by A. Eggleston
The third demon slithered its way up his arm, and was an inch away from Freddy's face. "But," it teased. "you seek a way to rid yourself of the Chosen One."
The first one spoke again. "By collecting the soul of the Chosen One, you, Freddy Krueger, will have nothing standing in your way from controlling the lands of the dead and the living."
The demon wrapped around Freddy's arms spoke again. "Summon and lead a legion of evil, and Ash will not stand a chance against you."
The second Dream Demon slithered across his shoulder. "Only you can defeat him." he said. "Find what weakens him, and use that to bring Ash closer to death."
"Yes!" hissed the third demon. "The Chosen One must die!"
The second demon continued. "You must make yourself strong enough to go against him."
Freddy was sick of having those slimy bastards wrapped around him. He had already become more powerful than the Dream Demons themselves. He no longer had to do their bidding. He decided to give them a sign of resignation.
Freddy took the snake-like demon that was wrapped around his arm and pulled it off of him, squeezing the life out of it. Soon enough, the demon began to disintegrate into nothing but a pile of ash. Its scream echoed as it faded away.
The two other demons began to flee from him, retreating back to the book, but Freddy flicked his knife up and the other two were engulfed in flames, and turned into ash.
You must make yourself strong enough to go against him. Freddy smiled at the Dream Demon's previous remark. He chuckled and in his graveled voice, he answered, "Check."
Officer Harris and Lt. Moore walked side by side with Ash down the steps in front of the Springwood PD. They had their guns ready in case any Deadites should happen to attack.
Ash turned to his left to face Moore. "So, you've dealt with this guy longer than I have." he referred to Freddy. "Tell me, how did those kids get rid of him before?"
Lt. Moore was hesitant to give Ash information he was sworn not to tell out in the open, but he figured that since this is unlike any case he had ever dealt with, it was time to break a few rules. "In previous cases, when we interviewed those kids, they said they could pull Freddy out from their dream."
Ash stopped and looked at him with inquiry. "And then what?" he asked.
"Well, in one case, a young lady said she turned her back from him. She took back the energy she gave him by being afraid."
Ash scoffed. "Ignore the bully and he'll leave you alone?" Who taught these guys how to deal with killers, my teacher from third grade? "No wonder Scissorhands keeps coming back."
Lt. Moore leered at him. "I see you weren't paying attention during the whole right to remain silent portion of your Miranda Rights."
"I've never been one to keep my mouth shut about things." said Ash. "Especially when you give out crappy advice like that."
Officer Harris looked at Ash's metal hand and taunted him. "At least I can play the piano."
Ash snapped and pointed a finger at him. "You know what? You ain't leaving but two things right now--"
SCREEEECH!!!
Ash's was about to finish by saying, "Jack and shit. And Jack left town." when he was halted when the three of them became distracted by the sound of squealing tires coming from the end of the block. He looked in the direction it was coming from and saw his Oldsmobile racing towards the police station. The sound of the engine roaring became louder the closer it came to them.
The car stopped in front of Ash, Lt. Moore, and Officer Harris. Before Ash could try to spot the people inside, Evelyn, Steven, and Faith opened the doors and ran out.
Evelyn ran up to Ash, who was now at the bottom step. Steven and Faith followed behind. "Ash!" greeted Evelyn.
Ash examined the kids lined up in front of him, and noticed that there was one missing.
She could tell by the look on his face that he noticed Jill was not with them. "He took Jill." she said.
Ash turned to Steven. "I'm sorry."
Steven didn't feel like talking, especially after the scare he had a few minutes earlier. Instead, he looked at Ash and nodded subtly.
"So, they just let you go?" asked Evelyn.
"Yes, ma'am." answered Ash. "I'm that good." He stepped away from everyone and walked to his car. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll--" Once Ash got a closer look at his
Oldsmobile, he finally saw the giant dent on the hood and the crack on the front window. "The hell did you do to my car?!"
"Krueger decided to pay us a visit." said Faith.
Ash turned away from his car to face the kids. "Freddy's here now?"
Evelyn nodded. "Yeah." She looked past Ash when she noticed something odd in the back ground. She tilted her head to get a better view. Her face dropped when she saw the same hoard of Deadites that they saw before had followed them to the police station. And they were running towards them. "And so are they." she said cryptically.
Ash turned in the direction that Evelyn was looking, and saw that in the middle of the intersection across from them were a hoard of Deadites. He counted ten of them, running as fast at they could towards them.
Lt. Moore shouted. "Everybody down!" He and Officer Harris drew their pistols.
Evelyn, Steven, and Faith crouched down to the ground while both of the policemen fired their weapons at the demons.
Ash, however, reached through the back window of his Delta 88 and grabbed his chainsaw and his double-barreled Remington. He also made sure to nab the shotgun holster that strapped around his back.
Moore and Harris fired a few shots at the Deadites, mostly in the chest area. It slowed them down, but it didn't kill them.
Ash forgave them for that. How were they supposed to know you had to shoot them in the head and chop them to bits?
"They won't stay down!" said Harris, fearfully.
"Call for backup!" instructed Moore.
Ash stood up and equipped his chainsaw to his right nub. "I don't think that'll be necessary." he said confidently.
He pointed the twin barrels at the Deadite second to the right. He pulled the trigger.
BOOM!!!
The demon's head burst. His neck was now gushing with thick blood. His headless body dropped down to the concrete.
Ash set his sights on the demon at the far right.
He executed this one the same way he did the last, with blood spilling on the road around his body as he fell down.
Ash put away his shotgun, resting it in his holster. He only had two bullets in his pistol, so he made sure not to waste them. He pulled out the pistol and shot two more Deadites.
Moore and Harris noticed what Ash was doing and began killing a few Deadites of their own. This time, they made sure to aim for the head.
All but three Deadites were wasted. The remaining three charged toward them at ramming speed. The foul beasts howled and hissed as they ran to Ash and the kids.
Ash hooked the pull-rope to his shoulder strap and started his chainsaw. The chainsaw rumbled loudly.
RRRRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrRRRRRRRRRR!!!
That's what I like to hear. thought Ash. He looked at the demons as they charged and held the chainsaw up in the air. "COME AND GET IT!!!"
Two Deadites came running towards Ash. They laughed maniacally, and exposed the insides of their slimy mouths.
Ash held the chainsaw in front of him and rammed inside one of the demon's chest. The Deadite shook violently and screamed in pain. He bled heavily, causing some of it to spray in Ash's face. Ash directed the chainsaw upward, splitting the demon in half. Once he released the chainsaw from the Deadite's body, it fell to the ground.
Another demon came from behind the last one. Her scream was like nails on a chalkboard as she ran towards Ash.
He acted quickly. Gripping the handle with his right hand, Ash swung the chainsaw horizontally, cutting the demon off at the torso.
The last Deadite came charging up the stairs to attack Moore and Harris. Before it could reach them, Moore shot it between the eyes. It fell and tumbled
down the concrete steps, leaving a trail of blood behind as it went down.
Evelyn, Steven, and Faith had stayed crouched to the ground during the whole attack. Once the gunfire was over, they felt safe enough to get back up.
Evelyn looked up from the ground, and saw the legless torso of one of the Deadites crawling towards her.
"I'll devour your soul!" hissed the Deadite. It then cackled as it got closer to Evelyn.
Evelyn backed away before she saw Ash walking in front of her.
Ash put his foot under the Deadite and flipped her over on her back. She flailed her arms around, trying to grab his legs, but he laid his foot on her stomach to make her still.
With his shotgun in hand, Ash blasted the Deadites head to pieces.
BOOM!!!
He put away his shotgun and helped Evelyn get back on her feet.
Moore and Harris walked down the steps to join Ash and the kids.
"We should set up roadblocks around the town." announced Moore. "That way those things can't get more people."
"I don't think that'll do any good, sir." Harris said. The tone of his voice suggested that something was off-kilter.
Moore turned to Harris, who was looking up at the night sky the whole time. "Why do you say that?"
Harris pointed up and gulped, like he was swallowing down a blood-curdling scream. "That's why."
Moore, Ash, as well as the kids all looked up at the sky, and saw horrors beyond their imagination.
The clouds in the sky seemed to swirl around, centering on the moon, which had turned red as blood. Filling the air were twenty or so winged Deadites. They were monsters that Ash had only seen once before, back when he was transported to the Medieval ages. They were roughly seven feet tall. The Deadites had the upper body and legs of a human. Their feet and hands were clawed. Their wings were fleshy and were twice the size of the rest of their bodies. Their white eyes glowed in the night, and their jaws were elongated, showing rows upon rows of rotten fangs.
All twenty-plus Deadites shrieked like banshees in the sky, piercing everyone's ears. They circled around the sky like vultures, waiting to attack.
Ash groaned. "Not these guys again."
One of the winged Deadites propelled downward, charging toward Ash. Its scream became louder as it flew down.
"Damn it!" Ash cursed. He reached for more bullets in his shirt pocket and quickly reloaded his shotgun.
The flying demon was now only twenty feet away from Ash. It opened up its claws in anticipation for Ash's capture.
Ash cocked the shotgun and pointed it straight at the demon. He pulled the trigger and blasted it in the head.
BOOM!!!
The headless winged demon fell down to the ground. The monstrous Deadite landed on the concrete and slid another fifteen feet across the streets of downtown Springwood.
All of the kids gaped in awe after having witnessed the killing of the horrible beast.
"That was fucking awesome." said Faith, matter-of-factly.
Ash smiled at her and put away his shotgun. "And it's only Thursday." he said with a cocky tone. "You should see me on the weekends." he bragged.
Before Ash could head back to his car, he immediately felt pressure on both of his shoulders. He found himself being hurled from the ground.
Another winged Deadite had sunk its claws into Ash and lifted him from the air.
"Ash!" Evelyn cried out.
Ash screamed in terror. "Aaaaah!" He knew it wouldn't make a difference, but he couldn't help but flail his arms and legs and taunt the demon. "Let go of me, you mangy bat!"
The flying demon hovered over the town for a few seconds after that, until it flew down and lowered one of its wings, and spun around in a circle. When it gained enough momentum, the Deadite released its grip on Ash, causing him to be propelled toward the front of a building.
Ash screamed, knowing he was going to be knocked against it. He smacked face-first against the brick wall and fell down to the ground. He groaned in pain before everything went black, and he fell unconscious.
Chapter Twenty Five
Ash felt himself slipping away. He could hear people rushing to him, and calling his name, but it was no good. The outside world faded into darkness. The voices of those around him echoed as he fell further into the dream.
And then, everything fell silent. It was as if everything else in the world had ceased to exist. He couldn't even hear himself breathe. He had been in this place before. He couldn't count how many times he had been knocked out, but this time it felt different. He felt as if he was being physically pulled deeper into the dark, and he couldn't fight it.
After a while, Ash started to wonder if the crash had actually killed him. Am I dead? Wait--no. If I'm asking myself that, then I can't be dead. Well, if I'm not dead, where am I? Where am I going? I should've never come to this town in the first place.
And in that moment, Ash found himself standing on an old, dirt road at the edge of a cliff, overlooking the sunset. There was nothing else surrounding him other than the woods on either side of the road. Row after row of towering, rotund, trees, as well as bushes containing honeysuckle flowers, stretched down the road behind him as far as the eye could see.
He stood beside his Oldsmobile, which somehow appeared brand new. All of the cracks and dents it had acquired over the years were now gone. It looked exactly like it did when he first got it, back when he was in his twenties. Even the white, leather, interior was intact. Free of rips and tears.
There wasn't a spot in the area he was in that didn't look like a beautiful painting. There he stood in the mountains overlooking the lake that was miles below him. All of the trees were thick and full of life. The trees on Ash's left and right side were so abundant, that it formed a barricade, narrowing his path.
Off to the east, the sun was slowly setting down, becoming lost under the mess of clouds below it. The orange glow of the sunset filled the entire sky.
It was a breathtaking sight for anyone who had not been there before. But, Ash had visited this place long ago. It had been decades since he had been there, but it was all coming back to him the further he traveled. When he walked, he felt light as air, simply drifting closer to the edge of the cliff.
That was when the beautiful images ceased to occur. At the edge of the cliff was a bridge--at least, there was supposed to be a bridge--connecting the break in path in the mountain that was supposed to carry the traveler safely across. The metal bridge that connected the gap had been demolished. It looked like it had been torn down the middle, and the remaining scraps were left on both edges.
Ash stood just a few feet from the destroyed bridge. There were five metal support beams that were bent upward, jagged, and curved. They almost looked like fingers, constantly pointing at him.
His mouth gaped open, and the glimmer in his eyes went away as Ash realized that he had been taken right back to the cabin where it all began. He felt hopeless. "No..." He had to tell himself that this was only a dream. But, everything felt real. As if he had truly gone back in time. The smell of the fresh air, and the feeling of the wind gently blowing against his face only made it harder for him to convince himself that it wasn't really happening.
He knew it would be quite a while before he would be able to regain consciousness. He knew that between now and then, he was going to have to endure every trick Freddy had up his raggedy sleeve. He also knew that he was here with him, somewhere. "You miserable bastard!" he cursed him, wherever he was. "You took me right back, you son of a bitch!" Ash looked all around, searching for him. "Where are you?! Show yourself, you coward!" He put up his fists, showing Freddy that he was ready to fight. "You brought me here, I'm not leaving without a fight! Come on!"
But still, there was nothing. He looked around again, but there was no sign of Freddy's presence anywhere around him. Ash lowered his hands and smirked. "Thought so." he said. "It's easy goin' after little kids, but when you're up against someone full-size, you turn into a little pussy,
don't ya!"
Ash felt the ground beneath him start to shake violently. The branches on the trees began to rustle. It felt like a small earthquake. Ash started to lose balance, and found it harder to stand still amid the rumbling ground below his feet.
CREAK!!!
Ash heard the sound of metal bending. He looked at the metal bridge beams above him. He saw that that they were moving, as if they had a life of their own. The five beams were bent in the middle. They flexed up and down, like fingers on a human hand.
His eyes widened in surprise, but he kept them locked on the moving metal support beams. I guess calling him a pussy was taking it too far. Ash managed to hold steady as he slowly stepped away from the cliff and made his way closer to his car.
The beams were changing rapidly in appearance. The tops of the beams thinned and formed into a sharp point, resembling animal-like claws. The beams became silver, and shined under the rays of the orange sun.
The support beams had now fully morphed into the blades atop Freddy's glove. The five blade broke away from the edge of the cliff and rose higher, revealing the rest of Freddy's copper-plated glove, and also showing part of his red and green striped sweater on his wrist. His hand was now raised above Ash's body, at a height of fifteen feet and a width of eight feet. Freddy targeted his blades at Ash, and began to quickly lower them down.
Ash made a 180 degree turn, and ran to his car. As Ash reached out to grab the door handle. He felt one of the blades latch onto the back of his leather jacket and pull him back.
"Oof!" Ash exclaimed as he fell hard onto the ground, landing on his back. He felt the ground move beneath him as Freddy used his blade to, slowly and smoothly, drag him closer to the edge of the cliff. He fidgeted, waving his arms and moving his shoulders up and down, but he could not release himself from Freddy's grip. He tilted his head upward and saw the edge get closer and closer.
Wait a second... Feeling like an idiot, Ash realized that all he had to do was take off the jacket. He slid the leather jacket over his head. Once he was finally free, Ash stood up and ran as fast as his feet would allow.
