Disclaimer: I do not own Nightmare on Elm Street or any of the characters involved. I only own my own original characters.
Title: Broken Dreams
Rating: M - for mature adult themes.
(Sequel to Fear the Nightmare) Katherine's mind is starting to break. What will happen to her now that she is locked up in Westin Hills? Though her father, Freddy, has nightmarish plans for her. She slowly starts to develop a personality disorder and grows even closer to him. Soon, she will have to choose a side…
Broken Dreams
Chapter 1: Doubts and Shattered Memories
The evening sun had begun to set on the white painted three storey building of Westin Hills. There were three main wings of the building, Wing A, Wing B and Wing C which was under major renovation. It was situated in the north side of Springwood, near the edge of town. There was a large courtyard, with various small benches scattered here and there. A large tower was across from the back entrance of the building. The tower was attached to a smaller building that seemed to be under construction. At the back of the central building was a modest size garden with a few picnic benches and neatly trimmed hedges surrounding the garden which was mostly used by patients under the supervision of the medical staff during the summer months.
Enclosed around the hospital was a winding road and large car park, with a beige stoned wall. Security cameras were perched on specific pillars every twenty yards around the wall. A set of black steel gates was opened leading in and out of the grounds. All in all, the hospital establishment was spread across two acres of land. Most patients admitted to the hospital suffered from various psychiatric disorders such as anti-social personality disorder, border personality disorders, schizophrenia, cationic schizophrenia, psychotic disorders, obsessive compulsive disorders…. among others. Some of the patients were only admitted for short term stays such as a week or so. However, others were admitted for longer periods - weeks, perhaps months. There were 10 patients currently residing in the hospital, but earlier that evening one more patient was entrusted to the hospital's staff care…
A pair of deep brown eyes fluttered opened. The stared at the ceiling above them. Katherine's head rolled to her right and her eyes adjusted to the dimly lit room. The last thing she vaguely remembered was being man-handled onto the hospital bed by those two strong male orderlies. Then Dr Sims injecting her with that fucking sedative. It was the last thing she wanted, to fall asleep and face him.
All she wanted was to be left alone. What was so wrong with that?
She mumbled and tried to sit up but felt several straps holding her down onto the bed. Lifting her head, she peered in the darkened room to her arms that were pinned to the mattress. Two thick brown buckled straps were curled around her wrists, while two more longer ones were twisted around her chest and across her knees. Her brows frowned in bewilderment, and she grunted, yanking vehemently at her restraints.
There was a click, followed by another. Pulling her head back off the mattress she looked down at the straps, seeing them slowly being unbuckled one, by one by an invisible force. As they unravelled, Katherine briskly pulled them away from her limbs and her chest. She staggered off the bed to her feet and spun around to see that the hospital bed had vanished. The dimly lit room slowly began to change before her eyes. To her left was a white dresser, facing her was a built in wardrobe and a doorway. She took a few steps back as the floorboards from the landing creaked and groaned. Someone was approaching and she knew deep down who it was.
Backing away she found herself cornered in the room, beside her old toy chest. The light bulb in the middle of the ceiling flickered on, illuminating her old bedroom. She whimpered and slid down the wall onto her knees, then tucked her knees under her arms.
Freddy appeared in the doorway. His fedora was tipped downwards, the rim of his nose barely noticeable as he studied her beneath the brim of his hat. His fingers rubbed gingerly together. For what seemed like an eternity he continued to gaze ponderously at her. Then suddenly without a word he advanced towards her. He took in her wounded, bandaged arm with a scowl of discontent. She avoided his brooding eyes, and instinctively brought her hands up to cover her face. "Leave me alone. Please" she whispered.
He knelt at her side and reached out with two of his blades to touch her mangled hair. "It's okay baby girl"
She flinched and scurried onto her hands and knees, towards the built in wardrobe. "No! I just want to be left a-alone!"
Freddy twisted around on his knees, staring intently at her shaking frame as she crouched at the doors of the wardrobe. Her fingers on her right hand skimmed over the bandaged left arm, scratching and tugging at the fabric. Those dark brown eyes of hers darted to and fro, not particularly focusing on anything. To him she looked like a frightened animal. Why was she acting like this? He knew her state of mind was shattered, fragile. But why was she scared? Did she think he was going to do something to her? He growled and rose to his feet, approaching her again and knelt before her. "I just want to talk to you Katherine. That's all"
Katherine glanced at his face then mumbled incoherently, then ripped apart her bandaged. Soon her nails trailed across her stitches, grazing over them as though they were agitating her.
He clutched her hand, ceasing her actions on her left arm. "Stop that honey. Or you'll rip open your stitches"
She scowled lowly and ripped her arm away from him, "No!"
His patience was wearing thin as she sprang to her feet and charged towards the door. Freddy jolted to his feet and with a flick of a single blade the door slammed shut in her face. Sealing her inside her bedroom with him.
Katherine stood with her back to him, her hands curled around the handle as she weakly tugged at it. "Let me go daddy…please!"
He closed in on her, a sneer of discontent at how she was reacting to him. "I told you…" his voice deepened in pitch, "we are going to have a little talk"
Her head shook wildly as she sobbed, "N-no. I want to be left alone. Why won't everyone just leave me alone?"
Freddy gently placed his left scarred hand on her shoulder, turning her towards him. "Tell me what's wrong"
She ignored him and persisted on scratching and rubbing her left arm, the fingers grating over the jagged lacerations deftly. Drawing a few speckles of blood. "You wouldn't care….no one fucking cares!"
Curling his index blade under her chin he tipped her head upwards, seeing that her eyes were clamped close. Streaks of tears stained her flushed cheeks. He strived to hide his mischievous smirk, knowing that these tears were the outcome of what 'Michael' supposedly had said to her. Though why was she not wanting to be comforted by him, to have him reassure her and hug her? Something was wrong here…
"What is it baby girl? Tell me"
Katherine finally allowed her eyes to open and she took a deep shaky breath. Her voice stammered as she asked, "A-am I a w-whore?"
"What?" he feigned shock, blue eyes widening in disdain at the question. "Who called you that?"
"M-Michael'" she looked away in shame.
A treacherous smirk flashed across his countenance. He could sense the rage overwhelming her. She took deep erratic breaths as though she was trying to calm herself, keep herself in check. "Why did he call you that?" his perfidious smirk was still in place.
"I told him…" she murmured, turning her head back to his. Gone was his smirk, in its place was a cold, stern expression. "about what we did. I t-tried to make him understand that I was d-doing it for him. To s-top you from killing him!"
"And he called you a whore?" he took another step closer to her.
Instinctively she pressed her body against the door, a quiet whimper echoing in the room. "Don't come near me!"
He frowned, discerning the growing trepidation that came from her. She indeed was terrified of her, jumpy and agitated. Maybe those insensitive, nasty words he had sneered at her through possessing Michael's body was a little too much.
Now, she was afraid to trust anyone.
We told you Krueger. One of the demons sneered.
Freddy growled quietly. His voice was barely audible for her to hear. He quickly took a step back, "Come on Katherine. Sit down" he nodded at her old bed.
She twisted and tugged at her hospital gown, glancing wearily at the bed and then at him. Uncertainty carved across her face. Was he going to try something? Freddy sighed and offered a congenial smile, "I just want to make sure you're okay. Remember, you're my little girl"
Her eyes darted towards his, seeing the sincerity that tainted them. Could she really talk to him, put some trust in him? Yet again? She trusted him when he said that she would save Michael's life by sleeping with him. However, looked what the repercussions were. Michael shunned her, discarded her like she was a piece of fucking trash.
But that's what she was, wasn't it?
Trash? Filth?
She wrapped her arms around her shaking body and scurried past him to her bed. Hopping onto it she shoved her legs under the blanket and pulled her knees to her chest. Once more the loathsome words from her argument with Michael ran through her mind. "Am I damaged goods?"
Her father stalked towards her and sat on the edge of the bed, cocking his head in confusion. It was becoming difficult to keep his devious smile hidden, but so far he was managing to suppress the urge. "No sweetheart you're not damaged goods. Did that fucker say that too?"
She sniffled and weakly nodded. "Yes. Maybe he's right. Perhaps I've always been damaged goods. Ever since I was a little girl, when you started to t-touch me-"
He hushed her, "Don't you dare think that. You know that I was only loving you as a child"
Her head swung towards him and her eyes glowered furiously at him. "It never felt like it at the time. I never felt special like you would always tell me. I never felt special at all!"
He grew still, considering her words. Everything that he had worked for in gaining her trust again over the last few days was crumbling apart. It wasn't meant to turn out like this. Shifting closer to her on the bed he reached out with his charred hand to touch the side of her face. But she instantly recoiled away.
"Don't touch me!"
There was a metallic slink as his blades scraped annoyingly against each other, "Do you not trust me? Is that it?"
She shuffled further up the bed, so that her body was pushed against the headboard. "I don't know if I should or if I can. They…"
"They?" he snarled, "Has someone been talking to you?"
"Nancy told me that Michael believes that you had taken over his b-body. That you possessed him…" her voice faltered off. There was a brief silence before she continued. "and that you used his body to get to me. That you were saying those words to me" she averted her teary eyes to him, scrutinizing his stoic gaze. "Is this true?"
He placed his claw on the mattress and leaned forward, his eyes never leaving hers. "That little bitch is lying. She's trying to trick you"
"But I don't understand why?" she whispered through her sobs.
"Don't you see Katherine, that little sneak Michael is telling her tales. He wants you to turn against me! You need to see how devious the little rat is!" he scowled gruffly. "This is what I tried to tell you as a little girl. People will use you. They will lie to you. I told you that he wasn't good for you, didn't I?"
Her head bobbed lightly. However, she didn't feel any more relieved or at ease by his words. That lingering sensation of doubt and mistrust was still there in her mind. She lazily wiped at her face, "Why would she believe him?"
"They're all in it together, they've probably been planning it. You shouldn't trust them sweetheart. It's possible that they've been devising that underhanded plan to get you turn against me. You have to remember I'm" he pointed a grimy, blood-stained blade at his chest. "the only person you can trust"
She shook her head quietly and turned away, staring glumly at the pink painted wall as a single tear escaped her right eye. "I told you, I don't know if I can daddy…"
And you thought it would be that easy Krueger? You really are naïve…
Freddy's head snapped to the right as he sneered in the direction of the demon's voice near the door. "Fuck up!"
Katherine flinched and craned her head over her shoulder, glaring at him in confusion and then at the dimly lit room. "Who are you talking to?"
His nostrils flared as he regained his composure. The last thing he wanted was for her to know about the demons. Not yet anyway. When he was absolutely sure that she was on his side and not theirs then he would reveal to her how he came back from the dead. Until then it would be his secret. Turning to face her he gave her a coy smile. "No-one baby girl"
She bemusedly glanced at the room again, then back at him. Maybe she was too tired, too weak. Her head was too sore as it was. Perhaps she had imagined that hoarse whisper from the room. Thinking back to the last day or so she composed herself then asked. "Why did you ask me to sleep with you?"
He smirked, slightly taken back by her question. "I told you before, you belong to me. I wanted to make you mine-"
"I'm not anyone's property daddy. I'm my own person!" she interrupted sharply. Not caring if it angered him. The sooner he accepted that she cherished her own independence then the better.
Freddy scowled in dissatisfaction at her tendency of her voice. He was going to have to teach her all over again who she was. A Krueger.
She was his.
It was obvious that her robust stance and his own arrogant manner would instigate arguments. But he would overpower her, place her under his rule once again.
It was all a matter of time.
"You may feel that you are your own person. You certainly are a more liberated person than years ago. But that doesn't mean that you aren't mine! I am your father" Freddy explained sternly, "You are my daughter. My flesh and blood. It is as simple as that Katherine!"
She sighed wearily. As much as she wanted to have her say, she was too exhausted. Mentally exhausted. After a moment she straightened up on the bed. "Did you know that he would react in that way? Is that why you asked me to sleep with you?"
"Believe me…" he leaned forward and clutched her right hand with his scarred one, "I never knew that fucker would have said those words to you. I just wanted to be your first. I didn't want some filthy cunt like Michael being all over you. Remember how I told you when you were a little girl, that I wanted to be your first. That I would be gentle with you. And I did make it easy on you. Didn't I make you feel good?"
Her body sagged against the wall, contemplating silently his question. Having sex with him was uncomfortable and numb. He did though transform himself into his human form before he died and it made her feel elated to see him that way. The good man that he once was towards her. But for some bizarre reason when they were together in them several minutes she felt something. A spark, a deep connection between them both. Something she hadn't experienced since she was a little girl…
"Come on princess" her father hissed, "Answer me. Didn't I make you feel good?"
"Not in that way. Not the way I know that you're thinking of…" she saw the glare of ire, "But I did feel that bond that we used to have when you were alive. The closeness that we shared"
"Mmm" he murmured softly. Perhaps next time he would make her body tingle and shake with ecstasy. At the minute he had to lure her in again, regain her trust. "Katherine, I know that you might not trust me now. But you will soon"
"But I d-don't know if I can!" she sniveled, "Look what happened to me the last time I trusted you? When I feel asleep to be with you? You handcuffed me to that damn bed in the boiler room!"
"I just wanted you to feel nice. Perhaps I was a little rough on you"
"A little?" she scoffed, "I was terrified!"
Reaching out with his left hand his fingers brushed her right cheek lightly. "I promise I won't do that again"
"Did you know that Michael was sleeping when I had fallen asleep? Was that why you wanted me to sleep with you?" she asked and stared gravely at him.
"I knew that he was asleep. Yes. But even if he wasn't I would have still wanted to be with you, to claim you properly as mine" he replied with a creepy smile.
She leaned back out of his grasp, questioning again. "What if I had said no?"
"I would have killed him; you know that sweetheart"
"That's not what I meant. If Michael was awake and you asked me to sleep with you, what if I had said no? Would you have forced yourself upon me?" Katherine felt her body tense as she anticipated his answer.
He offered her a warm smile, "No, I wouldn't have forced myself upon you. I would have waited for the right time, when you were ready"
She swallowed thickly, confused by his reply. Why was he being like this? Saying that he would have waited for her to be ready? Was he being genuine? Could she believe him? Should she?
Freddy clucked his tongue softly, eying her pensive face. Her thoughts were irregular. Incoherent. She didn't know what to make of what he was saying to her. It was going to be a long and strenuous task to get her to put faith in him again.
Be patient Krueger…
Give her time to mull over what you have said to her.
Taking their suggestions on board he knew that they were right. He would give her some space, a little time on her own. But he wanted to push some more poisonous words into her mind, something else that she could muse over.
"One last word before I go. You must remember that I know what Michael is really like. I've been in his mind; I've read his thoughts. I know HOW he really feels about you" he rose to his feet, "Who have you known the longest? Me or him?"
She lifted her pale, shaking face to him. Her voice was barely a whisper. "You"
"See?" he smiled cunningly and leaned down to kiss her lightly on her forehead. Then in a blink of an eye he vanished, leaving her to her complicating thoughts.
x x x
"It's too dangerous Michael!" Kristen rubbed her fatigued eyes. She sat next to Michael in Sheriff Thompson's office. It was nearing 10pm. To the far side of Michael was Nancy, settling into her own seat. It had only been twenty minutes before that she had arrived at the Police Station, having heard the news about Katherine being committed to Westin Hills. It terrified her to think of the girl being locked up in there, at the mercy of those doctors. God knows how many times they would sedate her, how many times she would be trapped in the dream world with her psychotic father? When she came into the office Michael didn't give her time to speak when he begged her to bring her into the dream. Did he not realise that Katherine was sedated? It was too precarious for them to risk it!
"Please Kristen, you are the only person that can do this!" he implored. "I just need to speak to her, I have to get her to understand what that fucker did to me! Please!"
"It's not that simple Michael! She is sedated. If we enter her dream the chances of me waking us up is very slim! We could be trapped in her dream until the sedative wears off!" Kristen gripped the rim of her chair tightly, her knuckles turning white. "What if he separates us?"
He groaned and grumbled, "I don't care. I have to do this. Please!"
She stared intently into his eyes, seeing that they were brimming with tears. He was desperate to reach out to Katherine, to save her from the mind games that her father had started to inflict on her. How could she refuse him? The girl needed all their help. "Okay, I'll do it. But we would need to find a way to wake ourselves up"
"I'll be here. I won't leave the office" Donald smiled from behind his desk, "I'll wake you both if I notice you struggling in your sleep. Will I wake you up a certain time? Say in an hours time?"
"No" Michael shook his head, "Give us more time than that"
"I'm going in with you both" Nancy spoke up. "Don't worry dad" she noticed the glare he was throwing her way. "I'll be fine. I'll try and talk to Katherine too. We need to get her to listen to us"
Donald pulled out another cigarette form his packet, lighting it up. He looked over at Michael, "What time did your mother say she would arrive here tomorrow?"
"You phoned your mom?" Kristen threw him a bewildered look. "Why?"
"My mother is a therapist, a child therapist. She counselled Katherine a few years back. I think she can help us. I told her that Katherine had tried to kill herself. She was in shock, she wanted to know why. I told her that I would explain everything when she arrives" He chewed his bottom lip. "I'm hoping that she can get through to Katherine, help her understand that bastard is manipulating her again!"
"You're going to tell her? About Freddy being alive in our dreams?"
He nodded curtly. "What else can I do? We need all the help we can get!"
"When will she be here?"
"By tomorrow afternoon. I hope. She needs to let Mercy Hospital know that she needs some time off. I need you to get the others tomorrow evening, so we can tell her everything that's been happening. She needs to know about all our dreams, our nightmares" he rubbed his hands anxiously. There was no more time to waste. "So, are we going to do this or what?"
Nancy gripped the edge of her chair, taking a deep breath and looked over towards Kristen. The blond-haired girl gave a grim, determined smile. "Okay, let's do this!"
Smooth fingers glided gently over the blond curls of a doll. They then curled around the back of the plastic dolls head, lifting the child's toy from the bed. Katherine sighed tediously as she carried three of her dolls back across the room to her old, dusty toy chest. How long had she been left here? An hour, maybe more? Who knew? Defining time in the dream world was difficult. Though she had thought that her father would have arrived back to speak to her again, but he still hadn't appeared.
That didn't stop her feeling that she was being watched.
Maybe he would never stop watching her any time she fell asleep.
A tingle shot up her spine and she prudently advanced towards the bedroom door and tugged gently at the handle. It was still locked. Why was he persisting in caging her in her bedroom? What was his purpose?
Again, another sigh escaped her lips and she leaned against the wall, her eyes glowering at the handle with a scowl. The discussion from earlier soon invaded her mind, making her emotions and ponderings collide. Her father said that he was the only person she could trust, that Nancy and Michael were weaving a web of lies to try and turn her against him. But why would they lie? Michael had never once since she had known him lied to her. But as for her father, he had lied and manipulated her throughout her childhood.
If her father did want her to believe and trust in him again, then he had some hard work to do. He had to show it. From now, on her father's actions would be influence her decision whether to trust him again, rather than his words. Oh, he always could sweet talk her around when she was a little girl. But now she was taking a firm stance, she wasn't going fall victim to his mind games again.
As for Michael, her mind was torn. She felt conflicted. Deep down she adored him, the love and devotion that burned in her heart was still vibrant and intense. Though, she desperately wanted to know why his attitude had changed and so suddenly? Was he somehow jealous that she had slept with her father? Then again, Michael had mentioned that he was going to finish with her, end their relationship. Why? There were no fucking signs over the last few days or even weeks that their association, their bond was on shaky grounds or that they were in trouble. What had caused him to change his mind so fast?
There had to be reason why Michael acted in such a callous way towards her? Was that how he really felt? Why did he not once communicate his doubts and grievances with her? His behaviour was out of character and too bizarre, that was true.
Maybe there was more to what had happened over the last day or so than meet the eye…
She pushed herself away from the wall and took a step towards the door, yanking and tugging once again at the handle. With a growl she turned to her side dresser to rummage through the contents scattered on top. It didn't take her long to find what she was looking for, a simple brown hair clip to pick the lock of the bedroom door.
x x x
"Can you feel her presence?" Michael glanced vigilantly behind him. Kristen and Nancy huddled close to his side, their hands interlocked as they prudently manpowered their way through the vast, metal, steam filled passageways of the power plant.
Mechanical groans of the boilers and furnaces echoed in the dimly lit, long halls that stretched out behind them and greeted them as they turned into another corner.
Kristen tightened her grips of Michael and Nancy's hands respectively. Her eyes darted looked at the trickles of hot water that streaked down a nearby metal wall. For the slightest second she thought that the substance appeared to be blood, then again the poor lightening was maybe playing tricks on her eyes and mind.
"Kristen!" Michael squeezed on her hand. "Can you sense if Katherine is near us?"
She jumped. "Uh, sorry" her lips curled into a nervous apologetic smile. For a few moments she concentrated, her eyes narrowing slightly. "No, I can't sense her presence. It's like he's blocking me from reaching out to her"
He groaned in disappointment and anger. "Shit! We can't keep going around in circles in this fucking place! We're wasting time!"
Nancy hushed him and tugged him back as a thin layer of steam fissured from a crack on a rusty pipe above them. The steam distorted their view as several shadows shifted and flickered at the far end of the corridor. They could faintly hear the crackle and fizzle of flames from what was no doubt numerous raging furnaces.
They saw an adjacent corridor ahead of them and staggered to an abrupt stop as they heard footsteps approaching. It seemed to be the faint patter of bare feet slapping lightly on the hard metal ground.
A slim figure adorned in a hospital gown dashed out of the corridor and disappeared of view into the opposite passage. It was her, Katherine. Though she was obvious to their presence.
"Kathy!" Michael cried out.
A blast of steam whistled from a splintered metal pipe to his right, drowning out his voice. He snarled in frustration and broke free of Nancy's hand, running forward after Katherine.
"Michael!"
"Wait!"
The girls chased after him and veered into a large boiler room. He stood motionless, his hands trembling lightly at his side as he gathered his composure. He was a desperate man, frantic to reach out and speak to her.
Katherine's body was barely visible as thick smoke filled the main boiler room. The heavy doors of the furnace were sprung opened, flames blazed brightly and ferociously within the tough steel walls of the kiln. He coughed and spluttered, then called out.
"Katherine. It's me. It's Michael"
She took a few cautious steps towards the side room and peered around the frame of the door. Her head craned slightly over her right shoulder, to stare directly at him. Those big brown eyes of hers widened slightly in surprise upon seeing him in her dream. But this was soon replaced by mounting ire. The memory of their last conversation played through her mind. For a second her eyes lingered on his bruised lip, and she frowned in melancholy at his wound. It never occurred to her how hard she had hit him.
"Katherine…"
She finally turned around to him, then saw Nancy and Kristen lingering behind him. What were they doing here? Her eyes suddenly grew cold, indignant as both her hands curled into tight fists at her sides. "Did you really mean what you said Michael?" she hissed, voice taut with rage. "What did I really MEAN to you?"
He took tentative steps towards her. "I love you Katherine, you know that. I'd do anything for you. You're my world, you're my everything!"
"Then why did you call me a whore? Huh? Tell me fucking why!" she shouted.
Michael tried to explain. "It wasn't me. I never said-"
She scoffed, cutting in. "Don't lie to me! I heard you!" her right hand raised slightly, and she pointed sharply at him. "You called me a dirty little whore!"
"Katherine please!" he begged, "I'm telling you the truth, it wasn't me!"
"Don't lie! That's what you fucking said to me!" she charged towards him, a sudden urge to hit him again began to overwhelm her. But she staggered to a stop as a high-pitched screech tore through the boiler room.
Her father was here.
Freddy's lean figure appeared from a murky, passageway across from the room. His right arm hung limply at his side; the blades of his claw clicked fervently at his side. Tapping lightly against his slacks. The rim of his battered fedora hat hidden his eyes as he cold-heartedly stared across the boiler room at Michael. "So, you think my daughter is a whore? You little cunt!"
He snarled, "I never said those words and you know it!"
Katherine sniffled and lazily wiped at her face, glancing between them both. Which one of them was telling the truth?
"Katherine please you have to believe Michael!" Nancy called over to her.
"Keep your mouth shut, you little bitch!" Freddy sneered, baring his jagged rotten teeth towards her. "My little girl knows the truth…" he turned towards Katherine. "Don't you sweetheart?"
She chewed her bottom lip anxiously as she brooded over the last few days again. Who should she believe? Her father, who deep down she still loved in some warped way? Or the man she had been in love with for the last two years? He had never lied to her, had he? Their relationship had been built on respect and honesty. But she had known her father the longest out of them both, hadn't she? And they still shared a profound, special bond. A connection that through it all was still resilient and intact.
Nonetheless, one of them was lying to her. But who?
"Katherine…" Freddy offered his scarred hand to her, "Come to daddy"
She shook her head fervently, "No. How can I trust you?"
Michael smiled behind Freddy, believing he had won. She was finally seeing through the fucker's callous and twisted lies. At long last she was coming to her senses…
"How can I trust any of you? One of you is lying to me!" her words cut into his heart, shattering Michael's hopes of winning her back. He slowly shook his head and stepped towards her. How could she do this? Why could she not have some faith in her?
"Kathy, please…"
Freddy instinctively blocked his path, separating him from Katherine. "Fuck up! Keep away from her!" he glowered heatedly at the young man. Taking a calming breath, he turned back to Katherine again. "You can't believe him baby girl"
"But how can I believe you? Give me one good damn reason!" she spat back. Her eyes quickly narrowed in distrust. Tottering backwards she avoided their gazes and ran down the shadowy corridor to her right. She wanted to be as far away from them both of possible. It was imperative that she had more time to think, and the sooner she woke from her dream the better.
Freddy growled deeply, his nostrils flared in fury and he spun towards Michael and the two other Elm Street brats - Nancy and Kristen. It was time for Freddy to play. Lifting his right arm he aimed the point of his index blade at each of them in turn. And one bye one they vanished, into three isolated areas of his dreamscape.
Even if he was weak as them demons told him, that wouldn't stop him from fucking with those little shits minds and perhaps claiming one of their sweet little souls…
Nancy moaned as she came to. Her face twisted around on the rough, frayed carpet. Pushing her palms against the ground she hauled herself to her knees and her eyes soon adjusted to the new surroundings. A long narrow corridor faced her, stretching on as far as she could see. The walls at either side of her were decorated with flowered wallpaper, that was faded and tearing away from the plaster. Was this the Elm Street house? Freddy's home? But she had never been in this corridor before. Was he changing the layout of the house? Fashioning it into a maze?
She stumbled to her feet and heard a creak from the ceiling above. The light bulb swayed back and forth, the soft glow flickering on and off. It made her view of the hallway in front of her more precarious.
On either side there were various doors, each of them was closed. She glanced over her shoulder to see a set of steep stairs. Scattered on each of the steps were cracked skulls, broken skeletal remains and burnt corpses of children.
Nancy swallowed the bile that had begun to form in her throat and hastily walked down the hallway. The silence engulfed her as she continued onwards, making her apprehensive. It was completely different wandering in the power plant where never she was having a nightmare. There was a constant steady stream of sounds, the rumblings of the boilers and furnaces. Footsteps and the eerie whispers of those dead children. Even that fucker's maniacal laughter would echo in the distance. Even though it scared her, she was starting to become accustomed to it.
But the silence now was intimidating her.
For a hundred yards she continued as a slow pace, still being vigilant by glimpsing over her shoulder and checking to see if any of those doors had started to creak opened. But all was calm.
Nancy turned into the next corridor and suddenly the light flickered out. Leaving her shrouded in darkness. Her breath caught in her throat and her lips quivered as a sense of dread swept over her.
From about ten feet head of her she could faintly hear something dripping onto the floor. She took a tentative step back and then shrieked as the light flashed on and off again, more fervently than before.
Her blue eyes widened as they landed upon a figure standing at the end of the hallway. They had their back to her. She squinted in the poor lighting to discern the individual more closely. It was a man, perhaps six foot in height. Their bare back was smeared in liquid, a deep red crimson colour. His right hand was deftly moving in front of his stomach and chest. As though he was drawing onto his skin or was it more than just drawing?
Around his bare feet was a pool of liquid. The flickering light bulb clicked on and Nancy could finally distinguish who it was in front of her.
It was Rod Lane.
The liquid that caked his skin was what she expected.
Blood.
More blood continued to drip onto the ground, forming into a puddle around his feet.
Nancy whimpered softly, her eyes never leaving his body as he turned around to face her. He chuckled insanely as he gripped in his right hand his Stanley blade. The steel blade was smeared in blood, and nimbly trailed along his skin below his ribcage.
He wasn't drawing along this skin, he was cutting into it.
"Rod…stop it!" Nancy croaked hoarsely.
His lips curled backwards into a deranged smile. Again he cut into his flesh, deeper than before. Zigzagging it across another laceration. It didn't take her long to recognize what he was doing. Carved onto his chest, stomach and his sides were numbers and letters, spelling out the jump rope song.
A gush of blood spluttered from his mouth as he hauntingly began to murmur the song.
"One, two Freddy's coming for you…"
She broke out of her trance and spun on her heel, back down the hallway into a sprint. The doors at either side began to rattle and shake, the wood exploding outwards and the splinters of timber showering her as she threw her arms up to shield herself.
The next two doors burst outwards, and a figure dove out of one of the darkened rooms, tackling her to the ground. She screamed and thrashed violently against her attacker, Freddy. He snarled and cursed as he grappled at her shirt, tearing away at the buttons. Her hands slapped and clawed at his arms, tearing at his grungy sweater. He grunted as she kneed him hard against the gut and staggered forward on her hands and knees.
To her right she saw a maggot covered skull and grasped it in her right hand, before giving a warlike roar and smashed it hard onto his head. Breaking the skull in two.
He snarled in pain and lurched backwards in surprise, "Fucking bitch!"
Nancy charged forward, breathing hard and soon came to the staircase. As her feet came down on the first two steps she cried out as her feet sunk into what seemed like sludge, thick black sludge. "No!" her arms flailed wildly as she tried to reach out for something to pull her out of the slush. There was nothing to aid her.
Her fingers grappled at the next few steps, and she sobbed even louder as her fingers sunk into yet more thick morass. "Michael! Kristen! Help!"
"Aw…" a deep, vindictive voice mocked from behind her. "Is little Nancy stuck?"
She whipped her head over her shoulder, scowling with disdain and tried with all her valour to pull her hands and feet out of the steps. But any feeble attempt to free herself, also made her sink deeper into the sludge.
Freddy arrogantly stalked towards her and placed his left boot on the bottom step. It rested easily on the wood as the smudge began to harden. His fingers dug into her hair and yanked her head back as he leaned forward, with a twisted smirk on his face. Not a word was uttered as he swiftly raised his claw and drove it down into the middle of her spine…
Nancy squealed as she jolted up from her seat. Her hands patted ardently at her back, searching for any sign of injury. But her shirt was unscathed, not a scratch or a tear of her clothes.
"Hey, it's okay" Donald soothed gently, "You're awake Nancy"
"Am I injured?" she turned her back to him. "Did he cut me?"
He pulled her shirt up and scrutinized her skin. Not a blemish in sight. "No, you're fine"
She twisted back to him, confused etched across her face. "He stabbed me. I could feel this blades in my back!"
"Just be grateful that he hasn't hurt you" he offered. "Let's get Kristen and Michael awake"
Nancy silently nodded and knelt beside Michael's sleeping frame, shaking his arms frantically. "Come on, wake up. Michael!"
"Kristen!" Donald leaned over the blond hair girl, his hands gripping her shoulders tightly.
Nancy glanced over at him and gulped as she noticed that both of their eyes were frenetically rolling about under their eyelids. Still in deep REM sleep. There was no way that they were waking up until their nightmare was over. That is if Freddy allowed them to wake up at all. But what still mystified her was how he never harmed her? Had something happened to Freddy?
x x x
Water.
She hated it.
Kristen had always thought it was strange that even though she was petrified of the water, of his fear of being drown that her mother would still insist on having that damn swimming pool built in their back yard. No matter how many times her father tried to help her as a little girl in their swimming pool, she was overcome with fear at being submerged in the water. Of it engulfing her, suffocating her.
Back then it was her mother who wanted to have the swimming pool, it was a cunning way of her to show off her wealth in the neighbourhood. Sometimes her mother did like to flaunt her prosperity in front of her friends. It embarrassed her sometimes to have a mother like that. Elaine Parker always seemed to have a little brashness about her.
Breaking out of her thoughts, Kristen looked around at the pieces of tattered clothing that floated in the filthy grey water that now reached to her knees. Tall thick metal walls were to her right and left, extending upwards to as far as her eyes could see. The metal passageway she was in was narrow, perhaps six feet in width and incredibly hot.
The jingling and clanging of chains clinked together from high above her. She craned her head back to peer up at them. At the end of a few of the chains were a few rusty meat hooks, with pieces of dead skin smeared over the metal.
She swallowed profusely and turned her attention to the water that now had reached her waist. But how could that be? Only moments before it was to her knees. That bastard must be starting to manipulate and distort her dream. He was near, she could feel his malevolence tainting the air around her. She had to find a way out of here.
Kristen saw a small door, approximately two foot by two feet in length. She staggered through the water towards the circular metal handle and yanked at it. The door shuddered and she pulled at it again, but nothing happened. The door wouldn't open. Down the wall she noticed another access door and slogged through the water towards it. As she neared the door she felt something brush against her arm and gasped. Her gaze fell towards the object as it drifted past.
It was the carcass of a little girl, aged no more than seven years old. Dressed in a dress, a white dress that was now stained red. Her limp arms were sprayed out at her side, marred with deep cuts and abrasions. Blond curls were fanned out around her pale face. Her lifeless eyes stared into the distance and her jaw was ruptured, the corner of her soft pink lips were severed. The cuts were carved across her cheeks. Various deep stab wounds were punctured into her chest and stomach.
Stifling a scream Kristen staggered backwards in the water and shrieked again as another body collided against her back. Her body twisted in the water to glare in horror at another corpse. This time a boy aged about five years old. His white shirt was sliced down the middle, pulled to each side to expose his charred and melted skin.
"My god…" Kristen mouth parted in panic as more cadavers floated to the surface. Her hands trembled as she started to push them to the side. But there was too many of them, at least thirty children's bodies. All of them mutilated and decayed. Flesh torn, cut and burnt. Skin sliced away. Cracked and crushed bones.
The grey filthy water was begin stained red with their blood.
Kristen sobbed and then heard a sound.
A gushing sound.
She twirled around and examined the corridor behind her. In the distance she heard the gushing noise increasing in intensity. Closing in on her position. Then she saw it, a wall of water crashing towards her.
Her legs nearly buckled as she wobbled through the water towards the other door. She lost her footing as the wall of water collided full force into her back, and she went under. Her arms flapped vehemently as she pitifully tried to get to the surface of the water. Somehow, she managed to get onto her tiptoes and her head broke through the water. Inhaling deeply she grasped at the sides of the wall, reaching for anything to keep her afloat.
There was an ghostly chorus of childish giggles from behind her. The dead cadavers of the children were upright, their marred faces smiling oddly at her. Each of their voices echoed in the water filled corridor.
"No one can help you…"
"Freddy will get you. He always gets to his children!"
One by one, they began to swim towards her. Closing in on her as she began to scream and soon their tiny little hands pushed her down under the water…
Kristen coughed violently as she came to, collapsing onto the ground. Nancy clambered onto her knees at her side and patted her back. "Kristen, take a deep breath!"
"Fucking hell. I thought I was a goner!" she glanced at her arms and chest wearily.
Nancy rubbed her back lightly. "You're okay" she looked her once over, "I can't see any blood"
"What? But I can't be. I mean, I felt those kids clawing at me while I was underwater. I could feel them cut me with their nails!" Kristen looked at Nancy bewilderedly.
"I was the same. I felt Freddy stab me with his claw. But I woke up without a wound"
Kristen shook her. Did that mean that Krueger had lost his powers? Were they safe in the dream world now? But how would he lose his powers? She looked over to Michael, still fast asleep in the dream. "Do you think he'll be okay?"
"I don't know" she sighed. "We can only hope he wakes up unscathed like us"
Michael climbed down an old shaky ladder to the bottom floor of the power plant. He had been insistently calling out for Nancy and Kristen. He had heard their screams minutes before. Were they injured? Did they wake up on time or were they dead?
As for Katherine, he knew he had to look for her too. But deep down Freddy wouldn't dare let him anywhere near her. And as for visiting her in Westin Hills, the chances of that were extremely small. The sooner his mother arrived in Springwood, then hopefully she could use her contacts at the hospital to allow her to visit Katherine.
He tensed as a feeling of being watched washed over him. Coming to a stop at another corridor he saw the outline of Freddy half submerged in the steam ahead of him. The fucker was waiting for him.
Freddy causally strolled forward a few feet, and flashed a conceited grin at the young man. "You know. Deep down she will always believe me"
Michael's fingers recoiled against his palms. Freddy was taunting him again. "That's where you're wrong Freddy. I'll make her see that you're lying to her again. Like the way you've always lied to her!"
An arrogant chuckle came from Freddy as he stopped several feet from him. A furnace erupted into life behind him, flames casting shadows along the corridor. "I'm not gong to lose her again. Especially not to a little pussy like you!"
"She deserves to know the truth" Michael snarled venomously. "We both know that I wasn't sleeping when you gave her a sickening proposition. What you did to her, how you tricked her into doing sleeping with you was disgusting!"
Freddy gave a sickening smirk as his blackened tough slithered over his bottom lip at the memory of claiming her. "It worked, didn't it boy? She really believed that apparition was you. You should have seen her face; how desperate she was to save such pathetic little rat like you! I never realised how much she cared for until that night! It's pitiful how she could have feelings for you! Those feelings she has for you are repulsive, they are wrong!"
"You're just resentful because she loves me too! You can't bear to see her happy with me!" Michael began to play Freddy as his own games. It was time to goad him, tell the bastard some home truths too.
"You know…" Freddy flexed his blades quickly and derided him again. "she was a real good fuck. I'm sure she'll get better each time I screw her!"
Disgust and rage erupted from within Michael as those cruel, distasteful words left Freddy's foul mouth. "I won't let you do that to her again!" he contemplated on making a charge at him. But that would be pointless, wouldn't it? He had nothing to defend himself.
"C'mon boy…take a shot at me!" Freddy sprayed his talons wide. Then beckoned with his scarred fingers, wiggling them at Michael. "Let's see if you're a real fucking man! Because that's what Katherine needs a real man. Like her daddy"
Michael took a step forward, ready to retort.
But Freddy continued…
"I should have killed you the first time she mentioned you to me" he growled lowly, and eyed him contemptuously. "You've been a thorn in my side. You were the one who got her taken away from and you corrupted her mind!"
"That's a lie you son of a bitch!" he leered scornfully. "She hasn't been corrupted. It's only now that she knows the truth of what you were doing to her as a child. How you fashioned her mind to believe what you wanted her to believe, it was manipulation and you're doing it again. You're tricking her! Like you fooled her into believing that I was saying those repulsive words to her, by possessing my body!"
Freddy cackled insanely. "Oh, she was so gullible. It was so fucking easy to lure her in. It reminded m of how naïve she was when she was a little girl"
A shadow began to move across the ground, as a figure entered the corridor…
"Possessing your body was necessary" Freddy took slow rapacious steps forward. "It was all part of my plan to win her back-"
"I fucking KNEW it!"
Krueger spun around and scowled in anger. Stood several feet behind in front of the furnace was her, Katherine. Had she been eavesdropping on their conversation? What the fuck had she heard? He sneered, demanding. "What did you hear?"
Katherine sobbed angrily, her fists shaking vehemently at her side. "What do you think?" her voice rose in pitch, "I heard everything. You t-tricked me. How could you do that to me?"
He reached out to her as he advanced towards her. "I'll explain-"
"Explain?!" she laughed in disbelief. "What is there to explain? You lied to me, you are meant to be my father. You're meant to love me!"
Freddy quickly changed tact and his deep growl altered, lighter in pitch. Not as irritated. "I do love you baby girl"
Katherine continued to back away, shaking her head lightly. "No, the way you love me isn't the kind of love that I deserve. Your love you have for me is dark, it's twisted!"
Just as quickly as his repose came, it died away. Frustration and ire overpowering him once more. A deep guttural growl erupted from his chest as he closed in on her. "Don't defy me Katherine"
Her body jerked as her back collided against a brick wall, which she knew wasn't there moments before. He wasn't letting her go that easily. Changing the structure and configuration of the boiler room was a way of keeping her where he wanted her. She avoided the cold glare he was giving her and saw Michael creeping up on him. A thick metal bar raised in his hands.
"Keep away from her you fucker!"
In lightning speed Freddy twirled around and his left hand snatched the young man's throat and lifted him effortlessly into the air. "Not so fast pretty boy!" his fingers tightened around his throat and the bar fell to the ground with a metallic clang. Small blood vessels began to pop and form in the whites of Michael's eyes as he fought for his breath.
"No!" Katherine screamed and charged towards Freddy.
Letting go of Michael, Freddy twisted around and tackled her to the ground. She shrieked and thrashed, buckling against his strong, lean frame. He smirked viciously and slammed his glove around her neck. Pinning her to the metal grating. Her knees bucked against his lower abdomen, but it didn't faze him at all. Her eyes flickered over to Michael's body as he groaned, turning onto his side.
Freddy quickly straddled her hips and leaned in close, his hot breath fluttered across her flushed cheeks. A spit of saliva flew from his mouth onto her hair, as he hissed in fury and wagged his scarred index finger at her. "Naughty little brat. Listening to daddy's conversation, weren't ya?"
Her eyes narrowed in aversion. "I had every right. It was about me! You've been deceiving me-"
The clawed glove cut her off, smothering her mouth in one quick move. Her muffled screams were inaudible beneath the fabric of the glove. She found her legs and limbs immobile, as though she was no paralysed. Again, her gaze darted towards Michael as he finally came to.
Freddy followed her gazed and snarled, "I'll deal with you soon enough, you little fuck!"
In a blink of an eye Michael disappeared.
Turning his pensive, vituperative eyes back to his daughter, Freddy closed the gap between their faces. In a mocking show of affection, he kissed her forehead. "This won't hurt much, baby girl"
She squealed into the palm of his glove as his scarred, rough fingers dug into the right side of her frontal lobe. The tips of his fingers jabbed into her scalp, pushing into her skin as though they were as sharp as knives. Her eyes fluttered wildly, as a piercing pain shot through her mind. The pressure he was placing on the side of her lobe was so excruciating, so intense that in a matter of seconds she had passed out.
x x x
"Would you slow down Michael and tell us what the hell is going on?" Nancy snapped. From the very second Michael had awoken from his dream he was talking gibberish, not making any sense at all. He had simply stormed out of the police station towards his car. No matter how many times they had demanded what had happened he would shake his head and mutter. Now they - herself, Kristen and Michael - were in the car park of Westin Hills. She was nearing the end of her tether. She grabbed his arm before he could leave his car. "God damn it, tell us Michael!"
"She knows" his voice was firm, unwavering. He turned to face her, "Freddy was taunting me about what he did to her. He was so proud of what he did. The way that he deceived her. She was listening to us. She heard everything!"
"That's good news, isn't it?" Kristen chirped from the back seat. Though her smile faded at the look of concern on his face. "What is it?"
"He tried to choke me to death. But she intervened. He turned on her, pinned her to the ground. I couldn't help her. I was so weak. Then he pushed me out of the dream. I need to find her if she's okay"
"Listen, are you injured? Does your neck feel sore?" Nancy asked.
He twisted around on his seat and checked his throat on the car mirror. To his wonder there was no red hand marks. "Fucking hell. There's nothing there. No hand prints! It's not even sore when I touch it"
"Something strange is happening. When that fucker attacked me and Kristen we weren't injured" Nancy shook her head slowly, "We can talk about this more later" her blue eyes went wide with anticipation as she saw the male orderly Max standing at the entrance of the hospital. "Let's see if he can help us"
Katherine moaned quietly as she sluggishly sat up on her mattress. Her eyes adjusted to the poor lightening of the small observation room. There were two empty beds to her right. Surrounding each bed suspended a few feet from the ceiling were silver curtain railings. The blue curtains were drawn opened. A large row of grey cabinets faced her, above a long medical counter and another set of cupboards set below the counter. A few boxes of surgical gloves, first aid kids and medical books were positioned against the wall.
At the far end of the counter a young black haired nurse sat, hunched over a medical file. Their body was dressed in a knee length white skirt and matching shirt. Their right hand held a parker pen as they noted down comments on a page. The woman spun around to face her and smiled, not answering. She grabbed a nearby black phone and dialled a number. Speaking quietly into the receiver she then hung up. "Hello Katherine. I'm Nurse Casey Andrews. How are you feeling?"
Katherine threw the bedclothes from her frame, "Uh, I feel a little nauseated and I've an awful headache. May I have some aspirin please?"
The Nurse nodded and pulled opened a cupboard to her right, rummaging through various boxes and bottles until she picked out a small blue coloured box. After a few moments she popped out two small circular tablets and swiftly crossed the room to a water dispenser. "Dr Sims will be in around 7am. Max is coming up to talk to you before Dr Sims arrives"
Katherine gingerly rubbed her forehead and trailed her fingertips to the side of her temple, just above her right ear. It felt tender, slightly sore. "Uh, I'm in Westin Hills. Right?"
"Yes" Nurse Andrews handed over the tablets and a white plastic cup of water. "You do understand why you are here?"
She glumly nodded as her eyes traced over her bandaged arm. How could she forget? Even now she could feet the jagged edge of that broken mirror cutting into her smooth flesh. How she was so close to taking her own life. Taking a deep breath she popped the tablets into her mouth and downed the water, swallowing them in one gulp. This headache was nothing like she had ever experienced. She had suffered from migraines before, but nothing this severe. It was a though a hot sharp poker was embedded in the side of skull.
The door to the room suddenly creaked opened, drawing both Katherine and the Nurse's attention. Standing in the doorway was Max with a warm smile gracing his face. A surge of heat rushed to Katherine's cheeks as the memory of him trying to hit him in the hospital replayed before her.
"Um, I'm sorry for trying to hit you" she mumbled.
Max entered the room and chuckled lightly. "You're okay. I'm used to it" he glimpsed over at Casey. "Listen, I can look after Katherine if you want to take a cigarette break?"
She grinned from ear to ear. "Thanks. I'll be back in thirty minutes"
He waited a few minutes before speaking again. "Katherine there are some visitors for you. I'll be back soon. I'm going to get them. Just stay here"
"What? But it's just after 6.30am. How could there be visitors at this time?" she looked over her shoulder at the clock on the far wall.
"I know. I'll more than likely get an ass chewing from Sims. But I saw them outside. Well, actually they came over to me. They begged me to let them see you. Your boyfriend is called Michael, yes?"
She nodded quickly.
"He's here" he gave another smile. "Plus two girls. I'll go get them"
After no more than a few minutes the door opened again, revealing Michael, Nancy and Kristen. From outside in the corridor Max spoke. "You have fifteen minutes. Dr Sims usually starts at 7am"
"Thanks. I appreciate it" Michael firmly shook the older man's hand and followed the girls into the room, closing the door behind him. His fretful gaze fell towards Katherine as she sat on the edge of the bed. Her big brown eyes stared intently at him. Then suddenly a small smile etched across her pale face.
"Hi" she sighed.
Michael crossed the room towards her and sat at her side, surprised that she wasn't flinching or recoiling away from him. Or shaking from the slightest touch of her hand on her shoulder. "Hi. Are you okay?"
"Yes"
"You know what happened? Don't you?" Nancy questioned softly.
Katherine glimpsed confusedly at her. "I tried to kill myself. That's why I'm here"
Nancy took a step towards the bed. "But after that. They sedated you in the hospital, before they brought you here"
"Yes"
"Do you remember what happened? You heard me and your father!" Michael gently took her hands in his and squeezed them lightly. "You finally know the truth"
"Heard you? You weren't in my dream" Katherine gave him a bemused look.
"I was" Michael gulped hard, feeling his palms beginning to sweat. "We were all in your dream. Me, Nancy and Kristen. You heard your father talking to me, admitting that he tricked you-"
"Michael, I don't know what the hell you are talking about. You weren't in my dream. None of you were!" Katherine interjected sharply.
The muscles in Michael's stomach began to taut, twisting and knotting together. Something was seriously wrong here. "Kathy, I was in your dream. Your father was attacking me and you help-"
"Michael!" Nancy hissed. Hushing him with her hands discreetly, "Just let Katherine tell us what she remembers from the last day or so"
Katherine nodded. "I remember my father's proposition. He wanted me to sleep with him…" her head bowed in shame and entangled her fingers with him, "But I did it for you Michael. He was going to kill you. You do understand that don't you? I had to save you"
He looked fleetingly over at Nancy, then Kristen. Both girls gestured for him to comfort her. Reassure her. He gave a small curt nod.
She continued. "I left the hospital after I woke up, after I slept with him. But…"
"But what?" Michael turned her on the mattress to face him.
"I'm not sure what happened after that. I vaguely remember breaking into my old home on Elm Street. I was crying, I was upset. I'm not sure why. Then I tried to kill myself" her right hand broke away from his to trace her bandage.
"Do you not remember what happened before that? In the dorm-"
"Michael!" Nancy hissed, stopping him.
He craned his head over his shoulder towards her. Her hands were beckoning him to her and Kristen. Giving Katherine a quick peck on her cheek he left the bed and went to their side. Their voices were low, barely above a whisper as they walked towards the door. "What is it?" he murmured.
Nancy glanced over at Katherine who was paying them little attention. She was too busy rubbing and kneading the muscles on the side of her forehead. Kristen grasped Michael's arm. "Do you think something has happened to her memories?"
"Michael, you have to think back to your dream. What did that fucker do to her?" Nancy insisted. "There has to be something you noticed before you woke up!"
He closed his eyes, pondering back to his dream. Visions flooded his psyche. He had come to and had seen Freddy pinning Katherine to the ground. But the fucker had forced him out of the dream. There had to be a plausible reason for her sudden memory loss. And the only one he could fathom was that Freddy had destroyed part of her memories.