Chapter 13: Breaking Bone
Maggie's sneakers thudded on the concrete sidewalk as she walked briskly down the street and quickly tugged back on her baseball cap. She quicky passed by the dilapidated Elm Street house that loomed on the other side of the quiet road. Her brown orbs darted to the left and then down to her right leg where the bulky shape of her cell phone was tucked in the side pocket of her jogging bottoms. It vibrated and a shrill beep echoed. She slipped her right hand into the pocket and flipped open the black hard plastic flap. Her eyes scanned the caller ID – Doc.
Clearing her throat, she answered "Hi"
"Where are you?" His voice was tainted with concern. "We're outside your motel room. We've been knocking on your door for the last 10 minutes. We were worried that you fell asleep"
She sighed, "No, I'm fine. I just went out for a run. Um, is Dr Gordon with you?"
"Yes" Doc glanced over to the man as he sat in the front seat of his car. "I'm with Neil and Paul"
"Can you put Neil on please?" Maggie slowed to a stop and then hurried across the road to the other sidewalk. Her gaze ventured over towards the Lantz house, and she saw that the porch was now empty. She slowly began to walk back down towards the hedge that separated the dead lawn of the decrepit house with the home next door. Her feet went rigid as she patiently lingered at the thick shrubbery. This sudden urge and compulsion to find out more about this house rushed through her mind. Why did he not mention the house to her and Doc? Was it because it was in such a dilapidated condition and Krueger was haunting it? He did warn her not to go snooping or investigating into Krueger's past. Maybe this house was linked to him in the afterlife. Was there a reason why he haunting it?
There was a soft hush of voices and then Neil came onto the phone. "Hello, Dr Burroughs. Where are you?"
"I'm on Elm Street" She replied smartly.
"Don't tell me you're at that house?" The tone of his voice was tense.
She peered around the edge of the hedge at the house. "Yes, I am. I'm looking at it right now"
"How did you know to go there?" Neil asked incredulously. "Why did you go there?"
"Look, it doesn't matter does it?" She responded curtly. "Would you please come and get me? I'd like to ask you some questions"
He reluctantly agreed and she ended the call. Her hand pushed her cell phone back into the pocket and began to pace back and forth…
The rev of an engine alerted her to their arrival, and she trotted over to the back passenger door of the grey Ford Taraus as it pulled alongside her. She peered into the front seats and saw Paul at the stirring wheel with Neil sat beside him in the passenger seat. Doc smiled at her as she mumbled a hello. His deep brown eyes soon widened in intrigue as they landed on the Elm Street house. Neil turned around towards Maggie as she crossed her arms. "Why did you not tell us about the house? I found out from the neighbours across the way. It belonged to the Thompson's. Didn't it?"
Doc threw him a confused glance and Neil slowly nodded. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to keep things from her. She was a very determined woman. Stubborn. "Yes, that's right. Nancy told me that her parents bought the house when she eight years old, back in 1973. It was her mother's idea to move in. A few years later her parents separated. Her father moved into an apartment on the other side of town. They had joint custody of her"
Maggie let her face turn towards the red door. Becoming drawn to it as she asked. "It's haunted, isn't it?"
"Yes, we believe so" Neil nodded.
Doc thought back to their conversation about Freddy and the deaths from the 1980s. He vaguely remembered Neil mentioning the Walsh family. "Dr Gordon, you said that a family moved into the Thompson house…." his eyes flicked towards the house then back to him. "That house. What happened after they left?"
Neil shrugged his shoulders. "From what the locals told me, the house was put up for sale. But within a matter of weeks the house deteriorated into the way it is now"
"Weeks?" Doc scoffed in surprise. "How?"
"It could be some sort of supernatural element. Perhaps Krueger was affecting the condition of the house. It happened during the time when he was killing the other Elm Street children. There were at least a few dozen deaths within a year. His power had increased at that time" Neil explained.
Maggie finally took her brooding gaze away from the house back to Neil and asked. "Why this house? Do you know who owned it before the Thompsons bought it?"
"I'm not sure" He shook his head.
"Maybe…." Doc lightly rubbed the rim of his right palm on his chin as he pondered out loud. "Krueger is connected to the house as his main target was Nancy Thompson. He was terrorizing her dreams for weeks. He could be linked to that house that way"
Neil shrugged his shoulders, "Possibly"
Maggie nervously drummed her fingers on her lap. "Do the kids dream of the house?"
"Yes, they do. Kristen Parker had made a model of the house. I still have it in my apartment" Neil said grimly. "Krueger would lure the kids into the house. The apparitions of the children he murdered when he was alive would sing that damn jump rope song outside. Some of the kids say it's like a warning. But the dreamers would be hypnotized when they see the house and are enticed inside. And once you are inside, he won't let you out. He changes the layout of the house to trap you. To confuse you. He also links the house to the power plant"
She gave a pensive nod and heard Neil mutter something to Paul. There was a low rumble as the engine started and she quickly twisted her gaze back to the decrepit house. Again, that blood red door ensnared her attention. What was behind that door? What was the real history behind the house? Should she consider visiting this house again, but during the night out of sight of the neighbours? And as for the power plant, where was that located? There was no point in asking Neil. He would quickly warn her off.
She would wait a day or two, then she would start her investigations.
….
"Doc, please. Just go with Neil and Paul" Maggie pleaded. She stood in the doorway to her motel room and sighed at his persistence to stay with her until she was ready to go back to the hospital. "I'm going to have some breakfast, do some exercises and have a quick shower. I have your car. I will be back about mid-day"
"I'm just worried that you'll fall asleep" he said with concern.
"I will be okay. I feel energised. You know that exercise helps me become alert" She gently placed her hands on his shoulders and pushed him away. "They're waiting for you"
With a reluctant sigh he nodded and wandered back to the car where Neil and Paul waited for him. "Maggie, be careful"
She shooed him away with a wave of her hand and smiled, before closing the door behind her. Her body sagged against the door, and she made a beeline towards the desk to her right where her notepad and pen was. As much as she wanted to continue her exercises, she also wanted some time to write down what she discovered after her morning jaunt about the town. Grabbing a pen, she flicked opened her notebook passing the pages of notes until she came to a blank page. She noted the days date and began to write…
From my morning run I can clearly see the impact that Krueger is having on the town. The deaths throughout the years have caused the town to become rundown. The town-fair is a perfect example. There was also numerous business up for sale or out of business. The town infrastructure is slowly falling apart. Like the town is starting to die a slow death. And Krueger is the reason behind it. When I was running through the town square yet again, I felt a feeling of awareness and for a moment I remembered the pizzeria, the town square with the bandstand in the middle also lingered on my mind. And I was drawn by that Diner – Craven Inn. As for that park in the centre of the town, I hazily remembered the water fountain….
And that street. Elm Street. it felt as though time had stood still when I saw that sign. The house on the other hand. It had made me feel confused. Terribly confused. The numbers 1428. I don't know why, but I remember those numbers…
But what really startled me was that woman, Susan Lantz. The way she reacted to me when I took off my baseball cap. It was like when she saw my face it ignited a spark in her memory. Like she knew ME.
I must remember though, that the woman was delusional. The trauma of losing her son Glenn was still impacting her mind. Trauma can lead to psychosis where people's thoughts and emotions are so impaired that contact is lost with external reality. Just like that woman. She still believed her son Glenn was alive. If the adults are starting to suffer delusions, then why were they not being admitted to Westin Hills for help? Why were they being left to suffer on their own?
As for my own little incident in the town square. Was it just an episode I had or another daydream? Then the shape of a hand that tightly gripped my t-shirt, was that him? Did he save me being knocked down? It could be the only explanation. There was no way that I could disclose this to Doc. He would be fearful for my safety when I was awake. He wouldn't let me out of his sight. He always had been concerned for my well-being. And still is. I've never admitted to him, but I see him more as a father than Martin ever was.
Maggie leaned back in her chair and rolled her stiff neck with a low groan. Before continuing to write down her thoughts and findings.
A few other things that perked my interest. The courthouse being one of them. I know I have seen them steps and that doorway that led out of the building. But where from? It wasn't in person like this morning. But from a picture, a photo? Someone was walking out. But who?
She dropped the pen and growled out loud. "What the fuck is going on?"
Maybe going for the run was a bad idea. Her head was pounding, aching from the countless thoughts that rushed and zipped through her mind. Could Neil be right? Should she reconsider researching into Krueger crimes and whatever details she could get on his life? But why was the compulsion to do so still strong?
She shook her head and walked into the kitchen pouring herself a glass of water and took her morning dosages of medication. Her Clozapine 12.5mg and then decided to take a Fluoxetine 10mg as her mood over the last day or so was low.
Shaking out her arms she approached the end of the bed and began to perform a variety of exercises – 40 seconds performing the plank position, knee crunches, bicycle kicks, push ups and sit ups. She breathed heavily as she counted quietly as she executed 20 sit ups. Her baseball cap was still firmly positioned on her head as her hands lightly touched the sides of her temples. Her back curved forward one last time as she sat up then slowly eased herself back onto the carpet. She exhaled long and hard, laying the back of her hands over eyes as she closed them. Mentally she counted to ten as she regulated her breathing to a calm, composed rhythm. For the first time that morning she finally felt serene…
Clack …
Maggie pulled her hands away from her eyes at the sudden noise from above her and her eyes widened in shock. Looming over her was Freddy. Both his feet were positioned on the sides of her outer thighs. His lips were coiled upwards in a fiendish grin. "Enjoying your little workout?"
She shrieked and pressed the palms of her hands on the carpet attempting to push herself backwards. But with a swift flick of Freddy's index blade a powerful force jolted her body back onto the carpet and she hissed as the back of her hands slammed hard onto the ground. Being pinned by his powers. Freddy chuckled and slowly crouched down, before straddling her thighs to her disgust as she threw him an infuriated glare. Her breaths came out in short, quick pants and she strained with all her might against the invisible force pressing against her hands. Her body grew tense as she saw Freddy reach towards her head with his blades.
Freddy shook his head slowly in dissention as his blades curled under the rim of her baseball cap and with a slight tug, he pulled the cap from her head and tossed it onto the bed. "You shouldn't be wearing this. You shouldn't hide your beautiful face"
Maggie's bottom lip trembled in a mixture of abhorrence and rage as he lightly trailed the tips of his blades along her cheek and then under the rim of her chin. Tapping them gently on her skin. "Get off me. Now!"
The blades retreated from her skin, and he waved a blade back and forth in front of her, in disagreement.
Her brown eyes gradually began to follow the blade, becoming hypnotized and then she cringed as his head dipped forward to the crook of her neck. The tip of his charred nose brushed over her throat. His scarred hand gripped a fistful of her messy hair, and she heard him inhale sharply, letting out a low groan. "You still smell just as good"
Using this chance. Maggie began to focus and used all her hate and disgust that was coursing through her veins and re-directed it to her hands. Wiling them to move. She snarled and a blast of energy spread to her arms, and she vehemently shoved hard against his shoulders. She managed to thrust him back. But just as quickly Freddy snatched her wrists with both his glove and scarred hand, sneering at her before he rammed them back onto the carpet. "Don't make me angry, baby" his voice was low, full of venom.
"Stop calling me that!" Maggie shot back.
A cunning grin spread over his scorched face, "Okay, then. Don't make me angry…bitch"
Maggie seethed and bared her teeth, "You mother-"
Her words were cut off as she saw him threateningly lift his right hand. The blades quickly spread apart in a hostile manner, as though he was preparing to strike out at her. She swallowed thickly and Freddy saw the all too familiar sparkle of fear in her eyes. He smirked again and chuckled darkly. "You should watch your tongue. Or I'll have to…." He flicked two of his blades downwards and they skimmed bare millimetres from her lips. "Cut it out!"
She shakily took a deep breath, pondering over Doc's wise words.
Maybe you should try and tone down your language and angry retorts around him. If you continue to antagonise him, he could really hurt you.
Doc was right. She had to try and keep her anger under control. She just about survived that knife wound from a few days ago. If he stabbed her with this glove. Four blades. Fuck she was a dead woman.
Freddy scoffed as he deciphered her thoughts. "You still think I'm going to kill you?"
Maggie glared at him. "You tired to the other night"
"I told you, Doctor. That was all a big misunderstanding" He brought his index blade towards the thick black Nike tick on her t-shirt and lightly trailed over the outline of the sign. "I won't kill you. But I'll punish you if you are not behaving for me"
"Oh, you'll hit me?" Maggie arched her eyebrows in fake surprise. "You think that I'll be afraid of you if you threaten to hit me or beat me up? Believe me, you aren't the first guy to hit me!"
Freddy's glove ceased its action of tracing the sign on her t-shirt and a look of aversion manifested on his face at her revelation. Some little asshole had hit her, his little girl? What little cunt hurt her? His eyes darkened and locked onto hers, trying to penetrate her mind. Into her memories. But again, he hit a barrier. It was like her memories were being hidden behind an impenetrable wall. But it was vital that he saw them. And he would. He would break her down. He noticed her lips twitching as she smirked. "What's wrong? Can't find what you're looking for Freddy? The guy who hit me?"
He grasped her chin, applying slightly pressure on her skin that made her hiss and he growled softly as he pointed a blade at her. "I'll find out all your memories little lady. Every secret. Every fear you had when you were growing up. All those precious childhood memories you have will be revealed to me. I'll find out what happened to you, what they did to make you the way you are now"
Despite putting on a brave face, to show no fear. Maggie knew the mere thought of him delving into her past terrified her. She was always a private person. She hated talking about her past. A shiver tore through her body and she felt the warm leather of his glove wrap around her left wrist, while his scalded left hand did likewise on her right wrist. She saw his lips curl into a malicious smirk, and she let out a shriek as he strongly yanked her to her feet and swung her towards the wall beside the wardrobe. Her back bucked backwards against his lean chest as she tried to wrestle out of his grasp. His breath fluttered over her hair as he chuckled in her left ear. She cringed and cried out as her head collided against the wall. Her head then twisted to the left seeing his face lingering inches from hers as he pressed his chest against her back. He yanked her arms upwards and pinned them together with his glove against the wall. The blades skimmed over her skin, and she felt a pressure push down on her legs, restraining the lower half of her body.
Freddy broke out into a sly grin and delicately trailed his scarred fingertips down the side of her outstretched left arm. Her mouth jerked downwards in alarm, a look of confusion crossing her flushed face. What the fuck was he doing? The light touch of his fingers continued down her arm, and she chewed her lips hard. Trying to stifle the giggle that was threatening to erupt from her.
The light touches changed as his fingers reached the side of her body. A few inches above her ribcage. He nimbly began to tickle her, and she couldn't fight the laugh that finally floated from her throat.
Freddy grinned madly against the side of her face and softly murmured. "There it is…." He closed his eyes and relished in the memory that came to him. Her childish laughter. Full of joy and life. Soft and gentle. It sounded the same, though the tone of her laughter was huskier. He always loved to hear her laugh. "There's that laugh. I've missed that laugh of yours"
Maggie blinked and took a deep breath. Did she hear that right? Did he really say that? She felt his glove loosen around her wrists and he took a few quick steps back. She spun around and glowered at him in disdain. Her hands trembled with fury at her sides as she restrained herself from lunging at him. "What the fuck do you want from me? Are you trying to fuck with my mind? What is it?!"
Freddy grinned viciously, sensing her anger intensifying with each breath she took. It was time to tease her a little more. He took a fleeting glance at the kitchen and lazily crossed his arms over his chest. "Now, doctor. You seem to be losing your cool. Do you have a bad temper?"
She took a step forward.
"Maybe you should take one of your Celexa tablets. It might help you calm down!" He mocked with a fiendish grin.
Maggie's jaw dropped opened in horror. How did he know about her medication?
A wicked laugh left his lips as he explained. "I was here when you kicked…." He twisted around and pointed at the far chair tucked underneath the table. "That chair. You were literally shaking with rage. I could sense your anger. You were furious!"
Maggie's eyes furrowed in confusion. "You were here….?"
She thought back to when she was here with Doc. When she was sitting on the bed she felt a tingling sensation along her skin, then along the curve of her spine. Like someone was touching her. Her eyes broadened in realisation. "Oh god, it was you! Your spirit was here in the room!"
Freddy gave a sickening grin in response.
"And was that you this morning? In the town square?" She nervously asked. But she knew the answer.
"You really should pay attention, honey" He ridiculed and took a step closer to her. "Did they not teach you as a child to look left and right before you step onto the road?"
She clenched her fists. A flurry of rage surging through her at his statement. The fucker was taunting her. "What is it with you? Are you now stalking me? Why are you so interested in me? You won't tell Neil, so tell me!"
He slowly approached her, and she defensively backed away. Her back bumping into the wall. "You'll have to find out for yourself, sweetheart"
She tried to step to the left but again found her lower limbs becoming static. Locked in place. An aggravated sigh left her lips as she glared at him. If he wasn't forthcoming about what she asked, then she would ask him a few questions about that house on Elm Street. "That house on Elm Street. 1428 Elm Street, it belonged to Nancy and her parents. Why are you haunting it? Why did you lure me down to it?"
Freddy's eyes narrowed as a sly smirk played at his lips. His eyes burrowed into hers, marauding her memory from that morning. He witnessed that woman trying to persuade her to break into 1428 Elm Street and then that whore Susan Lantz interfering. It still perplexed him that Susan and that fucker Walter were still living across the way from his old house. All the other Elm Street parents had relocated to other parts of the town after he had butchered their little fucking brats. Some of the parents of his new victims he had murdered had left the town over the last few years. They knew too well that the town was going straight to hell. And it was all because of him. He could easily tell her the history of the house. Their home. Her true home. But he would let her find out herself. He knew that Donald and the rest of the fuckers in the town would have erased any evidence that showed him as the owner of the house when he was alive. However, there had to be one piece of information – a legal document that showed that the house had once belonged to him. It was up to her to find it.
"There is a history to that house. Something that Neil doesn't know" He saw her lips part in surprise at his admission. "You're curious. Aren't you?"
She shakily nodded. "Yes"
"Good" He smirked. "What did that fucker Walter say to you?"
Her eyes flicked nervously towards his bladed glove as he laid his gloved palm beside her head. He lingered over her and idly took a strand of her hair in his charred fingertips and began to twirl it. "He threatened you with that gun, didn't he?"
"N-no, it wasn't a threat. He warned me not to go down that street again" she rebuked.
He gave her hair a little tug and she winced. "Don't lie. I saw your memory. He was waving that gun in your face. I saw it!"
For a moment she saw his eyes glow red with ire. Why was he getting angry over that? Why would he care?
"Do you want to see what I did to their brat Glenn?" Freddy gave a cruel grin.
"What?" Her reply was low. Her voice barely above a whisper.
"I'll show you what I did to him" He titled his head to the side and unravelled her hair from his fingers and cupped her chin. Making sure her gaze was set directly on his face. "I know that you'll be fascinated. Just like the way you were when I showed you the remains of that little girl. In the first dream you had of me"
Maggie swallowed thickly. She wasn't sure she liked where this was going.
"Normally, the little bitches would run away screaming when they see mutilated bodies that I leave out for them. But oh no, not you" Freddy chortled darkly and grinned, full of sinister intent. "It enthralled you. I could see your eyes widen in wonder!"
Freddy knew that there had to be a reason why she had a curiosity for macabre side of life. If she had a fascination with death and blood, then just maybe he could twist her mind. Entice her to his way of thinking, push her towards the edge until she snapped. He smirked at the idea and saw her take a deep breath as she composted herself to reply to his remark.
"I was just curious. It doesn't mean that I like to see the corpses of dead people. Especially of little children!" She snapped back with venom.
Krueger's smirk grew into a conceited grin and in a blur of various reds, browns and blacks Maggie found her vision began to distort as he disappeared. A blast of air whirled around her as the motel room morphed into another bedroom. The new bedroom was decorated in style of a regular high school jock. Adorning the walls were pictures of football players from the late 1970s, on the shelves attached to the walls were a variety of gold and silver trophies and medals next to brown teddy bear that had stitched into its front the Springwood High School symbol. Maggie guessed it may have been a gift from a girlfriend. Her brooding gaze twisted around towards the large window to her left that was covered by white venetian blinds. She peered through the gaps and saw the faint outline of the house across the way. In the dim light of the night, she noticed the colour of the door was a bright blue. The house was in immaculate condition, but what disturbed her was the thick black bars attached over the windows.
She nervously licked her lips and spun towards the double bed that was behind her and her eyes landed on the sleeping body of a young man. Aged sixteen or seventeen. He was cute she had to admit. With thick brown hair and lean body that was adorned in blue joggings bottoms and white cropped football jersey with the number ten printed across the front. His eyes were clamped closed, and a pair of headphones was hung around his neck. A soft rumble echoed from his throat and nose as he snored peacefully on the bed. A portable TV was next to him, the sound muted, and the soft murmuring of a radio also resonated in the bedroom.
Maggie took a cautious step towards the bed and her ears soon picked up the faint gravelly voice of the radio presenter as they signed off for the night.
"Goodnight, Springwood. This is KRGR radio"
Maggie's eyes snapped towards the black square radio, and she gasped. "KRGR? Krueger…"
There was a tense silence and then she heard a groan from beneath the bed. Before she could react two powerful arms shot up from under the boy's sleeping frame, snaking around his stomach. The arms were garlanded in red and green stripes. The bladed gloved curled around the waist of the boy as his eyes jerked opened and began to scream.
"MAMA! MAMA!"
The arms dug and began to drag the screaming boy into a dark black hole that had appeared beneath him. His terrified screams reverberated in the room as the boy pitifully tried to grasp at anything to prevent him from being pulled into the dark abyss. His body was yanked downwards into the hole, followed by the wires of his headphones and the portable TV. Maggie shivered at the faint sound of his cries and maniacal laughter drifted from the gaping hole in the mattress. The echo of bones cracking and breaking made Maggie take a hesitant step back…
What occurred next caught her off guard.
A torrent of thick red blood and bodily fluids shot from the hole like a jet, spraying upwards into the ceiling above. Staining it red. The blood spread across the ceiling dribbling down the walls onto the bed and the carpet. Marring the pictures, trophies and medals. Maggie screamed and staggered to her right towards the door, but it sprung opened revealing the face of the woman she had met just hours before. Susan Lantz. She appeared younger in her late thirties. A loud piercing scream came from her as she stared in profound horror at the sight of blood dripping from the ceiling as the remains of the crimson liquid spurted from the chasm in the middle of the bed.
Maggie ducked out of the room and clamped her eyes closed. Trying to block out the image of that room. All the blood, the sounds of that poor boy's screams….
A blast of heat soon washed over her, and she swirled around opening her eyes to find herself standing in a darkened, hot corridor in the power plant. The rumbling and metallic groans of the boilers and machines rattled around her. Then she heard his laugh, a triumphant and malicious tone to it. Her head whipped towards Krueger as he loomed a few feet to her left. "Did you like what I did to the little piggy? Mmm?"
She took a few fretful steps backwards and shook her head. "No. You're nothing but a monster. An animal!"
He smirked, then burst out into an insane laugh. Liking her comment. "Oh, you've got that right, piglet!" He made sure to emphasis the words piglet and instantly saw her eyes narrow in bewilderment. "You see, I'm…." he tapped a blade against this chest. "The big bad wolf!"
Her legs went rigid at these words. "Big bad wolf?" An ambiguous memory flickered in the depths of her subconscious as she murmured softly. "The little piggies and the big bad wolf"
Slowly, a dark grin grew across Freddy's face. His little girl remembered the conversation they had when she was four years old. The game they had played after that talk on Halloween night. But she didn't know who exactly she was having the conversation with. He closed the gap between them as he cornered her against a thick metal wall. He raised his left hand and gracefully stroked her trembling face. "You remember, don't you?"
Maggie shivered under his touch and with a sneer jerked her face from his hand. He growled in fury at her action, but soon a tingling sensation began to spread over the back of his scorched neck. It grew stronger in intensity and his lips twisted into a menacing grin as he pivoted on his heel. Staring down the corridor behind them. A little piggy was asleep. One of the little fucks that were under her care in Westin Hills. He cackled and returned his gaze towards Maggie and then pointed at her with a dirty blade.
"Stay!"
Her lips jerked opened in astonishment. "What did you say?"
"I said, stay! Like a good little girl" He reaffirmed with a hardened stare.
Maggie felt rage course through her at his command. "What am I? A dog?"
A knowing smile crept over his face. "Yes, you are my little pet!"
Her hands shook as she curled them into tight fists and took a step towards him. "Well, this little bitch doesn't obey people's commands. Specially from a psycho like you!
In a flash his left hand wrapped around her throat, and she was shoved against the wall. Her head bounced off the hard steel and she groaned lowly in pain. Her eyes focused back on his face as he opened his mouth to rebuke, but a voice called out from behind them….
"Hello?"
Maggie peered over Freddy's left shoulder at the darkened corridor. It sounded like one of the kids from the ward. She heard a light chuckle from Freddy and then the grip on her throat disappeared as Freddy vanished. Lifting her right hand, she lightly rubbed her throat and then strode down the corridor. "Hello? Aaron, is that you?"
As she came to the end of the corridor, she took a sharp right and collided into the young man. He took a prudent step back, unsure if this was her or not. "Dr Burroughs? Is that really you?"
Maggie took a slow step towards him and nodded, running her eyes over his body. He was dressed in dark sweat bottoms and loose-fitting grey t-shirt. "Yes, it's me Aaron. It's not a trick"
His dark hair was glistened with sweat, and he lightly wiped a trail of perspiration from his brow. He eyed her clothing, noticing the blood that stained her face and t-shirt, "Uh, how are you in my dream? What happened to you?"
"It must be Freddy. He must have pulled you into my dream" She carefully looked up and down the dimly lit passageway. Then down at her marred clothing, "Look, how are you asleep? I thought you guys were meant to stay together in groups. To keep each other awake!"
"I must have fell asleep in the games room. Carlos and Spencer went to get some coffee" He shrugged.
Maggie peered over her shoulder sensing someone watching them. "We can't stay here. Let's go"
Aaron was tugged forward as she eagerly grabbed his right hand. "How did you fall asleep?"
"It doesn't matter" She replied, and they both ducked under a hot blast of steam. "I've to get you awake"
The marched on in silence. The constant deep rumbling of the boilers and furnaces drilled into their ears, distorting their hearing. As they approached a large circular boiler Maggie pulled him towards it. Smoke drifted form the thick metal into the air. It was piping hot. "I want you to slam your hand on this. It might wake you up
"W-what?" Aaron shot her a look of doubt. "But what about you?"
"Don't worry about me. I can look after myself. I'm worried about you"
"Um, I have tried this before" he said with a shrug. "It didn't work"
"We have to try" she nudged him forward towards the searing metal and he took a deep breath. Then snapped his eyes closed as he slammed his opened right palm against the hot metal. He let out a scream and jerked his hand away, gasping in pain. Blistered and scarred skin now marred his palm.
Maggie cursed. He was still asleep. "Fuck!"
The sound of dark, jubilant laughter echoed behind him, and they swirled around to see a shadow making its way down towards them. Aaron inched closer to her, and she gently took his other unblemished hand and with a soft yank she dragged him down to their right. "Let's go, now!"
Heavy, raspy breathing and the thud of boots resonated behind them as they hurried blindly through the darkened corridors.
Screechh…
Sscreeecchhhh…
They didn't bother to look behind them. Their frightened gaze was set straight ahead. At the far end of the passageway, they spied a large metal doorway leading into another room. "In here, quick!" Maggie zealously pushed him inside the new room and closed the door behind them as she entered. The door banged loudly in its hinges and Maggie took a step back at hearing a light tap on the other side. Following by a low screech. A few more metal taps echoed beyond the door then followed Krueger's mocking tone. "Let me in little piggies!"
"Go fuck yourself Krueger!" Maggie sneered and kicked out at the metal door.
Freddy's mad cackle reverberated beyond the door. "Temper, temper, little lady!"
Aaron staggered backwards and nursed his wounded hand. As he slowly turned around to scan the room they were in, his eyes broadened in terror. It was his parents' garage. The same place where his brother and his friend had played that nasty trick on him when he was younger. Locking him in that locker. His eyes roamed over several work benches dotted at the sides of the room. On top were various broken engines, hammers, screwdrivers, wrenches, cutting devises for metal and numerous power drills. A few dismantled motorbikes were scattered underneath the benches and in the middle of the room was a black ford hot rod from the early 1960s. The bonnet of the car was opened revealing the dismantled parts of the engine. He remembered his brother being an avid fan of motorbikes and cars. He loved to tinker with the engines, improving them and building new engines from scratch.
His trembling face finally turned towards the row of tall blue lockers. There was four of them. The first locker was where he was shoved inside and locked in for hours. All for their twisted sense of enjoyment. He rushed over towards Maggie. "We've got to get out of-"
They yelped at the sudden, loud banging that came from the first locker. Turning towards it, Aaron saw the hinges rattling and shaking as several more thuds against the metal door. The vicious banging grew more intense, the sound deafening them as they backed away.
BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG….
Then suddenly there was silence.
Maggie glanced at Aaron as he glared at the door. His lips were quivering, and they slowly parted as the door creaked opened an inch. A thin trickle of blood began to ooze from the gap and before Maggie could take a step forward the door sprang opened violently. The ashen, decaying corpse of a teenager stumbled out. Aaron screamed and jerked back. He knew who this was. It was his brother Aidan. Dressed in the same clothing that he was found in that morning of his death. Dirty oiled jeans and light blue vest top adorned his slim frame. Though, around the mid-drift of his body the fabric was torn apart. His skin was gutted apart with his innards, his pancreas and bowels hanging over the rutted skin. Thick tendons and bloodied tissue swung back and forth as he staggered forward. His body had a faint green tinge to it, the skin on his arms, face, stomach was flabby. His death was reported as an accident. He had lost control of the hand-held circular saw he was operating. But Aaron knew it was bullshit, it was Krueger who had murdered him.
Aidan's corpse chuckled softly and locked their vacant lifeless eyes with Aaron's. A vile grin spread over his blue lips and a spurt of blood gushed from his mouth. "Hello, brother…."
Maggie breathed heavily. Shock had locked her body in place. She felt paralyzed. Her eyes flew towards the locker as another body crawled out of the darkness. It cracked its neck as it rose to its feet. The corpse looked to be of similar age as Aaron. His dark blond hair was singed black, and half his face was disfigured with thick, melted burns. The muscles under his skin were mottled black, brownish in colour. Four deep stab wounds penetrated his chest. She heard Aaron whimper and saw him back away in horror as he whispered. "Matthew…"
Aaron felt Maggie's hands wrap around his left arm and yank him back towards the door. She then swirled around towards the door and cried out in frustration. There was no doorhandle, not suggestion that she could be able to open the door. A scream brought her attention back towards Aaron as the apparition of his dead brother's corpse lunged towards him. The young man swung his fist towards its head, but the corpse ducked and whipped its thin, gaunt arms around his waist. Then with a snarl began to drag him towards the locker. The boy lashed out with his hands as he screamed for her help.
Maggie sneered and ran forward. But the other cadaver intercepted her, grabbing a fistful of her hair and savagely yanked her head back. She hissed and heard the leering voice of Krueger from the dead boy's lips. "Don't interrupt!"
The fingers on her left hand curled into a fist and she rapidly swung her fist forward towards his head. His neck snapped as his head whipped to the right and he laughed. There was a nauseating crack of bones as his neck snapped back into place and his grip on her hair went taut before he shoved her forward towards one of the work benches. She staggered forward, losing her footing and the side of her ribcage smashed into the edge of the wood. A low moan of pain escaped her, and she grappled on the bench for a tool to use against him. Her fingers brushed a thick battery-operated red power drill, and she pressed down on the 'on' button and with a scream of fury she propelled the tip of the spinning drill into his throat as he dove forward. Her eyes were glazed, wild with manic glee. The drill whirred loudly as she shoved the metal further into his skin, punching through his trachea. The skin began to mesh and sever, a gush of blood spurting over her enraged face. His back lurched backwards as she mounted him and he grinned madly at her, relishing in the vehemence that overpowered her. His head connected with the concrete floor and the drill continued to burrow itself into the neck, through the muscles and bone. Pushing deeper until there was a judder as the tip of the drill punched through the other side of the throat into the concrete.
The possessed corpse of Matthew cackled viciously as Krueger's voice praised her. "Such anger in you, sweetheart. I like it!"
Maggie heard a scream and whipped her head towards Aaron as his body was half-submerged into the locker. His hands gripped the edge of the door frame. Unable to overpower the corpse of his brother. He was too weak, the days without sleep left him exhausted. She snapped out of her gaze and staggered from the corpse towards the locker, grabbing a thick screwdriver as she passed the bench. Raising her right arm, she drove the tip of the tool forward and it was thrust into the head of the corpse hidden in the locker. Then she yanked it out, shoving it in and out of the skull. Again, and again…
"Get off him, you fucker!" she screamed.
Aaraon wrestled the hands from his waist and ducked out of the way, tumbling to his knees.
Aidan's cadaver cackled madly in her face and then leapt towards her, plunging her back onto the ground. Her right hand jerked the screwdriver back and aimed again for his face. Missing it by an inch as he jerked to the right. "Missed!"
She aimed again, but the caught her wrist and twisted her arm making her cry out and dropped the tool onto the ground. He yanked her arm upwards to pin her to the ground, when a sudden whoosh soared through the air. The black thick head of a club hammer connected hard against the side of head, and he was jolted to the right off her body. The sound of its neck being disconnected from the spine made Maggie flinch as she staggered back on her hands.
Aaron loomed over her with the wooden handle of the hammer clenched in his shaking hands. She smirked at him and wobbled to her feet. They darted their gazes back and forth between the corpses. The drill that was embedded in Matthew's neck was slowly pulled out of the concrete by the bony hand of the corpse. It flashed her a wicked grin as he came to a sitting position as a gush of blood ran down its mutilated neck. Aidan's body bent and twisted as the spine cracked back into place.
Maggie grasped Aaron's free hand. "We've got to get that door opened!"
He swung around towards the metal door and with a roar of fury, swung the hammer against the door. Maggie barged her shoulder against the heavy metal. The door shuddered in the frame, and she heard movement from behind them. The corpses were closing in on them.
She took a step back and charged forward, driving her body fully into the door at the moment Aaron swung the hammer again…
There was a click as the door fell opened and they screamed falling forward down a dark sloping chute.
The surface was slippery as they skidded along the metal floor down at least thirty feet until they collided into a wall. Their bodies clattered against each other as they let out low groans of pain. Aaron blinked quicky as she adjusted his eyes to their new surroundings. Small circular lights embedded in the metal above them shed a thin ray of light. They were sat at the start of a long-squared vent, the height and width of the vent was about three feet. Barely enough room for them to sit on their knees. The ground, walls and ceilings consisted of silver sheet metal. Thick and sturdy. His breath caught in his throat. The height specifications were too small, this vent was too enclosed. Too small. He felt his heart slowly begin to thud in his chest. His hands trembled as he tucked his knees under his arms. "I need to get out of here"
Maggie crawled over to him, the top of her head inches from the ceiling. "You're afraid of enclosed spaces? You suffer from claustrophobia?"
"Y-yes" He closed his eyes and took a shaky deep breath. He couldn't bear to look at the walls, the ceiling. It was like they were going to crush him. "Ever since my brother played that trick on me"
"Krueger is using that against you. But you can't give into your fear. That's what he wants!" Maggie gently curled her right hand under his chin. "We'll find a way out of here. But you must keep moving, okay?"
He slowly opened his eyes and she saw the tears threatening to escape. "I d-don't know if I can!"
"Aaron, I'll be right behind you. Stay in front of me. Don't look up. Keep your eyes on your hands as you crawl" She reassured softly and shuffled back on her knees. He took a trembling deep breath and twisted around onto his hands and knees.
He took short, frantic breaths and slowly lifted his right hand moving it forward a few inches. Then his left repeated the same action. Then he shuffled his knees forward, moving a foot forward. Maggie offered him words of encouragement. "Keep going. You're doing brilliant. Just keep looking at your hands. Don't look up"
Aaron kept his pensive gaze locked on his quivering hands and halted as they came to an intersection.
"Where to?" He asked timidly.
Maggie looked up and peered around his quaking frame. "Go straight"
He nodded and again advanced slowly. They made steady progress, progressing about at least twenty feet until she heard a hammering from behind her. From beneath the metal sheets. She twisted her head to the right peering down the vent shaft and she saw the metal being bent inwards, a gap appearing as a hand thrust their way through the metal. Her eyes amplified in dismay as the two corpses of Aidan and Matthew pulled themselves through the hole. The gaping holes in their neck and skull gushed and spurted blood as they leered at them with a malevolent grin.
Maggie shrieked and shouted towards Aaron, "Go, Aaron! Keep moving, GO!"
He whimpered and crawled forward, further down the vent. Maggie's hands moved frantically as she crawled forward then a scrawny hand clamped around her right ankle and with a menacing laugh the corpse of Aidan yanked her backwards towards him.
She fell onto her stomach and screamed with disgust and kicked out with her right foot. The sole of her sneaker missed his leering, bloodied face by an inch. His lips twisted into a vile grin, and he slid her body towards him with a violent tug on her leg. "Come here, piglet!"
Maggie snarled and kicked out again with her left leg, but he grasped her thighs and clambered upon her twisting her body towards his. She cringed in revulsion as he flicked a blistered tongue at her and smiled darkly. "It's not you I want sweetheart" His eyes flew upwards Aaron as he anxiously scrambled forward. "It's that piggy I want!"
The decayed corpse slithered over the top of her, the thick blobs of blood and remains of its decomposing organs of the pancreas, intestines and bowls sloppily swatting her face as it crawled over her. She gagged and shrieked, spitting out mouthfuls of blood and mutilated muscle. Gathering her breath, she pushed herself onto her stomach and began to crawl forward. But another hand snapped around her ankle and she screamed in exasperation as she was hauled backwards once again.
A pair of bloodied lips lingered at her right ear, and she saw out of the corner of her eye the smirking face of Matthew hoovering from hers. He cackled quietly and the tip of a blistered tongue snaked its way over the edge of her earlobe. The rage that consumed her erupted into an act of violence as her head snapped it backward as she rammed the back of her head against his face. The corpse groaned and fell forward, landing motionless on her back. She shrieked and pushed her hands on the ground, shoving herself forward until she was free from beneath him.
She darted forward into a brisk crawl, turning right into the next vent and then saw Aaron edging himself into a small room at the far end of the shaft. The other carcass now lay dormant on the floor a few feet from the entranceway to the new room.
"What happened?" Maggie called out and clambered her way towards him.
"That thing was strangling me! Then it let me go" He replied shakily. "A door then opened up and this room appeared"
Maggie approached the latent corpse and gave it a cautious glance. Something wasn't right here. "Aaron, stay where you are. I'm coming"
He sluggishly nodded and turned to look at the new room. It was an elevator shaft made of heavy chunky metal about ten feet in height and in the shape of a square. The width of the shaft was about four feet. There were no other signs of entry. Only the small gap he had crawled through. He quicky bent to his knees about to crawl back into the vent when a thick iron door slithered across the gap, sealing him inside.
"MAGGIE!"
Maggie scuttled forward as fast as she could and studied the metal flap. There were no grooves, no indents or holes to pry open the door. "Aaron, can you open it?"
He bent to examine the door. It was smooth with no handles. "Maggie, I can't open it-"
There was a metal creak and he looked up quickly at the ceiling. His eyes widening in terror. It was moving downwards. Towards him. "Oh my god, Maggie! Help!"
Maggie banged her clenched fists at the metal door. The steel groans of something heavy moving startled her as she ceased her frantic thudding. Aaron's screams rose over the squeaks of metal, and she froze.
Aaron sunk to his knees staring in dread as the ceiling continued to close in on him. Eight feet, seven feet, six, five…
He closed his eyes and muttered. "Wake up, someone wake me up. Please!"
His eyes snapped opened, and she saw the metal ceiling feet from him, and he slumped onto his sides, sobbing as he began to hyperventilate. His breathing short and ragged. His hands covered his shaking face as the smooth surface of the metal pressed against his body….
Maggie gasped and whimpered at the sounds of bones crunching and cracking. The screams of the boy resonated from the beyond the thick metal door and she shook her head in dismay. The boy was being crushed to death. Pulverized. His screams cut out and then all she heard was her heavy, irregular breathing. It was soon followed by an ominous laugh. Dark and gritty. She felt the gloved hand of Krueger slither around her waist, and she was shoved face down with a light thud. Freddy straddled her back and she saw a white mist soar through the metal door and whirled over her head into his lean body. The tip of his charred nose nuzzled into her hair as he let out a moan of pleasure from devouring Aaron's soul. Maggie gulped hard and let out an involuntary shiver as his mouth pressed against her right ear as he said with a sickening grin. "Kids these days, they seem to crack under the pressure!"
Maggie felt a tear trickle down her quivering face. Then in a blaze of anger, she swung out abruptly with her right elbow. Willing herself to wake up….
Her body lurched forward as she vehemently woke up. She looked down at her clothes seeing they were marred with blood, the innards of those corpses and bodily fluids. Her hands grasped at the bed covers as she staggered to her feet and grabbed the car keys from the desk before fleeing the room.
….
Maggie ran down the corridor towards the main ward of Westin Hills. Max and Kenneth were congregated at the entrance to the ward at the doble doors. They were both visibly shaken, consumed with fear at what had just happened. The kids were nowhere in sight. The doorway to the games room was closed. She pushed by them, but Doc stepped in her way. "Maggie-"
She shoved himself aside and rushed past Neil and Paul, the former warning her. "Dr Burroughs wait!"
Her face was ashen coloured as she dashed into the games room. Her mouth dropped opened in repulsion at what she saw. Aaron was laid on the ground beside the sofa. The arch of his spine and ribcage was crushed and snapped. The bones of his ribcage were protruding through his flesh with his internal organs pounded into gooey pink and red tissue. His skull was pulverized, the thick pink substance of his brain was squashed out of cracks in the skull. His limbs were flattened, bones crushed, and his tongue flopped out of his compressed mouth. His body was squeezed and cracked.
Finally, Maggie took a wavering breath and let out a powerful scream…
...
Author's Note:
Thanks for the reviews so far, glad you are enjoying it.
Thank to BuffyKrueger for the suggestion where Freddy playfully tickles Maggie.
I might start a new story, but unsure what one to do. I have made a little poll. My personal preference is the FVJ sequel. I have too many ideas.