I had woken up briefly between Freddy's order for me regarding Phil and the final sleep for that night. Mom had come into my room and shaken me awake by the shoulders. My first thought when I saw her was that she was going to complain for my being asleep again, but instead she just coaxed me into a proper position for slumber- rotating myself to where my head was on the pillow and the rest of me was under the covers. She had taken my book (which was resting with me, unharmed) and placed it on my nightstand before saying 'goodnight' and switching my light off as she left.

It took me several minutes to get back to sleep, which was annoying, but soon I was in the dream world once more. This time things seemed different. It felt like it did back before Freddy... when I could control my dreams yet everything still felt as real as it did when Freddy was around. It was a confusing mixture that at first made me wonder if I was dreaming at all. I was in my current house, laying in bed. It was a horrid moment where I thought I had fallen back asleep to wake up the next morning without having dreamt at all. As I fell deeper into my new situation, however, I realized that it was only the change in who had power over these mental images that had made me doubt. Then, if I was the one in charge...was Freddy even here?

"I want to see what ya got, kid." Freddy's voice echoed suddenly.

I had already left my bed and was walking around when I heard him. I turned around to face my window; Freddy wasn't in the room. The curtain was still closed as it was when I had gone to sleep so I stepped over and drew it. Outside was my plain yard in Springwood, under cover of nightfall. Its lone tree seemed to draw my focus as if someone was hiding behind it, watching me. I glanced back at my bedroom door, then to the window again. I felt in control, but if Freddy was here... I took a deep breath as I unlatched the window and pulled the pane up. Either way, it was my dream, right? I should be able to...

Reaching my head out of the opening, I pulled up my legs to rest my feet on the sill of the frame and studying my destination. With a only a short amount of contemplation longer, I jumped from the house and let my body float carefully down to the ground, my bare feet lightly touching the tips of the wet grass first, then settling into them fully as I stood strong, eyes on that tree. Brilliant.

Strength found at the rediscovery of my power within my own dreams, I approached the tree with confidence and slowly circled its perimeter, ready for a fight should one be waiting for me. However, I found no one and nothing around the oak. Hm. Ok. As my eyes scanned the rest of the neighborhood around me, I absentmindedly reached a hand out to rest on the tree. But no rough bark greeted the touch. Instead, something sticky and slimey gave in and I found my entire hand and forearm immediately thick into the substance.

My head shot toward my side as I tugged as hard as I could against this odd restraint. It was no use though. The goo had a firm hold on me that only seemed to strengthen with my struggle. It was at first hard to see in the dim light, but the more I stared at the stuff, I saw that it was pink, almost like chewed bubblegum...and there were black objects stuck in it. They were...just random debris at first, then they seemed to take the shape of bones and...body parts? There were severed fingers, eyes, a nose... Whatever the shit was, it was pulling me in farther. My shoulder was almost touching the tree, against my will.

Wait. A dream. I could... Gaze shooting up and down the tree, the only thing I could think of was a chainsaw. My mind tried to focus, change my captured arm into a revving chain of mini-blades to kill my attacker from the inside. It wasn't as easy as it should have been. I guess because I was already stressing. Even so, I eventually willed it to happen and watched as the pink substance with its black pieces and various body parts began to twist and fly everywhere as if in an open blender that had been turned on. A giant gush of blood also accompanied the destruction.

I was soon freed, leaving myself intact, although bloodied and sticky. My hand had morphed back to normal and the tree before me was gutted...literally. It was as if it hadn't been a plant at all but instead some sort of animal in disguise. I stepped backward from a bloody mess of tissue, organs, and bone, all inside the shell of a large oak.

Before I could even shift my thoughts to anything except the attack, I felt warm breath on my neck. I jumped, spinning in the air to see that Freddy had crept up behind me, instantly laughing as my eyes laid upon him, "Not bad, little girl," he purred.

My heart was beating rapidly from the rapid succession of scares, but I didn't wait for it to fully settle again before I spoke, "What is this? I mean, what are you doing?"

"Me?" the charred man grinned, placing a bladed hand on his chest, "I'm not doing anything. I'm just seeing what you're doing."

My eyes flicked from his to the claws displayed on his chest. Those blades...just the thought of them made me squirm... I shook my head from the thought. I want to see what you got, kid. I recalled the words. He wanted to know how well I could manipulate a dream. "I used to be plagued with nightmares," I started, "I did a lot of studying and practice to be able to change them."

"Hm..." his blades were scratching his chin, "Then you're a few years ahead of your friend."

My brow furrowed. Phil? I heard a loud clanging sound behind me and turned around to see that we were in front of Phillip's home. The lights were still on downstairs and I could hear angry voices. His parents were fighting... I stood there in the cold night, watching as suddenly the front door swung open and the boy walked outside. He was wearing a tshirt and boxers, which I thought was strange, but then wondered if maybe it was just the clothes he was sleeping in...

I tensed as my friend stopped on the sidewalk and looked over in my direction. Shit. But he didn't acknowledge me. He squinted like he was straining to see, then he only twisted his neck and gazed elsewhere in the night. He couldn't he see me? I felt Freddy's hand on my shoulder and heard the metal clinking next to my ear as I turned slightly to see him out of the corner of my vision. He had pressed his body snug against mine and I could feel his inviting form exciting me.

"Hiding yourself in plain sight is difficult for even experienced dreamers," he said, "Not for me. When you want to be seen, you can pull out of my shield. In the meantime..." he smirked, "I'm curious as to what you'll do."

I looked back at Phil, trying to focus on him instead of Freddy's body against mine. It was a powerful position he held over me- his holding me from behind, armed and calm with blades resting beside my neck. And I realized it was more than pain that excited me...it was dominance. Namely his over me. He could easily end me. He controlled me. And I loved it. My heart began flying in my chest again and even though I saw Phil there, I didn't see him at the same time. I could only picture Freddy exerting himself over me, taking away my will and giving me joyful pain. With these thoughts, the mere feeling of our clothed bodies together put butterflies in my stomach and sent chills up my spine and down my arms.

"You're not getting cold feet, are ya?" he had leaned close, chuckling in my ear, the words jarring me from detailed fantasies.

"I-" his voice had thrown me off, "I don't know what to do," my voice was little more than a squeak.

Freddy put his bare hand on my other shoulder then and squeezed both, using them to turn me around to look at him. A wild grin stretched across his face, "Have fun," he purred with a push that sent me almost toppling to the the ground.

He disappeared then and left me alone in my friend's yard. I picked myself up and brushed off my clothes, putting Phil back in my sites just as he began walking further down the sidewalk and to the street. Have fun? What was the point in that? Freddy was supposed to kill Phillip himself. I had only been there to ensure he didn't get others to rebel. Maybe he was testing me... Seeing how loyal to our agreement I was...  or judging if I was a possible threat? Either way, I knew he wanted me to hurt Phil... Could I do that?

I started walking, getting pretty close to my friend. He didn't appear frightened. He seemed to be deep in thought. Still partly afraid that he would see me, I hesitated to get any closer. But...I needed to see his eyes. Was it really even him? If I was in control again...maybe this Phil was just another part of my mind... Cautiously, I crept closer, waiting for the boy to turn his head my way again. And when he did, I was certain. It had to be him. In all my dreams and nightmares...my brain wasn't capable of recreating that light inside of him. No, the actual Phil from reality was in my dream.

So how would I prove myself to Freddy?

My friend began trekking down the damp street, being careful to maintain a close watch on his surroundings. Every so often, he would even turn behind and look, eyes peering straight through me. Each time I felt I'd been discovered yet each time, he'd only stare blankly before keeping on his journey.

As we walked, the scene gradually changed from the neighborhood to a part of the town park that I had never been to before though I'd heard of it: Lover's Lane. I only had a vague idea of what it looked like, but apparently I had done well enough with recreating it. Phillip was no longer standing in front of me, but he was sitting in the driver's seat of his worn down Pontiac. Beside him, in the passenger's seat, was Amy. I watched as Phil's eyes lit up and became soft and glossy with tears as they gazed back into his girlfriend's.

"I thought you were dead," he whispered.

Amy smiled and laughed, "I'm right here with you, baby."

The boy reached up, cupping her face in his hands and leaning in to kiss her. The ghost and Phil embraced each other in a passionate kiss and even though I knew I had initiated this sequence by calling upon a memory of the girl's liking, I was almost embarrassed watching the two. I started pushing with my mind for the surroundings to change, but I find it hard to do. I was stuck on the sight of the lovers kissing and how what I wanted to happen would crush my friend's spirit...but no, he wasn't my friend. Freddy was the only person who knew me and let me be myself.

Recalling all my anger and frustration...using those suppressed feelings, I changed the park and the car into a room...Amy's room. It was incredibly dark and the walls were decaying before us.

"PHIL!" Amy appeared on her bed, writhing and screaming, "PHIL!"

"AMY?? AMY!!!" Phil's voice was in desperate agony. He was caught behind huge iron bars, keeping him from reaching his distressed love.

"Phil..." the girl's cry had become a soft cry, unseen pain plaguing her body, making her bleed without any signs of wounds.

Suddenly, blood was splattered across the room. Amy was now making unintelligible moans and screams of agony as claw marks appeared having ripped through her nightgown and into her flesh. Then, she was gurgling as her throat was cut by an unseen claw. Blood flowed in lumps out of her mouth and onto her already blood stained gown and body as her eyes rolled back in her head to show only whites.

"AMY!!!" Phil had sunken down to the floor, holding onto the bars with one hand while the other made a futile attempt to reach Amy through the steel.

"AAAAHHHHAAAAAHHHAHAHHAAH HAH!" Freddy's laughter sounded, his already dirty clothing drenched with fresh blood, his blades dripping crimson as he appeared standing atop Amy's now motionless and mangled body.

"YOU BASTARD!" Phil screamed, lunging at Freddy.

For a moment, I was afraid Freddy would get hurt but that irrational thought only lasted a moment as he instead allowed Phil to fall straight through him and down a flight of stairs that he had just created. I ran over to stand beside Freddy and watched as Phil tumbled down the winding staircase and landed on concrete below.

"AAHHAHAHAHHAAAAHHAH HAAH!" Freddy was laughing again.

And instead of looking down at my old friend and wondering if he was alright...for the first time...I just did what was natural rather than worrying about what was expected of me.

I laughed.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:: Chapter originally written 10/21/2015
Chapter rewritten 11/1/2017