Wildest Dreams

t we n t y - s e ve n

The phone rang around ten o'clock.

Glen got up and answered the call. It was Nancy on the other side. I hopped out of the bed and scurried to the windows. Glen stood beside me. We saw Nancy waving at us behind her barred windows.

"There you are. You guys sound like a million miles away." I heard her say through the phone.

"I heard your ma went ape on the security store today. You look like Prisoner of Zelda or something," Glen said.

"Still, it's unfair it came to this. How long it's been since your last sleep, Nan?" I asked.

"Seven nights," she sighed. "It's okay. I checked the Guinness and the record's eleven, and I'll beat that if I have to."

"You have me as another contender on that," I added.

"And if there's one for longest sleeps, you can see me there," Glen joked.

After a beat, Nancy spoke again. "Listen, my mom told me about Krueger as well. He is planning to kill us one by one."

Glen straightened up beside me, a great alarm written all over his face. "Including me? Why would anyone want to kill me?"

"Glen, I told you to tell your parents about it. They're all part of this sinister crime," I said and pulled his hand down a bit so I can still hear what Nancy has to say.

"Never mind that now. I got a plan worked out and I need some help nailing this guy when I bring him out."

"Bring him out of what?" I asked.

"My dream."

Glen and I looked at each other, then furrowed our eyebrows at Nancy. I could imagine her lips drawing a straight line from this far, as if she expected the reaction.

"And how exactly do you plan to do that?" Glen inquired.

"Just like I did to the hat. Have a hold of the sucker when you wake me up."

"When we wake you up? Nancy, you gotta open that cell door wide open for us first."

"W-wait, wait." Glen paused. "You can't bring someone out of a dream!"

"Well she did bring something out," I retorted, reminding him about the hat.

Nancy sighed again. "If I can't, then you all can relax and it's just a simple case of me being nuts."

"Don't say that. It's more than just being paranoid, right?" I gave Glen a side-eye and he rolled his eyes. "I can save you the trouble. This thing is real but we got each other's backs because we're friends."

"Good, then you won't mind cold-cocking this guy when I bring him out," replied Nancy.

"WHAT?!" Glen shouted. I was also shocked at the quick escalation.

"You heard me. I grab him in the dream, you see me struggling, so you wake me up. Just like what we did when Maple fell asleep in the park."

"Yeah, but you woke me up before I saw him. Thanks by the way."

"You're welcome. Anyway, I wake up, both of us come out. You cold-cock the fucker and we got him. Clever, huh?"

To be honest, I found out it both clever and appalling. If Nancy can get out that creep from her dream alive, then I might believe as well that pigs can fly.

"And you want us to hit him with what?" Glen asked.

"You're a jock. You must have a baseball bat or something. Come by the house at midnight. Meanwhile..."

"Meanwhile?" Both Glen and I trailed.

"Meanwhile whatever you do, don't fall asleep," Nancy finished.

"Easy-peasy lemon squeezy," I sing-songed.

"Now that's very hard apple tart," Glen grumbled.

"See you midnight. I'll call when the door's open." Nancy hung up.

Glen whirled around and placed the phone back beside his bed. I shrugged at him before pulling back the curtains and returning to the TV we were watching before Nancy called.

Not even a minute later, Glen's mom called and there were footsteps going up the stairs. I immediately dropped down on the floor, hiding under the bed, while Glen shifted his position on the bed.

"Glen? You all alright?" His mom knocked on the door. She went in and stopped at the edge of the bed. "I swear I heard someone else was in here."

"O-oh. I was watching the TV," Glen nervously answered. He then lowered its volume.

"How can you listen to Carson and a record at the same time?" Mrs. Lantz questioned.

"Wasn't listening, just watching. Miss Nude America's supposed to be on tonight."

"You should go to sleep soon, Glen. It's almost midnight. Goodness knows we've all had enough of a time the last few days." Mrs. Lantz sighed, turning back to the door.

"I will, Mom... in a while. You guys turning in?"

"Pretty soon." Mrs. Lantz left the room. Glen and I let out a sigh.

Glen craned his head below while I crawled out of the bed. I grumbled while brushing off the dust bunnies that got caught in my shirt and pants.

"What time is it?" I asked.

"11:17," answered Glen. He put the headphones back on his ears and listened to music.

"Don't you dare fall asleep," I told him when I saw him close his eyes.

"I won't," he replied, shifting into a comfortable position in the middle of his bed. I shook my head at him.

"Your funeral," I mumbled. Glen ignored.

I groaned and wandered around the room, shaking my hands and rubbing my eyes to keep myself awake. I walked over to the window, seeing the nothingness outside. Glen's parents were standing on the front porch of the house, talking.

"You know, I never knew why you moved here," Glen spoke from the bed. "Except for the time you said you had family affairs back in Michigan, but you had to stay here."

I left the window and plopped down on the bed. It smelled entirely of him. Velvety, romantic, and comfortable. It reminded me of the time we almost kissed.

"You think I'm lying?" I retorted in a sharp tone, just for a joke.

"N-no. It's just that there's gonna be a whole deeper story than that... right?"

Glen removed his headphones completely, fiddling with the wire for some reason.

"Maybe, but you never asked."

Glen threw the wire and rest his hands in his stomach. "Why then?"

"It's a long story."

"Good. We need to be up the whole night anyway."

"Oh we'll definitely stay up late when I tell you."

"Tell it then," he dared.

I sighed first, about to speak when Glen propped up on his elbow and looked at me.

"Unless you really don't want to," he said.

"No, I do think it's about time I have to tell the truth."

Glen laid again on the bed, closer to me. I took a deep breath, images of four years ago flashing in my mind, almost choking me back before speaking.