SHOUTOUTS/ANSWERS

Windyfontaine: Thanks. Yeah, I figured I'd keep him the same strong character as in the first film. We'll see. Thanks, you too.

Tojo1985: Thanks. Okey-doke. Thank you.

Jayme (1-3): Thanks. Cool. Glad you like. Thanks. Hope this is soon enough.

DISCLAIMER

Belongs to Wes Craven and New Line Cinema. I only own the plot. For those of you who were confused by Nancy's line in NOES 3 that Krueger killed her friends six years prior (like I was), while the movies were only three years apart, the first movie was actually filmed in '81, but wasn't released until '84. Flashback is from the original film. Unlike the other films, this still takes place in California. Plus, no dream warriors. Also, unlike the sequels, the red and green stripes are just in the middle of the sweater, and not on the sleeves.

"Krueger?" Capt. Thompson repeated. "Are you sure?" he questioned.

"This boy---Luke Garrison---he was attacked in his sleep. He has deep scratches on his arm, identical to mine," Nancy revealed.

"It doesn't make sense though. It's been six years. If he wasn't destroyed, why did he wait so long?" Capt. Thompson wondered.
"I don't know," Nancy replied. "Maybe---maybe he was just trying to lure us into a false sense of security so that when he started killing again, we wouldn't be ready," she theorized.

"Well, Krueger was wrong. We'll be ready," Capt. Thompson promised.

"Well, so far, he hasn't killed anybody," Nancy said.

"Something tells me that won't last long," Capt. Thompson stated. Nancy sighed.

"I can't believe this is happening again. I---I thought it was all over, you know?" she queried.

"Yeah, I know, baby," her father answered, leaning over and putting a loving hand on her cheek. "We'll get through this. I won't let you down again," he promised.

"Daddy," she said somewhat reproachingly.

"Listen, you look beat. Why don't you go on home? Call Rod?" he suggested.

"Yeah. That---that sounds like a good idea," Nancy agreed. She began to pull out some money, but her father stopped her.

"It's on me," he declared.

"Okay. But I pay next time," she said.

"Deal," he agreed. She stood up and left the restaurant. Meanwhile, somewhere in a hotel room, Rod Lane was strumming his guitar, periodically stopping to write in his notebook. Just then, the room's phone rang. He jumped at the harsh sound that broke his reverie. The phone rang again and he picked up the receiver.

"Hello?" he asked.

"Hi, Rod. It's me," he heard a voice greet him.

"Hey, Nance. What's up?" he questioned.

"Well, I had my first day of work," she told him.

"Hey, yeah. How was that?" Rod wondered.

"It went good. I can't wait to get to know the kids," Nancy stated.

"So, what's wrong?" Rod asked.

"Nothing. I'm fine," Nancy lied.

"Nance, we've been friends forever and we've been dating for two years. I know when something's bothering you," Rod reminded her. Nancy hesitated. I---I can't tell him about Krueger. He was so heartbroken when Tina passed. I---I can't put him through that again, she thought to herself.

"It's nothing, Rod. I'm just a little tired," Nancy lied.

"Well, don't forget to take your Hypnocil," Rod reminded.

"Really not an issue," Nancy assured. They hung up. Instantly, Rod began packing up his things. As he did so, his band mates came in.

"Hey, what are you doing? We brought pizza," Andrew Harrison, their drummer, said.

"Somethin's come up. I gotta go," Rod replied.

"What? What are you talking about?" their other guitarist, Mark Richardson, questioned.

"Nancy just called. She sounded funny," Rod stated.

"Well, can I get a ride with you?" their lead singer, Wade Garrison questioned.

"Why?" Rod asked.

"I got a call from my folks earlier today. Luke went crazy in class and cut himself. Then, when they took him to the hospital, he made up some story about some guy trying to kill him while he slept," Wade answered. Immediately, Rod stiffened. Krueger, he thought to himself. Now he knew why Nancy had sounded so strange. That freak was back again.

"Rod? You okay?" Andrew questioned.

"Wade, you packed?" Rod asked, ignoring Andrew.

"Yeah," Wade answered.

"Go to my car. We're leaving," Rod told him.

"Okay," Wade agreed in some confusion. What's up with him he wondered. He grabbed his suitcase and walked out to Rod's car, a black '66 Mustang. Rod picked up his duffel and quickly followed Wade. Rod got into the driver's seat and started the engine. Wade barely had time to get his seatbelt on before Rod took off.

"Dang it! Why didn't she tell me?" Rod asked himself.

"Huh?" Wade questioned. As they headed for the freeway exit that would take them to California, Rod's mind went back to that terrible night. Tina screamed as she was dragged across the ceiling.

"Tina! Tina!" Rod shouted.

"Rod!" Tina exclaimed. All of a sudden, she was dropped onto the bed, landing in a puddle of blood, and then toppling off of the bed.

"Rod, watch out!" Wade warned. Rod quickly straightened out the car, nearly missing another vehicle.

"Sorry. Drifted," he gruffly apologized.

"You okay, man?" Wade questioned.

"I'm fine. Just a bad memory," Rod answered. For a moment, he saw Tina's smiling expression and she threw her head back in silent laughter. "Tina," he whispered. Wade looked at his friend. There was that name again: Tina. In the six years he had known his friend, he had only heard the name a few times. The first mention of her had been when Rod had been having some kind of nightmare. Apparently, Rod had seen his girlfriend murdered. However, after he began taking an experimental drug known as Hypnocil, he hadn't had any more nightmares. Rod blew out a breath. He didn't know what to do. Why didn't Nancy tell me Krueger was back? Why'd she hide that from me? the guitarist wondered.

"You okay, Rod?" Wade questioned.

"No," Rod answered with a shake of his head. Then, he didn't say anything more for the rest of the drive. Meanwhile, Nancy had fallen into a peaceful sleep under her bed covers. However, another boy's---Chris Parker's---slumber was anything but. SCREE! He gasped and turned around.

"Where am I?" he asked.

"Chris," a man's voice whispered. He heard a sharp scraping noise and took off. The man chuckled. He loved the thrill of the chase. Chris panted as he ran from the mysterious man. Suddenly, he tripped. With a gasp, he turned around. He---he needed help.

"Someone help me!" he shouted. The man laughed.

"There is no help for you," he said.

"Someone help, PLEASE!" Chris shouted. His mind flashed to the woman he had seen walking around with Dr. Gordon. In her bedroom, Nancy moaned. Something was wrong. She could feel it. Suddenly, she found herself in an abandoned boiler room.

"Oh, no. Why didn't I take my Hypnocil?" she groaned. Just then, she heard a boy's scream. Concerned, she ran in the direction of the cry. To her surprise and horror, one of the boys from the Westin Hills had been cornered by a man with a brown hat in a dirty red and green sweater.

"NO!" the woman screamed. She rushed the man, who grunted as he was knocked back.

"You," he growled.

"You're not getting him," Nancy said. Then, as they began struggling with each other, "Run!" Chris took off. It seemed like hours later when Rod finally arrived at Elm Street. Then, he maneuvered his car towards Nancy's house.

"Where are we going?" Wade wondered.

"Just come on," Rod said, unknowingly repeating what Nancy had said to Glen six years ago, as he rushed towards the house.

"O…kay," Wade muttered, following him. It only took Rod a few seconds to jimmy the lock.

"That didn't just trip an alarm, did it?" Wade questioned.

"Oh, no. Nancy's been letting me jimmy the door for the last six years," Rod responded. Just then, they heard a shriek.

"NANCY!" Rod shouted, bounding up the stairs. He threw open the door to see his girlfriend struggling in her sleep.

"LET HER GO!" Rod screamed diving on the bed. There was a small 'Oof' as Nancy awoke.

"Are you hurt? Did he get you?" Rod asked in concern.

"We gotta go to Westin Hills! One of the kids is in danger!" Nancy said frantically.

"Come on," Rod stated, as they rushed to the car. Once inside the vehicle, Rod once again took off. At Westin Hills, doctors and patients had been awakened by Chris' screams.

"Chris!" a girl screamed, running to her door and pounding on it.

"CHRIS!" a boy shouted. In his room, Chris struggled as his bed sheets wrapped themselves around his wrists and throat. He gagged as the cloth tightened against his neck. The night desk clerk jumped in surprise as the front door banged open.

"What in the world?" she asked in surprise.

"One of the kids is in danger!" Nancy reported. Before the woman could ask any other questions, they all heard a cry for help. Nancy, Rod, Wade, and the desk clerk ran towards the sound.

"Do you have a key?" Nancy asked.

"I'm just the desk clerk," was the response. Nancy huffed and quickened her pace. She and Rod reached the room just in time to see a boy's neck being sharply turned.

"KRUEGER!" Nancy screamed. She heard faint scratching. Then, she read the words scratched into the wall: IT'S ON!

"Oh, no," Nancy whispered. Rod put his hands on her shoulders.

"We'll get him, Nance. We'll get him," he promised in a whisper.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Yes, Nancy was pulled into Chris' dream, but he's not psychic. Like I said, there are no dream warriors. And don't worry; I'm not abandoning Luke or his friends. They'll show up later.