I stumbled on a music video that I DIED watching! Go watch My Chick Bad by Ludacris ft. Nicki Minaj. You'll see why around two and a half minutes in. Hehe…Anyways, Happy Easter! Here's a long-ish post to celebrate. Enjoy and please review!

Chapter 15: Games

Opening up my eyes and finding myself in the dream world once more, I took in the decrepit sight before me. It was a seemingly neglected dirty white and green house with bars lodged in front of the windows. Narrowing my eyes to make out the address, I saw the numbers 1428 next to the faded red door.

Well, okay. Here I am on an abandoned street in front of a dilapidated house. Now what?

As if invoked by my question, a cute blond little girl traipsed out of the house, singing something that I couldn't quite hear from where I was.

What on earth was she doing here? A fleeting fear that Freddy might get to her and tear her to pieces caused me to run up to the poor dear, dressed in a fluffy white lacey dress.

As I approached her, I heard her singing as she calmly skipped down the sidewalk as if she were playing hopscotch, her two ponytails bouncing as she pranced. "Three, four, better lock your door. Five, six, grab your crucifix."

She was singing the words that I typed when I was in my dream. Right before Freddy came!

Interrupting her singing, I shouted, "Little girl! How do you know that song?" She looked mildly irritated at having been interrupted, but didn't seek to answer my question. With a secretive smile, she continued singing.

"Seven, eight, better stay up late. Nine, ten, never sleep again!" When she finally finished the little song and stopped skipping, I decided to go up to the child, kneeling on one knee in front of her.

Seeing one of her crimson ribbons about to be undone completely, I kindly offered to redo it for her. She hesitated for a moment before nodding her approval.

As I retied the beautiful silk ribbon back on her golden hair, I asked her, "What is your name? I think it's rather rude for me to call you little girl." I let a little playfulness seep into my voice, hoping that I could get her to trust me and hopefully keep her from Freddy's grasp.

A shy little voice answered, "Sandy." She looked down to the dress that covered her small frame up to her knees. Sandy couldn't have been more than five years old, the cute little dear. Nervously playing with the hem of her dress for a few moments, she bit her lip in worry before her eyes travelled up to my own, asking in a sweet voice, "Would you play with me?"

Opening my mouth to answer in the affirmative, she hurried away to the house which strangely enough, opened its door automatically for her.

"Uhm, I wouldn't go in there if I were you, Sandy!" I called after her retreating form. I sighed in resignation, following the girl into the aged house. What else was there to do?

As soon as I was entirely inside the house, the door slammed behind me. In a moment of panic, I turned back to reach for the doorknob, only to realize that it was locked.

Great, now I was stuck in this haunted house. Where did that slippery little girl go off to?

"Sandy! Where are you?" I hesitantly called out, taking in my surroundings. It certainly looked as if no one had inhabited the house for years upon years.

A set of stairs that looked like they were set to crumble at any moment were located on the right side, next to the faded wall. If you brushed at the dust a little bit, you would be able to see the faint prints of little pink flowers that the wallpaper consisted of. An old wooden clock was crookedly hanging on the old wall, its exterior metal pendulum rigidly stuck at a forty-five degree angle. Looking to my left, the wallpaper was almost entirely ripped from the walls, still flapping loosely from the gust of the front door that shut abruptly a moment ago.

Stepping forward warily, I turned my head to the left to find a simply furnished living room: a plain dark yellow chair with stuffing partially ripped out of it, a beat up table with a lamp I was sure didn't work, and a few chairs strewn about. The three windows that were side by side had what once were white curtains, but were now dirty and tattered.

Venturing further in the room, I found Sandy sitting at the kitchen table located in the room next to this one, along with two other little girls. So that's where she went. The three little girls were daintily sipping on cups of tea, presumably playing Tea Party.

Sandy turned around in her chair to beckon me to a fourth empty chair that had a delicate china cup settled on an exquisite little milky white saucer, already set up for me. I pointed to myself, mouthing "Me?" to which she nodded.

I made my way to the table slowly, still not liking the eerie feel of the house, and wondering why three little girls would be having a tea party amidst the wreckage that was this home. This couldn't be their home, could it?

"Drink some tea!" exclaimed the red-haired little girl, setting down her comparatively miniscule cup. Her two long braids that were tied at the end with white ribbons bounced as she emphatically urged me to drink my tea.

Not wanting to offend the small girls, I brought the cup to my lips very slowly, taking a small sip. I forced back the sensation to spit the liquid out right then and there and abruptly got out of my seat to spit the blood out about a foot away. Wiping the crimson drops that were still on my lips off with my hand, I stormed back to the table.

Expecting peals of laughter when I returned, I was shocked to see that the girls looked at me with a frown, as if disappointed. Sandy asked, "You don't like our tea?" before sipping her cup once more, and I'm sure she deliberately made a line of blood travel slowly down her chin before taking the pure white handkerchief that was laid down on her lap and wiping it away prissily.

These were not normal girls.

The raven haired child then spoke in an inquisitive yet meek tone. "But I thought you were one of us?" A tiny pudgy little finger pointed to me and I looked down at myself, wondering what she was pointing at.

Looking at my outfit, I could see why. I was clothed in a dress that almost mirrored theirs: a pure white cotton dress that went up to right above my knees, white sandals, but rather than tights or ankle socks, I had on knee high white socks with a little red bow on the top outlined in a green border. That was definitely Freddy's touch. He couldn't possibly be one of the girls, could he? Well, considering the stunts he could pull, I wouldn't put it past him.

Looking from one face to the next, I felt the brush of my hair tickle my cheek. Wait, I didn't put it up. Bringing my hands up to my head, I noticed that they were put in pigtails.

Rolling my eyes as I let my hands audibly drop to my sides, I wondered how utterly ridiculous I looked. I'm sure Daddy would be thrilled to see little Christine dressed like this again.

Looking back at the girls, I almost had a heart attack at the sight. Their pure white dresses were torn and bloody from marks clearly given by Freddy's claw, their hair was disheveled and sticking out at different angles, and all three had bloody trails of tears. Three little heads were staring back at me, the flesh of their skin slowly decaying before me. How utterly grotesque! I shut my eyes, not daring to look down at myself to see if I got the same treatment, immediately feeling sick at the thought.

I was startled into opening my eyes again when I heard cracks, finding that it came from the girls themselves. They were frozen like porcelain statuettes, and little cracks were developing in their still marble frames as piece by piece, parts of each of them fell to the floor. All I could do was stare at the horrific marvel in front of me, afraid to do anything.

My glazed stare fixated on one of the pieces containing one of the girl's eyes staring relentlessly in its mineral form. A shudder racked my body and I forced myself to look away as all the jagged pieces suddenly turned into dust, disguising themselves in the dust clouds that have been years in the making.

Not exactly knowing how to react to all of this, I decided to venture back out of the kitchen and into the main hallway. Hesitantly moving forward and hearing lots of creaky sounds made by my own feet, I kept startling myself by imagining that one of the creaks would be someone or something sneaking up on me, and I consistently looked over my shoulder to prove myself wrong time and time again.

Seeing a door that was located on the side of the staircase partly open, curiosity peaked within me. I tried to remember if it was open when I first went inside the downtrodden abode, but I couldn't quite remember. The fine hairs of my nape stood up in anticipation, and I wondered what was in store for me.

Pushing the door further open, I saw stairs leading down to a basement that had a small red light going, presumably from a fire. Narrowing my eyes in order to try and decipher what sort of features were in my immediate vicinity, I thought I saw from the corner of my eye a shadow flicker in the light. My heart lurched nastily within my chest as I froze in place.

Okay, Christine. Time for a pep talk, I thought, before I completely freak myself out. If it's a fire that is giving light to this basement, then it is bound to flicker. Which it must be. Stop scaring the crap out of yourself.

Willing my heart rate to decrease, I confidently took a step forward. To my chagrin, there was what I imagined a small little skate on that step, causing me to slip and fall down the rest of the steps for what I thought was way too long for just that one staircase. Just when I thought that I was done falling, I continued falling into darkness, finally crashing into something soft, juxtaposing the bruising I knew would blossom all over my body.

I guess I blacked out or something to that extent, considering I felt like I was roused out of my slumber while still in the dream. Before opening my eyes, I found myself resting in a slightly uncomfortable position; my head and shoulders were aching to return to their straight position, rather than the curled one they were in. I acquiesced, sitting up slightly in what I presumed was a bed.

My eyes fluttered open as I noticed yet another wardrobe change on my person. I was still dressed in immaculate white, but this time I immediately noted that I was wearing Christine's costume from The Phantom of the Opera. It was the one she wore when expecting to go with her childhood friend and crush Raoul to dinner. It was also the one in which she was seduced by the Phantom and his angelic voice. A grin surfaced on my features. If the Phantom was Gerard Butler, I'd let him kidnap and seduce me any day!

Standing up to take a better look at my outfit and surroundings, I noticed that everything around me was an exact replica of the 2004 version of Phantom. I was impressed with the attention to detail this dream had – the turbaned monkey clanging a set of cymbals was located next to my swan bed, a candelabra of candles hung just ahead and to the left of the bed, and though I noticed that though the blanket that I was laying on was a dark crimson, the laced curtains were a dark forest green, differentiating from the movie in that aspect.

There goes the tell-tale sign that Freddy had some sort of influence in this.

Faintly hearing the music of an organ, I presumed the maddening man himself was here as well. I inched forward in the dank cave like structure, my feet not exactly enjoying the coldness that seeped from the ground with no shoes to cover it up. Looking down, I noticed I was wearing very long stockings, a corseted dress that had a dangerously high slit up to my right hip almost, and sparkly loose sleeves that came to about my elbow. I honestly loved Christine's costume, and was tempted to give in to the urge to twirl around in the dress.

Act your age, Christine…

Peeking my head out from the 'room' I was in, I saw a masked figure hunched at an expansive organ, surrounded by a host of candelabras, furiously scribbling away at what I presumed was a blank sheet music. Not wanting to disturb whatever he was doing, I quietly approached the set of chiseled stone stairs that led to the higher ground where I guessed Freddy was occupied, careful not to trip and risk falling into the lake that was nearby.

As I approached, I noticed that his mask was not the signature vertical half mask, but a horizontal one. Yes, this was definitely Freddy. He still wore the ruffled white shirt and the handsome tailored suit that the Phantom wore, however. My mind piped that needless to say, the small expanse of chest that he bared was very nice, indeed. I was inclined to agree.

As I reached the last step, Freddy looked over at me, a smirk overtaking what I could see of his features slowly.

"Christine." The way he said my name as a whisper, almost a song or a prayer, caused me to echo his voice in my mind. Christine. There was no gruffness or hatefulness in that tone, and it sincerely surprised me. It also made me slightly suspicious.

Freddy sat unmoving, still on the organ chair with his eyes fixated on me, clearly intending for me to get closer. I wasn't exactly sure if that was a good idea, but I really had no other option at this point. Taking my time, I stood in front of the masked Freddy, not knowing what to expect.

After a period of just waiting, I heard the movement of water and forcefully broke eye contact to see what caused the disturbance in the lake. I was stunned beyond words when I distinguished the form of Mike wade waist deep in water, dressed in trousers and a shirt similar to Freddy's, barred by the metal prison-like gate to come any closer. Gripping the metal, Mike cried out after recognizing me, "Christine!"

My mouth went completely dry. I couldn't even decently respond to Mike, rooted to the spot I was in.

Freddy was gouging my reaction, his smirk turning into a full out evil smile as his glittering eyes acknowledged the fear and astonishment that was plainly written on my face. Swiftly standing up and startling me out of my position, thus making me stumble a step back, Freddy said in a sing-song voice, "My dear, it seems as if we have a guest!"

"Open the gate, Christine!" Mike called out, fruitlessly trying to rattle the iron-looking gate to get me to snap out of my stupor to somehow find a lever or switch to open it. He clearly intended to be the 'knight in shining armor' who came just in time to save the day.

Freddy already started walking towards what I presumed was the switch, pulling a large lever. "Oh, no need for the lady to do it. I'll do it for you, Monsieur!" Freddy seemed to very badly attempt doing a French accent, probably for his own comedic purposes.

Finally snapping out of my daze, I angrily yelled at Mike, "Don't you dare get any closer! I don't need saving! Get out of here as fast as you can!" My words fell on deaf ears, I knew. The boy was about as stubborn as I was, but I couldn't help trying anyway.

When the gate finally got to a point where Mike could slip underneath it, Freddy flipped the switch back down, starting the gate's descent downwards. Mike hurriedly moved to cross the threshold, moving into Freddy's territory.

I just knew Freddy would try something sinister with Mike, and figuring that he was keeping in slight character with the Phantom, that meant –

"Mike, keep your hand at the level of your eyes!" I screamed at him, but the slow boy didn't understand my request until it was too late and Freddy had appeared in front of him, quickly wrapping a noose around his neck.

My hands buried in my thick curly hair, tugging at it. "Freddy! Stop! Please!" I begged, sinking to my knees on the harsh stone bank of the lake, wanting to dissolve into tears and feeling the familiar constriction in the back of my throat. "You bastard, you killed one of my two best friends, and now you're trying to kill the only one I have left?"

Freddy studied my face before looking back at Mike who was struggling against the noose around his neck. Freddy was now trying to tie the noose to a long line that looped through one of the square holes of the gate and held on to that instead of the noose itself. He couldn't stop the grin that spread when he tugged on the long line and it constricted the hold on Mike's throat, evoking a choke from him. I screamed, thinking that Freddy pulled it hard enough to snap his neck. Freddy's laughter echoed due to the cavernous walls, making it seem all the more menacing.

Deciding to do more than shout from the sidelines, I got up to step into the chilly water, wading through it as it steadily got deeper and deeper, flaring my white garment in back of me like a wedding gown train. Freddy's grin never wavered as he followed my movements, but Mike tried to dissuade me from getting any closer. "This is just a dream, but I'd rather die in this dream than have you killed by this masked freak!"

Flinching at hearing Mike use the term freak, I shook my head sadly, answered him, "No. This is, but this also isn't a dream. Remember what my father told you? The murderer? Well, he preys on people in their dreams." Mike looked at me as if I was crazy. Perhaps I was.

Freddy looked at Mike, conversationally adding, "See, I'm Freddy. Not so pleased to meet you, asshole." He tugged harshly on the line of the noose again, causing Mike to struggle to breathe once more, and Freddy continued to laugh darkly at poor Mike's struggles.

I couldn't bear to look at the sight. "Stop! Please, Freddy. I'll do anything." Tears threatened to spill down my cheeks as I pleaded with the monster who held the life of one of the only few people I cared about in his murderous hands.

"Anything?" He questioned, quirking his eyebrow. Unwillingly, I nodded my head. "Okay then, you asked for it." I could almost hear the gears turning in his head as he darkly chortled.

"Marry me." His voice caressed the two words sensuously yet dangerously. A promise and a death threat all in one. "Join me. Aid me in my quest to rid the world of irksome brats, or Mark here dies!"

How dare he do this to me! Either way I lose! Either I was to marry a demon found in dreams (how was that possible?), or I was to let my last remaining friend die? "Let him go!" I emphatically growled as I stepped closer, a mere arms length away from him, almost snarling the words.

Amusement danced in his cobalt eyes. "Say the magic word."

Sucking in a breath and taking a moment, I steadied my nerves before singing Christine's own response to the Phantom's final choice. "Pitiful creature of darkness, what kind of life have you known?" I gently removed Freddy's half mask, tossing it into the pool of water before continuing. "God give me courage to show you, you are not alone!" Wading the last few inches, I gathered all the courage I could muster, lightly tracing a few tender burns found on the flesh of his face with my fingertips, and wrapped my arms around Freddy's neck to pull his head to where I could press my lips against his.

Freddy responded more enthusiastically then I thought he would, and I knew it was due to having Mike watching the display. I faintly heard Mike's cry of disgust and rage as Freddy's tongue teased the chasm of my lips roughly before it ravaged my mouth. Tears finally streamed out of my eyes as I realized what I had agreed to.

Pulling away from my mouth with an audible pop, Freddy looked just as pleased as a kid who just entered a candy store with their parent's credit card. Sighing in resignation as I accepted my appointed fate, I looked towards Mike to find that he looked rather lifeless. My eyes grew as wide as saucers. Please don't tell me -

"Oops, my hand slipped. You got me excited!" Freddy stated rather blandly.

The anguished scream that arose from her lips was quite otherworldly, and I absorbed it like it was as beautiful as the singing voice that just a moment ago was directed towards me. And it was beautiful.

If looks could kill, I would certainly be butchered by Christine at this moment. At that implausibility, I couldn't help but laugh eccentrically out loud, silently thanking and praising the Dream Demons for good measure. This only served to infuriate Christine even further. She lunged at me with a shriek, throwing in a few good hard punches before I pushed her into a different portion of the dream world as I transported myself back into my boiler room.

Changing my outfit to my usual duds and brushing myself off, I went to address the prick of consciousness that announced another arrival in my dream world with a rather satisfied aura about me.