Freddy vs. Ash

by A. Eggleston

  Steven ran back to Evelyn's side. This time, his eyes were wide and his palms were shaking. He turned to look at Evelyn, but she was already gone.

  Evelyn cursed as she walked to one of the checkout counters. “Damn it.“ She grabbed her axe from the table and jogged back to the boarded windows.

  Evelyn held the axe above her head and swung down hard, severing one of the Deadite hands at the wrist.

  The rotting hand fell to the ground and started forming a pool of green blood at the cut-off point.

  Evelyn did the same to the other. Like an 18th century executioner, Evelyn lifted the axe up as high as she could and swiftly brought it down, cutting off the hand. Now that there were two holes in the barricade, Evelyn was able to hear the demonic symphony of hisses and growls coming from outside. It made her stomach churn.

  Other than that, the Deadites were kept at bay. Evelyn lowered the axe and held it in her right hand. With her left, she gave Steven a feeble thumbs up. However, her face showed less optimism and more shock. "I think we got it." she said.

  Steven stared at Evelyn's feet. He was frozen in place, not able to comprehend what he was seeing. All he could manage to say was, "...E-Evelyn?" He pointed at her feet.

  Before she could ask what was wrong, Evelyn felt a tug on both of the pant legs on her jeans. She dropped her head down to see the severed hands crawling on their own, and up her legs. Evelyn let out a half-gasp-half-scream, and dropped her axe. She started brushing the hands from her thighs. The more she fought them off, the harder they squeezed her legs, refusing to let go. "Get them off me!" she yelled at Steven. "Hurry!"

  Steven ran over to Housewares and grabbed a butcher knife from the display table. By the time he returned to Evelyn, she had already flung one of them off of her leg. Steven grabbed the other hand and pried it from Evelyn's thigh. Once the hands released its grip from Evelyn, Steven reached for the other, and slammed both of them on the ground. Steven held the knife above the two hands that were stacked on top of one another, and stabbed them. He pushed the knife down hard, cutting through the muscles and bones.

  The hands twitched their fingers back and forth. Green blood oozed from the stab wound, some of it got on Steven's hand. As Steven pushed the knife down, he swore he could hear the hands making a noise as they fell still. They seemed to squeak, like rats.

  Disgusted from what he had just done, Steven took the Deadite kebob and pinned it to the wall next to the boarded windows. He turned around to look at Evelyn, expecting a reaction.

  They both had the same look in their eyes: confusion, disgust, and a nonverbal "What the fuck was that?"

  Evelyn finally spoke, brushing it off. "You know what?" she said, raising her hands up at shoulder height. "At this point, we should be used to this stuff."

  "You know, you'd think so." said Steven. "But then, something even more fucked up happens that makes me question my own sanity."

  "Hey guys!" Faith shouted from the garden department, where she was watching over Ash. "Get over here, something's wrong with Ash!"

  He turned to Evelyn. "See what I meant?"

  They ran to Faith and the presently unconscious Ash, who was still laying down on one of the folding lawn chairs. Steven stood next to Faith, who was at Ash's left. Evelyn knelt by Ash on his right side.

  "What's happening to him?" Evelyn asked Faith.

  Faith was restless. She didn't know how to explain it, mostly because of how it frightened her. "He just--started moving his arms and legs, like he was...fighting him, or something."

  Steven and Evelyn could see it now. Ash started moving his head from left to right. He mumbled incoherently and started jerking his knees up and down. They looked at Ash's face more closely and began to notice dark, purple, bruises appearing on his cheek and jaw. And then, he started sweating profusely.

  "I've tried, I can't wake him up." admitted Faith.

  "Then we have to try harder." said Evelyn curtly.

  With her eyes still locked on Ash, Faith pointed at him. "Wait, guys..." Faith said worriedly. "Look."

  Evelyn and Steven looked at Ash again. This time, his face was now burning red. The tips of the hair in front of his face started to smoke. The dark hairs glowed orange, and slowly burnt off. The glowing embers fell and flew in all directions.

  Freddy was going to burn him.

  Evelyn reacted on instinct and did what she felt was the right thing to do. She brushed away the smoke from the ends of Ash's hair. She then cupped his face with both hands and got close to him. She screamed at the top of her lungs. "WAKE UP!" Her voice cracked. "ASH, WAKE UP!"

  Her breaths became short and uneven. Her eyes were stinging and she felt a heaviness in her heart. The tone in her voice hinted at desperation, like she was not commanding, but begging. "Ash, wake up..."

  Chapter Twenty Eight

  The flames danced wildly, barely kissing Ash's flesh. The bright, yellow fire illuminated his face. The heat was unbearable. Ash thought that if being burned alive wouldn't kill him first, the inevitable heatstroke would.

  He kept his hands locked firmly on the wall of the furnace, steadying himself as Freddy kept his hand on Ash's neck, pushing him into the fire. He felt his face burning, getting hotter by the second. The heat was robbing him of his strength, depleting him. It soon became difficult to breathe. His arms weakened. It took every ounce of will left inside of him to hold on, but the harder Freddy pushed, it became more real to him that his mortality, his life...his soul...was on the line. Ash pleaded. Begged for a way out. For his strength to given back to him. For him not to die. "God, please." he exhaled.

  Freddy crept lower towards his ear. With one sentence, he took away the only speck of hope Ash had left in him. "God's not here, it's just you and me." A swell of adrenaline and diabolical pleasure rushed through Freddy's body as he prepared to throw Ash into the furnace.

  ASH, WAKE UP!

  Evelyn's cries traveled through Ash's ears and into the dream realm. Her voice was so powerful that it managed to break through the wall between dream and reality.

  "Huh?" Freddy mumbled. He lifted his head, trying to locate where the voice was coming from. He couldn't pinpoint its location, as it echoed all throughout the boiler room. He couldn't believe it. Ash had been knocked out cold. He didn't think anything would be able to reach him. He had his Deadite minions throw him against a brick wall for fuck's sake, how was this possible?

  But then he remembered. From all of the countless children he had come across, there was always one in the group that a special power inside of her. Something that gave her strength and the ability to stand up against him. Whether it be calling in other people into her dreams, gathering the strength from his victims after he killed them, or being able to take away the fear he had given her, there was always something that allowed them to fight back. That bitch is messing up my plan.

  Ash felt Freddy loosen his grip when he heard Evelyn's voice. He knew that this was his only chance to break free. He had to act now or Freddy would surely kill him. Ash bent his right arm and pulled it back as hard and swift as he could.

  His elbow launched into Freddy's side, breaking one of his ribs. "Ah!" Freddy groaned and placed his hand on his rib, feeling the knot that Ash left when he hit him.

  But Ash wasn't done. No. He wanted Freddy to hurt, to suffer, to get his fucking ass kicked. Ash spun around, facing a now hunched over Freddy Krueger. He grabbed Freddy's right arm and twisted it all the way around, stopping when he heard a snap.

  Ash had dislocated his shoulder. The sound of his bone popping out of place was gut-wrenching. It sounded like a twig snapping or a celery stalk being broken in half. Freddy shouted in pain. "Ah!"

  Freddy attempted to catch his breath as Ash side-stepped away from him. "Pretty spry for a guy who nearly got his face melted off!" he sniped.

  "Well, you'd know about that, wouldn't you?" Ash countered as he turned away and ran from Freddy.

  Not this shit again...Freddy wasn't going to have Ash
slip away from his grip yet again. His eyebrows tilted, resembling a "V" shape on his forehead. Freddy stood tall and placed his left hand on his right shoulder. He pushed on it, popping it back in place. I'm not letting you get away, piglet.

  In a cloud of flames and glowing embers, Freddy disappeared from where he stood. At that moment, he was gone.

  Ash kept running. He didn't care where it took him, as long as he got as far away from Freddy as he could. He panted, his breathing became more concentrated as he tried to run faster.

  Then, in the blink of an eye, Freddy appeared before him. Out of nowhere, Freddy was just inches from Ash's face, appearing in a flurry of smoke and fire.

  Ash stopped in his tracks. The inertia that built up from the running caused Ash to stumble.

  Freddy tilted his head to the left, smiling devilishly. With the shark-like set of teeth, devil horn-shaped ears, and a soul piercing stare, it was hard to look more evil than he already was, but he still managed to pull it off. He raised his gloved hand up next to his face, his palm open. He waved his blades up and down and chuckled low under his breath.

  Ash kept his gaze locked on Freddy's knives. Freddy was immortal in the dream world, but Ash was not. He didn't want those blades anywhere near him.

  The moron's actually falling for it! While Freddy had Ash distracted with his knives, he balled his left hand into a fist and punched Ash right in the nose.

  The impact caused Ash to lift his head up and clumsily step back. He covered his nose, feeling the blood start to spill from in between his fingers. "Bastard!" he shouted, muffled. "You broke my nose!"

  Freddy punched him again, this time in the stomach. His knuckles whitened as Freddy tightened his grip. He launched his fist into Ash's midsection.

  The blow caused Ash to double-over. It knocked the wind out of him. The only thing that could escape from his mouth was a faint groan.

  Freddy couldn't help but smile, letting his rotted teeth become exposed under the bleak light of the boiler room. Freddy panted. The fight had worn him down as well. But the sight of Ash's pain gave Freddy a familiar happiness, causing his breathing to become erratic. He could barely contain his joy.

  With Ash still bent over from the pain, Freddy grabbed his neck and squeezed tightly.

  Ash choked and gargled on his own saliva as he felt Freddy's grimy hands on his throat.

  Freddy lifted Ash up. He looked into his fearful, pathetic eyes as Freddy brought him up to eye-level. He grinned and lifted Ash higher and higher until his feet were no longer touching the ground.

  Ash frantically swung his feet in all directions. He grabbed the hand that latched on his throat, trying to pry it away, but to no avail. Freddy's hands were like a vice around his neck. Ash could barely manage a faint, wheezing inhale to keep himself going.

  "I almost feel sorry for you, Ash." Freddy sardonically spoke to him. "You've had to watch all the women you love die right in front of you. Must be sad for a guy like you, huh?" He chuckled under his breath. Freddy knew that, for Ash...for any man...that it would be heartbreaking to have all of the women in their life perish before them. But for Freddy, it was a joy. An absolute rush. Especially when he choked the life out of his wife, Loretta. "I had a wife once. Fucking bitch had to learn the hard way not to snoop around in my basement." Watching the twinkle fade from her eyes as he squeezed tighter and tighter around her neck...it was exhilarating. "How about I make you a deal?" Freddy asked as Ash continued to struggle for breath. "I'll kill you first, and your little whore can meet you in Hell five minutes later. Sound good?"

  Ash couldn't speak. At that point, it became a struggle just to inhale.

  Freddy lifted his gloved hand up next to his ear. He feigned to attempt hearing the noises coming from Ash's mouth. "I'm not hearing a "no"!" Freddy laughed and raised his knives high above his head, ready to slice Ash up and down.

  Ash lifted his knees close to his stomach. He kicked both feet in front of him, hitting Freddy in the chest, sending them both falling on their backs, to the floor.

  Ash wasted no time getting back on his feet and walking towards Freddy. He listened as Freddy moaned in pain. Seeing him groan and get the wind kicked out of him, it made Ash smile. It filled him with so much gratification to see him in pain. He launched his feet towards Freddy's ribs and chest, literally kicking him while he was down.

  Again. THUD!

  And again. THUD!

  And again. THUD!

  He verbally spit at Freddy as he brought his metal hand out from his jacket and attached it to his right arm. Ash released all of his hatred for Freddy out in the open, both physically and verbally. "You like to prey on children?" he said, feeling nauseated as the words left his mouth. "You motherfucker!" Ash kicked him again, harder than before.

  He bent over towards the bloody, and beaten, Freddy. Ash grabbed him by the collar of his ratty, striped sweater and lifted him up. "You sick fuck!" With his metal hand, Ash punched Freddy in his jaw line.

  "Ugh!" Freddy groaned as he tilted his head away from Ash, and spit blood from his mouth.

  Ash lifted Freddy to his feet. He brought him closer to his face. "I was almost free, God damn it!" he said with a hint of desperation in his voice. "I found your book underneath that boiler room." Ash's face contorted in anger. "You had your chance right then, but no, you had to wait until I was gonna destroy the book to bring yourself back...JUST TO--" Ash rammed Freddy's head against the large lead pipe that was behind him. "--FUCK WITH ME! Didn't ya?!"

  Freddy strained to lift his head up to look at Ash in the eyes. His whole body ached, and his head wouldn't stop buzzing. He was so hazy that, once he finally looked at Ash, it looked like he was seeing double-vision. Like there was two Ash's weaving in and out of focus.

  But through his fuzzy vision, Freddy noticed the tortured look in Ash's eyes. His eyes were wild with anger, but at the same time, there was a hint of pain. All the years of endless killings and trauma, the souls of his loved ones being stripped away and replaced with pure evil, not to mention all of the innocent people who got in the way, it all built up in that moment. Not only did Freddy take away his chance at a normal life, he has now brought the world on the verge of complete annihilation of human existence. The Deadites would soon take over under Freddy's rule.

  Freddy battled the raw pain in his ribs to laugh in Ash's face. The beating caused his laugh to lose its luster. It was low and guttural, but the constriction in his lungs resulted in a faint wheeze. "Ha ha ha ha ha..."

  Ash almost exploded with anger. He was actually laughing in his face. After all the punches and kicks to the stomach, Freddy actually had the balls to keep taunting him. Does this guy ever stop for one minute? With his fist still gripping the collar of Freddy's sweater, Ash pulled him in close, and slammed him against the pipe hard enough to bend it where Freddy hit his head. "ANSWER ME!" he shouted.

  Another mouthful of warm blood gushed in Freddy's mouth. Freddy spit the blood in Ash's face. There's your answer. A pocket of dark red blood splattered on the bridge of Ash's nose and traveled down to his chin.

  A streak of Freddy's blood leaked from the corner of his mouth. His teeth were now stained red as he smiled and laughed. "What can I say?" His voice was laced with his signature cavalier tone. "I'm a bastard!"

  Rage had overcome him. Ash gritted his teeth and practically growled as he yanked Freddy away from the lead pipe and violently swung him around in a circle. Once he had built up enough momentum, Ash let go of Freddy and watched as he fell and rolled on the ground.

  As he lied there on the floor, Freddy leered at Ash, wishing he had another mouthful of blood to spit in his face. He stood back on his feet, anticipating another attack from Ash. Freddy put both hands up and gestured him to come closer. "Show me what you got, stock boy!"

  Ash ran towards him. Once he was within punching distance from Freddy, he clenched his fist and socked him right on the right side of his face.

  Freddy was taken aback, but not for long. He threw
an uppercut that landed on his abdominals. With Ash now doubled-over, Freddy shot his knee up, and hit him in the same spot.

  "Oof!" Ash groaned as Freddy kneed him in the stomach. Out of the corner of his eye, Ash saw Freddy's glove being raised from his right side. Ash fought the pain and straightened up. Just before Freddy could slash his knives across his skin, Ash jumped back, narrowly avoiding them.

  Ash stepped forward and grabbed Freddy's shoulders. "Hyah!" He yelled as he pulled Freddy in and smashed the top of his head against the bridge of Freddy's nose.

  Freddy shouted. "Ah!"

  Now that his guard was down, Ash kicked him in the chest, putting his full weight into the kick.

  His arms flailed. Freddy was knocked on his ass to the floor. Ash was about to step in and kick him the groin, when Freddy waved his glove in the air, from left to right. He used his powers to send Ash flying through the air, close to the ceiling.

  "Aaaah!" Ash screamed. A large pipe suspended from the ceiling stopped Ash's ascent, and caused him to fall on one of the higher platforms of the boiler room. He landed on the topmost walkway, overlooking the entire area.

  Ash picked himself up. He placed his hands on the guardrail as he leaned over to catch a glimpse of Freddy, who still stood in the same place that he saw him last. He looked no bigger than a No. 2 pencil from the height that Ash was looking from.

  CREAK!!!

  Ash looked up and saw that the pipe that he had crashed into was now unhinging. It swung from side to side. Steam hissed from the cracks as it broke loose from the ceiling and fell towards the walkway that Ash was standing on.

  He ran as fast as his body would allow. As he reached closer to the corner, he heard a loud CRASH!!! and felt the ground shake below his feet.

  Freddy laughed maniacally, hoping that the large pipe would crush him. "Haa ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"