picked it up first.

"Go ahead put it on, get a feel for it." He huffed.

"Y'know you're starting to repeat yourself over and over. If it didn't work for Great Grandma," he kicked Freddy in the head, "What makes you think, it'll work for me?" Freddy huffed and stood up, "You don't know how to use it."

"Sure I do. You put it on," he slowly slipped it on to his hand, and flicked it. "Then you stab your victim with it." Suddenly the glove began to glow a bright blue with power that neither of them knew where it came from. "Does it usually do this?" He said smiling, as Freddy slowly backed away. "I've got a higher power guiding me."

Chris and Freddy were face-to-face, "What makes you think that it'll work? Because you were Nancy? Because you're flesh of my flesh."

"Because I believe." He slashed Freddy face, and he was sent to the floor. He grabbed Freddy again, and rammed the knives that had grown sleeker, and sharper now in Chris's hand. "Belief is the most powerful thing in the world, and you're time is up."

Freddy grabbed Chris's shirt collar, "My time maybe over," he chuckled and grinned, "but it was still fun."

"It's time for an oldie," Chris dug his arm in a little more and Freddy grunted, and suddenly Chris's arm spun and sliced Freddy's insides like a mixer set on Frappe. Freddy yelled in pain, he cried out to a God that Chris knew wouldn't listen. And with an explosion, Chris was knocked back.

He watched as the glove slid off his hand slowly, and watched as Freddy screamed out, and he watched as a flow of blue white light swirled around him and around Chris.

He could hear the giggling of children, he could hear the laughter of teens that never got to reach adulthood. And like quiet whispers, he could hear silent Thank Yous. Whether they could invade his mind, or if he actually heard them he had no idea.

And slowly, he dropped to his knees at a sight that brought him to tears.

He smiled as he saw Spike, Jen, John, and Karen waving to him, huddled in a group, mouthing Thank You. Slowly they drifted away into the Dreamscape sky, but not before a spirit came to Chris, "You did good kid." Chris wanted to hug him, he wanted to say "Don't go, please don't go!" But he knew the truth, and smiled, "I learned from the best." He watched Ben leave, and saw Karen wait a bit, floating above, "You better go," he began.

"They can wait." He laughed, as much as he could, and said, "What?'

"I'm sorry we didn't get the chance."

"I know, I'm sorry too. I'm pretty sure you might've been the one." And through the glint of her soul he saw a familiar face, a face that had always lived across the street, Ken, "Yea I'm pretty sure we were probably meant to be." She smiled and floated away, the bright light gone, and the room was empty except for Freddy's corpse.

Chris walked over to it, just skin.

Suddenly the floor trembled and began to crack, he could hear a familiar scream, and he jumped out of the way. And he watched as justice was really taken in hand. He watched as Freddy's soul was brought down to Hell with demons grabbing hold of his soul, and the fiery depths exploding with "welcoming" fire. He could hear the souls of the damned crying out. And he couldn't help but smile as the ground closed up, "Rest in Hell. For Good."

* * * * *

Chris woke up, and slowly sat up, smiling for the first time from a dream. He sighed, and closed his eyes in sorrow for his lost friends, but at least he knew they were ok, that they weren't suffering. He heard a commotion downstairs, and he threw the blankets off of him, and he opened the door.

"No you don't understand, I have to see him, there's something wrong."

"I'm sorry son, but you have to come back tomorrow, it's very late," Guillermo replied. Chris came downstairs, "Dad it's ok."

"Oh God Chris, you ok?" Eric couldn't help but hug him a little, and quickly let go, "Sorry," he whispered. Chris gave him a strange look, Why'd he say sorry? "It's over."

"Good, for a while there I thought I was the only one."

"No, we are alone. We're the last." Chris looked away, and Eric slid down to the floor.

"What's this about son?" Guillermo asked looking at the two as if they were lunatics.

Chris took a breath, "A nightmare."

* * * * *

The sky was an awful shade of bright baby blue. The dismal cemetery was bright, and the grass was an awful shade of green. Chris and Eric sat next to each other while the priest performed the eulogy for their friends. Spike and Karen, all along some familiar gravestones. Nancy Thompson, Alice, Kincaid, Kristin, the Elm Street survivors.

"May God have mercy on their souls."

* * * * *

He stared at his grave.her grave.he wasn't sure anymore, but he knew she was inside him, and it was because of her that he was able to free them, and it was because of her that he was able to beat Freddy, and it was because of her he was able to wake up Eric. He would always be thankful. He smiled a bit, and touched Karen and Spike's grave. "Chris!" He turned around, "You wanted to talk to me?" He stared at Eric, "There's something I want you to do with me."

* * * * *

They walked up to a steel can, and stuffed paper in it. Chris turned around, "You sure about this Chris?" Chris nodded. He looked at the big factory boiler room, "This use to be his place." Eric splashed some gasoline on the paper, and in the steel can. "You're such a drama queen."

"And you're a Queen," Chris replied jokingly, and Eric laughed, "That I am."

"Now what?"

"Now we say good bye." He pulled out something wrapped in cloth. "What's that?" He unwrapped it, "Holy shit Chris where'd you get that?"

"I brought it out of my dream." He held Freddy's glove. "Did a lot of bad, killed a lot of people. Generations.literally." He looked at Eric and passed it to him, "Hell no bitch, he was your grandpa." He smirked, "Of course it should be me." He looked down at it, and chucked it in. "Good riddance."

Suddenly the flames rose, and Eric and Chris huddled next to each other as the night began to fall, and they could hear the crinkling of leather, and watched as the metal turned a bright red. "Want to get some ribs?" Chris offered.

"You paying?"

"Sure."

"Then lets get ribs."

They turned back and headed toward Eric's car, the blue sky turning different shades of purple and different shades of orange.

The sun hung oppressively low, like the clouds as if to foreshadow something. A hard future maybe.but Chris smiled anyway, if it were some bad sign of something to happen in the future, the point was there was a future. He turned back as they walked, and stared at the fire one last time, quickly he saw Freddy's face, standing in all his unholy glory laughing, with his glove on, and he could hear the cackle, but Chris quickly closed his eyes, and when he opened them, nothing was there, and he slowly walked into the car.