It had almost been three weeks since Kincaid and Kristen had died.
For these past three weeks Joey found himself not being able to cope anymore, depressed and scared out of his mind he stopped showing up to school. Between the "That's him" looks, and what Alice might end up saying, he knew it was smarter for everyone if he just stayed away.
He hardly showed up at his house anymore, in fact the last time he was around was maybe five days ago when both weren't home. He knew they had called around and heard from other people they saw his car driving around town. But they weren't going to call the police or even take giant steps to go looking for him.
Back two years ago, when the nightmares started to happen and he was committed for his "Own well being" as his mother put it. He had started to ditch school and just wander around in a daze trying to stay away until his accident happen and he was locked away to the hospital, with little chance of surviving.
That bastard had taken his voice and his childhood along with the others. They had fought him…how could he have come back?
He knew soon or later he would have to face this head on, he had seen Alice in the dream when Kristen had taken them in, and he knew what had happened.
Yesterday he had heard about that girl Shelia…what was happening?
Freddy could only touch him right? Because he was the last.
No…what happened was an accident, but for the others he knew what had really happened, and now he was all alone.
As for Alice he didn't know if she was safe or not, but he was almost certain that Freddy could only get him, and as along as he stayed away from everyone they would be safe. Sitting upright in his car, parked in the back of the drug store's parking-lot he saw he needed a shave and a shower. Dark circles hung down low under his dark brown bloodshot eyes, and he saw his color draining.
Back in Western Hills there were limits to how you could stay awake. They didn't let them have caffeine, or anything to stay awake…in fact their main goal was to piss you off enough to sedate you, much like Kincaid always ended up getting done to. So like the others, who all knew this was a test to stay alive he worked out systems. His roommate Will and him would take shifts, two hours one would stay awake and watch the other, then switch. It was broken sleep but it seemed to be working and keeping them alive.
Will was a good friend, somehow much like the others they looked at Joey like he was just one of them, and had the same things on the line, like his life.
At fifteen, sixteen years old they were fighters, trying their best to help each other and staying awake, banning together to try and convince the doctors and adults that they weren't crazy…they wanted to live.
Joey knew half of the kids in the hospital before they went in. All were normal good kids that he hung out with, then one night he feel asleep and started to dream of that house.
He remembered walking from room to room when the dim lights flickered, and then Freddy came out before him and took him by the throat, rising him slowly off the ground as his feet swung back and forth kicking as he choked for air.
Freddy's long silver claws went to his throat and then he woke up, his mouth opened wide trying to scream as only breathless sounds made it out. He had a panic attack as his parents rushed in and they tried to calm him down.
He found out that night he couldn't speak.
He was rushed to the hospital and it looked as if he suffered a trauma, or a deep shock to have taken his voice like it did. His mother kept telling the doctors and nurses that it was all in Joey's head and he would just snap out of it. But no matter how much he tried he couldn't speak.
He wrote down to his parents what he saw in his dream, he remembered the looks on their faces and how they took a walk outside his hospital room, talking in low voices.
He was committed the next week with very little to "say" about the matter. His parents thought this could protect him and be the best choice for him. All ready the suicides and deaths were happening in town, in fact some kids Joey knew had died that month.
At first he thought it was the end of the world, but every time he feel asleep he saw the man, and came close to being killed. In fact one the man sliced his arm with his claws before he was woken up by one of the nurses…the cut was still there, but no one believed him as they did with the others.
No one believed them, and somehow the fear of even shutting for eyes for the second maybe in a small way really did drive them crazy.
But when Kristen and Nancy came into his life they fought as a team, those awful memories of being caught in that hell and not being able to wake up.
Then they saved him…
His friends.
Many had died and given up their life's to live, and it was a chance to start over. The dreams stopped…but Kristen knew.
He could saved her.
Those awful cries as he burned to death, her big blue eyes filling with tears as he looked at him, and Freddy laughed.
It couldn't be possible.
No, he couldn't do this…not alone.
His life was crumbling around him and there was nothing he could do about it.
He remembered Nancy, how she has saved him holding his hand as tight as she could. What he would do to have her with him right now.
He thought about it, maybe if he stayed awake, maybe before anyone caught on he would visit Dr. Gordon, who was living a few states over after he lost his medical license after the scandal. He did tell them all that he loved them as if they were his own, and anytime they ever needed him they could go.
Maybe since he had been there, maybe he would know what to do.
He knew if he even shut his eyes for a second he would die.
Snapping awake again he turned up his radio and took a handful of caffeine pills with a can of coke. If it came to it he would start cutting his arm to stay awake.
With blurry eyes he saw the diner, school wouldn't let out in another hour or so. He had been watching Alice go into work everyday…in fact he had been working a lot lately. Maybe tonight he would go see her and say that he was leaving town.
Sighing he rubbed his face and took a deep breath.
He needed to stay awake.