by A. Eggleston
Ok, it's something wrapped in some kind of cloth. Ash thought.
Ash felt a sharp cut slice through his index finger. "Ow!" he exclaimed.
Is there a knife in here? He asked himself.
He brought it out so he could see it with his own eyes. Whatever it was, it had been
rolled up tightly in an old, dirty, cloth. He unwrapped it as quick as a five-year-old tearing away the decorative paper on a Christmas present. What he had just revealed was an old welding glove with aged copper plating on the back and the fingers, and long, steel, blood-stained, razor blades on the tips of the fingers.
It was Freddy's glove.
He could feel it. The longer he held the glove in his hands, he started to feel dizzy and nauseated. Like the whole room was spinning around him.
It just laid in the palms of his hands, the copper plates clanking against each other as Ash's hands shook. He was now convinced. He knew know that there truly was another evil following him. A dark and shameless thing, weakening him, removing his sanity, trapping him.
Freddy was coming to get him.
Ash felt like he was about to vomit. "Oh...God..." Ash mumbled. He dropped the glove onto the ground, and tried to get back up. He slipped and stumbled in the process, but eventually managed to stand. As he tried to keep his balance, he walked back to the stairs. He knew what he had to do now.
"That damn book..." he said, trying to find something to balance himself with. "It's your fault! For EVERYTHING!" he said. Because of the Necronomicon, Ash's entire life had been ruined. He was destined to a life of Hell on Earth. He wasn't going to put if off any longer. If the book was destroyed, so would his tortuous life be as well. At the very least, there was bound to be some sort of incantation to trap the evil back again. Ash hoped that he would be able read it. Ash prepared to step up the stairs.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha...
Ash froze for a second and shifted his body to look around him. His foot stayed on that first step. He heard that low, sinister, laugh that had now become so familiar to him.
"You again." Ash realized. "You're here. But where?" Ash looked all around him, but found nothing. He slowly turned back, feeling the hairs on his neck spring up and he moved away.
Freddy stood beside Ash, watching him squirm. He smirked at the sight of his shaking hands, and the cold sweat appearing on his brow. He was weak, and the time to strike was now. Freddy had waited for this for so long. He had not just another chance to return from the dead, but to gain eternal life. A power he could have never imagined possessing before. All he had to do was wait for the imbecile to fall asleep, and then the fun could begin.
In his dreams, Ash would be vulnerable and susceptible to Freddy's powers, however weak they were at the time. But it would be just enough to enter his mind, read the incantations of the Necronomicon through Ash, and Freddy would be unstoppable.
"Your soul is mine." Freddy said, but his words went unheard to Ash. Much like Freddy, they were lost between the spaces of the living and the dead. Soon enough, the endless torture, being bound in a purgatorial state of entrapment, the desensitization of not being able to run his blades against the flesh of some ripe, screaming bitch, soon it will all be over. Freddy's patience was starting to wane. He had to wait for Ash to fall asleep before he could do anything. Until then, he just watched as Ash was becoming debilitated by the second.
Ash took it one step at a time as he reached up the stairs. "I'm going to take care of that book once and for all." he vowed. He leaned against the wall to keep from falling backwards. He felt like the ground was moving below him. Utter blackness formed out of the corners of his eyes. He knew he was probably going to pass out within the next two minutes, so he tried as best as he could to hurry to his car to get the Necronomicon. With it, maybe he could undo this whole mess.
I can't waste any time. Ash thought.
He was now at the top of the stairs, about to reach for the doorknob. He suddenly felt a chill race across his spine.
CLINK!
Ash paused for a moment. That noise...he had heard it before. It sounded like metal clanking against metal. He had heard it when he pulled that glove out from the furnace.
Freddy had flicked the fingers of his gloved hand apart, hovering his razor-sharp blades just above Ash's scalp. He couldn't wait until it was time to put those knives back to work again. Out of his frustration, of being restrained from the blood, violence, and violation, Freddy couldn't help but allow a smirk to emerge from the corner of his mouth in anticipation.
Ash pushed the door open, and fell down to his knees on his way out. In addition to his nausea and dizziness, his entire body stung in pain. He felt as if every square inch of his skin was being poked with needles. He managed to get back up, but with each step he took, he could feel the waking world slipping away from him. The pain quickly escalated. He knocked against a shelf in the wall he was leaning against, knocking over vases, books, and other knick-knacks he didn't really give a damn about in the first place.
Finally, he couldn't hold himself up anymore. Ash dropped to ground, holding himself halfway up by his elbows. He couldn't figure out which he was going to do first: pass out, throw up, or cry out in agony. The pain was excruciating, he wanted to die just so he wouldn't have to endure this vexation anymore.
He'd felt this kind of pain before, but not to this degree. This was such an exaggerated and raw discomfort, it was as if his skin had been peeled, leaving only his nerves to exposed to the harsh environment around him. The only time Ash had experienced this agony was when the forces of the Necronomicon had come to him, in an attempt to claim his soul.
God, that was horrible. Ash said to himself. As he recalled, he had only been possessed by the foul things only a few times. And a few times was enough. But this...this is like a thousand times worse.
Ash yelled in agony. “AAAAH!“ He writhed around on the floor, begging for it to stop. Droplets of sweat raced down his forehead as he panted, feeling like he was losing oxygen. He looked up at the ceiling, everything he saw looked like it was moving around him like a merry-go-round. He wondered how many seconds he had left, and what would happen when his time was up.
"Not so tough now, are ya?" Freddy taunted Ash. He was kneeled over him, his head cocked to the side, marveling at the sight of this supposed "Chosen One" lying flat on the ground like any one of his own victims.
Freddy writhed and twitched the razor blades on his fingers around playfully. "Ha ha ha ha ha ha..." His laugh echoed through the spaces beyond. "Time for this 'hero' to step down and let the master take over." he said. Freddy flicked the blade on his index finger up. With his left hand, he grabbed Ash by the throat, holding him down. Freddy could hear the pathetic excuse for a demon slayer gag and gasp for breath. "Now," His voice was lithe. "Let's see how strong you really are inside that weak, little brain of yours, huh?" He cocked his elbow up, aiming his razor blade dead center between Ash's eyes. Quick as a bullet, Freddy pierced through the base of Ash's skull.
Ash felt a sharp pain in his head. The phrase "splitting headache" didn't even begin to describe it. "AAAAAH!" He screamed again. He could feel it. It was happening again. Ash knew that, right at that very moment, something had taken control of him.Something that had come back from the dead.
And that something was none other than Freddy Krueger.
Ash felt his breath slow down to a pause, and everything just went...
Black.
Ash's lids opened, revealing a set of eyes that did not belong to him. They were pale blue, and black around the edges. Ash's face had been contorted and twisted until it resembled nothing like what he looked like before. He looked like pure evil. The lines of his mouth curved upwards, forming a sly smile. He had slight burn marks on the side of his face. This was no longer Ash Williams, mild-mannered stock boy destined to fight the evils of the world. This was the haunter of everyone's nightmares, the ultimate boogeyman, the bastard son of a hundred maniacs...Ash had become nothing but a ve
ssel for Freddy Krueger at this point in time.
Freddy jerked upwards until he sat up. He stretched his arms and neck, getting used to the body now in his possession. He stood up, and slowly turned his head to the front door.
"Now," Freddy said to himself. "where's my book?"
He flung the door open wide, and strode across the lawn until he reached Ash's Oldsmobile. He stood, wide-legged, with his right shoulder slumped lower than the left. He was so used to having his trusty glove on him at all times, that he couldn't position himself any other way. Freddy felt around the pockets for the car keys. He opened the trunk, and there it was, right in the middle, calling and beckoning to him. Without a second thought, he grabbed the book and slammed the trunk.
He entered his home, and kicked the door closed behind him. Freddy paced to the kitchen counter, and set the Book of the Dead in front of him. He flipped through the pages, looking for the resurrection passage. Freddy ran his finger across the page. "Alright, let's see here." He searched for the passage that would bring him back from the dead. "Gotcha!" he said. He took a deep breath and began the phonetic pronunciations of the Necronomicon Ex-Mortis.
"Kanda--ack!" Out of the blue, Freddy felt a punch land squarely in his jaw. It was his own left hand.
Damn it! Freddy thought. This moron wants to fight back!
With his left hand, Ash took back control of his body, and landed another punch at Freddy in his abdomen. While it was his own body, and it hurt a great deal, he knew that Freddy was the one taking most of the damage. The punch caused him to double-over. Ash's voice had now taken over. "I'm not letting you read from that book, you undead bastard!" he said.
Freddy was back in control. "Looks like you don't have a choice, stubby!" he yelled. With Ash's metal hand, he grabbed him by the back of the head and slammed his head against the counter.
SLAM!
Over.
SLAM!
And over.
SLAM!
And over.
Ash pushed himself up. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. "Is that all you've got, Freddy!?" he taunted. "I've done worse to myself!" Before he knew it, he felt himself reach for the Necronomicon.
Freddy didn't want to rush this, but he had no other choice. This was his only chance. "Kanda. Estrata." he struggled to say the words. Suddenly, he felt Ash shove the book away and watched it drop to the floor.
"I'll be damned if I let you to live again!" Ash said.
Freddy retaliated. "Why can't you die like a good little piggy?!" He jumped over the kitchen counter and grabbed the Necronomicon off the floor. He panted as he recited the words. "Demontos. Nosferatos." Soon after, Freddy felt Ash shift his body to the left and hit his knee straight into the counter. "Aaah!" Freddy screamed in pain. With his left foot, Ash stomped on his right foot, causing Freddy to scream in pain again. Freddy reached over and grabbed a butcher knife and held it to Ash's throat.
Before he could make contact, with his left hand, Ash blocked Freddy, pushing the knife away from him. He strained to keep Freddy from slicing his neck open. He felt the hand that Freddy was controlling begin to lower, and quickly slice across Ash's left forearm. It stung like hell, and Ash shouted in pain.
Freddy held the book to him, and resumed the passage.
From outside the house, deep in the darkness and in the night, the evil and powerful forces of the Necronomicon roamed the dark bowers of man's domain. It traveled faster than any man or beast. The entity emerged from the dark unknown, and into the seemingly peaceful area of suburbia. It entered Elm Street. It lived and followed the words of the Dark One, its master. It followed the words echoed by Freddy Krueger. "Kanda." His words became louder. It knew exactly where to go. "Demontos." At the very center of Elm Street, in front of the house addressed 1428, the entity shifted and came ever so close to the door.
Freddy reveled as he spoke the very last word of the resurrection passage. He spoke it wickedly. "Kanda." he growled.
The entity burst through the door, like an explosion. The chorus of demonic voices howled and shrieked bloody murder. The forces of ancient evil met with its new leader and became one. Energy and light fused together and exploded like a flash of lightning. Freddy separated from the meek little vessel known as Ash Williams, and was now fully resurrected, charred skin, ugly sweater, and all.
Ash gained full control of himself. He felt worse than he did went he was possessed, but at least he was himself again. He heard a low breathing noise. Ash looked up, and saw that it was Freddy. He stood tall, asserting his power over the weakened and defeated Ash.
Freddy smirked and laughed softly. "Ha ha ha ha ha..." Freddy launched his razor glove straight at Ash's ribcage. Ash felt a smothering pain in his chest for a fraction of a second until...
He awoke.
Ash shot straight up. He realized what had just happened. There were four small puncture marks in his ribs, but they weren't fatal. He was still alive, but...he couldn't say the same for everyone else. "No." he said. He had find Evelyn and the rest of the kids.
Chapter Eleven
The two eighteen-year-olds, Kyle and Meg, quietly shuffled up the stairs and searched the hallway for an unlocked room. The hall was ambient, lit only by the moonlight peeking through the window at the far end. Meg kept looking back, making sure no one was there to spot them. The turning of her head made her shoulder-length red hair flip left and right. Her heart had been pounding in her chest.
She had been with Kyle for over a year. She truly adored him and everything about him, from his short brown hair, to the tiny mole on the side of his right foot. In fact, she would even go so far as to say she loved him. He was always so nice to her, and treated her like fine china.
Meg and Kyle simply wanted to leave the crowd and be alone with him. They rarely ever had time by themselves. School kept them apart during the day. Friends and family kept them company in the evening. That night, they were done being around a crowd of their friends, and ready to just be with each other.
They entered the second door on the left at the very end. They were inside the master bedroom. None of the lights were turned on. It was completely dark. Kyle shut the door and pulled Meg in tightly. He leaned in and kissed her. Meg returned his kiss, she wrapped her arms around his neck.
Kyle pulled back. "Meg, are you sure you want to do this?" he said. "I mean, we can still go back to the party. I'm okay with that." The truth was, that he was just as nervous as Meg was. Meg was his first real girlfriend, and he had no idea what he was supposed to do. He felt like he was trying to skate on ice for the first time, nervous and afraid he was going to look like an idiot.
Meg looked up into his bright, blue eyes. She really did like him a lot. "Yeah." she said, feebly. "Don't worry about it." her voice started to crack. "I feel like we never get to be alone, we're always with someone else."
"Yeah." agreed Kyle. He looked down, appearing conflicted. "But, you sure about here? At Steven's house? I mean, it seems kinda cliché: going to a party at your friend's house, and sneaking off in their parents' bedroom. Right? What if someone walks in? Like Steven?"
"Kyle, we're never by ourselves. Ever. And now we are." She hugged him, burying her face in his chest. "I just want to be with you, without other people around bugging us for once." She turned and pointed at the doorknob. "And see? Look. There's a lock on the door. We'll have privacy, okay?"
Kyle hugged her back. "Okay." he agreed. "It does suck not seeing you all the time."
"I know." Meg said as she kissed him on the cheek. She gently pushed him away, leading him to the bed. "You just wait here," she put her hands on his shoulders and made him sit down on the bed. She spaced her words out. "I'm gonna go get something to drink." she said.
He smiled at her. "Okay."
And in a flash, she was out the door.
Kyle laid back, placing his arms behind his head, and stared at the ceiling. He sighed deeply.
Meg scurried quickly along the hall, muttering to
herself. "It's okay to be nervous. It's okay to be nervous. It's normal, it's perfectly normal." She stepped back down the stairs and went into the kitchen to get a glass of water from the tap. She leaned her head back, taking a big drink. She set the empty cup down on the tile counter, and adjusted her black t-shirt, wiping away all of the lint that had accumulated on it.
His eyes began to flutter out of boredom, and from the fact that it was almost one in the morning. Kyle wondered how much longer he had to wait for Meg to come back. Finally, he closed his eyelids shut. In a matter of seconds, Kyle was asleep.
Oh, how sweet. Freddy thought, sarcastically. Young love. Freddy stood at the edge of the bed, watching Kyle sleep. Makes me wanna slit their throats and watch 'em bleed. He strode closer towards Kyle. This was his first opportunity to use whatever abilities the Necronomicon had to offer him.
Although Freddy now had the book, he still couldn't use it to its full advantage unless he created fear in the little town of Springwood yet again. He thought he'd have this technique down perfectly by now. But at least, with the Book of the Dead, he could speed up the process.
The knives on his metal glove stood straight up as he raised them up in front of his face. The corners of his mouth curved upward as he hovered closer to Kyle. He extended his arm towards him.
"I might not be strong enough yet." Freddy said.
SHIIING!
Freddy raised a single blade up and aimed it at Kyle. "But, this'll have to do for now." He laughed under his breath. "Time to spread the fear around."
While he was sleeping, Kyle felt as if he had been pulled under. He dreamt that he was falling back into an endless darkness. He couldn't see anything, he just felt that he was quickly descending into the unknown. It was terrifying. He wanted to scream for help, but he couldn't breathe.
