Chapter 9: Nightmares are often based on Reality

I absorbed his soul like I had done so many others already. Krueger had been right, the pain I felt as I gained power from this last kill was more painful than the others combined. I had been warned, but it still hurt so much. I felt as though my insides were on fire. I was in the fetal position before the pain was gone, and I stayed that way for a time after.

"My angel…" the voice was rough, but at the same time it held a ring of soothing power. I was able to relax my tight ball as a hot hand was placed on my shoulder. I looked to see the face of Krueger.

"I'm sorry, master… I almost let that one escape."

"That's alright." He sounded almost fatherly, "The important thing is you killed him, and quite creatively I may add. Using his fear of snakes to make him fear you was worthy of a dream demoness."

He held out his ungloved hand for me to take, but I hesitated.

"You told me I shouldn't trust you, because when I do, that would be the time you'd kill me. Give me a reason why I should take your hand?"

"Because I have something you need to see now that you're ready. I won't bite." Then he quickly added, "This time."

I took his ungloved hand and he yanked me to my feet. In the time I had been laying on the cold floor Medusa had slithered off my shoulder and curled up between my legs, seeking heat, but she came back when she sensed my movements. I knelt down and stuck out my hand, which she the proceeded to slither up. She loosely wrapped around my arm and rested her head on my shoulder.

"Hey there, baby." I cooed to her.

"A new pet?" Krueger asked.

"Yes. I was so tired from my hunt that one of the snakes I had used decided she would resist being blinked away, so I have decided to keep her."

"Well, you better take it with you to the real world once we're done. You can't have a pet when you're on duty."

"You mean I could take her out of here with me?" I asked, looking at the beautiful python on my shoulder.

"Yes. That trick has even been pulled on me a few times. But I… I am forever. And you will be too, very soon."

Krueger held my wrist and pulled me along behind him, leading me out of the locker room. We went to darkness, then to the boiler room almost immediately.

His boiler realm was much warmer than the locker realm. The pipes hissed with steam that blocked my view of more than a few feet in front of us. The landing we were on was creaking uncomfortably under my feet as my footsteps echoed.

We went down stairs, down deeper and deeper. I felt as though he was dragging me to hell. Not that I didn't deserve that by now.

Finally we got to a large blank wall, and he let go of my arm. He walked up to the wall and pressed his claws against the rock, then turned so he could see me.

"This is what you need to see. This…" the wall started to glow, "Is our weakness. This is what can kill us. This… this is what has killed me." He growled as he stepped back from the wall.

Images filled the wall. It showed a man with his wife and daughter. The man was then in a boiler room with Krueger's glove. A mob appeared and the building caught on flames. The man was on fire, screaming in anger and pain. It was a horrible sight.

Then time shifted. The man was on the floor dead, and then he stood, screaming. Three figures, hard to make out what they were really, flew around him. He was restored, sort of.

I looked over to Krueger, who wasn't watching, just standing to the side. It was almost like he was afraid to watch. I turned back to the wall.

Next were the little ghost girls. They actually came out of the wall and chanted my version of the Freddy chant.

"1, 2… the angel's after you… 3, 4… better bar your door… 5, 6… you're in a fix… 7, 8… she holds your fate… 9, 10… never sin again…"

They continued to chant my tune and Freddy's tune as the images shift to a girl from the eighties. She was my age, and she was being chased by Krueger through 1428. She turned her back to him, and when he went to attack, he failed. But as I continued to watch, he trapped her in a car and killed her mother.

I turned again to face Krueger. I was a bit confused.

"I couldn't kill the bitch then, so I killed her mom instead. Courage is one of the things that can kill us. You noticed how weak you felt when the football player wasn't scared of you. If he was brave enough to turn from you… then all your previous kills would have meant nothing." He sneered. He pointed back to the screen with his index claw as it started to glow again.

Now there was a boy in 1428. He seemed troubled, much like me but nicer. The events that took place were Krueger possessing the kid, but again, Krueger was defeated.

Now there were a large group of kids, all fighting Krueger together. One died and gave some sort of power to a blonde girl. Later the blonde became pregnant and Krueger tried to turn the kid. Krueger's own mother defeated him then.

That was Jake's mom… that brat was Jake…

Krueger returned again, as usual, and he was fighting a woman named Meg. But it turned out her name was Katherine. She was Krueger's daughter.

The next scene was very weird. People were attempting to make a movie about Krueger and he was killing the actors. Next, Krueger was in hell, trying to come back. He brought the Crystal Lake killer, Jason Voorhees, to Elm Street. They fought, and technically Jason won, but Krueger was still alive. Well, alive as Krueger has been since he became a dream demon.

"Do you see, my angel?" he asked, clawing at the wall and making the images vanish. I turned to face him.

"Yes… I do."

XxX

I had human things to do. First, buy a cage for Medusa and some mice for her to eat. Even in the human world I understood her better than anything else.

When I got it all home, she seemed pleased. I watched as she ate her first real mouse. The way she struck out and grabbed it in her teeth. She twisted around it and started to squeeze, crushing the bones as the small white rodent twitched. It took mere minutes for it to stop moving, but a patient hunter waited a moment longer before she started to swallow. That's when I turned, knowing she'd be okay.

I walked down the street, a few blocks, and counted the addresses.

1376… 1398… 1404… 1428.

The house was boarded up and in shambles. This was my home once, as a child. I fell to my knees, letting the pain hit full on.

It was autumn, so it was cold. I hugged myself to block out the air as tears streaked my pale skin.

"Angel?" I looked up in shock to see Jake. He looked worried and he came over and knelt down next to me.

"Jake… I'm so sorry… sorry…"

"Angel? What did you do?"

"I wanted your help since you told me who you are… but I couldn't even think it until I was strong enough so Krueger couldn't read my mind anymore. I didn't want to be a killer like this… I really didn't…"

I held my face as I cried. I was terrified, angry, sad, more emotional than I had ever let myself become.

"Shh… it's okay." He pressed my head to his chest as I cried, "Come on, I'll walk you home. We'll talk there."

XxX

In my room was where I felt safest. That's where Medusa was. She was fast asleep from her meal. I sat on my bed and stared at the floor.

"Jake… I wanted to tell you from the beginning… but if Krueger knew."

"I know."

"He killed my mother. I know he did! I don't know why… 1428 use to be my home… maybe that had something to do with it… once I learned of him, I knew I had to face him. But he was too powerful… he always comes back. He was going to kill me… and I panicked, so I told him I wanted to be like him. But the guilt… and now that I'm getting so close… I see it's too late to go back now. I'm going to finish him… but I don't want to be dammed. I'm killing sinners… but killing is a sin. I was almost destroyed last night. I'm starting to like killing… anger… fraud… and violence are left… that's all… but… it's so much!"

I broke down again, sobbing hard and holding my face. Jake held me as I cried. He was the only person who ever held me since my mother.

"So do you have a plan?" he asked after a long pause.

That caught me off guard. I though he'd yell at me for being so stupid and rash, and for asking Krueger to train me. But he didn't, he was calm.

"I've had a plan since my first kill…"

"Then tell me what it is, and I'll help you. If Krueger can't read your mind anymore then I can help."

"I've wanted to stop him since I met him… this isn't just about my mother… this is for everyone." I said.

AS22: alright, so what's Angel's plan? well R&R to find out!