The New Nightmare of Springwood – Chapter 3

The next morning Chris runs into the Rachel's house screaming. "Guys! Guys! Come here."

They all come running into the living room and Chris is holding a newspaper. Paul is the first one in the room. "What the fuck is it, Taint?"

"Read the headline."

Chris holds up the paper and Laurie reads it out loud. " 'Director of Springwood Youth shelter found murdered.' Oh my God."

They are all in shock but Curtis. "Wait? Isn't that a good thing?"

Valerie hits him on the arm. "No, you idiot. How can someone being murdered be a good thing?"

Paul steps forward. "No, he might be right. I mean if she's dead then there's no one else that cares about that kid. We're home free."

Valerie looks at him in disgust. "Listen to yourself! You're saying that this woman being dead is a good thing. And besides, don't you think that is a little odd? We kill a kid then the next day his mother, the only person that would give a damn about him is murdered."

Paul raises his voice. "What are you saying, Valerie? You saying I killed her?!"

"I didn't say that."

"Good. Cause I was here the entire night. You know that."

Laurie steps forward to stop the screaming. "Ok. Fighting isn't gonna solve anything. You guys should all just go home and we will see each other in school tomorrow. We need to be alone."

Chris backs her up. "Yeah. That's a good idea. Come on, Val. I'll drive you home."

Valerie steps towards the door. "Ok."

Valerie and Chris exit while Curtis looks at Paul. "Yo, Paul. You wanna give me a ride?"

"Ok, man. One sec." Paul then turns towards Laurie. "You gonna be ok?"

"Yeah. I'll be fine."

"Ok. Give me a call if anything is up."

"Sure." Curtis and Paul walk out the door and head home.

After Curtis brushes his teeth, he puts the toothbrush down and stands shirtless in front of the mirror. He strikes a body builder pose and sucks in his gut. After holding it for about five seconds he lets out his breath. and sulks. "Give it up, Curtis."

He turns the light off, walks out of the room and into his bedroom. He rolls onto bed and closes his eyes.

Before he knows it Curtis is standing in front of his school. There are kids hanging out everywhere so he knows classes haven't started yet. He looks forward and sees Paul and Chris walking into the building. "Hey guys! Wait up!"

He runs to catch up to them but trips and falls. While on the ground he watches as everyone else goes into the building except for three little girls playing jump rope on the side of the walkway. He makes an odd face at the random girls as they sing. "One, two he's coming for you. Three, four better lock your door."

As Curtis stands up he cursess to himself. "What the fuck?"

He ignores the girls and continues inside. Once he enters the doors he is somehow in his underwear. The halls are crowded full of people and everyone turns and laughs at him. "How? What…what is going on?"

One girl laughs in his face. "Why are you naked, you fat piece of shit! Haha!"

"How did this happen?"

Curtis aimlessly walks through the halls looking for his friends while everyone continues to laugh. "Chris! Paul! Where are you guys?"

He finally can't take the tormenting any longer so heads in a classroom but the classroom is full of people who point and laugh at him some more. He immediately turns around and heads back out the door. This time the hallway is empty except for Laurie who is down the hall in her underwear. She struts over to him. "Hello, Curtis."

"Laurie? What is going on?"

"You and I are going on."

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh don't play dumb with me, Curtis. I've seen the way you look at me. I know you want me."

"But…but..."

"Don't but me, baby."

She gets so close to him that there is only an inch between their faces and she talks in a sexy whisper. "I want you too, sugar."

"But you're Paul's girl. I could never…"

"But I want you."

Laurie raises her right hand which is wearing the glove of knives and slowly slices down his cheek. Then she says in a demonic voice. "I want to give it to you all night long."

Curtis lets out a scream and stumbles away. He runs down the hall and turns the corner. Then he stops when he sees Wesley standing about ten feet in front of him. "Hello, Curtis."

"Y…you? You're dead."

"Oh really? What gave it away? Was it the slices of flesh peeling off my face? Or the dirt all over from when you buried me alive!?"

"We didn't mean to…"

"To what? Slaughter and mutilate me? Well it's ok now."

Wes gives Curtis a devious smiles. "I'm here to return the favor."

Curtis immediately turns around to run but as soon as he does Wes is suddenly standing before him. Wesley then quickly shoves two of his bladed fingers right through Curtis's eyes. The dreaming boy lets out a scream as Wesley lifts him up off the ground by only the knives shoved through his eyes. "You and all your friends are going to die!"

"Help me! Please God!"

Curtis lets out a scream and his mother comes running into the room. She gasps in shock as she sees her son toss around in his bed while blood shoots out of his eyes. Wesley thrusts his right arm forward more, shoving the knives deeper. "Not even God can help you here, Curtis. Welcome to my world."

Wesley pulls his arm out of Curtis's eye sockets, but before he hits the ground Wes uppercuts his glove into Curtis's throat lifting him up once more.

Curtis's mother falls to the floor crying as she watches more blood spurt out of her son's throat. Her husband runs into the room. "Honey? What is…Oh my God! I'll call 911."

He runs out of the room and she crawls to her son's side. "Curtis? Baby? What's happening!?"

She cries as Curtis shakes and twitches several more times until he stops moving and his body goes cold.

Chris picks Valerie up like every other Monday morning and they ride to school together. But when they get there, they find that the school is shut down. News vans are everywhere and a police barricade is keeping kids from entering the school.

Outside the barricade there is a large group of students gathered. Valerie and Chris immediately spot Laurie and Paul and head over to them. As soon as Laurie sees Valerie she runs over to her crying and gives her a hug. "I'm sorry, Valerie. It's awful."

Valerie doesn't understand. "What's awful?"

"Curtis was killed last night."

Chris's jaw drops. "Oh my God."

Paul nods his head with a slight frown. "Yeah I know. They won't tell us how or why or anything. The police are keeping it very hush hush."

Valerie can't believe what she is hearing. "First that woman now Curtis? Something's not right. Not right at all."

Just then the police chief steps up in front of the barricade ready to give a speech. All the news crews point their cameras in anticipation. "Ladies and Gentlemen. The Springwood Police Department has cancelled school for the day and ordered a curfew tonight due to the two deaths that occurred Saturday and Sunday nights."

The entire crowd cheers but the police chief yells over the roar. "Even though the death of Maggie Burroughs on Saturday night was considered a murder, the cause Curtis Manlow's death is still unknown. Due to eye witness reports, the department is confident the victim died in his sleep but further investigation will be done to determine the cause of death. Thank you."

As the police chief walks away the reporters scream out questions but he ignores them. Laurie, Paul, Chris and Valerie also walk away back to the parking lot.

As they walk with their heads down Paul tries to lighten the mood by putting his arms around Laurie. "Well the funeral is not until next week. We're just gonna have to find someway to cheer up. Right, baby?"

Laurie reluctantly acknowledges. "Ok. I guess."

"Good. Since your parents are still gone I guess we'll have a little fun there."

He looks at Chris and Valerie. "What are you guys doing?"

Valerie shakes her head. "I don't know yet."

Paul shrugs his shoulders. "Ok. Well I'm gonna go get ready for tonight. I'll see you at your place tonight ok, Laurie?"

She nods. "Good. See you guys later."

Paul runs over to his truck and drives away. Chris shakes his head. "Sometimes I just don't get that guy."

Laurie takes a breath in and says with some doubt. "Well I see his point. I mean after this weekend I could use some fun, just the two of us. You know?"

Chris shrugs his shoulders. "Yeah. I guess, but still."

Valerie pulls Chris's arm and backs away towards his car. "Ok, well me and Chris got some stuff to do. We'll see you later Laurie."

They head to the car and drive away leaving Laurie sad and alone in the parking lot. "Bye guys."

Valerie and Chris sit in the records room of the Springwood Library. Chris rolls his eyes as Valerie looks through some old newspapers. "What are we doing here, Val? This is stupid."

"Something doesn't seem right to me, Chris. We kill a kid and the very next day his mother is murdered. And the next day after that Curtis dies and the cops said he died in his sleep but are still investigating. Three deaths one after another when Springwood hasn't had a murder since….since I don't even know. Which is what I'm looking for, but all these newspaper articles are blacked out. Especially the obituary section. What is going on?"

An old custodian walks by them sweeping the floor. "You're not supposed to know what's going on." Chris laughs at the old man. "Haha. Who the fuck are you."

"Someone who's lived in this town long enough to know all Springwood's dirty little secrets."

Valerie leans forward in her chair. "What dirty little secrets?"

"Freddy."

Chris looks up as if he's trying to remember something. "That name sounds a little familiar. Oh yeah, my brother used to tell me ghost stories about him before he went to college. He's an urban legend."

The old man continues sweeping. "Well then I guess they did a good job covering it up."

Valerie continues with her interrogation. "Covering what up?"

The old man finally stops sweeping and leans on his broom. "Fred Krueger. One of the worst child murderers our country has ever seen. He lived right here in Springwood.

"Then one day the parents decided to burn him to the ground; his house and all. But he didn't die. Legend has it that demons gave him the power to stalk the children of Springwood in their dreams. Make their nightmares come to life.

"For decades he killed as many as he could, until finally his daughter came to Springwood and killed him. She dragged him out of the dream world into the real world and killed him once and for all. After that the town hid all evidence of Freddy so the children would forget he ever existed to keep him from coming back. Looks like it did a lot of good."

Chris rolls his eyes. "This is bullshit."

Valerie stands up and walks forward to the old man. "What was the daughter's name?"

"What?"

"Freddy's daughter! What was her name?!"

"Maggie Burroughs. She ran the youth shelter on the outskirts of town. The woman who was killed last Saturday. I guess he went for her first."

Valerie doesn't even listen to his last sentence. Instead she looks at Chris slowly. "Oh no. It's not Freddy. It's Wesley. Oh my God. Paul and Laurie! He's going to kill them!"

Valerie takes off out the door and Chris chases after her. "Hey, Val! Wait!"

As they run out the door the old man yells at them. "Who's Wesley?!"