Storm Within Ch. 7

Lizzie slowly walked down the stairs, her body tense and ready to leap at any sudden movement. She would pause every now and then to listen, but all she could hear was the typical sounds of machines in a boiler room. As she got further down, she could see said machines. Everything was covered in a dim red light and steam filled the entire room. The heat of the place swept over Lizzie, making her think of summer nights at Camp Crystal Lake.

Spotting a giant wrench lying on a nearby table, Lizzie grabbed it, her eyes darting around for danger. Still in her hospital gown, she edged out onto a narrow catwalk. It squeaked with age as she walked, making her only slightly nervous. Unlike Jason, she was not immortal.

Suddenly, Lizzie froze. She could sense someone walking towards her from the opposite side of the catwalk, which swayed a little bit with the added weight. She could not see who due to the steam. Raising the wrench and stepping into a crouch, she let out a warning growl. The swaying paused, then a dark chuckle floated out from the space ahead. The swaying started again as the person moved closer.

First a clawed gloved appeared, the lighting shining off of the blades. It was soon followed by a man in a red and green striped sweater, dark pants, and a brown fedora. His blue eyes were filled with evil glee and a malicious smile adorned his face. Lizzie recognized the man from the photo, but was surprised to see that his skin was now horrifically burned. He slowly looked her up and down, taking in her athletic body that was barely covered by the short hospital gown. The glee in his eyes quickly turned to lust. ‘Well, well. What do we have here?’ he said, his voice deep and raspy.

Lizzie stood her ground, the wrench raised and ready to fight. She had been almost beaten to death several times by her own mother, survived most of her life in an abandoned camp in the woods, became friends with a serial killer, was raised and taught to murder by said killer, and had been dragged kicking and screaming to an asylum. She did not fear this man.

‘Who are you?’ she asked, her voice strong and demanding. The man cocked his head in curiosity. ‘You’re not afraid of me?’ Lizzie raised an eyebrow. ‘Should I be?’ He stepped closer, gazing deep into her eyes. Suddenly, he reached forward and grabbed her by the neck and brought her closer. ‘Name’s Freddy Krueger. Who are you, bitch, and why aren’t you afraid?’ In one swift move, Lizzie brought the wrench up and slammed it into the side of Freddy’s head, making him lose his grip and stumble back. ‘My name is Lizzie, and I’m not afraid because I’m not normal.’ With a fast spinning crescent kick, she made him fall flat on his back before quickly sitting astride him and pinning his hands. ‘Now where am I and what do you want from me, bitch?’

Using his greater strength as leverage, Freddy flipped her over and pinned her in the same position. ‘Ooo, I like you. I had hoped you’d be this way. See, I knew who you were all along.’ He leaned down and licked her cheek before sitting back up, just avoiding her snapping teeth. ‘No wonder Jason keeps you around.’ Lizzie froze and stared up at him. ‘How do you know about Jason?’ Freddy rolled his eyes and chuckled. ‘That dumbass? I brought him back from his deep sleep a while back and used him to wreak havoc on Springwood. Didn’t work out. He started killing all my kids. They’re mine to kill, not his. Stupid bastard. Had to fight him off. Ended up with us both being shipped home.’

Lizzie glared up at him, not liking how he was talking about Jason. Freddy noticed this and grinned. He leaned down and whispered in her ear, making sure he was out of biting range. ‘So, were you his little whore or something?’ He chuckled as Lizzie snarled at him. Fueled by rage, she managed to roll her body up and throw him off before jumping to her feet and swinging the wrench at him. He blocked it with his claws and held up his other hand in a sign of peace. ‘Hold on now, bitch. I know what kind of situation you’re in and I’m willing to help you out.’ Lizzie paused and stared at him suspiciously. ‘Why?’ He grinned evilly at her. ‘I want Springwood to remember Freddy. I want to kill again.’

Lizzie raised an eyebrow. ‘Can’t you just kill? Why do they have to remember you?’ Freddy’s face filled with anger. ‘The stupid rules don’t let me kill without them thinking about my name first. They only reason I got into your dream is because I can enter the minds of killers as long as they’re not drugged up.’ Lizzie shrugged. ‘Okay, so how are you going to help me?’ He grinned again. ‘Easy enough. You’ll take me out of this dreamworld when you wake up. I’ll just pop back in later.’

Eyeing him suspiciously, she shrugged. What other choice did she have? ‘Fine, but if you try anything funny I’m going to shove this up your ass.’ She waved the wrench at him. Freddy rolled his eyes. ‘Yeah right. Whatever, bitch. Just go back to your nut house and wait for me. I’ll choose the right time to do this.’ He barely avoided the wrench flying past his head as Lizzie faded out and awoke in the real world.