Author's Note: I'm not sure if the email notifications are working for everyone. I hope that they are.

Thanks for the reviews so far. Please be aware of some vulgar talk in this chapter.

Chapter 5

Katherine wasn't sure what had startled her awake. A sudden panic had suddenly and quickly pierced through her mind, making her jerk her head up from the mattress. But as her eyes fluttered opened a concerned frown etched at her lips. Her eyes saw a layer of darkness. Something was across her eyes. Something thick and heavy. A grainy blindfold. She grew tense and whimpered as she pitifully tried to pull her arms towards her face. But hard cold metal cuffs were wrapped around her slim, thin wrists. A metallic rattle made her whimper and whine again. She was chained. Her limbs stretched diagonally upwards above her head.

Creak….

Her whines intensified as she whispered. "Daddy?"

The floorboards groaned and she heard movement coming from the doorway. But not from where she knew the doorway to her father' s room would have been to the left. No, someone was approaching her from the right. Where was she? Had her father taken her somewhere? And why would he chain her to the bed? He never restrained her like this….

Katherine's breath hitched in her dry throat. The mattress dipped, sagging downwards as a set of knees pressed down on the edge of the bed. A coarse hand gently gripped her right ankle, and she wildly shook her head as her leg was yanked apart. She instinctively tried to pull her leg away. But firm fingers dug into her skin, and she cried out in pain.

There was a deep laugh. Hoarse and gritty. That didn't sound like her father.

"Daddy…"? she asked nervously.

The middle of the bed shifted and dipped down as whoever it was climbed over her small frame. She squirmed frantically on the bed. Her waist twisted to the left and she sobbed. Feeling her naked skin rub against the tough mattress.

Naked….?

Her lip quivered as it dawned on her. Her body was bare. Flesh exposed to the cold air.

Fear prickled along her skin as she shook her head madly. Thick fingers gently trailed over her collarbone and swathe over her tender throat. She gasped as the fingers constricted around her neck and squeezed hard.

Her lips parted as she mustered to take in a breath of air. Eyes widening in horror, undeterred fear…

Her lungs screamed for air, flexing and constricting in her ribcage and before she could pass out the hand loosened and she willingly gasped and inhaled sharply. Soon, her sobbing began…

"Daddy, s-stop…"

Again, that laugh. It wasn't him. It was deeper in pitch.

She felt stubbled brush over the curve of her neck. Thick and bushy hair. Then slimy lips kissed and sucked at her neck. The hair bristled against her skin, and she cringed.

This was Bob Stevens.

Her mouth parted to emit a scream, but a large hand slammed over her shaking mouth. Silencing her. "Sshh…"

The thundering beats of her heart roared in her ears. This couldn't be happening. Why was she here? Where was she? Where was her daddy…?

The mattress dipped again as Bob shifted his body and travelled his other hand along the side of her waist that shivered violently. A dark, depraved smirk played over his lips, and he languidly licked her left cheek. "Relax."

Katherine shrieked and whimpered against his strong hand and jerked her legs violently under his thighs. He tutted at her resistance and with a surge of profound brutality he thrust two of his fingers hard into her….

The high-pitched scream of Katherine echoed in her bedroom as she shot up in her small pink quilted bed. She staggered backwards on her hands and her back thudded hard against the headboard. Her brown eyes were wide, glazed with tears….

It was a dream. A bad dream…

She tossed the bedclothes off her shuddering body and ran towards the door. Her daddy, she needed her daddy. Her hand yanked the silver handle of the door and flung the door open. Her breathing was haggard and short as she made a beeline towards her father's bedroom door across the landing. As her fingers brushed over the handle the door was hurled open as her father appeared.

Katherine sobbed loudly and threw herself against his body, burrowing her tear-streaked face against the bottom of his chest, just below his diaphragm. He quickly knelt before her and she closed her eyes, not wanting him to see the terror that she knew was flashing in them.

"Hey, baby, what's wrong?" Freddy cooed and tenderly took her chin in palm. "Tell me"

Slowly, she opened her eyes. "I had a bad dream, he was there. Bob Stevens"

The soft, concerned gleam in his eyes hardened. Rage consuming his irises. "You had a nightmare?"

"Y-yes" She whispered softly and nodded against his palm. "I-I…"

He hushed her quietly and lifted her easily into his arms and spun back into his room. She nestled her face into the arch of his neck and sniffled, choking back a fearful sob. Freddy deftly stroked her hair as he settled onto the bed. "Tell me what happened."

She meekly shook her head against his collarbone. "I don't want to daddy….it was horrible."

His jaw tightened slightly at her reluctance to reply, and he took a deep breath. "Come on baby. Tell daddy. Remember, it's only a dream. Okay?"

Katherine whined quietly and sluggishly sat up on his lap. "I didn't know where I was. I couldn't see. I was blindfolded. I thought it was you. I heard this laugh, but I quickly knew it wasn't you. I felt his beard, his moustache as h-he…."

Freddy clenched his fists at his sides. As much as he knew it was a dream she had, a nightmare. The mere notion of her dreaming, suffering nightmares because of that bastard made him furious. Disgusted. "He was kissing you. Yes?"

Katherine noticed the animosity that tainted her father's voice and she shyly nodded. "Yes, daddy. But I c-couldn't do anything. I was chained up on this bed. He was rough with me."

Freddys lips twitched sharply. "Rough? As in….?"

"His fingers were rough. He was forceful" She shivered hard. "It's not like the way you would touch me. You take your time daddy…."

The enraged gleam continued to burn brightly in his blue eyes. Why was he so fucking angry at this dream? It wasn't real. He had to push this fury to the side. Bury it before this evening before Bob Stevens arrived. He focused his icy gaze back onto her face and exhaled long and hard. A little smile of assurance crept slowly over his lips. "It's okay, baby. Remember it was just a dream. You're safe with me. I'll make sure nothing happens to you tonight."

She huffed sadly. Why did tonight have to go ahead? Did he not know that she was terrified? "Does he have to come tonight? Can you not just take him away? Like you did with Lucy and Melanie?"

His fingers curled around her chin and gently jerked her face up to face his. "I will be taking him away and dealing with him. But he is still coming tonight. It's all been arranged. 7.30pm tonight is when they will arrive."

Katherine dourly pouted.

Freddy smirked at her disappointment and then laid her down on her side of the bed. He glanced at the side clock on the table to the left. The time read 5.45am. "It's still early. Now, get some more sleep. I'll wake you up at 9am"

"No!" Her right arm whipped up to clutch his white vest top. "Daddy, please. I don't want to go to sleep. I'll have another nightmare."

He frowned at the shakiness of her voice. Full of fear. Then a whisper floated into his mind.

She won't Krueger. She'll have a peaceful sleep….

His tongue slicked over his bottom teeth as he pondered the voice's declaration.

You trust us, don't you Freddy?

He made a soft 'mmm-mmm' sound of acknowledgment directing it towards the voices in his mind, then spoke to her. "Katherine, I promise you won't have another dream. You trust your daddy, don't you?"

She nodded vigorously against the plump white pillow. "Yes, daddy"

"Good girl" He brought his right hand to her temple, brushing a stray stand of hair away from her eyes. "Close your eyes baby. Get some sleep. I'll be right here when you wake up."

Katherine hesitantly gave a small nod and soon her brown teary eyes fluttered closed.

Freddy stared down raptly at her soft, serene face and soon withing a few minutes she had drifted off to slumber. Then a soft sigh escaped him. Tonight was going to be so tough for her. He had never let her linger around the adults more than a few minutes than necessary. Whenever he stopped to 'chat' to Donald Thomson and his incompetent Lt James Garica, he had conditioned her to keep quiet and linger behind him. It was a routine for her. But now, tonight everything he taught her would have to be disregarded. She had to socialize with the adults, speak to them, answer their questions. He had briefly told her over the last few days what he had expected from her. She knew what to do and she knew of the consequences if she disobeyed him.

He had shown her his belt in the basement. It would be used on her if she stepped out of line.

But just like the good, dutiful child he had whittled her to be, she agreed with a terrifying nod.

A small sigh of reprieve whooshed from Katherine's lips as she turned onto her left side and snuggled her face against the pillow, lightly gripping the softness of it. Freddy smiled and bent down to lightly kiss her forehead. Then ventured downstairs to prepare himself a coffee.

…

"Come on, princess. It's time to wake up" Freddy gently shook her shoulders. Katherine groaned and arched her arms upwards as she stretched. Her fingers wiggled as she pried opened her eyes.

"Is it 9am?" She hoarsely murmured.

"Yeah, I've got your breakfast ready. We've got to go to the supermarket today. Do you want some candy for tonight? Mmm?" He arched his eyebrows, enticing her. It was a little guile way to ease her apprehension for tonight.

She pushed her hands against the pillow and sat up, smiling broadly at him at the idea of getting candy. "Really? What about some Coca-Cola? Am I allowed to drink that?"

"Yes, we'll get you a nice bottle of that too. But you must eat your dinner. You want spaghetti?"

Katherine's smile remained locked in place, and she nodded, excited. It was one of her favorite dinners. "Yes, please"

Freddy smirked happily and nodded at the clean mint green dress with white laced rimmed at the bottom, laid out for her at the bottom of the bed. It was matched with knee length white socks and two light green ribbons. It surprised her that it wasn't her usual red ribbons. "Let's get you dressed."

After changing her and sharing a hearty breakfast Freddy drove the short trip to their usual supermarket close to Springwood Mall where they did their weekly shop. The store was relatively busy, with throes of families meandering down the various aisles of fresh vegetables, dairy products, canned and packaged foods. Katherine's fingers were taut around the metal wires of their trolley as Freddy pushed it down the aisle that consisted of confectionary. He stopped in the middle of the aisle and then nodded at the shelves of various candy, popcorn and potato chips "Go ahead, pick what you want."

She eagerly looked to her left and then right loosening her grip on the side of the trolley. There were so many delectable and enticing bags of candy for her to choose from. This was a treat for her. Her father very rarely allowed her to eat such sugary candy at this. He had a strange habit of controlling what she ate and drank.

Her eyes slowly roved over the two shelves in front of her and she chewed her lips, pondering what to pick…

There were rows of colorful, appealing packets of sweets. Some that she hated, loved or never tried before.

After a few minutes of complementation, she picked out several packets of Razzle's, Starburst, Reese's and a pack of M&Ms, then placed them in the trolley next to the bread, milk, carton of eggs, two jars of bolognaise sauce, sirloin beef, chicken filets among other foods. She looked up at her father expecting him to push the trolley forward, but he looked down at her with a little smile. He looked at the shelves again. "Anything else?"

She swung around and trotted down a few feet towards her right to a shelf that had various bags of popcorn. "Can I have popcorn please? Can I watch some TV when we get home? Dr Doolittle is on TV!"

He chuckled a little. "Okay. What time is it on at?"

"4pm. It finishes at 6.30pm."

Freddy quietly mused and nodded. "I'll make us dinner for 3pm and then we can watch it together. When it's over you will get ready for bed and then we'll have a little chat about tonight."

Katherine submissively nodded and snatched a bag of salted popcorn and tossed it into the trolley. Freddy lightly ruffled her right pigtail, and she curled her hand into the metal wire as he pushed it down the aisle. They turned left at the bottom of the aisle and along a high row of household cleaning provisions and made a steady walk down towards the row of eight cashiers. They stopped at one that was free, and she obediently began to place the items of food onto the conveyer belt as Freddy packed them in a few strong sturdy plastic bags. After paying he placed the bags into the trolley, and they exited the store. The car park was steadily becoming full as more cars filed into the area, driving slowly around for vacant car spaces.

Freddy glanced down to his right and saw a small kiosk at the corner of the supermarket. An elderly man in his early sixties was selling diverse range of music and sport magazines, puzzle magazines and local and international newspapers. He hastily pulled out a few dollars from his wallet and handed them to Katherine. "Go and get yourself one of your puzzle books and get the paper for me. Our car is over there. Meet me there"

She followed his gaze and his right hand pointed directly ahead slightly to the right. Her eyes noticed the back of the car boot, parked two spaces down and she nodded. "Okay daddy"

He smiled down at her as she trotted to her left and began to browse through the neat rows of various colored magazines and books. Several families strolled by then a voice called out from his left.

"Morning Fred"

His suspicious instincts kicked in as he swirled around with a slight sneer to the owner of the voice.

Bob Stevens.

Freddy adjusted his position on the sidewalk to block the view of his daughter from the man and forced an amiable smile on his face. Hopefully if she saw him speaking to him, she would use her intelligence and go straight to their car. He didn't want this sly asshole knowing that she was his child. Krueger wanted Bob Stevens to find out tonight who she was. He wanted to scrutinize the way Bob Stevens would react towards her the moment she walked into the kitchen.

"Hi, Bob. Are you still on for poker tonight?" Freddy grinned and they quickly struck up a conversation.

Katherine politely held out the Springwood Gazette and her new puzzle book for the elderly man to price up what she owed. The bright red cover gleamed in the morning sun as she stared down at it. There were fifty puzzles – word searches, crosswords suitable for children her ages, multiple-choice questions and sudoku puzzles. She muttered a quick, polite 'thank you' as the man handed her back a few quarters for her change. She spun on her heels then her legs froze. Her eyes widened at what she was seeing, and her fingers tightened sharply on the paper and puzzle book. Her father was speaking to him. He was speaking to Bob Stevens.

She felt her lip tremble and it then it dawned on her that her father was deliberately blocking Bob Stevens view of her as they chatted. Looking to her right she remembered her father's words – she had to meet him at the car. For a fleeting moment she saw him take a glance over his shoulder at her and his right hand discreetly flicked quickly at his side, pointing his finger to the right as it twisted slightly behind his back.

Katherine took a cautious glance to her left, then right and scurried across the carpark to their car. She was luckily shielded from Bob's view as a few adults walked alongside her across the road. Once at the side of the car Katherine leaned against the door. Then patiently waited….

It felt like forever to her until she heard the squeaking of wheels, and she peered through the adjacent windows of the car next to her and saw her father approaching. She took a few steps forward and looked up at him as he popped opened the boot of their car. "What kept you daddy? What was he talking to you about?"

"The fucker likes to run his mouth" Freddy muttered more to himself than to her. He took the newspaper and puzzle book from her and shoved them in one of the plastic bags. "I just wanted to check if he was still coming tonight."

Katherine silently prayed that he had changed his mind, but still asked. "Is he?"

"Yes" Freddy slammed the boot shut with a wicked grin as he noticed her look of alarm. He beckoned her to him and then pulled her onto the thick metal of the boot. "Baby, we talked about this. Everything will be okay. I understand that you are afraid. But there is nothing to be afraid of. Okay?"

She sniffled back her tears and nodded. "I know daddy. I just wish it was over. That he was gone"

He bent his head forward to kiss her hair. "He'll be gone soon. Very soon"

….

The song All Right Now by the band Free blared from a portable radio in their kitchen as Freddy and Katherine began to place the items of their grocery shop in the appropriate cupboards and fridge. Freddy ripped opened the red cardboard from his pack of cans of Budweiser's and tactfully placed them on the lower shelf of the fridge at the very back. It was a sly trick on his part. Something that he had mused over while on their way back from the supermarket and a way that he could use Katherine to tantalize Bob Stevens. But she would be unaware. He had repositioned a few items from the bottom shelf to the upper ones to allow there to be more room for whatever liquor that Bob, Kevin and George would be bringing with them.

He rose to his feet and saw Katherine excitedly trot over with her bundles of candy for this evening. "Daddy, can I have a Coca-Cola now?" She looked at the four tall glass bottles of coke on the counter. "Please?"

Freddy smirked. She certainly was trying to get her own way today and he was happy for once to allow it. "Okay. But you'll get another one this evening. I'm going to start dinner. I want you to help me set the table."

Katheirne obediently nodded.

"We'll watch the film when it's done and then I'll get you ready for tonight."

"How long will they be here for?" Katherine took a bottle of coke from the counter.

"I'm not sure. Probably a bit late" He grabbed the other bottles and placed them away inside the fridge. He took the other bottle from her and cracked opened the bottle cap with his teeth. She eagerly took a sip of her beverage and then began to take out the cutlery and plates for dinner.

"Will I have my own seat?" Katherine looked briefly at the four chairs at the kitchen table. A frown soon crossed her face. There were only four seats and there would be five of them in the kitchen.

"You'll be sitting on my lap" Freddy began to tear open a packet of spaghetti and placed it in a large saucepan. He then took the mincemeat and neatly placed it in a bowl. "Do you want to have a chair to sit on?"

"No" Katherine pulled a chair close to the counter and knelt on it, preparing to help him. "I'd rather sit on your lap daddy. Do I have to stay down here all night?"

"As long as I want you too" He gently stroked her shaking face. "It'll be okay."

She nodded. "Am I allowed to do my puzzles? Or can I watch you play poker?"

"Whatever you want. Now, let's get this dinner ready" Freddy held out the saucepan under the cold water tap and she quickly turned on the tap, watching as the water filled the steel pan. She took a fleeting glance at her father, seeing his lips purse together as he began to whistle. A little habit he did whenever he was in a good mood. Whether he would still be in a cheerful mood by the end of the night, all depended on what Bob Stevens would say or do…

….

Katherine snuggled against her father's chest as they sat on the couch in the TV room. The last few minutes of the film Dr Doolittle played out. The last few hours were relaxing and full of laughter. Even her father had enjoyed the movie and she had heard him chuckle now and then. It had helped ease her anxieties, though now the apprehension was starting to build again.

"Let's go upstairs" Freddy pressed the off button on the small remote control. The TV flicked off and swept her into his arms as he stood.

Instinctively she wrapped her arms around his neck and laid her head on his shoulder. "Who are the other men coming tonight?"

"Kevin and George" Freddy pushed opened the door to her bedroom and sat her on the bed.

"Do I know them? Have I met them before?" Katherine began to roll down her white socks.

"You met them last year. When were in the mall. But you might not remember them" Freddy gripped her little waist and turned her back towards him. He untied her hair from her pigtails and used a small brown brush to brush through her brown locks until he was satisfied it was sitting perfectly. His fingers then unzipped her dress and slid it down her back. He hastily pulled it down over her hips. She stepped out of the dress and raised her arms as she twisted back to him.

He pulled her nightdress over her outstretched arms. She discerned that it was one of the new garments he had bought for her last week. A thin ivory nightdress, with the neckline shaped in a low V-neck style that was decorated in lace. The rim of the nightgown was also lined in thin lace. But the length of the nightdress was a little short. She peered down and her eyes knitted in surprise. It was extremely short. Ending a few inches above her knees, nearly halfway up her thighs. Normally her night dresses ended an inch above her knees. Why would he make her wear something as short as this in front of these men?

Katherine looked up at her father as he reflectively studied her. "Turn around for me"

She slowly turned on her heel, rotating to the right. There was a low, menacing chuckle from behind her as Freddy roved his eyes from her waist down the back of her thighs that was clearly on show from below the rim of her bottom down. He reached down with his right hand and lightly trailed his palm down the back of her right thigh ending at the edge of her nightdress. He knew that Bob Stevens would be enticed by her in this little nightdress. This was fucking perfect.

"Come here, baby" Freddy cooed and sat on the bed.

Katherine took a few steps forward and climbed onto his lap. "Do I have to go downstairs now? With you?"

"Not yet. You see, I want to see the look of surprise on his face when you walk into the kitchen."

"Is that why you took down the photos of me from the living room? You don't want him to see that I'm your daughter?" Katherine glanced wearily at his right hand that stroked along the outside of her thigh.

Freddy gave a sly smirk noticing the uneasiness that manifested on her face. The slightest caress of his hand on her skin, particularly around her thighs, always made her uneasy. He bent forward to kiss her right cheek. "Yes, that's right. Do you like your nightdress?"

She chewed her lip and gave an uncertain shrug of her shoulders. "It's a little short daddy. W-why am I wearing it? My nightdresses are never this short!"

The sly smirk on Freddys face slowly grew into a heinous grin. "It's because you are going to be a little tease tonight."

Katherine twisted her head to the left trying to interpret the grin that was displayed on his face. She was mystified by his statement. What did he mean by that? Freddy keenly licked his bottom lip and clutched the back of her head with his left hand, pressing the side of her face against his lips. The corner of his lips elongated again, depraved and cruel as he whispered against the shell of her right ear. "You're going to be a little cock-tease."

A shudder shot through Katherine's spine at the hot breath that fluttered against her skin. She narrowed her eyes and craned her eyes towards his. "What?"

Freddy chortled softly. Full of malicious intent. Then pressed his lips against hers in a brief kiss. "I'll call you down when they're here. You can play in your room until then."

Katherine was placed back on the ground and watched in awkward silence as Freddy left the room. His words were clouding her mind with confusion and full of trepidation. Was he going to use her to tease Bob Stevens? But in what way? And what was that word he called her? She muttered quietly to herself and walked to her side dresser and worryingly sat on the chair. Her puzzle magazine was laid in front of her with her pencil. She idly grabbed the pencil and flipped open the page to the first puzzle.

….

The sound of voices outside the front startled Katherine from her puzzle. She pushed herself forward onto her knees and peered through the gap in the blinds. There they were. Her eyes darted towards her small mickey mouse clock. The small hand struck 7.30pm. She felt her heart begin to thud in her chest, slamming hard against her ribcage. Taking a deep breath, she staggered off the chair and crept close to the doorway of her room.

Freddy's voice floated up from the hallway below. She strained to hear his voice. The tone of his voice was friendly and calm. She heard voices overlapping. One of them she distinguished was Bob Stevens. The others were vaguely familiar. There were a few exchanges and husky masculine laughter as the voices ventured down the hallway in the direction of the kitchen.

She took a tentative step back as she heard the creak of the floorboards as someone began to climb the stairs. Her hands trembled at her sides, and she took a few steps back as the door to her room creaked open.

"Hey, baby" Freddy wore a cunning smile. "You want to go down and say hello?"

"What d-do I have to do again?" She gulped down the lump in her throat.

"Just do exactly what I tell you to do. If they ask you any questions, just be polite and talk back. Especially when that asshole Bob speaks to you. Remember you'll be sitting on my lap. And if there are any questions that I don't want you to reply to, I'll just squeeze your waist. Understand?" Freddy crouched slightly to stare into her brown eyes. "Now, get your puzzle book and pencil. You can have some of your candy when we go down."

Katherine took a long deep breath and exhaled slowly, then nodded. She spun around and snatched her puzzle book and pencil in her right hand. Freddy gave a reassuring smile as he led her down to the landing. She nervously licked and gnawed at her lips. Trying to mentally tell herself that it would be okay. She had to trust her father. Everything was going to be fine….

She looked up at him as they stepped off the last step and turned right. A guileful smile was swathed on his face, his eyes twinkling darkly. He suddenly let go of her hand and stepped through the archway of the kitchen, leaving her lingering a foot behind him. "Guys, I hope you don't mind. But my daughter wants to watch us play some poker."

Freddy inconspicuously stole a glance at Bob Stevens as he hastily turned around at the mention of a little girl. His hazel eyes had widened quickly in surprise and Freddy knew was a hint of curiosity. Kevin and George were too busy unpacking their cans and bottles of beers. They turned around and gave a little nod, "That's fine by us Fred."

Bob Stevens regained his composure, eyes sparkling with inquisitiveness. He wanted to see what this little girl was like. "Oh, you have a daughter?"

"Yes, did I not mention her? I'm sorry, I must have forgot" Freddy shook his head in mock confusion. He then took a sidestep to the right and maneuvered his hands on the back of Katherine's shoulders. With a light shove he moved her shaking frame into view and saw the look of recognition that spanned over Bob's face. Freddy narrowed his eyes and held back a laugh at the look of disbelief that spread across Bob's face. Bob knew who this little girl was, the little girl he tried to entice away with him. Not once but twice. And it was his new work colleague's daughter.

Freddy glimpsed down at Katherine who was shyly looking down at her bare feet. Then he pulled his gaze back towards Bob Stevens who was staringly intently at Katherine. Freddy lightly touched Katherine's left shoulder, pushing her forward into the kitchen and gave a calculating smile in the direciton of Bob.

Let the teasing game begin.

xxx

Please review and let me know what you think. Also, the next chapter will be mainly about the poker game and the interactions between them all. Particularly Freddy, Bob and Katherine.