Chapter 8: Wildcat

The pointed tips of the bladed glove flew to an abrupt stop. Barely an inch above the heaving chest of the woman before him. Freddy grunted and strained, trying to propel his lethal talons into her flesh. To tear into her skin. But his right arm was motionless.

"KRUEGER! STOP!"

Freddy felt his lips curl into a leer. Disgusted at being interrupted by those demons. "Can't you see I'm busy?"

Maggie moaned weakly beneath him. Her vacant brown eyes wavered violently. Confusion clouded her mind. How could this be happening? The searing stabbing pain in her waist was excruciating. There was no way she could feel this pain. The fingers on her right hand trembled as her hand fell to the ground, blood staining her skin. She blinked and meekly stared up at the apparition above her. The melted scarred muscle on his face twisted into a snarl as he strove to drive his blades into her. But his arm was frozen, hanging in mid-air. What was causing his arm to freeze like that? It wasn't her. She moaned softly and her head rolled to the right, her cheek resting on the hot metal of the ground.

Freddy groaned in frustration at the invisible force pressing against his arm. How could this bitch manage to have enough strength to keep his arm at bay?

"She's not doing it Freddy. We are doing it. It's the only way to stop you from making a grave mistake" Agramon's voice echoed in his mind. "Don't you recognise her?"

The nearby furnace clanked and juddered. Then a whoosh of flames exploded from within the metal walls. Shining a bright glow over her face…

He cocked his head to the right and scrutinized her pained filled countenance. It was as though a fog was starting to disperse from his mind, allowing his power to finally penetrate a part of her mind. The genealogy that emanated from her was like his. Her brown eyes widened sharply as another dull pain tore through her waist as she weakly tried to shift her body from under his. The way her brown eyes amplified drew a memory from his past. It was the way that she would look whenever his little girl was afraid. Or if whenever she had hurt herself during the numerous times she scraped and cut her knee. It often happened when she fell off the climbing frames during their frequent visits to Springwood Central Park. She was always a little clumsy. Then her wide brown eyes would dart away to the side when he would tend to her wound. Just like the way this woman was doing now. He doubtfully shook his head and then frowned again as her bottom lip was drawn hard under her top lip.

Another vague memory flickered through his mind. There it was again. The exact same mannerism that was from his little girl. Whenever she was nervous or confused, she would nibble her lips and extract her bottom lip under her top lip. This woman could be…

No. No. It was impossible. He would have known from the minute he had entered her dream.

Unless…

Freddy's head rotated to the right sensing those demons nearby. Had those three cunning creatures done something? Restricted his powers to shield her mind from him?

He heard her draw in a debilitated breath and he glanced down at the knife that he held in his left hand. It was still embedded in her waist. A steady trickle of blood oozed from the wound. Her energy was fading away…

His bloodied hand uncurled from the black handle and he withdrew his arm backwards slowly.

"Freddy. Look at her closely…." Agramon persisted. "She did remind you of someone from your past. Did she not?"

Krueger vehemently shook his head, a wave of panic coursing through him. They were right. The distinct shape of her cheeks. They were like Loretta's, his long-dead wife. And this woman's strong jawline was like his. There was a slight crook in the shape of her nose, but it was not as well defined as his. As he ran his hand through her hair just minutes before it had rekindled a vague memory. Something he had tried to push away. But it played before him now. It was how he would have stroked his little angel's hair when she slept soundly in her bed and whenever he played and twirled a few strands of her locks as they watched TV together. Her hair used to be dark blonde. But now it was a dark brown colour.

Like Loretta's…

Fuck, he had to be sure. He focused his eyes on hers as they flickered slowly. He could detect certain aspects of her past within the last few years. Her time spent as a therapist in a Youth Shelter in a City just over 30km from here. He saw glimpses of her solitude life living on her own in that little apartment. Her social life was erratic, she did not have many friends or associates that he could discern. Apart from…

His top lip sneered upwards in abhorrence. She was rather friendly with her work colleague who was with her. They had formed some kind of relationship. It was strong and benevolent, their friendship stretched back years…He would need to acquire more information about this. All in good time. But he had to ascertain if this woman was her. He couldn't risk her surviving if it wasn't his little girl. Not with the little dream power she had.

The grip that compelled his right arm to hang in mid-air withered away and with a flick of his blades he lightly laid his glove on her left arm at the corner of her elbow. A single blade lightly trailed up her bare arm until it stopped at the edge of her shoulder blade. It dipped under the side of her tank top and tugged it to the right. His eyes roamed over her bare skin. There it was. Her little birth mark, perhaps a quarter of an inch in the shape of a heart, dusty pink in colour. It was located just an inch below her shoulder blade. The tip of his index blade lightly circled the small pink birth mark, scratching her skin delicately. His eyes darted to hers and saw them flutter close.

"Hey!" he lightly slapped her face with his blood-stained hand. "Keep your eyes open!"

Maggie coughed and wheezed. Gnawing doubtfully at her lips. This pain was unbearable. Piercing and sharp…

Freddy lightly cupped her face with his claw. "What's your name? Where are you from? What are your parents' names?"

Maggie's eyes slowly opened, and she whispered. "W-what?"

"What's your name? Who are your parents?" Freddy craned his head forward. "Where are you from?"

"Maggie…" she gasped and grimaced painfully. "Central City. I'm from C-central…. city"

"Maggie?" Freddy's head shook in disbelief. Maggie? Who named her that? What a stupid fucking name. Her looked down at her, seeing her eyelids flutter close again. He lightly tapped his blades on her cheek. "Keep your eyes on me! Tell me about your parents, who are they?"

Maggie felt her vision blur as she tried to focus on his intense stare. A grey mist began to roll across her eyes. She was going to lose consciousness. "I d-don't know…" she rasped.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Freddy snapped.

"I'm adopted…" she replied weakly.

His mouth jarred opened in shock. Fuck…it had to be her. There had to be some elements from her childhood with him that she remembered. He lightly shook her shoulders. "What do you remember from your childhood? C'mon, keep your eyes open. Tell me, what do you remember?"

Her head jerked backwards as she wheezed again. The bottom lip of her mouth popped opened as she murmured. "Roses…pink roses from the back yard. The flower beds. All of them had pink flowers…."

Freddy's jaw jerked opened again as the image of the back yard flickered in his mind. There were several flower beds planted in the garden. All of them surrounded by small white picket wooden borders. But he could clearly envision the small cluster of pink roses that were planted by her and Loretta. She had begged Loretta for weeks to buy the rose seeds from the garden centre, she loved the colour pink. And roses were her favourite flower. Freddy heard her take a shuddering breath as she whispered again.

"A water tower…"

The image of the Springwood Water Tower looming a hundred yards from their back yard raced through his mind.

This was her. His little girl. His little Katherine…

He had to wake her up. She was going to die if she didn't attend to her wound….

As his gaze fell to the right side of her waist, a startled curse erupted from him. She had managed to pull the blade from her wound, it lay limply in her blood soaked fingers as they jerked and trembled. A steady gush of red liquid seeped from the severed flesh. She was going into shock. Her face suddenly turned a deathly white...

Freddy's head vehemently shook back and forth. Panic coursing through his body. She couldn't die. She had come back to him, he couldn't lose her. Not again.

No!

His back straightened and he pointed a dirty, stained blade at her forehead. Then quickly commanded. "Wake up!"

The blade flicked up sharply, and she vanished beneath him.

Freddy grumbled incoherent words to himself. How could he not know who she was? He had tremendous power, had accumulated thousands of souls throughout the years. He couldn't even sense her aura. The only way that his powers could be controlled or restricted is if….

He flew to his feet and with his left hand wrenched the rusted door of the furnace off its hinges in a fit of rage. His left hand surged inside the flames and snatched the thick scaly neck of the lead dream demon – Agramon. "You fucking underhanded parasite!" his voice roared into a venomous growl. The shape of his charred jaw grew, becoming pointed and sharp. His rotten jagged teeth elongated into various sharp fangs. The red scars from his burns turned darker in colour, sizzling and bubbling as more of his marred skin melted away. His blood boiled with indignation. He slammed the spine of the demon's snake like body into the metal wall next to the furnace. The metal bent inwards from the impact and with a snarl Freddy brought his clawed glove down towards the stomach of the creature.

The blades swiped through the skin that erupted into four slits, then in a flash they closed back together. Agramon leered back at his human host and a bright red electric current fizzed from his beady eyes and shot towards Krueger.

The electric sparks coursed through Freddy's body, and he was catapulted across the hall. His back crashed hard into the metal wall, and he grunted as he slumped forward onto his face. Freddy sneered and coughed, gathering his breath from the collision. "Fuckers…" How could they do that to him? Play such a sneaky trick on him? By hiding her presence from him?

His blades clacked against the metal ground as he meekly pushed himself to his knees. For some reason he felt weak, powerless. As he placed his left hand on the ground, he puckered brow. His hand felt smooth, there were no burns on his hand. He muttered confusedly. "What?"

"Need we remind you Krueger. We came to you and bestowed you with your powers at the time of your death. We offered them to you" Agramon hissed and floated towards him with his two counterparts following behind. "We can easily take them away. Then you will be the pitiful, frail human being that you were when we first met. Your soul will be banished to hell, forever. Do not dare attack us in that manner again!"

Freddy growled and bared his teeth momentarily in a sneer. He was never one to apologise to anyone. But he knew that these demons were serious about their threat. However, he had every right to be angry. They played him. He glanced down at his hand and muttered. "It won't happen again"

The smooth pink pigment of his rough hand began to sizzle, melting as thick blisters and charred tissue bubbled over his skin. A rush of strength empowered him as his powers returned. He rose to his feet and took a few sturdy steps towards them and raised his claw. He pointed at them sharply. "Why did you do it? You knew she was my daughter and you kept it from me!"

"We wanted to observe you both. We knew that if you discovered that she had returned that you would be consumed by entering her dreams, getting close to her again. You would have been side-tracked from your job. Killing the children in the town" Agramon started. He saw Krueger's claw twitch at his side. He smirked as he continued. "You see Krueger. We knew that she had some dream abilities, so we were interested in how she would use them. So, we decided to observe you both and keep her identity from you until the time was right. We wanted to interpret your mannerisms around each other"

"I knew something was familiar about her. The little ways she would stare at me with those big brown eyes and how she would tilt her head to the side. The way her mouth would frown, her bottom lip drawing under her top one…." He chuckled quietly and grinned. "She still has the same traits as she did when she was a little girl. When she was my little girl"

He finally felt the liquid staining his hand and he glanced at it with a momentary flicker of fear. "But if she dies!"

"As you can tell Krueger, she is more than capable of looking herself. She won't die" Agroman reassured.

"You better hope she doesn't!" Freddy snapped brusquely.

"What do you think of her personality?" Alastor asked.

"She certainly knows how to use her fists! The little minx!" he cackled and lightly touched his jaw with a steel blade. Remembering from where she had hit him. "Certainly, a little fighter. She takes no shit. Just like her daddy!"

His mouth curled into a scowl as he had realized what had occurred between them. The way he crudely mocked her about 'being on top', the way he had licked her throat, teased her into thinking he was going to grope her and how he had kissed her…

And how could he forget? He had called her a bitch, slut, cunt.

His eyes snapped closed as another memory came to him. A startled groan hissed from his throat. Fuck...he even grew a hard on, while he grounded himself against her.

He really needed to make it up to her...

A question quickly registered in his mind. How did she gain her powers?

"How did she learn to be a lucid dreamer?"

"We are unable to ascertain this. Her mind is difficult to penetrate as you are aware" Agroman explained.

"Guess, I'll have to find out. She's a little trickster!" his teeth bared in an amused smile. Her coming back to Springwood was a pleasant surprise. He had honestly believed that he would have had to lure her back here in another way. Determine where she was, from accumulating more souls, more power and then use one of the last little brats from the town to entice her to come home. But now that she was here, it had changed his plans. It was time to turn on the fatherly charm. As he had told his bitch of a mother years ago, he had a strong bond with his little girl. It was time to see if the bond still existed.

….

Maggie hissed through her groans of pain as she pressed the white compressor of her surgical stapler across the one-inch knife wound on her waist. The cracking, snapping sound of the stapler echoed in the bathroom as she stapled several specialised sutures along the wound. She had managed to stop the bleeding and the red stained white towel slumped in the sink was evidence of this and the bloodied knife. When she had woke, she felt the most unbearable pain tore through her stomach and waist. She had never been stabbed before and by fuck, she didn't want to go through this again. The second that her gaze had fallen to the right side of her waist and image of that blade protruding from her body. It all became so clear to her. Her dreams were real. That apparition was real. She had to choose her words to explain this to Doc. Hopefully he wouldn't call her delusional or blame it on her not taking her medication. Because she was taking her Clozapine. Why would she jeopardize her job by not taking it? If she could show him the case files and her notes, try and get him to understand what she believed was going on. Then they would speak to Dr Gordon and Dr Coleman. Get the truth from them.

Her mind wandered to the strange questions that the apparition was asking her. Why would he be so interested in her name, where she lived? And why the curiosity in who her parents were? What was the purpose of those questions?

She sighed and repositioned the top of the stapler over the edge of the wound and pressed the trigger. Another sharp crack pushed the metal surgical stitches in place along the wound. She leaned back on the toilet seat and dropped the stapler with a groan. "Damn it…" her eyes dropped to her waist, seeing the faint stains of blood marring around the stab wound. She would clean away the blood and then wrapped the injury with thick bandages. Her tank top was not tossed in the bin. If only she could get some morphine. They were meant to be going back to the hospital in the next hour. If she could sneak to one of the treatment rooms, search for some morphine to pacify this pain…

For now, though, she would have to take a few Vicodin. There was a small bottle in her first aid kit along with the bandages. Her legs were unsteady as she rose to her. She grabbed the blood-soaked towel and discarded in in the bin, then tied the black plastic handles into a tight knot. There was a small dumpster at the side of the motel where she could discard the black bags before they made their way to the hospital. Her legs trembled beneath her as she grabbed a handful of cleansing wipes and began to wipe clean the blood from her flesh along her hip and waist. Her breath came out in sharp hisses from the stinging sensation, then she discarded the stained wipes into the sink.

There was an abrupt knock to the motel door, and she let out a startled yelp. Raising her right hand, she shakily placed it against her chest and took a deep breath, leaving the bathroom towards the door. "Yes?"

"Are you ready Maggie?"

"Uh, give me five minutes. I'll meet you at the car" She forced her voice to be buoyant.

"No problem" Doc footsteps began to wander away from the door.

Maggie exhaled long and hard. Turning around she groaned softly at the constant piercing pain from her waist. She hobbled towards her first aid kit in the bathroom and scoured through the various items for her Vicodin and popped out two white tablets into her mouth, swallowing them whole. Next, she needed some fresh clothes.

…

Maggie had offered to drive to Westin Hills. A sudden need to have a task to concentrate on was a way, well she hoped, to stave off the memory of her dream. Despite the thick bandages wrapped around her waist, nestled under her fresh long sleeved light blue shirt with matching tank top underneath, she could feel one of her stitches had pulled away and the faint trickle of blood that was slowly staining her skin. It was a quick fix to stitch her wounds. A temporary measure. She needed her stab wound looked at. But she could wait a little while longer.

"How long will we be at the hospital?" Maggie muttered.

"A few hours" Doc glanced at her in the dim lighting of the car. "Dr Gordon said he should arrive around 8.30pm. He wants to talk to us about Brandon's death"

"Before we meet him. I want to speak to you about something" her eyes flicked to him for a moment, then flew back to the road as she turned the car into the grounds of the hospital. "It's very important"

"Of course," He reached for his briefcase at this feet as the car came to a stop. "What is it about?"

Maggie took a deep breath, lightly touching her waist. "I'd rather show you"

As they made their way into the hospital Maggie could sense a strange, disturbing atmosphere lingering in the air. A sense of doom. She brushed the uneasiness away and gripped her bags tightly in her hands and gave a little smile as Doc opened her office for her. She heard the door shut and she left her black duster on the back of her chair. Then with a sense of urgency pulled out the 156 files she had hidden in the cabinets. Doc scoffed, confused as she laid them on the desk. Placing them in their appropriate genders – female, male. Next, she took her notebook out of her briefcase and held it out to him with a shaky hand.

"Read it. Go on" she thrust it into his hands. "I've been making notes about what I've discovered over the last day or so. Something is going on Doc. Something they aren't telling us about!"

His deep brown eyes gazed down at the pages. Seeing snippets of information about large amounts of stimulants being prescribed to all the patients in the ward. But there were no indications of any other medications. He discerned with a look of worry that there were more deaths on the ward than they were initially disclosed. There was a brief description of the ways the kids had died.

Strangulation. Stab wounds. Third degree burns. Slit throats. Broken ribs. Broken necks. Punctured organs. Internal bleeding. Heart attacks.

It was out of the ordinary for the suicides to be noted down like this. These explanations for the teenagers' deaths were more than likely linked to assaults. Like they were attacked…

His eyes widened sharply at the next lines she had noted.

Mention of dreams.

Injuries originating from a dream?

Are the nightmares the kids are experiencing so violent and out of control that they are hurting themselves when they are asleep?

Doc felt his stomach coil into a knot. Nausea permeating within his body. He looked briefly at the bundles of files. "Where did you get the files from Maggie?"

She licked her parched lips. Knowing that he would ask this. "I got them from the filing room. I wanted to check for any similarities between the case files of the kids that are on the ward now. And the kids that had died. But if you look at the files, they are dated back beyond the 13th of September 1993" Maggie nodded at the notebook, and he turned the page. "Each kid has been administered high dosages of stimulants. I've counted one hundred and fifty-six case files. All their names are noted down in order they were admitted to the hospital. Back to 25th May 1993"

Doc flicked through the next few pages, scanning the lines of names. All of them neatly written down. The wrinkled lines around his eyes furrowed slightly in doubt. "But they said it was…"

"Forty-three deaths since the 13th of September" Maggie perched her hands on her hips.

"Maybe these kids were discharged from the hospital"

She slowly shook her head and pointed at the pages. "No. They weren't. Look beside their names. I've put down the date of their deaths. How they died. They're all dead. They died within a week of being admitted to Westin Hills. You can check the files too"

The look of doubt in his eyes flourished into panic as he re-read the names. Beside each of them were various gruesome ways of their demise. She was right. Each teenager was dead.

"That's not all Doc" Maggie lowered her voice and anxiously nibbled at her bottom lip. Please believe her. He had to trust her. "The kids are having dreams. Something in their dreams is haunting them"

"Haunting them?" he looked at her with skepticism.

"You don't believe me, do you?" Maggie rolled her eyes frustratedly. "I'm telling you the truth. That's why I wanted to see Brandon's body. I saw him in my dream. I saw his wounds on his face and neck. Something killed him! I wanted to see if the dream and his death was linked. And it was!"

Doc dropped the file onto the desk and took a few prudent steps towards her, gripping her arms lightly. "Maggie, have you-"

Her arms jerked backwards out of his grasp. "Fuck sake's Alan! I am taking my Clozapine! I'm not having psychotic episodes or thoughts! This is happening-"

A sudden shriek echoed from down in the direction of the teenagers' rooms startling them both as they swung round towards the door. Maggie took a tentative step forward, then heard a husky masculine voice in the back of her mind whisper.

You don't want to miss this little lady!

Did she really hear that? Her body tensed, feeling hesitant then she charged out of the room, leaving Doc shouting after her. "Maggie…!"

Her heartbeat pulsated in her ears. Thudding hard as she ran through the double doors to the kids' bedrooms. Another scream echoed to her left, about two doors down and she flew forward, running into the room. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Karen running towards her with a bundle of caffein drinks in her hands. But Doc quickly stepped in and ushered her back into the corridor. "Wait here!"

Maggie's gaze fell towards one of the beds where the whimpers and shrieks emanated from. It was from that girl Rebecca. Her small stout frame thrashed and struggled on the mattress; her eyes were clamped shut. Rolling vehemently under her eyelids. Her arms swung and lashed out at whatever was pinning her to the bed. Bolting forward Maggie gripped the girl's shoulders and shook them hard. "Wake up! Rebecca, wake up!"

The girl screamed and her body arched upwards, her spine curling up and a force jostled Maggie back. She gasped and gathered her balance, then sprang forward again and grasped the girl's swinging arms. "Damn it. WAKE UP!"

Rebecca's closed eyes rolled violently under her eyelids, and she sobbed, faint tears swelling down her cheeks. Her voice was strained, hoarse as she pleaded, "Help…me!"

Maggie felt Doc's presence to her right as he leaned forward and she watched him crash his opened palm against the girl's face. Her face whipped to the right. However, her eyes remained closed, still trapped in the nightmare. Doc frowned and Maggie twisted around to him. "Get Dr Gordon!"

He nodded and began to turn to leave but froze. His eyes darted back towards the girl and Maggie followed his horrified gaze. The girl shrieked and her body was thrust down onto the mattress, her arms then whipped forward, and her left hand clamped down onto Maggie's right arm. Her fingernails digging into her flesh through her shirt. Maggie flinched and tried to jerk back as the girl's yellow striped t-shirt was torn apart, several thick slits were sliced into the cotton. Revealing her chest and stomach that glistened with sweat.

Maggie froze. Staring with horror as the girl began to groan. But the tone of her voice sounded guttural, like a gritty hoarse moan. The moan began to distort, changing into a chuckle. Dark, granular and malevolent. Fuck, it was that apparition's chuckle. God, was she having an episode? Or was she dreaming…?

She winced as the nails that gripped her right arm dug in deeper and her eyes darted towards the hand. The grungy red and green colours of that fucker's sweater adorned Rebecca's arm. Maggie grounded her teeth. No, this wasn't real…

In a blink of an eye, the sweater was gone.

There was another low chuckle, that grew in intensity…Until an insane laughter bellowed from Rebecca. Doc took a hesitant step forward at the sound and then halted as the girl's head slowly turned towards them. But their gaze was set only on Maggie.

Maggie attempted to pry the hand from her arm. But the grip tightened, and she hissed, pulling her gaze towards Rebecca. The pale skin around her eyes furrowed as her eyelids gradually began to open, but her eye colour was changing. They zoomed towards Maggie, who whimpered as the eyes transformed from a deep brown into light blue eyes. The same coloured eyes as the apparition from her dream. They gleamed with depravity as they locked with hers. Then Rebecca's lips twisted upwards into a sickening grin, her teeth now serrated, rotten and black. A malicious, grainy masculine voice leered at her from Rebecca's lips.

"Hello, Maggie!"

The sound of its voice penetrated her mind. And she shivered. A scream from Rebecca made her jolt back and she saw the girl's head being jerked back as she began to writhe and squirm beneath her invisible assailant. Another thunderous scream tore from her throat and then her back was arched upwards violently. The glistening skin around her chest twisted and bulged like something was trying to break free from within her chest. The skin then ruptured outwards. Four thick slashes ripped through her flesh and then there was a snap. Bones crunched and cracked within her ribcage. She screamed again and the skin was sliced, carved away and then an arm connected to that glove thrust forward out of her chest. Several shattered bones of her ribcage were propelled outwards, shattering through bloodied layers of muscles and tendons. Numerous bones protruded around the meshed, decimated chest. The four sharp blades flicked and flexed wildly, and a spray of blood spurted across Maggie's face and shirt as she jerked backwards with a small shriek.

Her eyes were glazed, her face etched with trepidation. Shivers tore through her body. Her eyes didn't blink once at the spectacle she had just witnessed. She felt the girls grip on her arm wither and she shrugged it away with a whimper. Her head was lowered as she stormed past Doc, Neil and Paul. The latter two having also seen the macabre death of Rebecca. As she ran into the corridor, she didn't see the concern gazes of the patients or hear their whispers. All she wanted was to get the fuck out of here. As far away from this fucking hospital as possible. The gritty laughter of that damn spirit was still echoing in her ears. Did he really possess that poor girl? Was all of that fucking real…?

"Maggie, wait!"

She ignored her name being called. A strong hand suddenly clamped on her left arm. With a startled scream she rotated around to her left and tried to aim a punch…

Doc ducked out of her attack and lightly grabbed her shaking shoulders. Her eyes were brimming with tears, face shaking, and the pigment of her skin was now an ashen colour. He hushed her quietly. "It's okay…it's me. It's Alan"

She took a prudent step back, inhaling sharply then exhaled long and hard. "Please tell me you saw that…"

"I did" Doc nodded sullenly and glanced over his shoulder. Neil and Paul were animatedly chatting to various orderlies, giving out orders. "We all did"

"What did you see?" Maggie lowered her eyes to the ground. "Please tell me what you saw"

Doc gently rubbed her shoulders. "Rebecca's eye colour changed. From brown to blue. When she smiled her teeth were decayed and jagged. They called your name…."

Maggie's fists spasmed at her sides as she lifted her shuddering face to his as he finished.

"But it wasn't her voice. It was a man's voice"

Her jaw juddered opened. God, he had seen it and heard it. But did he see…?

"And what about…?" she swallowed hard.

"Her chest was gutted from the inside out. There was this glove that had four blades attached to the fingers" Doc held her petrified gaze. "I saw what you saw Maggie"

Her voice quavered slightly as she choked back a sob. He had seen everything. It was real. "My god…I'm not crazy"

"No" he shook his head and gave her shoulders another light rub with his strong hands. "You're not crazy. Now tell me what is going on?"

Composing herself she took a deep breath and glanced over his shoulder as Neil and Paul marched up to them. She side-stepped around Doc and strode towards them, "What the hell is going in this hospital?"

They exchanged grim glances, with Neil about to reply. But two more sets of footsteps approached them. Turning around they saw Tracy and Shaun glaring at them. The young girl took a brave step forward and seethed. "Just tell them Dr Gordon. They deserve to know the truth. You brought them here for a reason and that was to stop what is happening here. To help us!"

Neil saw her resolute stare. She had had enough of the lies. And to be honest, he had too. "You're right Tracy. Go with Max and Kenneth to the canteen room. The others are there. Max and Kenneth need to uh, prepare the body for the morgue. I'll bring Dr Burroughs and Dr Reynolds to my office. I'll explain everything to them there"

Maggie spun around to march down towards Neil's office, but the sudden twist and sharp movement made her groan and she quicky grabbed her right side. "Shit…"

Her knees buckled beneath her as she slid to her knees. Doc rushed to her side and turned her towards him. "What is it?"

She bit down on her lip and gingerly reached under her shirt and tank top, her fingers brushing over the bindings that were now saturated with her blood. Her stitches had ruptured opened. Doc snatched her hand and pulled it from under her garments. Neil and Paul hurried over at the sight of the blood on her fingers. "Dr Burroughs, how did you get hurt?"

"That fucking thing did it…" she hissed and curled her fingers into her palm tightly. Her eyes darted to Neil's, glaring at him furiously. "That apparition is in my dreams. Just like the kids dreams! That's what you're keeping from us, isn't it?"

Neil nodded. "Yes, that's right. Let's get your wound looked at"

Doc and Paul gently raised her to her feet, and they sluggishly began to walk down towards one of the treatment rooms in an intersecting hallway. As she passed her own office she muttered. "I need my notebook. Would you get my notebook Doc, please?"

He gave a curt nod and she placed most of her body weight on Paul's body as he guided her down to the left. As they entered the room Neil began to lay out a few chairs for them, while Paul helped her onto the bed at the back of the room. She strained to lift her arms above her head as Paul discarded her shirt and tank top. Leaving the top half of her body in a grey sports bra. He frowned as he gazed at the red liquid that stained the wrapping around her waist. It gathered around the right side of her waist, a few inches above her hip. She shifted uncomfortably under his gaze as he also noticed a few faint yellow bruises around her stomach. "What the hell happened?"

"That thing attacked me" she groaned and slowly ripped away the bandage. Showing him and Neil the numerous grey stapled sutures that had closed a one-inch knife wound. However, a few of them were now bent and twisted away from her flesh.

The door to the room creaked opened as Doc entered. He stopped, stunned at the wound on her body. Maggie grimly stared at him and forced a smile. "I'll be fine. Don't worry"

He walked towards her with her notebook in his hand. With a conscious look of concern, he tenderly stroked her left arm. And for once she didn't flinch away. He knew that she needed his comfort and his support. But then why did she have to keep this from him? Did she not trust him? He held out her book and she patted the area on the mattress to her left and he laid it at her side.

For the next few minutes Paul silently began to tend to her wounds. His right hand skilfully cleansed and wiped away the blood and puss from her lesion with several thick wads of cotton wool soaked in anti-septic cream. Maggie discreetly grabbed a few of the cotton wads and lightly rubbed them over her face. Hoping to clean away the blood from her cheek and chin. He pulled on a pair of blue surgical gloves and brought over a small silver tray that had a needle driver, tissue forceps, scissors, sterilized needle and a long thin thread about five inches in length. He silently pushed the thread through the eye of the needle and used the needle and forceps to begin stitching the wound. Tying it close together. She hissed and bite hard on her lip then groaned. "Can I get some morphine please?"

"I'll prepare it" Neil walked to the various oak cupboards in the corner of the room, rummaging through them for a plastic bag that held an unused syringe. Then he grabbed a small clear bottle of morphine. After filling the syringe with the painkiller, he handed it over to Paul who pressed the tip of the needle into the wound and pushed the plunger. Maggie exhaled softly as the liquid pumped into the body and she then felt him begin to wrap clean dressings around her waist. She muttered a quick 'thanks' and then pulled back on her top and shirt.

"Dr Gordon what is going on?" Maggie cut to the chase and flicked opened her notebook. "I know that there are more than 43 suicides in the hospital. I have counted one hundred and fifty-six deaths since May last year"

Neil sat back in his seat beside Paul. Giving a solemn nod he replied, "Yes, that is true. But how did you find out?"

"I broke into the filing cabinets in the filing room" Maggie saw the look of disbelief on Doc's face. But she brushed it off and continued. "The files you gave me had no details about the kids' sessions. There were lines blackened out in the paragraphs. And all the kids were given way too many stimulants. I wanted to compare the files you gave me with the ones in the cabinets"

The wary glance between Neil and Paul made her lean forward slightly. "The lines that were scored out. It was about their dreams, wasn't it? The teenagers aren't killing themselves. Something in their dreams is killing them. I'm right, aren't I?"

The intense glare that Maggie gave Neil, caused him to shift awkwardly in his chair. Why did it remind him of something or someone? He shook the thought away and nodded. "You are right Dr Burroughs"

"How long has it been happening? A year?" she asked.

"For four years" Neil admitted.

Doc spun in his seat towards him, shaking his head in disgust. "Four years? You said it was a recent problem!"

"I lied" Neil apologised. "I'm sorry. I wanted to keep you both safe, so that is why I kept information hidden from you both. However, the number of deaths you have stated is incorrect. There's more"

"I guessed" Maggie lightly tapped her fingers on her lap. "How many? There are at least a few hundred files in them cabinets!"

"About several hundred" Neil muttered quickly. Though, the figure was inaccurate. There was also the hundreds of children and teenagers that had died in the town. How could he explain to them that the death toll was over 3000? They would both run a mile. Flee the town. And if they did, he wouldn't blame them. He glanced at her anxious deposition then at her right waist. She had been dreaming of Freddy. How? "Dr Burroughs, you said you got your wound from the apparition?"

He received a perplexed glance from Paul. Seemingly confused why he would be calling Freddy an apparition. But if Dr Burroughs believed that it was an entity or spirit in her dream, he would go along with it. He didn't want her to find out about who Krueger really was. The less they knew about him the better.

"Yes. I just thought when I first dreamt of it that it was only a figment of my imagination. Just a stupid dream. Well, until the third dream. That was when I saw Brandon in my dream" Maggie shifted on her seat.

"How did you start have a dream of it? We told the kids not to tell you anything. Did someone mention something to you?" Paul asked.

"No, they didn't" Maggie thought back to the diner. To the conversation she heard in the bathroom. "I heard two teenagers chatting in the diner. They were in the bathroom, and I stumbled in on their conversation. One of the shouted a name. Freddy" she sighed sadly. "I have to say, one of the girls looked like she hadn't slept in days!"

Neil shook his head. "We didn't want you to find out. We wanted to keep you both safe"

"Well, as you saw" she tapped her right waist with her fingers lightly, directly on top of her bandaged wound. "I'm not safe, am I?"

Doc, who had been listening diligently, quickly asked. "Did that apparition in your dream attack you?"

"Yes" she turned and saw his eyes harden in rage. She knew that he was deeply concerned for her and she gave a small smile. "I'm okay Doc. Honestly"

Paul cleared his throat. "How many dreams have you had? You said that you saw Brandon in your dream?"

"Five dreams" she glanced at Doc and saw him shaking his head in dismay. Her attention turned towards Neil and Paul as she explained. "Yeah, I saw Brandon. It was my third dream. His face was slashed in four places. Then I saw that apparition step up behind him and cut this throat. I just thought it was just a nightmare, you know? But when Doc said that Brandon had supposedly committed suicide, I had this gut feeling that something wasn't right. So, I uh…" This was going to get her into trouble. But she had to be honest with them. "I went down to the morgue and saw his body. I know I shouldn't have and I'm sorry. But I had to see his body. I saw that his wounds were the exact same. Four deep lacerations down across his face and then two slits across his throat. It was then that I knew the nightmare and his death was linked"

"There's no need to apologise. We should have told you both" Neil admitted.

"This afternoon I had two more dreams and in one of them I woke up with this…" she slowly raised up her left, and she tugged down her sleeve. Displaying the burn mark. "Then in the next dream, I got stabbed. What is it? Is it a malevolent spirit?"

"Something like that" Neil replied. "It's a long story. We have been trying countless ways of stopping it. We tried to destroy any information about it being found by the kids. But the teenagers always seem to find out about it. We tried hypnocil, even hypnosis to try and erase people's memories"

Maggie mused thoughtfully. Hypnocil. That was a drug that was unfamiliar to her. And she had her share of prescribed drugs throughout the years. She had to ask. "What's hypnocil?"

"It's a dream suppressant" Doc explained. "Did it work Dr Gordon?"

"Unfortunately, just before we tried to order the shipment in the FDA decided to ban the drug. There were too many complications and dangers surrounding using it. We had tried to obtain the drug illicitly, but there were too many risks involved and we knew that if we tried then there would be a chance that Westin Hills could be closed. So, we tried to produce our own dream suppressant. But with no results"

"Is it happening in the community? The deaths? I saw on the news a little girl had died. She was found with her neck broken. Was it that apparition?" Maggie asked. But deep down she knew it was true.

"Yes, it's happening in the town" Neil solemnly nodded, agreeing with her.

"You mentioned you tried hypnosis? I assume, you were trying to erase the memories of their dreams?" Doc questioned.

"Yes, that is correct" Neil sighed despondently. "But any time we tried. It always ended in bloodshed"

"You mean, the apparition appeared through her subconscious. You see our dreams and our subconscious are linked!" Doc crossed his arms against his chest. Perturbed that they would even dare try the hypnosis route. There was so much about dreams and the subconscious they were not familiar with.

"You see that is why we came to you. You are our only hope because of your experience in lucid dreaming. That is why I persuaded you to come here. But I didn't want either of you to know about the nightmares yet. We had so many doctors start new positions here and then when they find out what is happening, they would quit. Or…" Neil's voice faltered faded.

"Or what?" Maggie eyed him with suspicion, then quickly snapped. "Tell us!"

Paul cleared his throat and caught Neil's wary gaze. "Just tell her Neil"

He rose to his feet. "I'll be back in a few minutes. I'll have to get the file"

Maggie fidgeted uneasily in her seat. What file was he going to fetch? Did something happen to one of the staff? God, did someone die? Her head jerked towards the doorway as Neill scurried back into the room and settled into his seat. In his hands was a blue folder that he held out for her. She took a deep, calming breath and snatched it out of his hands. As she opened to the first page, she heard Neil speak.

"Last August a new Doctor started at the hospital. Her name was Louise Stewart. She had just graduated from Springwood Community College with her doctorate in Child Psychology. She was twenty-five years old. At the time none of us knew that she had overheard a few of the kids chatting about their dreams and it wasn't long before she began to have dreams herself"

Maggie tightly gripped the edges of the file as she stared down at a photo of a young beautiful woman, with bright green eyes and shoulder length dirty fair hair, dressed in a white lab coat and two-piece grey suit underneath.

Neil's voice invaded her ears as he dourly continued. "For weeks she was terrorized by that apparition. Until one night she was on night duty. She must have fallen asleep on duty and her body was found in the corridor outside one of the kid's rooms. Her throat was slit opened. Her clothes were ripped from her body and her chest and stomach were gutted. Several of her organs were pulled from her corpse on display for everyone to see"

The room seemed to spin as Maggie turned the next page. Her eyes zoomed towards a large A4 sized photo of the woman cadaver who was laid on a gurney. Her neck, stomach and chest were stitched closed with various red and black stitches. Bruises marred her chest and arms. Maggie tore her gaze away from the file, shivers of revulsion crept over her skin. God, that thing could have done that to her. Jesus Christ, it probably would if she fell asleep again. Doc leaned over and quickly retrieved the file from her lap and closed it quickly, discerning that her breathing was becoming uneven.

Neil coughed lightly. "There was also evidence that she was raped"

Maggie's mind went into overdrive. Raped. The poor woman was raped. She wasn't too fond of intimacy herself. Of course, she had the odd one-night stands, but she was also sightly inebriated, and she always brushed the guy off afterwards whenever they wanted to keep in touch. Having someone in her personal space disturbed her, she despised it to a certain extent. Such as cuddling and holding her hands. Even emotional intimacy made her uncomfortable. So, the mere fact that this thing had raped someone terrified her. Her black boots quickly pressed into the ground as she fiercely shot to her feet and with a quick shake of her head she hissed. "That is not going to happen to me. I'm not staying here!"

Neil and Paul watched as she stormed across the room to the doorway. As she reached to grab the doorknob, she felt Doc clasp her arm and tug her around towards him. "Maggie, I can protect you!"

Maggie scoffed and whipped arm away from his grip. "You can't!"

"Dr Burroughs…" Neil approached her slowly. There was something that had him slightly baffled. Just how did she wake up? Freddy would have finished her off. He wouldn't willingly let a victim go so easily. That wasn't his style. "How did you wake up?

She lightly rubbed her head and sighed, "Uh, I'm not sure. I think it woke me up. I heard it saying wake up"

Neil felt his jaw drop open in surprise and he heard Paul walk up to his side. They shared a bewildered glance. Sharing the same questions. Why would Krueger do that?

"It doesn't matter!" Maggie dismissed their looks of mystification and her left hand snapped forward to grip the doorhandle. "I'm sorry for what is happening here Dr Gordon. But I didn't sign up for this! I'm leaving Springwood, tonight. I hope you find a way to stop whatever it is that is hunting the kids. But I just can't stay" her eyes darted towards Doc's. Hoping he would understand. If this entity found out about her psychosis, then it would use it to their advantage and torment her.

Neil took a small step forward, his blue eyes softening in sympathy. He didn't blame her for wanting to leave. Especially after what she knew about Dr Stewart. He would not stop her from leaving, "I understand Dr Burroughs"

She pressed her lips upwards in a little smile of appreciation then flung the door opened, marching strong and fast down towards her office. Doc handed the blue file back to Neil then muttered. "I'll have a word with her"

As he entered her office Doc crossed the room as she hurriedly pulled on her black duster and gathered her briefcase, then backpack into her hands "Maggie, wait. Don't make any rash decisions!"

"What?" Her head lurched in his direction. "This is about my life here Alan! That thing tried to kill me! Did you not see what happened to Rebecca, huh?"

He sighed grimly.

"And look what it did to that woman Dr Stewart. You saw the photo of her. I'm not letting that happen to me!"

Doc nodded slowly and sighed again. "I'll drive you back to the motel"

The drive back to the motel was tense. An uneasy silence had fell between them. Maggie yet again had offered to drive, wanting to focus on something. However, the ominous memory of Rebecca's body being torn from the inside out flickered through her mind, over and over. And the insolence of the fucking thing to sneer her name, taunt her. It was just her luck to accept a job in a hospital that had a damn poltergeist haunting the kids dreams. Though, the perturbed looks on Neil and Paul's faces when she said that the thing had woken her up was now making her even more uncomfortable. It could have killed her. Her body could be wrapped in a black plastic body bag this very moment in the morgue, starting its slow process of decay. But no, she was alive. It had spared her. Why?

Fuck, why was she even thinking like this? She would be out of his fucking town soon enough. Back in Central City, unemployed. But at least she would be safe.

"Maggie, why did you not tell me what was happening?"

Doc stood in her motel room doorway, watching as she frantically grabbed and tossed her various Child Psychology books, notepads, pens into her backpack. He swiftly crossed the room and his strong fingers gripped around her slim right wrist. With a sharp tug he swung her around to face him. "Why Maggie?"

A few strands of her messy hair floated around the sides of her face, and she huffed out a puff of air, blowing a few of them out of her eyes. Her lips shivered and she sharply began to chew at the corner of her left lip. "I know I should have, but I thought I was imaging things…."

The tight grip on her wrist wavered and he pulled her towards the bed, sitting down beside her. "You thought you were having an episode?"

"No, I mean…not really" she groaned frustratedly. "I am taking my clozapine. I haven't skipped one tablet. At first, I thought it was just side effects. You know that nightmares are one of the side effects. So, I just thought, okay, it's just a nightmare. Until…"

"You saw Brandon's body in your dream and found out he had committed suicide" Doc concluded for her.

"Yeah. And then I got the burn mark…" she closed her eyes, fending off her tears. Her eyes snapped opened as she exhaled fast. "I thought you would think I was delusional. That I was not taking my tablets"

"Don't think like that. I wouldn't have thought that. I know over the last few months you have fought so hard to get your life back on track. You have responded well to the medication" Doc's voce changed pitch, going lower in tone as a hint of disappointment coming through. "But you should have trusted me, Maggie. You know that I would have helped you. I have been there for you through everything. And you know that"

He lightly squeezed her arm. It distressed him to see her like this, trying to keep secrets from him. To hide her troubles from him. Like she could take on anything. She kept believing that she didn't need anyone, that she could plough on through her plights and difficulties. He had never told her, but he saw her as a daughter he never had. There had been times when he considered telling her this. But he knew how her difficult relationship with Martin, her adoptive father had hurt her. It wouldn't be fair on her if he disclosed his true feelings regarding their relationship.

She felt a trickle of water trail down her right cheek, and she sheepishly wiped it away. "I know. You should see this thing Doc. It's taken the form of a man, a hideously burnt man" Her eyes squinted sharply, her mind meandering back to the first encounter she had with the apparition. "When I first saw it, I felt some sort of recognition"

"Recognition? In what way?"

She rose to her feet and lifted her dream journal from the desk, "Look…"

He took the book from her and opened to the first page.

"They are my two first dreams. When I saw the colours of the sweater. Red and green, I felt something. Like a vague recollection of like awareness"

"You mean a memory? Did it remind you of something?"

"I don't know…it was like I had seen those colours before and then he was wearing this hat. An old brown fedora hat" The back of her thighs rested gingerly against the rim of the desk as she groaned out loud, frustrated at the unrelenting disorientation that was clouding her mind. "In my last dream it began to ask me questions. Like what my name was, where I was from and who my parents were!"

"Why?" Doc's eyes scrunched together in uncertainty.

"How the fuck would I know? I wasn't about to ask it why. I was barely conscious. I just told it my name, I was adopted. Then it asked me what I remembered from my childhood. You know that I don't remember much, just being moved about the various care homes, foster homes. But I did tell him two vivid memories I did remember. Remember I told you about them years ago during our therapy sessions? It was those pink roses and the water tower. Then it woke me up"

He made a 'mmph' sound through his closed lips, then asked. "What else do you remember from your dreams?"

She slammed closed the book and shoved it into her backpack, dismissing his question. "It doesn't matter Doc. I'm leaving Springwood" Her eyes darted to him as she frantically stormed to her wardrobe. "Are you not going to start packing?"

Doc posture was rigid, unmoving and his head swung back and forth in discord. She wasn't going to like this. "I'm not going Maggie. I'm staying here"

Her fingers curled strongly into the soft cotton of her shirts. He couldn't be serious. Was he fucking insane? "You what?"

"I want to help Dr Gordon and I believe that I can" he replied curtly.

Maggie sneered in disgust and shoved the garments into the unzipped suitcase. "For fuck's sake Alan, you don't understand what this entity is like! It's dangerous. This is not your normal nightmare!"

He took a few cautious steps towards her and tried to explain. "You know that I have years of experience in controlling my dreams. Look what I taught you. I can teach the kids-"

She abruptly cut him off, lips coiled in another scowl. "At what risk? Your life? Doc, please! Come back with me!"

He crossed his arms, shaking his head. "No, I'm staying here"

"You don't owe this people anything!" she hissed through her gritted teeth. "Please!"

"I'm not changing my mind, Maggie. They need my help"

Maggie clenched her hands into fight fists that trembled at her sides. "Are you just going to abandon me? Huh? I need you, Alan. I know I don't say it or show it, but you are the only person I have in my life who I genuinely care about. Without you I wouldn't be here, you know that!"

"Nothing will happen to me" He indolently approached her and raised his right hand, ready to place it on her shaking shoulder. But she jerked away with a low sneer.

"Fine, stay. I'll just look after myself. I've done that since I was a little girl. Ever since my fucking parents abandoned me. They didn't give a fuck about me either!"

"Maggie, you know that I do care about you. But we both have a duty to look after the patients in our care. And these kids need our help!" His voice was sharp as he admonished her.

She twisted away, her shoulders slumping forward as she huffily muttered and mumbled jumbled words to herself. Why was she reacting this way? He had a point. They had to duty and had promised to take an oath to protect those under their care. She knew that he was very insistent in doing his duty, his job. There would be no changing his mind. He was right about that. There were some situations when he could be as stubborn as her. But he had to comprehend why she had to leave. Her breath exhaled in a short sharp pant as she whispered. "Just please, look after yourself"

He smiled faintly and took a few steps forward, placing a hand on her upper back. "I will Maggie. I'll be back in half an hour to pack your bags. Then I'll bring you back to Central City"

She gave a curt muted nod, then began to pack away her clothes as he closed the door behind him…

Maggie took one last look at her motel room. Inspecting the bedroom. The bed was neatly made, the top of the small chest of drawers not clear of her belongings. The dark wooden open plan wardrobe now vacant without her rows of shirts, trousers and t-shirts. Everything was neatly packed away. She felt a wave of calm overpower her at having accomplished this. Though, the fact that she had taken a Valium 2mg tablet was also aiding her palliative state. It was a risk to take it. She even had to sit down for a little while as the tablet soothed her frayed nerves, making her muscles relaxed and for a moment made her feel sleepy. But she knew not to rest for long and had jumped to her feet when she felt her eyes begin to close…

She sighed quietly as she patiently waited for Doc to return to her room. Despite her reservations, she knew that Doc was wise and brave. He was also a determined man. She had seen this first hand, when she first met him when he was sixteen. Irrespective of how difficult she made it for him to counsel her, through her constant disruptive behaviour in their therapy sessions due to her episodes and how brash her attitude was towards him he had persevered through it all.

Her eyes swooped over towards the kitchen and she entered it, inspecting it once then stretched out her right hand to flick off the light switch. As the hazy white glow of the light flicked off the whole room became submerged in a thick blanket of darkness. It enveloped her, closing in on her and she froze. A prickling sensation spread across the skin under her clothes, proliferating to every inch of her body.

Please God, no….

Maggie's squeezed her eyes shut…

The demoralizing silence was shattered as the rattle and clanging of machinery groaned to life around her. She felt the heat of flames to her right, the radiance of the flames inside the rusty furnace shone over her shivering face as she reluctantly opened her eyes. Did God have it in for her? She swirled around slowly, discerning she was back in that room where the apparition had toyed with her by being invisible. Her gaze swooped towards the metal desk, and she cursed. It laid bare before her. Not a single hammer or other tool to protect herself with. She wasn't staying here for another Goddamn second.

To her left she saw the tattered sheet and prudently slid her body towards it and whipped it away, ready to run into the next corridor. But she vehemently shook her head. In front of her was a thick metal wall. She was trapped.

In the distance to the passageway that led into the room, she heard a chuckle. A delighted hoarse chuckle. She frowned and whirled around, perplexed at the sudden change in the tone of its voice. It sounded…happy?

She twisted to her right and grimaced lowly. Even though Paul had tended to her wounds and restitched her. She knew that any brusque movements could tear her stitches opened again. There would be no way she could protect herself. But by fuck, she would try. Her brown eyes glanced under the damaged generator, and she saw the outline of the hammer. If only she could…

Her thoughts came to an abrupt stop as she saw the apparition lounging at the entrance to the room. Their lean frame stood at the edge of the wall; his left arm raised as his arm rested against the hot metal that seared against his red and green striped sweater. His right arm dangled at his side, the blades on his glove slinking and clacking loudly.

Maggie spun around to him and saw the corner of his blistered lips curl ever so slowly into a smile, a satisfied smile beneath his fedora. She took a hesitant step back, was the fucking thing happy to see her?

His head was dipped forward, the rim of his hat shielding his meditative eyes that roamed over her body. Studying her from the head to toe. It really was her. His little Katherine. Fuck, she reminded him of Loretta. The dark brown hair. Though not styled in the way her mother had hers, thankfully. It suited her this length, just beyond her shoulders. Just the way it was when she was a little girl. But the way she was staring at him, with those harsh, fierce eyes…fuck it was like looking in a mirror. Her jaw was compressed in a sneer as she stood before him. The demons were right though, she had survived, she was very proficient of looking after herself. When he had seen her hovering over Rebecca's body as she tried to wake her up, he knew the perfect way to pay her a quick visit to say hello. Possessing that slut Rebecca had been fun, something he had missed doing. Dennis Johnson was the last one he had possessed. Before that, it was Jesse Walsh. He was so close to succeeding taking over that little shit. Until that bitch Lisa managed to save him. He growled quietly at that previous defeat. So, when the opportunity arose to take over that bitch's body, he thought, why not? When he had hissed Katherine's adopted name and flashed his jagged, decayed teeth at her he could sense the waves of fear emanating from her. And the way her jaw dropped open, a faint whimper of horror echoing from her throat. It was divine. But now, it was the time to beguile her. Win his little girl over…

"There she is…" Freddy titled his head back, his lips grew into a grin of wicked delight. "The little wildcat!"

He pushed himself away from the edge of the metal wall and predatorily stalked towards her, ever so slowly. His eyes flashed in surprise as she staggered back and raised her fists. She was still sceptical of him. Alert and on her guard. His arms gradually began to spread out to his sides, reaching out to her as he took a few more steps towards her. The blades on his glove wiggled lightly one by one, while his left hand deftly beckoned her forward with a jiggle of his fingers.

She took a prudent step backwards. "Keep the fuck away from me!"

Freddy's footsteps came to a sudden halt. His grin faded into a disappointing frown, then in a flash the crook of his lips pulled up into a little smirk. His head titled to the side, "Aww, do I not get a little hug?"

Her neck juddered as she stuck her head forward and a leer of venom traversed her face. Eyes blazing with rage. "Go hug a landmine!"

The playful smirk that marred his face pulled upwards into a humorous smile. Then he laughed huskily, deeply amused by her little retort. His little wildcat had a smart mouth on her. "Don't be like that…" his smile contorted into a fake pout. His arms quickly fell to his sides, and he titled his head to the side as he approached her again. "I think we started off on the wrong foot. I think we should be a little more civil to each other, don't you think?"

"Civil?!" Maggie scoffed in disgust, "You tried to fucking kill me!"

"Ohhh, that!" Freddy dismissed her words with a wave of this claw. The steel blades whooshing swiftly in the air. "That was all a big misunderstanding!"

"And what about that poor girl! You possessed Rebecca to try and get to me!" She took a rapid step back as he continued his slow, voracious steps towards her.

Freddy bared the jagged tips of his teeth in a wicked smirk, "It worked, didn't it?"

Maggie's eyes zipped to his right, then to his left. There was amble room for her on either side of him. But should she risk it? Could she run past him? She shifted her weight on her right foot, ready to spring forward….

Freddy shook his head feigning disappointment as her contemplations weaved its way through his mind. He quicky raise his right arm, wagging a bloodied blade at her. "I wouldn't do that if I were you!"

She scowled and jerked back as the gap closed to within a few feet. Her right fist rotated back as she prepared to strike out, but a force suddenly pressed against her arm. Pinning it in position.

"I'm not going to hurt you, sweetheart" Freddy cooed as best he could in his gruff voice.

"Don't call me that!" Maggie snared in a deep, disgusted voice. "I am NOT your sweetheart. You don't know me; I am nothing to you!"

"That's where you are wrong…" His right clawed glove reached out to her, arm stretching as the tips of his blades extended towards the side of her face. "You see, you are my everything!"

She sharply jerked back from him, repulsed at his words. "And I thought I was a distraction. Well, I won't be distracting you anymore! This will be the last time you see me; I'm leaving this shitty fucking town!"

Freddy jerked his head to the side, scouring her mind. Leaving…? The scenery of the boiler room twisted and bent. Morphing into various reds and browns as it materialised into her motel room. His blue eyes narrowed as he surveyed the room. To his left was the large double bed, that was neatly made. He twisted around slightly, straining his head towards the wardrobe that was empty. Then his head swirled to his right where they landed on her black suitcase and backpack resting at the side of the door. His breath quickened, coming out in furious sharp pants. His nostrils flared as he tried to pacify his rage. She wasn't leaving. Not now after he had got her back. She was his. He had to show her…

Maggie was caught off guard as he lunged forward, his left hand thrusting out around her throat and with a roar he slammed her back onto the rough carpet. She hissed and snarled, bucking her chest against his lean frame as he snarled into her face. "No!"

She clamped her fingers into a fist and craned it forward toward his cheek. But her hand stopped mid-air and a rapid force jerked her hand back onto the carpet. It was followed soon by her other arm that was pinned above her head. She grunted in frustration as the rest of her body, her legs, stomach and chest went immobile beneath him. The sides of his thighs crushed against her outer legs as he straddled her. His hand was still wrapped around her throat, his fingers pinching her skin tightly.

"You are not leaving!" he retorted, lips curled into a sneer of aversion at her decision to try and leave him. "You are staying in Springwood. Got it?"

"Get off me! You can't tell me what to do! You don't own me!"

Freddy's fingers tightened around her throat, and she gasped, fighting for air. His lips twitched as he slowly eased the pressure on her neck. Oh, she would learn that he did own her. Since the day she first drew her first breath, she was his. This wasn't the way he wanted things to go. He would push her way forever if he continued to treat her like this. His hand retreated from her throat, and he saw her inhale a deep gulp of air and crane her gaze away from his. That wouldn't do. He always taught her as child that whenever she talked to him or if he talked to her, that her attention would be only on him. Nothing else. His scarred fingers flexed, and he entwined them in her soft brown hair. With a small tug he jerked her head towards his. Bringing his glove into her line of view he pointed a blade at her ordering. "You will stay in Springwood"

"Or what?" she sneered.

He pressed his lips together into a thin line. Perhaps he could use the relationship she had with that other doctor to his advantage….

His eyes closed for a moment has he broke through the barrier of the dream world into the waking world. Peering into the room next door. There he was the fucker. He looked a little over six feet, with a stout, heavy frame. Yes, he would use her friendship with him. Pressurise her to stay here. He opened his eyes and smirked, clicking his blades lightly as he thrust his gloved thumb over his right shoulder, at the wall that separated her room from her colleague. "Or I'll pay that fat shit next door a visit! And the only way that anyone will be able to identify his body is from his dental records!"

He watched as her eyes widened in terror, then a blaze of anger aroused in her eyes. Her neck pulsed as she strained to push her head from the ground, against the force that held the back of her skull to the floor. "Don't you go near him!" the words came out in a seething hiss.

Freddy snarled inwardly. Feelings of loathing and dare he admit it jealously at how she could have feelings of empathy towards that fucker. What was his name…? His eyes lingered on hers for a second as she frantically thought of her colleague. There it was his name. Alan Reynolds. What was it that made her care for him? His blood simmered with fury. How could she have affection for him? In his eyes she should only care for him. And only him. Her father. It was always meant to be them two, especially after that day he killed her whore of a mother.

There was so much of her life that he was unaware of. Were the memories of her childhood distorted or lost? From the fragments of her mind, that he had managed to penetrate, he had established that she had no recollection of him. Oh, when she first laid eyes on him a few nights ago, she had feelings of familiarity. But she had quickly ignored it. He would need to discuss this further with the demons. There hard to be subtle ways of sparking some recollections from her childhood. Maybe little event they shared together when she was a child. There were so many memories he could scavenge in his own mind that he could share with her. Also, he was eager to learn more about her association with Alan Reynolds.

His eyes careened back to her face and saw her lips curled into a leer. Her breathing was hard as she glowered up at him. Flashing her a coy smirk he dipped his head forward, the tip of his brown fedora skimming the strand of hair that messily swathed over her forehead. Her eyes flicked to her left as he brought the tips of his blades into view and twisted the index blade to the side. Allowing the smooth edge of the steel to glide along her cheek lightly. He sighed softly. It was the first time he had ever caressed her skin her blades and it felt good. "If you be a good girl for me and stay in Springwood. Then I won't go near Alan"

Her eyes blinked, seemingly bewildered at how he discovered Doc's name. The shock disappeared as she curled her fingers into her palms, the tip of her nails digging into her skin hard. Fury tainted her voice as she responded. "Are you threatening me?"

"Oh, no. Not you-"

His words were cut off as she retorted. "If you threaten Alan, you threaten me!"

His lips jerked into a leer. "What is your answer?"

Her eyes snapped closed, and she groaned with exasperation. "Ugh, okay! I'll stay. But I swear, if Alan has one dream of you. You will be sorry you ever laid eyes on me!"

Freddy chuckled in victory, watching as her eyes flew open. The irate gleam still twinkled in her brown eyes. She looked so cute when angry. His tongue slithered over his jagged teeth, and he bent down to kiss her flushed right cheek. "That's my girl"

"I ain't your fucking girl!" Maggie barked.

Freddy slithered the arch of his back up to a sitting position and flashed a knowing grin at her.

Yes, you are my girl, Katherine. You've just forgotten.

He watched in delight as her fingers jerked and flicked. The muscles on her neck pulsed and throbbed as she fought against the control, he had over her limbs. "You can struggle all you like…" he brought his scarred hand to her right cheek, stroking his index finger down her cheek to her jawline and he lightly cupped her chin. "You won't be able to break free. So, just relax"

Her breath hitched in her throat as she lost her composure. "Stop touching me!"

He withdrew his fingers from her chin and sighed as he pulled his hand up to her tangled hair. This was going to be more arduous than he anticipated. She jerked her head to the side, hissing through her teeth. "Leave me alone!"

Ignoring her pleas he weaved his fingers through her hair, raking his fingers through the locks as he combed the hair from her sweaty forehead. His forefinger and second finger clutched a long strand of her hair and twirled it between his fingers. Soon, a playful smile spanned his charred lips. She used to love him playing with her hair, it was one of the ways that soothed her to sleep. Though her hair had been a dark blond and how could he forget? Her hair was always styled in those candy red ribbons. Oh, he had to put her hair in those pigtails one night.

He heard her take a strained gasp of air and he zoomed his gaze to her face. The bottom lip was now sucked under the top lip, her eyes snapping closed as she gasped. "Shit…"

His nostrils flared as he smelt the all too familiar metallic smell of blood. Pulling his gaze from her anguished face he swerved towards her right waist, to the area where he had stabbed her. Peering down at the black coat that surrounded her waist, he concentrated, and his vision penetrated through the coat and through the two other garments that she wore. The thick white bandaged that was wrapped around her wound was steadily being saturated with her blood. Her stitches had snapped opened. "Let me fix that!"

Maggie lurched her head to the right, and she shook her head as his right arm arched over her body towards her waist. "Stop-"

The tip of his index blade dug into the thick material of coat, and he made a saw-like motion as he made several tears and rips into the fabric. Ripping away various strips of the coat to show her blue shirt underneath. He then flexed his other blades and they jabbed into the shirt as his left hand jerked it away from her body as he sliced and cut the polyester fabric into two thing slices, parting it from her body. Next, was her tank top. He glimpsed quickly at her face, seeing the look of loathing directed right at him. "Stop it!"

Maggie eyed the large strips of black fabric that was once part of her coat. Her favourite fucking coat. Snapping her teeth together she bared her teeth. "You-"

His left hand swept up to her face and he placed his index finger against her trembling lips, hushing her. "It's okay, sweetheart"

Her top lip jerked up and she sneered, ready to bite down on his fingertip. But he whipped it away from her mouth and scolded her, with a wag of his finger. "Now, don't be naughty!"

Freddy flaunted her a cunning smirk. Oh, she was a little minx alright. A little rascal!

He averted his attention back to her tank top and teasingly flicked his blades in front of her to see. Then he brought them down towards the tank top, cutting dexterously into the material. The blade made a angular direction, going upwards then turning to the left a few inches. Then he jagged the blade down another three or four inches. Then it jerked, twisting to the right and sliced forward until it reached the start of the tear. He tugged the material away, leaving a gaping hole in the shape of a square. Directly above where the bloodied bandage was.

Maggie could only watch in arousing suspicion as he flicked the side of a blade to the side, along the rim of the dressing and carefully pull it away. Her head juddered backwards as she stifled back a groan of pain. Then she felt something coarse and rutted in the shape of a palm being pressed against the wound. Her eyes fluttered as they averted to her waist. What the fuck…?

A slow, burning heat began to swell from his palm as Freddy compelled the wound to fully close over. The sutures began to melt, dissolving into thin air beneath his scarred hand. The one-inch knife wound began to merge. The skin repairing itself. Maggie felt a rush of energy flood through her body. The dull pain of the wound dispersing into nothing. Her eyes widened in shock as he withdrew his scarred hand from her waist. Her skin was smooth, unblemished. Not a scar or a speck of blood.

Freddy chortled quietly at her look of bewilderment. It was the first time he had ever healed someone in the dream. He leaned forward slowly, "That's you all better!

Her lips jerked opened as she whispered. "Why did you do that?"

"To apologise" He reached up to her hair again with his left hand. His fingers trailed through her soft hair, and he smiled to himself. He has missed this. Had missed her so much. "Now, tell me, what did Neil tell you about me?

Maggie chewed her lips lightly. Feeling incredibly unsettled by the apparition changing attitude towards her. He healed her, to apologise. Why? He was going from one extreme to another. From trying to kill her. To know being all gentle with her? Her eyes flicked to his, seeing them darken, slightly aggrieved at her lack of an answer. "Dr Gordon said that you've been a problem in the town for four years now. That you're some sort of evil entity that exists in the kids dreams, that you are hunting them!"

Freddy scoffed, then broke into a fit of laughter as he threw his head back. His tone was hoarse, grainy and deep. That is what that bastard was calling him now? He took a deep breath and arched his chest forward towards hers. "Oh, no, I'm more than an entity. You see I'm real. Just like you!"

"Real?" her eyebrows arched up in surprise. "Like me?"

"Mmm-mmm" He nodded with a smug grin. Laying his claw on her chest he playfully tapped the tips of each steel against the black buttons of her coat. "You see Doctor, I'm made of real flesh and blood. I lived in Springwood. But after my death, I came to exist here…"

She watched as he flicked his index blade back and forth then lightly tapped a blade at the side of her temple. "I live in peoples dreams"

"You lived here in Springwood?" Maggie felt the strident force on her neck, and head wither away and she curiously titled her head to the side. Why was Neil continuing to lie to them?

Freddy smirked down at her. Relishing in the cute little mannerisms he had missed from her. "You should ask Neil about Nancy!"

"Who is Nancy?" this perked her interest even more.

His smirk elongated into a satisfied grin. Pleased that her inquisitive nature was coming to the fore. There was one trait he knew that she got from her mother Loretta and that was her curiosity. If she started to ask questions about him, what he did when he was alive, even investigate his crimes. Then he was sure that her memories would come back, and she would finally realise who she was. Where she finally belonged.

"Ask Dr Gordon" he encouraged her. "Get him to tell you exactly who I am!"

Maggie stared into his eyes, slowly becoming lost in the blue irises. The eyes she believed she had seen before…But it wasn't just once as she had assumed. Now, she vaguely remembered seeing these eyes, dozens, even hundreds of times before…

The edges of Freddy's lips jerked and curved into a conceited grin as he raided her mind, picking out her last thought. Oh, this was going to be easy. Soon, he would start to leave some breadcrumbs for her to follow. Not just in her dreams, but in the waking world too.

Maggie….

Freddy growled, displeased that his time with her was cut short. In the waking world there was a hard thudding against the motel room door. Maggie frowned as the apparition began to fade before her. But before she was fully released from the dream, she heard him whisper in her ear. "See you soon, my little wildcat!"

xxx

I hope you enjoyed. I also hope you liked the little homage I put in for one of the scenes, for the actor Yaphett Kotto who played Doc. :)