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

Author's Notes: Another trick! Sorry there was no update yesterday, I said I'd try to get a chapter up everyday and since I neglected that I'm probably going to go for another double whammy, two chapters tomorrow for Halloween!

Thanks very much to new reviewer Refault Pope, what you said was really sweet!

George Smillie - It's good to see you again, bud! Check out his Harry vs. Freddy if you're a Harry Potter fan too, the story is beast!

Pmad - Sorry, no big confrontation just yet - got some more killing to do, not to mention everyone still has to unravel the 'mystery' behind Freddy's return and his supposed kidnap of the little girl…man are they slow! Also I've got Angela's past to spill and some other surprises.

**On that note, I would like to say I'm sorry this story has become so freaking long! Funny how it started off so small and spewed out to something so huge! This is the longest fic I've ever written and I know some of you are probably rolling your eyes think 'Is she ever going to reach the end of this thing?' I promise you there is an end and hopefully you'll enjoy the ride until then, but for those of you who like smaller works, my apologies - I wish my muse wasn't so chatty too! *^_^*

More warnings…

WARNING: BAD LANGUAGE

WARNING: GRAPHIC VIOLENCE/GORE

WARNING: DISTURBING IMAGERY

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Chapter 21

Will looked over at Samara sitting in the passenger side seat of his van. He had bought a van similar to the one Mark used to have - he figured it was because he was bizarrely sentimental. Funny, long ago, it would have been Lori in that seat.

Hell, it had been her in that seat the night of the whole Freddy/Jason fiasco and look - now it was happening all over again. But there was a different girl at his side. This one so much more…something. Something he still couldn't place his finger on.

However, at this particular moment, she was fast asleep. Face pressed against her arm which rested on the closed window. He hadn't questioned her since the incident at the Foxglove - she had reacted in a way that was not unexpected given the circumstances - quiet shock. Or at least that was what he thought it was.

Perhaps she slept in hopes of wiping away the horrible images of the evening. But then - didn't she say Freddy was in her dreams? He eyed her warily. How could she bear to sleep if that was true?

But then there was so much pain inside her, something hidden that he knew caused the dark, bottomless look in her eyes. In some ways, he got the sneaking suspicion that she didn't care if she lived or died. God, what had they done to her in Westin?

Even in his most dismal of moments in the institution, he had never wanted to just…cease existing like she seemed to. He shook his head as his thoughts drifted back to the club.

In the eye of the chaotic storm that the Foxglove had become, Will had been introduced to both Maggie and Alice - the two women who had both cried Freddy's name when the attacks began - two women who both not only knew of Freddy's existence but had faced him before.

Until then, It had never occurred to him that there might be others. That realization made him feel quite naive. Freddy had been around a long time - of course there had to be previous people he'd terrorized.

They had not been able to reveal their own personal war stories in such a messy atmosphere so the decision had been made to meet back up at Alice's hotel which was where he currently found himself driving. The thought of hearing these women tell their own tales about Freddy both intrigued and sickened him - god, how could he be fascinated to know what else that bastard had done in the past?

But he was, because he knew knowledge was the key to defeating this man. Not some stupid act of testosterone, not some grand standing, not some generic comebacks - logic. There had to be some way that someone just hadn't thought of. But then, it was hard to think straight when you were scared to death.

His thoughts flashed to poor Disher hanging above the stage…the look on his face, the blood…and then there had been those kids who'd passed out from drinks - their bodies torn apart before everyone's eyes by an invisible demon. It had been beyond horrifying to see them fly around…just like Mark…tortured by unseen claws.

Then there was Angela. Her timid smile, her captivating eyes…did she make it out okay? Was she safe? How could he even be thinking of her now? He shook his head again, trying to keep his eyes on the road.

And what about Paige? Will had wanted to bring the girl with him but she had gotten lost in the crowd. He knew she must have been heartbroken. He had always gotten the impression that she had had a secret crush on Disher. What was all of this doing to her?

And Disher…Jesus, he was dead. Fucking dead! And all because of Krueger…

Will's gaze went to Samara again and he sighed, a weary smile forming, as he looked at her so peaceful in slumber. She did look very good tonight. A stray strand of hair had fallen into her face and as they pulled to a stop at a light he reached over, sweeping it back behind her ear, carefully brushing her cheek.

The skin was so cold beneath his fingertips…and slightly damp as well. He let his hands linger only a moment longer before returning them to the wheel. As he drove he couldn't help but hope that while she slept she had sweet dreams. Sweet-unvisited-by-Freddy-dreams.

And if he thought she was in the slightest hint of trouble from that clawed psycho…

Will lips created a tight, determined line as his thoughts thundered, there'll be hell to pay.

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Paige burst into her and Lori's dorm room, still wailing hysterically. She tossed herself upon her bed her whole body racked with each sob. God, all she could see was the blood and Disher, hanging there by his neck, dead.

Dead! Jesus Christ, he was dead! She would never talk to him again, never hear his voice. How could he have done that? He had killed himself! Had actually committed suicide and by hanging himself no less, she had always thought him to be a happy person, not the kind to…

And she had cared about him, so much more than he ever even knew. She had always teased him but deep down she had always hoped one day he would see her, really see her or maybe she would have gotten the nerve but now that chance was gone, lost forever.

After the curtain had drawn back, after the horrible sight before her and screaming for what felt like an eternity, she had fled with the others and ran back to the dorm. Just ran. She couldn't wait to talk to the police or try and figure out what happened, she couldn't even bear the thought of finding Will.

Alone to grieve, to wallow in shock and pain. God, she wished she was dead, she couldn't stand this! Her whole being hurt and her skull ached. It seemed so unreal, so bad that it was impossible. Paul Disher had died tonight. He would be cried over, buried, missed…and all because he had hung himself.

Or had he? This sudden shift in thought gave her pause in her crazed crying. She sniffled, eyes burning, throat raw, face coated in wet tears and snot. Could he have been murdered?

She reached for some tissues near her bed and wiped away the mess, her sobs having softened into breathless pants. She could still see Disher's face in her mind, she knew she would never forget it, that it would haunt her to the end of her days. Therapy bills all ready in mind as the sight resurfaced before her.

His eyes open, hands and feet pointing downwards lifelessly, blood dripping from his mouth onto his shirt and below, tongue morbidly to one side. He used to waggle that tongue all the time in a joking matter. Did he even imagine it would end up like that? Did he even really hang himself or did someone tighten that noose around his neck and kill him?

Paige blinked a few times, a sudden blanket of exhaustion settling over her. This evening had been too much and she found herself eager to escape into sleep, into dreams where everything was all right and none of this horror had happened, where Disher was still alive.

She closed her eyes.

She opened them. The blood red sun was setting and she was back home on the farm. She looked behind her to see the endless cornfield, its' stalks bending slightly under the breeze. It was beautiful country here. Everything alive, everything fresh. More earth than concrete, more trees than buildings and the air - so crisp and sweet, no smoke, no exotic smells - just clean.

She turned and began to walk through the rows. Unlike some, she had never feared the endless lines of corn. Instead she had always found it to be peaceful, reassuring. Much of her childhood had been spent playing in these fields. Her and her friends would cut a few stalks free, use them as fake weapons of combat and play until the night came and her mother hollered from their front porch.

She'd come home, dirty and happy, with many stories to tell and then the next day she'd do it all over again. Her father even put her in charge of the field, remaking, "Paige, honey, if yer gonna spend so much time in that thar corn, ya might as well pick it."

And she did. It wasn't like she minded, on the contrary, she loved doing it. Pulling away the shucks to feel the softest cornstalk imaginable spread over her fingers, to stare at the baby white ears beneath. And the smells…to her it was magic.

She crossed her arms and strolled down a row, a smile on her face when a man jumped out in front of her. She cried out, startled, then let out a laugh, feeling very ridiculous. A scarecrow was before her, his hands tied to the posts above.

Paige had always been a fan of scarecrows - they had been her secret friends. Many a time she had snuck out to speak to them. They all had names and lives, all of her own creation. She could converse with them for hours and while she received no answers in return it had not mattered - just talking to 'someone' was enough.

The one before her was one she had made herself. His name was Mr. Bojangles and he was a country singer and fabulous dancer. He was also…

She cut through one row to the next until she reached a second scarecrow - this one distinctly female. Her name was Betty Luo and she was engaged to Mr. Bojangles, her most notable feature her over stuffed D-Cup bra, giving her a more hilarious look than one to strike fear into the tiny hearts of crows.

Paige giggled, continuing on her journey as the sun sank lower behind the horizon, bathing the area with its crimson glow. There was Jonathan Crane, Miss Peabody and who could forget Doctor Craven? All her friends were still here and it was delightful to see them again.

She plucked an ear of corn off of one stalk, her fingers starting to unwrap it when she noticed another scarecrow before her. She frowned, muttering under her breath, "I don't remember this one."

She walked closer to it, squinting. It sure did look familiar but from where? It had never been on her farm - she would have remembered someone building it - or rather him.

He wore a striped sweater and filthy slacks, his hands tied behind his back just like all the others. Atop his bowed head he wore a fedora but it was easy to tell the skin was disfigured.

She scoffed, walking closer to it. She poked it with one finger but it did not move. Her lower lip stuck out in confusion as her hands began to fiddle with the husk of the corn. Then it snapped into place - this scarecrow looked like the pictures Sam drew of that man. What was his name again?

Freddy Krueger.

The name stuck out in her thoughts so quickly that she shivered, remembering what had been said in the art class that day. He was a child murderer…she turned away, not wanting to look at him anymore. This was a happy dream - she preferred to keep it that way. She'd have to scold Sam later for her creepy drawing. It may have been a nice piece of art but it wasn't cool how it was affecting her.

But then it wasn't Sam's fault right? Just Paige's own stupid subconscious'.

She chided herself as silly and returned her eyes to the corn in her hand, unaware that behind her the Freddy scarecrow was moving, slowly unhooking his hands from behind his back and lowering himself to the ground. He moved forward in a slow pace as Paige unwrapped the corn revealing the cornsilk beneath.

The funny thing was - this cornsilk didn't feel like it normally did. Instead it felt more like hair…and skin. Paige's frown returned as she tore away at the silk - feeling it fall apart in her hands when the pearl rows of corn beneath appeared…but they weren't normal…they felt too polished and smooth and…

Paige screamed as she realized the whole ear of corn was made up of teeth, the ear began spraying her with blood, the corn silk strands changing from skin and hair into maggots that began crawling all over her.

She dropped the corn, her face and clothes covered in blood when she heard a twig snap behind her. She turned and bearly avoided a swipe by Freddy's claws. She screamed again and backed away. Freddy chuckled, "Run, run as fast as you can…"

Which was exactly what she did, turning on her heels to flee. She weaved her way through row after row of corn, breathing hard and trying to contain her screams of terror. Now and then she heard a thrashing behind her - an almost whooshing sound. Oh god, he was coming after her!

She gasped, wiping the blood off her face as she blindly sprinted. She knew this field better than anyone, better than him - she would get out and be safe. She twisted and turned, trying to loose him in the maze of rows when she tripped. She cried out as she landed face first in the dirt.

Her ankle throbbed and she was about to check to see what she had fallen over when she heard Freddy's voice, "Hey Paige,"

She looked about wildly, he had sounded so close, almost on top of her but he was no where to be seen, his snarl continued, "Do you know what they call a group of crows?"

Paige, gasping and crying, began shaking her head vehemently, desperate for her life, begging as she tried to rise, her attempts feeble and weak as she dug at the earth. She turned over on her back and tried to grab the corn for support.

"They call it a murder."

A hollow caw rang out and Paige froze, her veins filling with ice water as several angry caws filled the air. A roar of flapping wings and caws erupted as massive swarm of the black-as-death birds appeared.

They dived onto Paige's body - tiny, sharp beaks jabbing into her skin. Another tortured scream escaped her as they began picking away at her body, stabbing her over and over again with their little mouths.

She wailed, batting at them, fingers trying to rip their little winged bodies off when suddenly they stopped, resting on her as if stunned. She gasped as they perched silently on top of her, beaks coated in her blood, beady eyes no longer looking at her but somewhere else.

They began to fly away as if on fire, and she could almost swear they had been frightened away. But that was impossible. She moaned and rolled over yet again, this time on to her stomach only to have her eye level meet with someone's white patent leather shoes.

She looked up to see a little girl standing before her. The girl was very young and had long dark straight hair that covered her face almost entirely - only the top of her forehead and a bit of her chin visible. Paige hadn't realized how dark it had become in her dream - the sun gone long ago and the sky was midnight black.

The girl did not speak, did not offer Paige a hand up but instead stood there - arms bowed forward, hands hanging limply. And she didn't know why but in some ways the little girl almost terrified her more than Freddy did. She shook her head as she looked at her, knowing she was being crazy. The girl needed help too - needed to get away or Freddy would get her too. And she was so young, so alone.

Paige was about to get to her feet when the girl's hair parted, revealing her face. An ear splitting screech left Paige's throat at the sight before her - the girl's face was hellish.

Paige felt as if her skin was on fire and she realized it was turning greenish gray - molting - falling apart as the girl's vicious eyes continued to bore into hers - that angry scowl on her face filled with such a forceful evil.

But then suddenly a hand wrapped around Paige's foot, she turned, startled to see a clawed hand had taken a grip of her ankle. She cried out again as the hand began to drag her at lightening quick speed. The rows became blurs as Paige was dragged through the field.

Her body violently smacked into any stalk in her path, the pain unimaginable as bone and flesh was met with resistant plants. Paige struggled but to no avail and her eyes fell behind her to see the little girl was chasing her, face still visible with intent, fingers clawed and reaching for her hungrily.

Paige disappeared into the darkness just past the field. Her screams grew more high pitched and wild as several concise snapping sounds broke the air.

The stalks were splashed with red blood.