Disclaimers, ratings, name, etc can be found in prologue

Author's Notes: Batten down the hatches! Isabel is on her way! LOL, okay, so I'm in a warning zone in the good ol' VA but hopefully none of you are and you'll be able to read this new update from your safe, comfortable God-I-hope-far-from-the-hurricane homes.

We've still got a ways to go before Freddy's back and I'd like to assure those who asked for their names in print that they are more than finally placed in…thought they'll have to wait for later chapters!

Also on that note, I hope you all are still in for the long haul, 'cause way things're looking, this baby is going to go past twenty chapters. So sit tight, pull out a bowl of popcorn and read like you're at the movies!

More warnings…

WARNING: BAD LANGUAGE

WARNING: DISTURBING IMAGERY

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Chapter 7

It was a long time before Alice was able to calm herself. Jacob had tried to help but she had shoved him away. She had gone to her room and slammed the door. He could hear the commotion from where he still stood in the living room. He was beyond afraid by his mother's actions, her behavior. He had never, in all his life, seen her like this.

She was completely freaking out. Irrational. Mad. Squawks came from behind her door, it was obvious she was trying to contain her hysterical screams, instead choosing to throw things. Breaking glass kept sounding off and once Jacob managed to get feeling into his legs he moved to her door, pounding on it, calling out to her in worry.

His voice was filled with tears as he began sobbing, so worried for his mother but she refused to respond. Eventually he sank to the floor by her door - exhausted and waiting. It felt like an eternity before he fell backward.

His eyes opened and he realized he'd fallen asleep waiting for her. She looked down at him, eyes red-rimmed from crying, hair loose from its hold, frayed and clouded around her head. She was the picture perfect ideal of a psychotic woman.

Her voice was a croak when at last she spoke, "Sit up."

Jacob did as he was told, rising to his feet. He looked behind her and could see her room was in a shambles, torn to shreds. Her bed mattress tossed to one side, the dresser and its mirror lay on the floor, both broken. Pictures were littered about and he knew them immediately as the pictures she used to always look at.

"Come in," she said mutely and once again, he obeyed.

He moved about timidly, trying to avoid the broken glass. She stomped through it, not caring. She turned to him and with a flourish sat crossed legged on the floor. He followed suit, sitting across from her. Alice picked up one picture and tossed it at him, "That's your father."

Jacob looked at the picture. He'd seen the face before naturally but it was still nice to see a new photo. In this one Dan looked even more happy than usual and this was because Alice was in his arms. They were both smiling, the sky behind them bright as they clung to one another in a park somewhere.

She tossed another picture at him, "And this is your uncle, Rick, the girl with him in the photo was my best friend, Kristen Parker. They were dating. Back then my hair was more auburn, she was the blonde. Because of her I dyed my hair, took up smoking for a while."

Jacob didn't know how to respond to this and didn't have to, instead Alice began tossing even more photos at him, "And here's Sheila and Debbie. Greta, Mark…"

Each picture came at him faster than the next and Alice was shaking, "They were my friends and now they're dead…THEY'RE ALL DEAD!"

The scream escaped from her throat so violently that it ended with a choked sob, her hand clutching her aching vocal chords, "He killed them…he killed all of them…everyone I've ever loved…"

Alice's hands went to her face, cupping it as body-wrenching sobs took her. Jacob tossed aside the pictures and pulled his mother into his arms awkwardly. He was agitated, not knowing how exactly to comfort her. He'd never seen her this way and it frightened him. But he took in a deep breath, trying to keep his head. It was strange to talk to his mother like she was a child as he whispered weakly, "Mom…who killed them?"

She didn't answer, instead she clutched at him, holding on for dear life. He was her anchor after so many years of pain; she needed him to be strong. Luckily he knew this and managed to try and do so as he asked again, "Mom, who? You told me Dad died in a car accident…"

"No," she howled low in her throat, "No, he was murdered. Just like your uncle was murdered. Like all my friends were murdered. He did it, that fucking bastard…he killed them all!"

Jacob felt as if he was at the end of his leash, it was too hard to pretend he was strong as his mother crumpled like a paper-cut out doll before him, he released her as if she was burning him, his voice sounding almost disgusted as he spit, "Who, Mom?! Who the fuck-"

"KRUEGER!" she bellowed, her fists hitting his chest, "Freddy fucking Krueger that's who! That - that monstrosity in the video…goading me…"

Suddenly something dawned to Jacob, it was like all the lights in his head were turned on for the first time as he whispered, "The burned man…"

Alice nodded meekly, fresh tears escaping, another sob working its way out, "Yes, him, he…"

Jacob nodded, cutting her off, holding up a hand. His head was still spinning, exploding with new knowledge as he said under his breath, "I recognized him."

Alice stopped crying immediately, eyes wide in horror, "What?"

"When we watched the video…I recognized him. I thought it was strange but-"

"Oh no…" she moaned, "Oh no, oh no, oh no…"

"He's the one you've been asking me about all this time. He's the one who makes your face darken the way it does sometimes, you remember him murdering your friends, don't you?" Jacob asked but it was like he was hearing his voice miles away from himself.

Alice didn't answer, still too grief stricken. Jacob drew in a breath and rose to his feet again. He looked down at his mother. Here she sat in her memories and the wreckage of her life. He felt sad but he also hated to admit he felt pity and worse than pity, anger. She was so weak. Why couldn't she have trusted him? Why didn't she tell him the truth?

When he spoke he felt his lips move but felt like he wasn't the one saying them, "I'm going to the kitchen. I'm going to make us something to eat. You're going to clean this up, fix yourself up, and then you're going to come out there and tell me the whole story."

With that said he turned on his heels and walked out, leaving a broken woman to collect herself despite her overwhelming fear.

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"…and I thought I had defeated him. I thought it was over," Alice breathed, concluding the story. It had been hours since she had started but Jacob had listened with bated breath, not interrupting, not even once with any question or comment. He just listened, fixated as his mother told him the entire story behind Elm Street, Freddy, and the nightmares.

So many had died and so horribly…

Alice cleared her throat, "When it was done I convinced Dad to move. He found a job out here and when I gave birth to you…I decided to forget it all. To bury it. I couldn't risk Freddy coming back because of my fear. He feeds on fear and souls, they give him power and I just couldn't…so this seemed the best alternative. I wasn't sure if you remembered the whole situation regarding your conception so I tiptoed around it lightly and when it looked like you hadn't, I let it go. I couldn't risk dream walking; I haven't touched the dreamscape in years. Haven't called anyone into my dreams or anything. It took me a long, long time before I even managed to sleep anyway and when I did…"

She shook her head, "There were no nightmares, no dreams…I rubbed them out. I haven't had either in years. All I do is fall asleep and wake-up, no in between, and I want to keep it that way. I can only figure my will power has protected me or maybe my dream abilities have changed but…I've been safe and so have you."

Her hand rested on her forehead and she looked incredibly tired as she whispered, "But now it's coming apart again…he's back. I should have realized the second time, you can't stop this maniac. Some how, some way…he keeps managing to come back."

"And now he's got a hostage." Jacob added.

Alice looked at him with narrowed eyed, confused, "What?"

"The girl in the video, you heard him, he said he got her…"

"Honey, he was lying," she said simply as if the suggestion was silly to even bring up, "He has complete control over the dreamscape, makes all kind of illusions, that girl…"

"Do they normally scream? Bleed?" Jacob pressed.

Alice shook her head, suddenly agitated by his suggestion, "No, no…it has to be fake, he couldn't possibly…I mean it's a trick. He's trying to lure me back in, see? He wants me dead, he always has. He can't stand not winning, he-"

"Did he send the video?"

"I - I don't know. He must have."

"How?" Jacob scoffed, "He's dead. You said so. He only lives on this dreamscape in his nightmare realm. How could he send us a tape?"

"I - He must have found some way." Alice answered, her hands running over and over one another as if she were washing them clean. The girl's face popped into her mind - she'd been so young, so deathly pale and the look of fear in her eyes…

Those eyes. They surfaced in Alice's mind. They were so bottomless but there had been fear, hadn't there? There was no way she was going to watch the video again to double check. Besides, she knew it had been fear, what else could it be? The pitiful scream the child had released echoed through her mind again.

But Freddy had to have made her, produced her in the dreamscape, one of his twisted fantasies. He had done it before, the jump roping girls singing the rhyme was a common illusion, all he did this time was invent a new one. He had to have. She couldn't for a second believe some poor, innocent girl was being held captive - alive - by that monster…could she?

And in the dreamscape? Was that even possible?

Part of her deep inside was nagging her, telling her it was completely possible. It was especially bothersome because this part of her she referred to as her 'Kristin side'. It was the same part of her that had encouraged her to dye her hair, to take up smoking…in fact she had little parts all inside her that were named after the others who had died around her. The people she'd loved. Sometimes the Rick side of her wanted to practice martial arts and the Sheila side of her wanted to invent something - anything.

The fact the Kristin side of her was rearing up so strongly at the suggestion that someone had been taken hostage in the dreamscape worried and frightened her. Deep down she had the feeling that somehow not only was it possible but that it had happened before and what's more, it was happening again.

"MOM," Jacob said loudly, snapping her from her thoughts. His dark eyes were intense as he spoke, "Stop daydreaming, all right? I need you to stay focused. Now, say Freddy did send the tape, say he even made the girl…doesn't that mean that he's back? That he has power again?"

Alice swallowed, "Yes, we agreed on that all ready."

He sighed, "Then if he has strength again he's going to come after us, whether you want it or not. He probably sent the video to scare us, that's obvious, conjuring up the fear will make him stronger and us weaker but not only that, it's a warning."

Alice sat up, back straight as she looked at her son with sudden interest. He sounded far beyond his years as he spoke, but then, she'd never put intelligence past her boy. He was beyond bright at times, and very logical when it mattered and lord knew it did now, "What are you suggesting?"

"Maybe the girl isn't real or maybe she is, that's not the point. The point is, is that if he's back, he's going to be worse than ever. You told me yourself the second time he came back he had a brand new bag of tricks, Jesus Christ, he even killed Dad and the thing you told me about Greta and her…ugh…last meal? Yeah, well, I imagine this time around it's for keep's."

"Jacob-"

"No, let me finish," Jacob stressed, "Mom, this guy wants you dead. And he wants me dead too. That's why he sent the video, to let us know that and let us know that this time around its going to be even more awful and - and I think the girl represents something."

He paused, licking his lips and scratching the back of his head. It was obvious he was nervous to continue.

His mother had been through enough and he hated to hurt her more but he knew the truth had to be told as hard and painful as it was, he barreled on, "He's not going to come for us first, Ma. He's not the type to go directly to you. Remember? He'll hold back, wait, he'll torture us by killing our friends, playing with our heads. He's going to go and kill innocent people and if we don't stop him, Mom, if we don't go out there and try to take him down, it's going to be our fault. Blood will be on our hands, do you understand what I'm telling you?"

Alice ran a hand over her mouth, shaking, "You're saying…"

"Mom, you have to go home, you know that's where he's headed if he's back. We have to go back to Elm Street."