Jack slowly opened his eyes, wondering what was going on. He heard something, but his brain was still too sleepy to recognize what it was. He moaned, rubbing his eyes, trying not to trip over Nancy.
He crawled out of his sleeping bag and saw Vlad twitch. He screamed and it looked like he was fighting against something. What can he be fighting against? Jack wondered. He had woken Maddie up as well, who was trying to shake him out of it, with no success.
Vlad was throwing his legs around, one of them catching Maddie on the shoulder. She was pushed back, irritated, but still trying to help him. Suddenly, however, something very weird happened. Vlad's shirt was raised and Jack saw 4 cuts on his back, all of them forming a puddle of blood.
Jack still didn't know what was going on, but knew he had to wake his friend. He held his arms down and shook him as hard as he could. Vlad continued to struggle against an unseen enemy and even his strength found it difficult to restrain him. "Vlad! Vlad!" Jack shouted. Vlad continued struggling, but was slowly opening his eyes. When he saw Jack's face, he screamed until he realized who it was.
"What was that?" Maddie demanded.
"He attacked me…" Vlad groaned, trying to stop himself from screaming in pain. He tried to get up, only to fall with a cry.
"Nancy, do you have a first aid kit?" Jack exclaimed, looking at his girlfriend, who was not yet fully awake. He turned the light on, forcing her eyes to readjust.
"This is Tina's house, but I'll see what I can find." Nancy sighed. "What's going on?" She got a look at Vlad and barely repressed a squeal. She ran off to the kitchen, hoping to find something.
"Come on, Vlad, stay with us." Maddie pleaded. Vlad was far from unconscious, but strangely enough, the pain was at the back of his mind. The only thing he felt at the moment was pure fear. "How did this happen?"
"I don't know, Maddie!" Jack snapped, startling her. "Sorry, I'm just worried about him. How is this possible?"
"Could he have bumped up against something?" Maddie wondered. Even as she said it, though, she highly doubted that was the case, but what other explanation was there?
"No, I don't see anything near him." Jack refuted. He took a closer look at the wounds. It was almost like something had clawed him. "This doesn't make any sense.
"Will you guys keep it down?" Tina complained to them. "Rod and I are trying to sleep."
"Hey, we've got a bit of a problem on our hands." Jack replied sternly in what he felt was a major understatement. "V-man's been hurt!"
"Is he all right?" Tina softened her voice, heading down to see what was going on. Groaning, Rod followed them, wearing nothing but his underwear.
"Whoa, what the hell happened?" Rod gasped. Admittedly, he had gotten into numerous fights and even owned a switchblade, but he hadn't seen an injury like that. Where could Masters have gotten it?
Nancy arrived with the first aid kit. Maddie began with pouring antiseptic on the wound. She expected Vlad to cry out, but apart from a shudder, he said nothing. Jack grabbed the bandages and placed them on his body as smoothly as possible. He rolled his friend around to see if there were any other injuries. There didn't appear to be any.
"Vlad, who did this?" Maddie asked.
"Freddy… Freddy," Vlad managed to stammer out.
"Does that make any sense to you?" Jack asked everyone.
"I know a junior named Freddy, but he's a nerd." Rod spoke out. "Besides, how could someone have gotten in here with nobody noticing? We locked all the doors and windows, right?"
"Yes, I locked them." It had become habit for Maddie to lock her door, no matter how short a time span she spent inside the room.
"Any broken windows?" Nancy wondered. They looked around, but everything was in place.
"So how the hell could someone have gotten in?" Rod wondered. "If someone broke the windows, we would all have heard something and there would be a sign of it."
"I know; I don't see anything at all." Jack groaned. Vlad was still silent as he pushed himself to a sitting position. "Who did this to you, V-man? When I get my hands on that SOB…"
"It was Freddy… tried to kill me." Vlad replied to him.
"Vlad, you're not making any sense." Maddie told him. "How could someone have tried to kill you without me noticing it? I was sleeping right next to you!"
"I'm telling the truth, ok?" Vlad shouted. After that outburst, though, the memories started coming back.
Vlad just ran; it didn't matter what direction he went. All he knew was that he had to get away. He sprinted faster than he ever thought possible, but ended up running right into him. He laughed as he rolled away from his weapon and continued running.
He headed back to the house, trying to open the door, but it was locked and wouldn't budge. "Guys, let me in!" he called desperately, but there was no response, no footsteps. "I'm serious; please help me!" He was forced to run again, hearing laughter behind him.
"Hey, Masters!" the nightmare called it. Almost against his will, he turned around. Freddy took out his claw and sliced two of his own fingers off, blood spurting out of him. However, he didn't seem to be harmed in the least. Vlad bolted, panting, trying to find an escape route. He ran through the alleys, but no matter where he turned, he couldn't get away from him. He already knew the house wouldn't open and no matter how loud he screamed for help, no one responded. Just what was going on?
"You can't get away, boy." He appeared again and this time, he failed to turn around. He grabbed onto Vlad's arm, holding firm in spite of his attempts to escape. Vlad grabbed his face, hoping it would distract him, but his hand fell right off, with a layer of flesh in his hand. In disgust, he threw it to the ground and momentarily broke free, but he was tackled almost immediately. He felt searing pain through his back, screaming in both pain and terror. Vlad continued fighting, but knew he wasn't going to last.
"Vlad, how could anyone have gotten in here?" Nancy tried to reason with him.
"The guy you mentioned before; did he have a red and green sweater?" Vlad asked them desperately. When Nancy and Tina nodded, he continued: "That was him! He's the one who attacked me! He had the… finger-knives you mentioned."
"None of this is making any sense at all." Nancy sighed. "It was weird enough when me and Tina dreamed about the same thing. Now you're dreaming about him?"
"Okay, then what do we do?" Maddie asked.
"I'm not sure." Tina sighed. "I can still hardly believe this. My nightgown was ripped last night, but I wasn't actually hurt."
They continued talking, most of them going around in circles. Vlad left the group, curling up on the couch, still staring off into space. I really thought I was going to die. Vlad thought. The fact of the matter was that he very nearly did, and the thought frightened him. Maddie moved by his side, looking at him with concerned eyes. "Are you all right, Vlad?" she asked him.
"Not really," Vlad admitted. "That thing nearly killed me and you guys think that I'm making this up!"
"We don't think you're lying, Vlad." Maddie responded, being patient with him. "It's just a lot to take in, someone trying to kill you in your sleep." Vlad didn't say anything, instead hugging her tightly. It startled her momentarily until she remembered this was her best friend, not someone who was going to hurt her. She cautiously hugged him back, trying to help him as best she could. Vlad forced himself not to cry.
None of them were able to get back to sleep. Tina and Rod decided to retire to their mother's bed, all of them shaken up about the night's events. Jack stayed with Vlad and Maddie, while Nancy watched with concern and considerable confusion. Vlad hissed in pain from his injuries, but there was little that could be done that they didn't already do.
Before they knew it, it was light and they had to go to school. "So what are we going to tell your parents?" Jack wondered.
"Personally, I'm hoping to avoid that for as long as possible." Vlad admitted. "There isn't exactly a suitable explanation for this. How am I going to be able to keep this hidden when we play P.E.?"
"We'll figure out something, V-man." Jack promised. "Have a good day, Nancy!" They shared a long kiss before she went off to class.
They went to their economics class, but none of them had the energy to pay attention. Vlad forced himself to stay awake, but knew he was rapidly losing that battle. I'm hoping that if I stay awake, he can't get me. Vlad thought. Jack was about to doze off as well; Vlad's response was to slap him in the back of the head. "Stay awake, Jack." Vlad muttered. "I don't want him going after you as well."
Unawares to him, though, it was already too late for Maddie. She was silently sleeping. Maddie got up from her desk, walking out of the classroom. She found it odd that her teacher was saying something, apparently not even noticing. She was barely aware of what she was doing, lost in her own thoughts. "Maddie, what are you doing here?" She heard a voice behind here. Nancy was with her, the only one in the deserted hallways.
Without Jack and Vlad, she felt nervous being alone with someone. Snap out of it, girl! She told herself. "I don't know," Nancy answered. "I just wanted to get out of there. Odd thing, though: nobody even seemed to notice."
"Maddie!" She heard a voice in the hallway, making her jump. Near the stairwell, she saw Vlad, but it didn't look like him. He was covered in cuts and blood, his body barely recognizable. "Help me, Maddie!"
"Vlad, how did this happen?" Maddie asked, while Nancy screamed at the sight of him. Vlad refused to answer, though, instead deciding to run. Both of them were astonished that he was even alive, much less able to run so fast in his condition.
"Okay, this isn't good." Nancy muttered. "Just where are we?"
"Hey, Maddie, remember me!" a voice laughed. Maddie gasped in fear, remember who he was. He walked towards the girls, Nancy slightly confused, while Maddie was completely terrified. "Do you remember our time together, girl?" He grinned to himself, walking towards them, Maddie too terrified to move.
"Stay away from me, Ken!" Maddie screamed, kicking him in the gut. She ran in the other direction, Nancy following.
"Who was that?" Nancy panted, trying to keep up with her.
"It doesn't matter; just run!" Maddie replied, not wanting to specify. True, Jack was dating her, but it didn't mean she was trustworthy.
But as they ran through the doors of the school, they didn't end up inside, but in another room. It was dark and full of pipes, and they could hear the sound of the boilers. "Okay, we might want to stick together." Nancy stated, to which Maddie nodded.
"Or maybe we should turn back; I have a bad feeling about this place." Maddie gulped. She looked behind her, only to find the exit sealed up by a brick wall.
"Maddie, help me!" Vlad cried out, grabbing their legs, both of them screaming. He slowly crawled towards them, blood pouring copiously from all of his wounds. Instead of coming closer, they ran, but found the corridor blocked off by a series of pipes.
They heard a loud screech behind him, a figure in a red and green sweater showing up. Oh, my god; I think this is who Vlad mentioned! Maddie thought. He stayed silent, except for the screeching, sparks flying off the metal wall. Both of them tried to run, only to find that there was nowhere they could go.
"It's just a dream; it isn't real!" Nancy screamed. "It's just a dream; it isn't real! It's just a dream; it isn't real!" She was keeping herself together by the slimmest of margins.
"Oh, I'm real." Freddy laughed, moving towards them. Maddie realized where they were and know what had to be done.
"Sorry about this, Nancy." Maddie gasped, punching her in the stomach with all her strength. Nancy cried out in pain but disappeared. "Okay, now what do I do?"
"Die," Freddy grinned. Maddie screamed at the top of her lungs, sending her fist into the wall. She squirmed and screamed, only to find herself back in her classroom.
"What's going on here?" The teacher demanded. He was nearly 60, with glasses and a stern demeanor. "Miss Stevens, I would appreciate it if you did not disrupt my class." The kids started chuckling to themselves, making Jack and Vlad stand up in her defense. Jack's glare and clenched fist gradually silenced them.
After the class was over, it didn't take long for the rumors to spread, but Jack and Vlad already guessed what had happened. "You were right, Vlad; he is in our dreams."
"Sorry he attacked you." Vlad winced. Despite the strongest painkillers he had, he still felt the cuts he had received the previous night. "Did he hurt you?" He looked her over; she seemed to be fine, except for a bruise on her hand.
"Jack, someone attacked us!" Nancy exclaimed, running into his arms. "He was the same guy I saw in my dreams the other night."
"This is still hard to believe, but it doesn't look like I have a choice." Jack sighed. "Okay, if someone's attacking us in our dreams, how are we supposed to stop him?"
"I have no idea." Vlad admitted.
"Vlad, are you all right?" Maddie demanded. "When I was dreaming, I saw you, except you were covered in blood. I thought you were dead!" Tears began to form in her eyes.
"I'm okay, Maddie." Vlad smiled, wrapping her hand in his own, stroking it softly. "I'm right here; I'm not going anywhere."
"Yeah, you look good to me, V-man." Jack chuckled, slapping him on the back. Unfortunately, he forgot the injuries Vlad had received the previous night, causing him to scream in pain. "Uh… sorry."
"Damn it, Jack, don't do that!" Vlad snapped at him. Hopefully, they weren't bleeding again.
"We'd better warn Tina and Rod." Nancy told them, to which Jack nodded. She led her boyfriend out of his friend's earshot and told him. "Jack, your friend Maddie doesn't seem to like me very much. Did I do anything?"
"No, Nancy." Jack shook his head. "She's just slow to warm up to people. Maddie doesn't really socialize except for me and V-man." That wasn't the whole truth, far from it, but he refused to break Maddie's confidence. Jack knew he screwed up at times, but he was going to be the best friend to her that he possibly could.
"Are she and Vlad together?" Nancy wondered.
"No, not yet," Jack smiled. "I'm hoping they will one day, though." They walked back to them, where Vlad was currently looking into Maddie's eyes, reassuring her that he was all right.
"Okay, we're going to have to stay awake until we figure out how to beat him." Maddie sighed. "This is not going to be easy."
"This guy sounds pretty familiar." Vlad admitted. "I think I did a report on him once. Now what was his last name?" A flash just entered his head. "Freddy Krueger! That's his name! I could have sworn he was dead, though."
"Reminds me of an old nursery rhyme…" Jack admitted. "One, two, Freddy's coming for you… 3, 4, better lock your door… 5, 6, grab your crucifix… 7, 8, better stay up late… 9, 10, never sleep again."
"I've heard that too." Nancy informed. "I didn't know it actually meant something."
"I'll do a bit of research, try to figure out just who and what it is we're dealing with." Vlad offered. "Unfortunately, my old report is probably long gone. I'll go to the library tomorrow and hopefully find something."
"He seems almost like a ghost." Maddie admitted. "I know that sounds impossible, but I can't think of any other explanation, unless we're all just going crazy."
"You're already crazy, but I love you anyway." Jack teased. Maddie beamed at him. "So how exactly are we going to stay awake?"
"We're going to need a lot of caffeine." Vlad declared. "However, since I hate the taste of coffee, I'm going to get something else."
"What's wrong with coffee?" Nancy wondered. Vlad walked to one of the local stores and bought himself 2 cases of Pepsi-Cola. He knew the others didn't mind coffee, but he did. After handing them the money, he carried the cases out, although with considerable difficulty due to his injury. Jack gave him a hand and took two of the cases for himself.
"The question is: will any of our parents allow us to stick together?" Nancy asked everyone.
"My dad won't have any problem with it; he knows how close I am to you guys." Jack told his girlfriend.
"My parents probably will; could always sneak out, though." Vlad shrugged. He knew what the likely consequences of that would be, but it didn't scare him the way it would have in the past.
"I think mine will be willing, as long as they don't know I'm around Vlad." Maddie added. "They don't exactly like him." That was a dramatic understatement. Several months ago, her adopted brothers put Vlad in the hospital with a knife wound due to a… misunderstanding. Even now, there were hostile feelings and Vlad returned them.
As he expected, Vlad's parents did not allow him to go to someone else's house two nights in a row. He resented the fact, especially after they screamed at him for "talking back", by which they meant defending himself when they tore into him. Even after so much time, it didn't take him long to feel miserable. As he promised, though, he snuck out of his room and walked towards Jack's house in the night.
He knocked on the door, Jack answering with a grin on his face. "Good to see you, V-man!" he exclaimed, this time remembering not to slap him on the back. Maddie had arrived more than an hour ago.
"Good to see you, Vlad." Maddie smiled at him. She really needs to do that more often. Vlad admitted to himself.
"Good to see you, son," Mr. Fenton told them. "So how are you doing?" He suppressed a wince as he put all his weight on his bad leg by mistake. He walked slowly to them as they took out the soda Vlad bought earlier. "It's not a good idea to drink that this late at night. You'll be up until midnight."
"Don't worry, dad; you know me!" Jack exclaimed.
"That's what I'm afraid of." His father teased.
"He's got you there, Jack." Maddie smirked at him.
"Hey, guys, I've got some movies we can watch." Jack laughed.
"Jack, we all know what kind of movies they are." Vlad shook his head. "They're slasher films where you know the first people that die are teenagers having sex. It's almost a rule in those movies." It was not lost on him that their current situation was sort of like those movies. They were fun to watch if you wanted to see something mindless, but actually living through that situation was not, not by a long shot.
They messed around, watching TV and playing board games. Jack took out Monopoly and each of them chose their characters. As the game went on, Vlad was clearly in the lead, with both of his friends trailing behind. "So did you parents allow you to come?" Maddie asked him.
"No, but I decided to go anyway." Vlad admitted. He knew what that would mean for him. Yeah, no reason to be depressed, absolutely none! Vlad snarled to himself. I have the perfect childhood and they're the best parents in the world! Yeah, right; when have they ever helped me? Once in a while, they did, but it wasn't a very common occurrence.
They heard a sound on the window, making them all jump. They saw Nancy, Rod, and Tina waiting outside for them. "Hey, guys, what are you doing here?" Jack asked them.
"We're joining you; we're all in this together, it seems like." Rod told him. "I still have a hard time believing this crap, but Nancy seems to believe it and I'm here to protect her." He put his arm around her shoulder, making her give him a playful elbow to the ribs.
"We can't let you in, so what are you going to do?" Vlad wondered. Tina answered his question by bringing a tent for them. Nancy crawled into the room, while Rod and Tina camped outside.
"So did you manage to convince them?" Jack asked her.
"Not really; they're just here for moral support." Nancy admitted. "They probably think I'm losing my mind."
"You're not; this is real." Jack replied, but still hardly believing it himself. Still, both of his best friends, along with his girlfriend, had been attacked in the past couple of days by this thing and he did not intend to stand idly by.
Hours passed and they continued drinking caffeine, Vlad gulping down Pepsi-cola while the others drank coffee. He took a small sip of it, hoping the disgusting taste alone would be enough to wake him up, which apparently it did. Even with the caffeine, though, he found it increasingly difficult to stay awake.
"What are we going to do, Vlad?" Maddie whispered to him.
"Just stay awake," Vlad whispered back. They heard a scream outside and gasped. Inside the tent, someone was struggling. Jack jumped up, trying to climb out the window, only to find himself stuck. None of the others could get around him until he popped out of the window, falling on his back.
The others got out; opening the tent, hoping to get there in time, but it was no use. Rod was dead, Tina screaming in terror, blood on her shirt. All of them looked at each other, more frightened than ever.
How are we going to stop him? Vlad asked in despair.
X X X X X X X X X X
Okay, I think their battle with Freddy Krueger is going to have about 4 parts in it. As always, please read, enjoy, and review. It's that little button less than an inch below.