I'll Put You On A Pedestal
David had been in the fog for a while now, seeing the same faces everyday, same killers, same routine, same everything… until now. He was being hosted on a new map he had never seen before. Everything was painted grey as never ceasing black ash fell from the midnight sky. He looked at his new surroundings trying to find things he could exploit on the new killer, "I'm gonna hav'ta since this bugger prolly knows this place like the back of it's hand." Starting in the killer's shack usually was a good thing since generators seemed more likely to spawn there, but this time only a weird stand holding a retro alarm clock in a bubble took its place. "What the hell is this? Can I use it against the killer?" David reached his hands inside of the bubble pulling the clock out and dropped it to the ground as the ringing pierced his ear drums. He covered his ears and tightly screwed his eyes shut, "No way the killer didn't hear that!" King opened his eyes to find one of the exits when he saw everything in a more natural color. The grey discolor and ash was gone leaving only the natural beautiful hues, albeit this place wasn't something he wanted to explore more than he had to.
His attention was drawn quickly away from his thoughts hearing a loud explosion near him. "Probably Dwight messin' up the gen I bet. I should probably go help." David jogged through the trees and came to a house that was just beyond the clearing. His heartbeat was steady, so the killer wasn't here or at least, not yet. As he stepped past the threshold of the foyer he heard the shocks of wiring barely keeping up with the rotor. David hurried up the stairs and looked down the hallway, "Now which room is it in?" The back room near an open, shattered window illuminated in white light as another gear missed, exploding the generator again. "Ah." David smiled to himself at the leader's poor mechanical skills. He swung himself around the doorway and leaned against it, "Looks like yer not paying attention again Dwight." He looked down at the survivor at the gen and stopped, "No. That's definitely not Dwight." Wide, tired eyes looked over his shoulder and he jumped up seeing David. "S-sorry. I have no idea what I'm doing here." The boy looked in his late teens, his brown wavy hair brushed against his eyelashes, his build was lean and thin, his only muscle definition was in his arms and legs like he ran for a living, but nothing captivated David's attention more than the boy's eyes. Light blue, nearly grey, full of unshead misery, with dark bags under them.
"Sorry, I thought you were someone else. I'm David King and you are?" David reached his hand out to the youth who took it shakingly, "Quentin Smith." Quentin's hands were smaller than his and soft with lightly scarring over the knuckles. "Do you mind if I?" David gestured to the generator, "Oh no! Not at all. Do you mind if I watched?" David smiled and slid beside Quentin. Quentin leaned his back flush against the wall to try to accommodate David's large build. There was barely enough room for one person, so finally Quentin's small frame came in handy. He watched the Brit as he twisted the correct wires together, making the previous missing sound start buzzing. The gears started moving faster and the lights in the house started flickering to life. David taught the younger how to repair these generators and how important it was to catch the wires when it started to spark or else, he let the generator explode to show the consequence. "What are you doing! Freddy could've heard that!" The boy looked frantically around and looked out the window. "It's fine. The generator is almost done, when they're complete they sound off anyway." Just as David had foretold, the generator roared to life and along with it the electricity brought signs of life to the house.
Quentin smiled at the small victory, but paled when he heard a school girl's chant echoing closer to them. David pulled Quentin with him as he jumped out the back window. David landed softly on his feet and looked back at the hesitating, exhausted boy in the window, "Come on, I'll catch you." Quentin threw his legs over the windowsill and took a deep breath as he closed his eyes, hyping himself up, "You can do this, it's no biggie." He slid himself off the ledge and was caught around his waist by David and gently placed on the ground. "See? Not too bad right? You'll need to get used to it if you want to make a quick escape." Quentin cracked a wide smile at David looking back up at the window he just jumped out of. David's heart raced faster watching the excited gleam in Quentin's stormy eyes and the warmth that radiated from his toothy smile.
David started walking down the tree line when he heard the sound of a door breaking. He whipped his head back in time to see claws shattering the door into a thousand splinters. A burned man in a fedora clicked his makeshift knife glove together as he looked at Quentin's back. David ran back and reached to pull him out of the way, but it was too late. As Quentin turned, he was slashed across the chest letting out a pained yelp. David pulled the stumbling boy to his chest and slowly started backing away. The man roared in laughter, "Where do you think you're going, beautiful?" Quentin shuddered at the raspy voice and David tightened his jaw, "So this is Freddy, the new killer. He looks like a total creep." David moved the boy behind him, making Freddy laugh. "You already have a knight in shining armor? Maybe I should kill him in front of you? You know I hate it when you make me jealous." Bile raised in Quentin's throat at the killer's words and spit at his feet, "Leave him alone Freddy. It's me you want remember?" Freddy darkly chuckled watching the boy leave behind David, running down the line of trees to a lit up road. David tried stopping the teenager, but the two already began their chase. He followed behind quickly, desperately trying to draw Freddy's attention to him instead, "This kid is gonna get himself killed!"
Quentin was good for a beginner as his instincts kicked in high gear, jumping through vaults and mind gaming the killer. David had lost them inside the school building, but found a generator in the basement. He couldn't save Quentin, wherever he was, so the next best thing was get the remaining generator working so they could escape. A cry sounded from above him, blood dripping on his arms from the floorboards above him. David's blood turned into ice as the droplets ran down his arm to the cement floor, "That's-!" He oiled the last gear springing the machine to life and took off up the stairs. A scream echoed through the map as Quentin was hooked. David crouched towards the entrance of the school and saw Quentin trying to pull himself off the hook. David ran towards the boy, "No lad don't!" Black, spider-like tendrils started to form in fiery embers up the hook towards Quentin, "No, run! He's right here!" Quentin screamed back. David looked around as he ran closer, but didn't see anyone, only a lullaby droned in the air.
David grasped Quentin under his shoulders and off the bloody hook when he felt sharp blades slice through his back to the bone. "Gah!" David hissed out as everything now turned to grey and ash again. "Tsk tsk tsk, No, no, I don't think so. Bad move my friend," Nightmare slurred rhythmically whilst wagging his bladed finger side to side. Quentin pulled David King along to the exit gates where everyone waited on them, David ownly scowled back at the unmoving figure. Meg and Nea ran up and helped take David off Quentin's shoulder, both girls taking an arm, when Quentin stopped. "Guys, somethings wrong. Freddy stopped chasing us, this isn't right! I think this is a trick! Let's find somewhere to hide." The girls stopped and looked at him with anger. Nea spat out, "You have no idea what you're talking about newbie. The gate is right here, I don't care if you want to kill yourself, but were leaving!" Quentin reached out to stop them, but it was too late.
The gate was blocked by a black barricade of tendrils making this hall a cage of demise. A deep laugh sounded behind them before Quentin let out a pained howl. The three by the gate gasped and saw the gloved hand protruding out of Quentin's chest, the knives slowly twisting the exposed arteries and flesh for their "amusement". Freddy tossed the boy to his feet and flicked his hand, sending the blood of the one who tried to save them at the trio. They recoiled in disgust only hitting the gate, making their cage smaller. One by one they met their fate with David saved last. Freddy left him with one sentence, "Never touch my boy again or we'll meet just like this, you understand me?" The Nightmare's laugh reverberated off the brick wall, drilling itself into David's brain as he felt the piercing blades slowly rip through chest.
The walk back to the fire was tense as the women held each other and David tried not to look at Quentin. Quentin fell behind feeling defeated, "I knew Freddy wouldn't let me have anything. Not even friends here." David looked back at the boy who slowed his pace. He looked lost in thought and his tired eyes devoid of any emotion, the beautiful spark he had when he jumped from the window was gone. David walked back to the boy, "Aye bud, you alright?" Quentin was torn from his thoughts by David extending his hand on his shoulder. Quentin took temporary comfort in the larger man's warmth, "You guys all died and I couldn't do anything about it. It's all my fault for bringing him here." David held the teens shoulders and bent down to look him in the eyes, "That happens. We all have died in trials, multiple times, don't drive yerself crazy over it." The girls stopped walking and Nea turned her head back slightly towards him, "If anything it was our fault. I'm sorry I didn't listen to you." With that the women left the two to themselves, each not knowing what to say.
A question has been buzzing through David's brain, one he knew he probably shouldn't ask, one that he was afraid of the answer to. "What's wrong?" Quentin shakingly placed his hand on David's wrist that sat across his chest in thought. "That guy… Freddy. He said something before he killed me.." Quentin's eyes lit with panic, "What did he say!" Quentin's voice cracked out, "W-what was it?" David saw the swirled guilt and anxiety crashing through the younger's body language. The teen pulled at his beanie more to cover his eyes, a defense mechanism to block him out of tough situations, his other hand held so firmly in a fist his knuckles turned white, and most of all.. his eyes. Quentin's half lidded sleepy eyes were now almost bulging with a frightful sea threatening to tsunami out of the corners of those baby blues. "It was nothing. Nevermind." Quentin wanted to put up a fight, he wasn't some child that people should walk on eggshells around, but he also didn't want others to know the extent of how much he knew Freddy.
David sighed in relief when the teen walked past him in a huff seemingly fine with the conversation ending prematurely. "I fear I may have opened a Pandora's Box with this one," David thought to himself as he gently scuffed his stubbled face and followed behind the sleep deprived boy. David's eyes studied the movements of the person ahead. The boy walked with a limped gait, possibly from a leg injury or maybe he's just clumsy, his body was long and lean like a swimmers, his wavy brown hair was unkempt, and when he walked his hips swayed side to side. The last observation maked David blush and walk faster to be beside Quentin, not wanting to tempt himself. "Sorry about bringing that up. I don't know why I even opened my yap about it anyway, I just..-" Quentin stopped and looked up at David with his big doe eyes, batting his long lashes. David looked away hiding a light blush and rubbed the back of his neck, "You look at me with em' big doe eyes and I can't bring myself to lie or keep anything from you." David stole a quick peek at Quentin finding the younger's shocked face was red and his arms crossed over his waist. "Oh no! Nothin weird like that! I just think yer a good kid!" David blurted out trying his best not to scare the teenager right off the bat, "Well, it's mostly true."
Quentin looked over his shoulder breathing out and began to chuckle. Nervously, David joined in with a pang of hurt going through his heart at the thought of Quentin laughing at his attraction even if it was supposedly misinterpreted. David definitely noticed how attractive Quentin was, but he had just met the guy for God's sake. He could already tell the young lad was altruistic when he died trying to warn them and he's clearly eager to learn. Quentin never even asked for an explanation on why and how he got here and what this place was like most of the other survivors, instead he buckled down and got to work. David was certainly one to appreciate the loyalty Quentin held, as he himself had given his own life several times for his mates. "Oh haha I should've known. Sorry for worrying you with the mini panic attack." "It's nothin." David said as they made it back to the fire. There were people there Quentin had yet to meet. They all filled Quentin in with what they knew about this new hellscape. David watched Quentin's face for signs of the impending distress, but they never came, "Either this guy has a perfect poker face or he's crazy!" Quentin curled his knees up to his chest and gazed into the fire as the climbing flames highlighted his ghastly tired eyes.
Dwight sat beside David to tell him about a brand new part he found while at Autohaven, but he kept zoning in and out as he flicked his eyes from Dwight to Quentin across from him. The teen appeared to be getting on well with Ace and Jake. Jake was a quiet and very reclusive person which helped put Quentin at ease and Ace reminded him of his dad, "minus the flirting of course." Based on Ace's description he gave of his contributions in trials, he seemed to be one lucky bastard. Jake was stealthy, never relinquishing a sound for the killers, and knew how to take apart those damned hooks. Jake was the easiest for Quentin to talk to since he mostly just listened without his stoicism breaking. It was like talking to a brick wall covered in flesh… Quentin liked that. "So what about you? And this Freddy?" Jake asked Quentin, waving his hand around the boy. Quentin looked back at the fire and began, "I'm Quentin Smith and I brought Freddy Krueger, a dream demon, here with me. I don't know how but we are. In a way I'm grateful that he's trapped here, far from ever touching someone else again, but it doesn't make me feel any better for endangering everyone here. He puts you to sleep with the lullaby in trials where you can see him, but by then it may be too late. If you die or get hurt in your dreams, you suffer those same consequences in the waking world."
"Who's Freddy then, I've never heard of a demon having such a suburban name?" Nea asked, gazing at her spray can no doubt remembering the cold steel going through her chest. "He was a human. Not a good one. An evil man. He worked at the Badham Preschool where he.." Quentin's face began distorting between anger and disgust, "h-he killed the children. Police had to let him go on a technicality, so the parents burned him alive. He swore to kill the surviving children and anyone that got in the way." Jake and David felt like there was more to the story, but didn't say anything more about it. Everyone started feeling tired and went to their respective tents except Quentin and David. David took the now empty spot beside the restless dreamer and brushed his knee against Quentin's, drawing the boy's attention, "Hey listen, if you want you can sleep in my tent. I got an extra bedroll and you can even keep it, if you wanna. Tomorrow we'll go scavenging for a tent of your own. How's that sound?" The boy looked over his shoulder at the tents and their sleeping inhabitants, "Sleep sounds good, but could I really? Freddy may still be able to come to me in my dreams." Quentin looked at David who was smiling gently at him. "I think I can trust him. Maybe I should at least ask. No.. No, that would be weird." "I'd like that, but-" Quentin picked at his fingers nervously drawing a questioning eyebrow lift from the Englishman, "-I get pretty bad nightmares. I may wake everyone up-" "I'll wake you up. I'm a light sleeper, I'll take care of you." David answered before his brain could comprehend what he said.
"Geeze you ol bloke, wanna be any more obvious?" David scolded himself expecting the boy to be creeped out again, but to his surprise Quentin placed his hand on his knee beaming brightly, "Thank you, I'd appreciate it." Quentin felt happy David had offered what he was too afraid to ask and stood up. David smiled back softly as the smile he liked so much came back to the boy and led him to his tent. David opened the flap and stepped aside letting Quentin enter first. David followed behind and became immediately embarrassed as he moved quickly around Quentin and he began picking up dirty clothes. "Sorry about that! I wasn't expecting company before the trial!" "Good one champ." David pinched the bridge of his nose and wondered why his inner voice was such a smart mouthed asshole, "Takes one to know one I suppose." David groaned as he started tearing himself down in his own head. Quentin heard the larger man groan and thought maybe it was because he had to accommodate him. He didn't mind the mess, his room was much worse back in the real world. His smile slowly faded now feeling like a burden, "I'm sorry if I'm cramping you up, I can take that bedroll and put it by the fire. It won't be a problem since the fire's warm-"
"No, you're staying here. No one's certain the killers can't come into the camp and I'd rather know you're safe here." David rolled the mat down next to his, the area now clean, and patted it signaling to Quentin to sit. Quentin's mouth had gone dry and he obeyed, "he actually cares about my safety." Quentin's heart beat faster as warmth spread through his chest. "I'm sorry about freaking out earlier. I was just embarrassed and thought you'd think I'm a slob." Quentin laughed and explained the labyrinth that was his room back in Springwood. They laid on their sides as they talked about their lives before here, Quentin taking special interest in David's "job", brutal as it was. "Sounds like some Fight Club shit." He joked. David laughed, "Yeah in a way that you beat the shit out of someone for money, but the first rule of Fight Club is-" "You don't tell anyone about Fight Club!" They finished in unison and chuckled with tears in their eyes. The laughter on David's side slowed much faster than the others and when he looked back up at the boy, he found he was asleep. His pale face was peaceful and "beautiful." David couldn't stop himself from running his curled knuckles over Quentin's sleeping cheek, "soft", he said quietly to himself. He blushed at his voice and quickly pulled the covers over the boy and turned over. It took David a while to finally settle down enough for sleep to start taking hold. On the brink of the Sandman's last few grains in his hourglass, he felt Quentin snuggle more into his back. He fell asleep with a slight smile on his face.