Needless to say, I don't own the song Glory Box by Portishead.

Chapter 4: Insanity

It didn't take long for me to return to the world of dreams. Or rather, I supposed that I was in the dream world, considering that when I opened my eyes, I found myself staring into utter blackness with wisps of fog at my bare feet.

It's not like I'm scared of the dark or anything, but I was a bit nervous about what might be lurking in the dark. Or who.

My thoughts immediately turned to Freddy Krueger as I ventured forward through the darkness. Who is he, and why the heck was he showing up in my dreams? It couldn't possibly be something my subconscious made up. Surely my mind wouldn't think up a killer for fun?

I must be losing it. It's the lack of sleep, I'm sure of it. I'm promising myself at least six hours of sleep every night once I finally get up…maybe that way my mind won't take the liberty of trying to kill me.

Or getting anyone else to do so for that matter.

Let's just say that this Freddy is indeed someone. Who is he, anyways? What is his story? And most importantly, why was he after me?

A shiver ran racked my body as my mind vividly remembered his leather glove with seemingly homemade blades lodged on his index through pinky fingers.

Wonderful, I was freaking myself out again.

I crossed my arms in front of me, my hands moving to warm up the goose bumps I found on them. With a fleeting smile, I noticed that I was wearing a knee-length white nightgown. That's a bit of an improvement from waltzing about in the nude.

A small giggle escaped my lips as I visualized doing just that. Shaking my head at myself, I was abruptly startled by a sudden flood of light. Flinching at the assault, my hands flew up to shield my eyes.

When my eyes finally adjusted to the new source of light, I found myself in a spotlight. This seems like an interesting turn of events…

Well, if it's my dream, I can do as I please. I don't see any murderers, nor am I in that creepy boiler room…so I think it's safe to sing to calm down my nerves. Perhaps.

Now, what to sing. Hmm. I inched forward and found that the spotlight followed me. Well, okay.

A sudden fleeting thought of singing a sappy love song dedicated to Freddy caused me to sputter and then burst out laughing.

Geez, I think I've gone off the deep end.

Searching in my memory for a song I knew all the words to impeccably, I finally settled with a song by Portishead. I forgot what the title was, but no matter…

I hummed the introduction to the song, mock strumming a double bass as my voice supplied the string part. Unconsciously, my hips swayed a bit to the music in my head and I took a breath to start the song.

'I'm so tired of playing, playing with this bow and arrow. Gonna give my heart away, leave it to the other girls to play…'

Shooting a smile to no one in particular, I paused to take a breath, in line with the break in the song.

'For I've been a temptress too long…'

At that particular verse, my hands travelled to tousle my hair, which I found was in loose curls.

'Just…give me a reason to love you!'

My eyes fluttered closed as my hands slid down of their own accord to my neck, and the back of my mind noted that I had a simple chain necklace on.

'Give me a reason to be, a woman...'

Opening my eyes as I finished the verse, I was stunned to find myself in front of a crowd of ladies and gentlemen dressed to the nines. I wasn't given much time to take in my surroundings before I had to croon out the next line.

'I just wanna be a woman.'

Chancing a look down at myself, I found myself in a shimmery crimson gown with matching red stilettos. I was also wearing an emerald green boa. I crinkled my brow at the strange choice of color for the feathers, considering I was wearing red. My heart skipped a beat as I realized I had only a few seconds before I had to sing again, so I grabbed the microphone stationed in front of me as I poised myself to sing once more.

'From this time, unchained, looking at a different picture. Through this new frame of mind, a thousand flowers could bloom.'

Smiling at the crowd's devout attention, my fingers startled to tangle around the microphone cord as I sang my heart out.

'Move over and give us some room, yeah! Give me a reason to love you. Give me a reason to be a woman.'

Finding myself in the instrumental part of the song, I allowed my eyes to wander. My auburn eyes found themselves drawn to a pool of icy blue ones. Oh man, was that guy handsome…the charming way he smiled sent my heart aflutter as he tipped his black fedora in my direction.

A majority of the people in the dimly lit yet classy establishment were smoking, causing a foggy yet comfortable and relaxing atmosphere. I was again drawn to the mysterious man who caught my attention a few moments ago, and I found him downing a golden colored drink. One could only imagine what sort of liquor was in a drink like that.

Wanting to finish by giving it my all, I readied myself to sing again, clearing my throat as discreetly as possible before taking a deep breath.

'So don't you stop being a man. Just take a look from our side when you can. Sow a little tenderness, no matter if you cry. For this is the beginning of forever and ever! It's time to move over…'

I let a little silence permeate the air before I closed my eyes and started singing the beginning verse over, letting my voice die away into a whisper.

'I'm so tired of playing, playing with this bow and arrow…'

Letting out a deep breath, I dared to open my eyes while waiting for a response from the crowd.

One second…two seconds…

All of the sudden, there was a rapturous applause from the audience. An ecstatic grin graced my features as I absorbed the praise. For a moment there, I thought they didn't like it. Phew.

Still basking in the applause, I thanked the audience for their time, modestly gesturing towards the little band that accompanied me and blew a few kisses before two well-built men escorted me from the stage by offering me their arms. I waved to the crowd as I disappeared behind the stage.

"Thank you, gentlemen!" I whispered to the two guards of sorts as I gave them each a kiss on the cheek. They merely nodded and brought me to my room. The door was decorated with a simple star and my name.

I opened the door to find a simply furnished tan room with a decent sized bed, a vanity whose mirror was surrounded by many dim-lit bulbs and a leather stool, along with a small closet. I settled myself on the stool with a sigh, grinning crookedly at my reflection. Hey, I like this dream...I look flawless! I puckered my ruby painted lips before dissolving into laughter.

I heard a knock at my door and jumped a bit off my seat, startled. Rolling my eyes at myself, I went to open the door and found a crowd of gentlemen with various types of flowers in their hands. Astonished, my hand flew to cover my mouth.

"Christine, sign this!" a man dressed in a gray suit shouted while handing me a pen and a picture of myself in a sultry pose. My eyebrows shot up at seeing the portrait. Ah hell, at least I looked good.

I signed his photo and few others before accepting a few bouquets of flowers graciously and retreating back into my dressing room. Grinning stupidly, I let the flowers down gently on my table and sat back on the stool, mulling over what to do.

All of the sudden, I thought I saw something move as I was nonchalantly staring into the mirror. Spinning quickly around, I spotted the gentleman who I was entranced with as I sang sitting on my bed. With a boyish grin, he stood up, came close to me and proffered a small bouquet of roses that were in his left hand.

Smiling, I accepted them, taking care not to prick myself. "Thanks. They're my favorite," I bashfully said, a blush painting my cheeks.

The man tilted his head in acknowledgement and something flickered in his eyes that I couldn't quite label. "I'm glad you like them. I came to congratulate you on another wonderful performance."

"Why thank you! You don't know how much that means to me!" I almost melted at the tone of his deep voice and burned a shade deeper at his compliment.

The man paused, considering what he wanted to say. "I have a question. Your voice is quite wonderful. Would you perhaps be inclined to…lend it out for me?"

My eyebrows furrowed at the question. What do you mean, lend it out? "You mean, hire me for an event?"

The man inched closer, bringing his cool left hand to my face and he lightly brushed my cheek. My eyes fluttered of their own accord.

"No…I mean borrow your voice."

I was still confused. What the heck could he mean? Him touching me was not helping matters; I couldn't bring myself to focus on anything but the way he hovered over me and caressed my heated cheek.

The man straightened himself before bringing his other hand from behind his back and I was stunned to find that he was wearing Freddy's glove and had a small box labeled 'voice' in the palm of his hand.

Oh shit.

Suddenly, the handsome gentleman's visage turned into Freddy's charred countenance, though he was still dressed in the black tuxedo with red cummerbund and bowtie, along with the black fedora. With a flick of his burnt hand, he locked my door. I ran up to the door, desperately trying to open the handle, rattling it with all of my strength. Shit, shit, shit!

"Oh, Christine!" Freddy voiced in a sing-songy way. "Look at this!"

I dreaded turning around and finding out, but I did so anyway.

With a malicious glint in his eyes, Freddy crumpled up the tiny cardboard box in his palm and ate it, making a show of crunching it in between his crooked yellow teeth before swallowing it.

Opening my mouth to scream, I found that no sound came out of my mouth. My hands clutched at my neck as I yelled, trying to get some sort of sound to come out.

Watching my every move, Freddy burst out laughing in my own voice. It was terribly disconcerting to hear my voice come from him. This is just a dream, this is just a dream…

As if reading my thoughts, Freddy stalked over to me before sweetly mocking me with my own voice, "No, this is not a dream!"

Before I could react, his coarse hands grabbed me and roughly threw me on top of the bed. Freddy took his sweet time to close the space in between us. As he bided his time, he made the green feathered boa around my arms rip in half and tie both of my hands to the headboard. I desperately shook my head no, wishing him to go away, not wanting to know what he would do to me.

Freddy cruelly grinned at me before yelling in his own voice, "It's not rape if she doesn't say no!"

He lunged at me, cutting a huge slit along the right side of the dress as well as clipping the flesh of my thigh in the process as I tried to kick him off of me. Because he freed up the clingy material, Freddy then used his legs to prop open my own and with a crazed grin, held up his talons, prepared to strike.

I was frightened out of my mind. I closed my eyes, preparing for the worst.

Beep beep! Beep beep!

Opening my eyes, I found myself in my own bed and shot upright, pounding on the snooze button. My heart was racing inside my chest. Thank goodness for the alarm.

Wait. I didn't put on the alarm before I went to bed!

Fear seizing me again, I clutched at my neck, trying to say something. Nothing came out! I screamed inside my head, clutching my hair as if I wanted to rip it out.

"Wake up Christine, wake up!"

Opening my eyes slowly, I found that I was once again in my bed. My mom was standing next to me with a worried look.

"Christine, you were whimpering and talking ever since you fell asleep! What's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?"

Almost afraid to try to talk, I cleared my throat. "Nothing, mom. I don't remember my dream, actually."

I was terribly relieved to find that my voice was back, even though it was terribly hoarse. I let myself sag against my headboard for a bit, trying to recuperate from the night's events.

"Well okay. Get ready for school and I'll start on breakfast." Mom left my room and I was left alone with my thoughts.

Am I losing it completely?