"I see," Evan finally said.
"But thanks, you know, for everything." Alicia knew her words sounded forced.
Alicia expected Evan to be upset, maybe even angry. But she didn't expect him to start giggling — which he did. The giggles turned into a loud, cackling laugh.
Like his uncle's laughter when he had examined her in his warm basement office.
Outside, the wind whistled sharply.
Maybe he's hysterical, Alicia thought. Instead of crying, he's laughing.
"I'm sorry," Alicia said again, wishing she could think of some way to quickly end the conversation.
"Don't be," Evan told her. "No problem. Stuff happens."
Alicia knew Evan was just putting up a brave front to save face.
A blast of cold air rattled the windows.
It would be winter soon.
"Really, it's okay. Besides, that's not even what I called you about," Evan went on excitedly. "I mean, I wanted to say I'm sorry and all, but what I really wanted to tell you is the great news my uncle gave me. He says he spotted something on your X rays he didn't see before and wants you to come over for another examination. He wants to check you out with some kind of machine. I don't want to get your hopes up too much, Ali, but there's a very good possibility that he can help you. Can you come over?"
With the speed of a guillotine blade, Alicia's mood went from low to high.
The news was great! Unbelievable!
If only it were true.
"I don't know, Evan. I want to. But last night. Everything that's happened. I don't know if I feel right about it. It's kind of like I'm taking advantage of you."
"Forget about last night, Ali. I have. It's just not a problem."
"When could I come?" she asked anxiously, unable to stall herself any longer.
"Right now if you want. I'll come get you."
"Evan… I don't know how to thank you. You've done so much. I just…"
"It's nothing, Ali." Evan broke in. "Like I said — I'd die for you…"
Chapter 36
Scott drove down Elm Street in his parents' Civic. It was only the second time he had been out since the accident.
The moon was round and golden in the sky.
A full moon.
He had to see Alicia again. He was plagued with guilt. He had been speeding that night. He had caused the accident, caused her blindness. There was no way he could make it up to her. He still loved her, he knew. He always knew that. But could she ever love him again?
Could any girl love a boy who looked like this?
He pulled the hood of the sweatshirt tightly around his scarred face. He hoped no one would recognize his parents' car.
He was gambling that Alicia would be home. He hadn't called first. What if she was still mad at him? No, he'd surprise her, like he had with his other visit. She had been so happy to see him.
Until he had mentioned Evan…
He was almost at Alicia's house. He would summon up all his courage to tell her how he felt. He wasn't good at talking about his feelings, but Alicia deserved an explanation. She deserved to know what was in his heart.
Scott gritted his teeth as he passed Evan's house. He should have driven another route so he wouldn't be reminded that the murderous creep lived practically next door to his girlfriend. If Evan ever laid a hand on Alicia, so much as hurt one beautiful hair on her beautiful head…
Scott slammed on the brakes in front of Evan's house.
He couldn't believe his eyes.
Evan was leading Alicia inside his house!
Now just what the hell was that all about?
Scott felt dizzy with anger. His instinct was to rush to Alicia's side and pull her from that bastard's clutch. And just as he was ready to do so, he stopped himself. He remembered how Alicia reacted the last time he accused Evan of evil doings. He decided to wait. He had to talk to her in private, away from Evan's influence. He had to talk to her tonight.
He parked the car across the street.
And waited beneath the light of the bright, full moon.
Chapter 37
"I'm going to examine you with an ophthalmoscope. It's an instrument that examines the interior of the eye," Dr. Hawke told Alicia. "It might hurt a little bit, so I'm going to put you to sleep first."
Alicia felt very nervous. She hadn't expected this. She didn't even have time to protest before Evan was holding her shoulders down, and she felt something being fitted over her nose and mouth. She tried to call out, but the apparatus muffled her voice.
"No!" Alicia screamed and fought back as gas whooshed through a hose. Almost immediately she felt different, better. Don't fight it, a voice inside her head advised.
Dreamlike images filled her mind. But what she saw was so horrible, she wished for the darkness again. She pressed her eyes tightly together. One part of her brain told her she was dreaming — this was just another nightmare…
* * *
Dr. Hawke was standing over her wearing a green surgical mask, his face only inches from her own. His eyes above the mask were like blazing flames flying out of his skull. Alicia saw the lower part of the mask move — was Dr. Hawke smiling?
Then Dr. Hawke began sharpening some kind of instrument. A surgical instrument to operate with? Alicia wondered as she took in the rest of the room. Behind him, a boiler roared to life, like a vast, iron creature with a belly full of blazing coals. She looked up toward the ceiling. It was so dark, it seemed like the ceiling was as high as a cathedral's. She saw three pulley chains dangling down from the gloom above. At the end of each chain was a sharp, gleaming hook, as big as a bear's claw. A flash of light reflected off the hooks, and Alicia blinked. When she opened her eyes a moment later, there was a body swinging from each hook. The bodies were all facing away from her, but one by one they swung around to face her.
No! Alicia screamed.
The first was Tiffany. Tire tread marks ran over her crushed chest.
The second was Ellen. She had Johnny's red dragon switchblade knife embedded in her skull.
The third was Evan. He had a whimsical smile playing across his sad, wan face.
A peaceful smile.
All three bodies had empty eye sockets.
The doctor peered closely at Alicia, his face very close to her now, but even behind the mask she could smell his fetid, putrid breath. He lived and breathed death. If she didn't get out of there that moment, she knew she too would die. As her friends had died. Horrible, violent, senseless deaths.
The boiler room glowed with a wicked, red color, andsteam hissed from rusty pipes everywhere. Lethal flames danced inside the boiler.
The doctor grinned, chuckled, and raised his surgical instrument…No!
A razor glove! In that moment, Alicia knew she was face to face with the source of her nightmares. She struggled against the restraints that kept her in the chair. She fought the feelings of overwhelming panic. She had to stay sane. She had to think, if she was going to get away from this madman. This murderer.
One by one the razor-tipped fingers unfurled from a tight fist. At the tip of each spike was an eyeball — four in all.
"These wouldn't do," said the doctor in a gravelly voice, casually flicking the eyeballs away. "So I had to use Evan's."
His face was very close to hers, now, and she could see a face ravaged by burnt scar tissue.
The doctor cackled madly. "What a shame. You know, I could see he had eyes only for you."
Dr. Hawke ripped off the surgical mask.
Except it wasn't Dr. Hawke.
A scream ripped out of Alicia's throat.
"Freddy Krueger!"
* * *
Scott's eyes flashed open. He must have dozed off in the car. He'd had the most horrible nightmare. That was what had woken him up — a scream. In his dream.
Then he heard the scream again.
Alicia's scream.
It was no nightmare.
The scream came from Evan's house.
&
nbsp; Scott exploded from the car and ran.
Chapter 38
Alicia felt strong arms encircle her. She opened her eyes.
Was it still the nightmare? That last one was the worst of all. She had dreamt that she was in a boiler room. Freddy Krueger had killed Dr. Hawke the night of the lightning storm. Since then, he'd been living inside the doctor's hollow shell. Living to kill. To kill her friends. Then her.
"Alicia! Thank God you're all right." Scott's voice brought tears to her eyes. The tears blurred her vision and washed away the scars on Scott's face. Alicia could see again.
But then Alicia looked up and saw the blazing boiler. The contents caught her attention. She could barely make out three human forms burning inside. She closed her eyes again.
Was it a nightmare? Or had it all really happened? Had Freddy Krueger tried to kill her? When she turned back to Scott, his scarred face was visible again. But instead of feeling repulsed, she felt a wave of love. Scott had saved her!
"I'll have you out of here in a minute," Scott said, unfastening the bonds that had made Alicia a prisoner in the operating chair. Alicia watched Scott work to dislodge the shackles.
He wasn't self-conscious. He didn't know she could see again, Alicia realized.
Then Scott lifted her in his arms and carried her outside.
Epilogue
In the hellish void of the boiler room, amid the damp rot smell and clots of dried rat droppings, within the cold, gray walls and next to the bright, crackling furnace — inside the house of terror that Freddy ruled — sat Evan — or what had once, in another lifetime, been Evan. He was strapped into an examination chair.
"Evan?" a girl's voice called.
"Watch us," said another.
Dr. Freddy had replaced Evan's eyeballs.
Tiffany's body was crushed, and Ellen still had Johnny 's knife embedded in her skull. Dead Tiffany and dead Ellen were both dressed in cheerleader uniforms, practicing their jumps for Evan. They moved in a mechanical, rag-doll kind of way. Then Evan noticed the strings that were attached to their limbs. Each time a string jerked, their arms and legs would move.
Evan followed the strings up toward the rafters of thebasement. He saw Freddy Krueger sitting comfortably astride one of the wooden beams, his legs dangling.
He was the puppeteer.
Evan had always wanted to be noticed by these beautiful girls, and now, at last, he had them all to himself Unfortunately, they were now so grotesque looking that they made him want to puke.
But Evan had no choice but to keep watching. Uncle Freddy had sewn his eyelids open.
Evan would spend the rest of eternity gazing at what he could never have in real life.
Be careful what you wish for…
Blind Date Page 11
