Chapter 10: The Battle at Knowby Cabin

"Ahhhhh! What a rush!" Freddy purred as he replayed the massacre at the warehouse over and over again in his mind. The scent of blood in the air. The terrified screams of the ravers as they were cut down. Freddy relived it all again and again. He couldn't stop. It was his first real taste of freedom since he escaped Black Rose Sanitarium and while he had to share it with the other three slashers, it still filled him with elation. Adding even more to the Springwood Slasher's good mood was the fact that Michael was driving the van through the woods in which Knowby Cabin rested. In no time at all, Freddy would have the Necronomicon Ex-Mortis and with it, the key to regaining his dream powers.

"I can't wait to return to the Dream Realm." He smiled. "I just hope the boiler room hasn't gotten cold on me again."

In the back of the van, Leatherface slumbered peacefully as Jason played with some of the plastic animals the group had bought at the store back in Texas. Michael, of course, kept his eyes on the road, keeping a sharp lookout for the bridge that would take them directly to the property outside the cabin. This is how the slashers would remain for the next 20 minutes before Michael abruptly stopped the van. This action knocked both Freddy and Jason down and woke a cranky Leatherface up from his nap.

"What the hell Myers!" Freddy scolded as he fixed his hat back into place. "What'd you stop for?"

Michael stared at Freddy and slowly pointed ahead of the van. Cocking an eyebrow in confusion, Freddy turned toward the front window and his eyes widened at the sight before him.

The bridge that would have taken them to Knowby Cabin was mostly gone, only the splintered jagged beginning of it remained. From the look of things, it would be safe to assume it had been this way for quite a while yet the map Fae had given the group did not mention this.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me!" Freddy roared. "What the fuck do we do now!?"

Leatherface whined as Freddy continued to throw his tantrum while Jason simply went back to his animals. After three minutes or so, Freddy was finally able to get ahold of himself and checked the map. "Ok, we can't use the bridge but according to the map, there's another route a mile or so away from here." Freddy glanced at the fuel gauge and sighed as he realized the van was nearly empty. "There's no way we'd make it to another gas station in time. It's not ideal but I say we hoof it the rest of the way." Freddy stepped out of the van with the map in hand and began to make his way toward the other route. Michael got out as well and opened the back doors to release the other two. Freddy briefly turned to see the silent murderers following him and chuckled before turning back to the map.

"Come to think of it, why did these assholes come along with me? They could have killed me and been on their way all this time. Oh well. I won't look a gift horse in the mouth." Freddy smiled. "Instead I'll cut off its head and put it in the bed of all those assholes in Springwood. Hahaha! You better get ready fuckers because Freddy's coming to town!"

"This six-pack and um, I think I'll take this pack of gum to boot," Teddy said as he placed the snacks and beverages on the counter.

"Anything else, sweet cheeks." The clerk, an older woman with curly orange hair, asked. It was clear that she was trying to flirt with Teddy but unfortunately, he had neither the time nor the patience for it, as much as he would like to engage. The reason for this was simple, he had lost track of the van that the slashers had stolen after escaping Black Rose Sanitarium. It was really dumb luck that he managed to find them. After destroying Cain, Teddy gathered his things and left the Sanitarium right as the building was being consumed by flames. As he made his way to his car, he noticed a Church van with blood on it driving on the nearby road. Curious, he climbed into his car and drove down the road opposite of the direction the van went. It didn't take him long to find the smashed and slashed corpses of the elderly couple that owned the van. The husband's body curled over his wife as if trying to protect her from their killers.

Teddy felt his blood boil upon the grisly sight and removed the Lament Configuration from his pocket. "Four souls...in exchange for mine..." Teddy thought as his mind replayed tonight's events over and over in his head. At this point, he knew he wasn't just protecting himself. He was doing all of humanity a favor by sending those four monsters to Hell where they belonged. Placing the box back in his pocket, Teddy climbed back into his car and drove off in search of the van. It would take him well into the night to track it down but once he did, he never stopped following. Every now and then, he would lose sight of them as he had tonight and he could only hope no one else was hurt. But rest assured, one way or another, he would send them to Hell.

"Sir...Sir?" The cashier's voice snapped Teddy out of his funk and back into reality.

"Y-Yes?"

"That'll be $12.45" She stated with a cocked eyebrow.

"R-Right." Teddy gave her $13 and told her to keep the change as he left the store with his fuel for the road. He climbed into his car, opened the pack of gum and placed a piece in his mouth. Adjusting his mirror, Teddy screamed when, for only a brief moment, he saw a bloody Vivian sitting in his back seat. "They'll get you too, Teddy. And it'll hurt so good!"

Gah!" Teddy quickly turned around to face his tormenter, only to find himself staring at an empty back seat. Taking a moment to adjust his breathing, Teddy slowly turned back to the front and turned the knob on his radio. Hot in Herre by Nelly blasted in the car and while Teddy wasn't the least bit interested in the lyrics, he was content with the sound all the same. "She's dead. She's dead and gone and she can't hurt you anymore."

Once he felt calm enough, Teddy turned the ignition and began to pull out of the parking lot. As he did so, he noticed another car much like his parked beside his. That car was not there when Teddy first pulled up and yet, Teddy was sure he was the only customer in the store at that time. Hell, aside from the clerk, he was the only person in the entire building for the 10 minutes he was in there. Yet that car surely must have pulled up during that time.

Deciding that finding the bloody van he had been chasing all this time was a far more pressing matter, Teddy shook his head and rode out of the parking lot. He wasn't sure but he had a feeling that he knew where the slashers were headed and figured it wouldn't hurt to look.

It took roughly half an hour but at last, the group was able to find the alternate route and with it, were able to make it to the cabin. To say that the place was rundown would be a huge understatement. The place looked as if it hadn't been touched by human hands in at least a decade. The roof had a huge gaping wall in it and both windows were shattered, particles of broken glass peppering the patio underneath. The doorway lacked its namesake and as the wind howled through the opening, it caused the cabin to utter a long somber howl.

Leatherface couldn't help but blubber fretfully. Something inside him told him that whatever was in that cabin was more evil than the four of them combined and to even step foot near the cabin was a death wish, never mind going inside. The other slashers felt the same instinct to some degree, including Freddy. That didn't stop the dream demon from laughing it off and taking the first steps toward the cabin. "Alright assholes! I don't know about you but I've got a little date with the Book of the Dead. You're free to come along if you want but don't go thinking that I'll save ya from the bogeyman if he decides to show up."

Michael wasted no time following Freddy, his instincts producing caution within him rather than fear. Jason went next, stopping in his tracks as he heard Leatherface whimpering even more. Turning toward him, Jason saw the skin mask-wearing man shiver like a child. This produced another vivid memory in Jason's mind, this time harking back to the day that he and his mother moved to their new house near Crystal Lake. He remembered shivering just like Leatherface was now as it was the first time he had seen the house he was to call his new home. It was much bigger than the apartment he had lived in all his life and its light blue paint job caused it to nearly blend in with the sky.

Jason didn't like the house and burrowed his head into his mother's dress, hoping to get her to change her mind and return to the apartment that he knew. To his shock, he felt the gentle sensation of her soft hand on his bald scalp and looked up into her eyes. "Jason sweetheart." His mother cooed. "There's nothing to be afraid of." Slowly, she moved her hand from his head down to one of his own and grabbed it. "Here. I'll show you."

Jason was still reluctant to step inside the building but followed his mother regardless, strengthened by her words and smile. By the end of the day, Jason was already used to thinking of this house as his home as it would be until that fateful day he drowned.

Leatherface's whines brought Jason back to reality and it was then that he realized that Leatherface was still only human. Jason and Freddy were both undead monsters and Michael was the conduit for a force of evil neither one of them understood very well but Leatherface? He was just a man with the heart of a child raised in a life full of blood and guts For the first time, since losing everything that day, Jason felt empathy for another person that wasn't his mother. Alas, Jason could no longer speak and therefore couldn't convey his story to Leatheface. Even if he could, the Texas-born slasher might not understand. So Jason did the next best thing.

Gently, he grabbed Leatherface's hand and waited for the shuddering killer to notice. He didn't have to wait long and once Leatherface looked into his single good eye, he was able to see the undead giant's surprisingly noble intentions.

I see you found yourself a little brother Jason. Make sure to take good care of him

Jason smiled underneath his mask as he guided the hillbilly along. Leatherface was still scared but with his new friend, no, new brother by his side, he felt much safer as they neared the cabin.

Before they could get within five feet of it, however, something suddenly jumped up from behind the roof and landed in front of the slashers. As it hit the ground, it tossed up a wall of dust which blinded the group of killers temporarily. Freddy winced as he struggled to get the dirt and pieces of dead leaves out of his eyes. Once he did so, he returned his gaze to the cabin, only to be greeted by the sight of a long tan tail coming toward him at full speed.

"What the fuc-

Freddy, along with the other slashers, was sent flying backward with a single swipe of the tail. Freddy landed on his back and felt his hat come off his head. After taking a few seconds to ponder what the hell just happened, Freddy sat up and hastily looked for his hat. It didn't take him long as the head decoration landed only a foot or so away from him. Freddy quickly grabbed it and placed it back on his charred scalp before getting back to his feet.

The sound of Leatherface's whining caught Freddy's attention and as he turned his head in the direction of the noise, he saw the Texas-born killer crawl toward his chainsaw. The power tool was still on and spinning madly on the ground far too fast for Leatherface to grab onto the handle without the risk of losing his fingers. A few feet away from the struggling Bubbha, Jason was just starting to peel himself from the forest floor, leaving a rather large indent in the earth as he did so.

"What the fuck was that?" Freddy thought once again. His attention was once again stolen, this time by the sound of an unknown creature's growling. Turning back around, Freddy watched as said creature pinned Michael down to the ground with one of its giant feet.

To say that this monster was ugly would be an understatement. With its gourd-shaped head, blank dead eyes, and two strange growths coming out of both shoulders, this...thing looked like it had crawled right out of Hell itself. Even Freddy, the Bastard Son of 100 Maniacs couldn't help but shudder at the sight of this fearsome beast as it wrapped its gnarly fingers around Michael's throat and lifted the Shape off the ground. The creature studied the man for a few moments during which Michael proceed to try to stab the monster in the eye. Before the blade could make contact, however, the monster grabbed Michael's wrist with its free hand and snapped it with a single jerk, causing the Shape to let go of the knife. Michael could only watch helplessly as the knife stabbed itself into the forest floor as the creature rearranged its fingers to expose his throat. Making a pointing gesture with its free hand, the monster sliced Michael's throat open with a single swipe, baring its filthy fangs in a hideous sneer as the Shape's blood sprayed onto its face.

"Michael!" Freddy shouted.

A fatal error, the creature turned its attention toward Freddy as it tossed Michael away. He started to stomp toward Freddy who in turn flexed his blades. "I may not have my dream powers but I'll split you in two just the same, you overripe cornstalk!"

Just as the creature was about to take a swipe at Freddy, a machete suddenly wedged itself into its side, causing it to cry out in pain. Freddy tilted his gaze to Jason standing there, his arm still in a throwing motion. He turned back to the wailing creature as it struggled to remove the machete from its side and smiled. "Well well well, I guess Hockey Puck is good for something after all huh?"

With a battle cry, Freddy rushed toward the creature and leaped into the air, intending to cut out one of the monster's eyes. He didn't quite succeed as the monster moved its head at the last minute but Freddy's blades were still able to dig into the side of the creature's face, tearing a gaping bloody hole in its left cheek. This hit came at a cost, however, as in its anger, the creature backhanded Freddy into a nearby tree. The tree, already having been dead for years and really nothing more than a skeleton made of bark at this point, crumpled against Freddy's body and fell over. Freddy felt the jagged points of bark dig into his back and grunted in pain. As he forced himself back up, he saw the creature stomping toward Jason, having given up on taking out the machete in its side for the time being.

Jason, despite currently being relieved of his weapon, didn't seem worried in the slightest and this came as no surprise to Freddy. If there's one thing he would give Hockey Puck credit for, it was his ability to turn pretty much anything he got his undead hands on into a murder weapon.

Including his hands themselves.

Once the monster was within striking distance, it took a swipe at Jason, intending to take his head off in one blow. Before that could come to pass, however, Jason grabbed the monster's arm with both hands, catching it off guard if but for a moment. This one moment was all that Jason needed as he pulled the giant creature over his shoulder and slammed it into the ground, tossing up even more dust than the creature did upon its arrival. As it hit the ground, the creature felt the machete wedge itself deeper into its side and screamed in pain.

Freddy let out a round of hearty laughter as the monster trashed about. "Hey Jason! Nice moves! You should join the WWE! Hahahaha!"

Jason ignored the Springwood Slasher's unwelcome comments as he gripped his machete and wrenched it out of the creature's hide, causing it to let out another agonized howl. He then stomped on its throat to keep it from getting up and raised his machete, ready to plunge it into its heart and end this. Right as he was about to slam it down, however, he was knocked back by the creature's tail, his mask falling off of his face.

"Shit!" Freddy cursed. "That tail! He forgot about that damn tail!"

This time, Jason remained on his feet but the whiplash stunned him for a few seconds, enough time for the creature to rake its claws across his chest and stomach. It was this attack that knocked him back to the ground where he lay bleeding heavily as the creature got up. The gaping wound on its side slowed it down quite a bit but from the look in its eyes and the sneer on its face, Freddy could tell this thing was far from done. In a way, it was almost admirable. If only it wasn't trying to keep them from the Necronomicon.

"Is this thing like the bodyguard for the Book of the Dead?" Freddy pondered. "I suppose it would make sense for such a powerful book to put up a fight. I should have expected as much." Freddy sighed and shook his head. "What a bitch of a situation we're in."

It was around this time that the creature finally took notice of Leatherface who was still kneeling on the ground, trying to reclaim his out-of-control chainsaw. Ignoring the excruciating pain on its side, the monster stalked toward the bumbling hillbilly, intending to once again decapitate his foe with a single swipe. Right as the creature raised its arm to make said swipe, a sharp pain in its tail stopped it in its tracks.

Michael, with his throat still bleeding and his left hand broken, had slammed his knife into the monster's tail, pinning it to the ground. The monster was quick to notice what he had done and grabbed at him with its claws, only to lose two of them as Michael sliced them off with his knife. Unleashing a furious roar, the monster lifted up its right leg and kicked Michael away from its tail, sending him flying back several feet.

With its more intact hand, the creature gripped the knife's hilt and plucked it out from its tail, letting a sharp roar from the agony. Tossing the weapon aside. the creature stomped toward Michael, intending on ripping him apart to keep him from interfering. At this point, the blood Michael was losing from his torn throat was starting to take its toll. He tried to get up only to fall back to the ground again. Meanwhile, Jason also struggled to get up, one of the creature's claws had managed to sliced right through his stomach cavity. His free hand was the only thing keeping his innards from falling out and that task proved more difficult with each move he made.

Freddy watched this all unfold and shook his head again. "Shit!" was all he could think to utter before rushing toward the creature. "Why am I helping these assholes?" He thought as he stopped a few feet from the creature and started shouting. "Hey! Jackass! Over here!"

The creature turned its murderous gaze toward Freddy and snarled, contemplating whether or not to go after the annoying hat man or finish off the man in the white mask.

"I could just slip in the cabin while these bastards get killed." Freddy processed these thoughts even as he continued to try and grab the monster's attention. "It's not like we're friends. As soon as this was all over, I was gonna kill these bastards myself anyway. So why? Why am I risking my own hide for Captain Kirk?" Freddy's conflicting thought process was halted by the creature turning back toward Michael. It was smart enough to realize what Freddy was trying to do and figured it'd be best to take out the half-dead intruder first. Rising its right hand, the creature prepared to strike.

"Hey! When I say pay attention to me," Freddy rushed over to stand in front of Michael, his own blades raised. "I mean pay attention!"

With a single swipe of his own, Freddy sliced through the monster's three main fingers, leaving only the smaller thumb-like appendage on the creature's hand. The monster roared in fury and pain as it waved its now useless hand in the air, blood spraying out from the stumps and spraying down onto Freddy and Michael with the former laughing his ass off. "I should have warned you. I'm very well-versed in the arts of sleight of hand! Hahaha!"

The monster turned its fierce gaze toward the Springwood Slasher and roared in his face. It was not going to let these invaders get away with this indignation! It would destroy these monsters if it was the last thing it did! But before that, it was going to make them suffer! Before the creature could decide on just what to do, however, it felt a sharp pain in its back. A pain that jutted through its insides and out from its stomach, all while making a horrible whirring sound.

With a furious battle cry of his own, Leatherface impaled the creature with his chainsaw, using every last bit of strength he had to lift both up. The monster cried out in pain as its blood and innards continued to fly out from its body, evicted viciously by the spinning blades. Freddy, Jason, and Michael watched in awe as the spectacle unfolded.

"Bubbha may not have a whole lot of brains," Freddy whispered. "But he sure makes up for them in guts!" Freddy's laughter at his own joke was drowned out by the creature wailing and the chainsaw roaring. Finally, desperate to stop the pain, the monster waved its tail about wildly, finally landing a hit in Leatherface's stomach. The hillbilly flew backward, taking his chainsaw with him as it was still within his tight grip. The roaring weapon took even more out of the monster as it flew out, causing the creature to cry out one more time before falling to the ground.

Leatherface landed several feet from the monster, his chainsaw cutting into his own leg in the process. The hillbilly screamed in agony as the saw dug deeper before he finally managed to wretch it out. By this time, Jason had managed to hobble over to Leatherface and sit by his side, his mask hanging haphazardly from his face. He wanted to help his new brother but was unsure how to do it. He knew everything about hurting people and nothing about healing them.

Freddy and Michael, the latter of who was slowly getting back on his feet, watched the monster shivering in the puddle of its own innards. It lifted its head toward the two slashers, its gaze filled with more hate than before. It let out a raspy growl, fell back down, and grew still.

"Light's out, bitch!" Freddy muttered before turning to Michael. "You alright?"

Michael, of course, didn't say anything nor did he really have to. The fact that he was standing upright without any help was proof enough that he would recover. He did grip his still bleeding throat which caused Freddy to smile.

"Relax. It's not like you were using it anyway." Freddy burst into laughter as Michael shook his head and went to look for his knife. As he walked away from Freddy in search of his weapon, Jason and Leatherface approached the Springwood Slasher, holding onto each other for support.

"These assholes really put themselves through the wringer for me." Freddy thought. "Why?" He shook his head. "Why should it matter!? I'm the fucking Bogeyman dammit! I don't give a flying fuck if someone loves me or hates me, helps me, or hurts me. To me, everyone's prey and that's all there is to it!" Freddy allowed a heavy sigh to escape his lips. "That being said, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to have some lackeys with me. Maybe I'll keep these guys around for a while."

Freddy waited until Michael returned with his knife to address his fellow killers. "Well! We beat the final boss so to speak! What's say we head into that cabin over there and see what we will see!?"

None of the slashers nodded but still followed Freddy as he made his way inside. "Inside this shit shack is the key to reclaiming my dream powers." Freddy thought. "And maybe...just maybe...even more than that."

A devious smirk crept across his lips.

"Dammit! I was afraid of this." Teddy moaned as he stared from his car. Before him was the van he had been following for the past few days and before that was a steep cliff once connected to the other side by a long-gone bridge. His years of working under Vivian had thought hum much about what supposedly lay beyond that cliff, what hid deep in the woods. And with everything else that had happened, Teddy was certain that the rumors were true.

"If Freddy or anyone of them were to get their hands on it...Dear God."

Maybe Vivian would have the final laugh after all.

Shaking his head, Teddy shifted his gears in reverse and back away from the van. He knew of another way to Knowby Cabin and if he hurried, it would only take him about 20 minutes. From inside his pocket, the Lament Configuration hummed.

(Just to be clear, the monster is Pumpkinhead)