Wildest Dreams

t w en t y - fo u r

I tore my gaze away from the empty road in front of the bus stop. Sighing, I pulled my legs up to my chest, crossing my arms over them.

"Is there someone you're waiting for?" I finally asked Nancy, breaking the silence.

"Oh, right," she answered like she forgot to tell me something. "I called Glen when you left to the toilets. He'll be here in a while."

"You what?!" I almost shouted. Nancy furrowed her eyebrows at me. She closed her book.

"I called Glen. I thought about it and he deserves to know about these things as well. He's concerned about us, you know that, even though he doesn't have the nightmares."

I remembered what Grandpa told me about paranoia because of our nightmares. My blood boiled a little, but I kept it at bay. There's no need for a fit of rage right now. But still—  Unbelievable! I should've known Glen would say something like that behind our backs.

"You look bothered, Maple. Something wrong?" asked Nancy, tilting her head slightly. A second later, the thought came to her mind. "You're bothered by Glen. Why? What happened?"

I shook my head, turning away. "It's nothing."

"Come on, you love each other. I get the antics but—"

"Nancy. It's nothing."

"Okay, maybe I got ahead," Nancy admitted, but a small smile played on her lips.

I turned to face again the road in front of us. Cars of red and black zoomed along the blazing asphalt, making me narrow my eyes at the warm breeze that followed. My hands fumbled with the thick fabric of the cold towels.

"Did you tell him I was with you?" I inquired after a beat.

"Of course," Nancy answered in an instant. "He'll be here any minute now and he'll buy us lunch."

I pinched the bridge of my nose as a subtle way of letting out my annoyance. If Glen knew where I was, there's a chance his parents also knows, therefore my grandparents will also know. Great, so much for running away from my nightmares and wanting a normal life.

A few minutes later, a red Cadillac stopped in front of us with its roof retracted. Glen honked at us and Nancy immediately took her place on the front passenger seat, greeting him.

"Maple, there you are!" Glen called with a smile. I feel nothing but smacking that charm off his face right now. "Get in. Your grandparents are looking for you, they called this morning."

"If you're taking me to them, then thanks, but no thanks." I flashed a sarcastic smile, remaining seated under the bus stop booth.

Glen took off his sunglasses, turning a bit on his seat to have a better look at me. "They're worried for you, you know."

"I'm sure they are." I glared at him.

I was angry at both him and my grandparents. What a clever thing for them to say worried as if it had a distinction to not giving a damn as long as you don't disobey us again.

"So come on, I'll drop you after lunch, okay?" Glen smiled again.

"No way," I huffed. "How about you don't drop me at all... even if you already did, sound good?"

He turned to Nancy with a confused expression. "What's her deal?"

Nancy only shrugged in response and opened her book.

"Just don't bring me home, Lantz, and we're fine." I walked towards the car, threw my bag on the backseat and sat beside it. Glen looked at me at the front mirror but I averted my eyes in a different direction.

He sighed, put on his glasses back, then drove the car forward. I remained quiet at the ride to McDonald's. We bought our lunches there, Glen even offered to pay. Nancy and I ate our food in the car while Glen only ate when we arrived at the park, where I continued to give him the silent treatment.

The park during this blazing hour of noon was bare, except for the three of us. If I squint my eyes, a mirage would form by the horizon. We sat under the shade of a tree, the cool grass prickling our legs. Glen sat in front of me and Maple, the two of them talked while I occupied myself with pulling out the grass.

He wanted to know what happened last night that got me all riled up today, Nancy told him it wasn't her place to say, especially that I was sitting with them, earshot. He proceeded to ask about the grey strands of hair on Nancy's head. From there, I just ignored them.

Their voices sounded so distant as the seconds passed by. My eyelids soon started to feel heavy as well. My breathing slow and light, escaping through my lips.

     Everything was
                  silent,   motion les s,
c a l m ,   an d ...

drip, drip, drip

The boiler room, where most of Freddy Krueger's victims were found dead. Darkness enveloped the setting with only fire from the grills illuminating hardly anything. It was hot as well, hotter than the open beach in noon time. It was like being in hell.

Maybe because this was hell.

Metal scraps and tools were scattered on a table. A few jerry cans stood below. The huge wrench in my hands and my careful footsteps were my companion for a while.

I walked steady on one of these steel walkways, scanning the area below and around me for any sign of Krueger. He could attack any second and I wouldn't know if my friends would be able to wake me up just in time.

"Pet, come to play?"

I turned around in a whim, and there he stood with his shiny, razor-sharped knives. He took a step closer, grinning.

Instead of attacking him, I dropped the wrench beside my knees and confronted him.

"I found out who you are and why you're doing this," I gritted through my teeth.

"Do you?" He chuckled lowly.

"You could've killed me by now, Krueger. It's been years, let's end it here."

He clicked his tongue. "End it? It's only starting, syrup—"

"Don't call me that!" I scorned. "You killed my parents, I got nothing now."

"You got me," he laughed.

"Why did you kill them — my friends and my parents? But not me. I've been your longest victim and I never liked it."

"I gotta need something to practice on, sweet cheeks. It's only been starting."

I was about to curse at him, then attack him with the wrench, when a booming voice cut the conversation short.

"Wake up, Maple!"