81-82

Chapter 81: Acting Separately

*Elm Street Police Station*

Crane's eyes widened in sheer terror as a scream escaped his lips.

The others around him, alarmed by his cries, were equally shocked.

There was no doubt—Freddy's presence had become their worst nightmare.

“Don’t blink! Freddy uses the moment you blink to drag you into a nightmare.”

Crane's voice, strained and desperate, urged everyone to keep their eyes wide open, staring unblinkingly ahead. He himself didn’t dare to blink, fearing that as soon as his eyelids closed, Freddy's shadow would reappear. Earlier, his frequent blinking had allowed Freddy to draw dangerously close. Just three more blinks—or two, or maybe even one—and Freddy would be right in front of him.

“This can’t be real!”

Hearing Crane’s words, Nancy's face was filled with disbelief and panic as she cried out.

“If that’s true, we’ll never last long enough!”

“There has to be a way. We’ve already endured for so long—just a bit longer, just a little more…”

Crane’s bloodshot eyes, unblinking for too long, glanced at the clock in the station. His face betrayed his unwillingness to give in.

“The priest! Father Merlin! He must have a way…”

In his despair, Crane thought of the old priest.

The image of Father Merlin driving Freddy away with prayers from the Bible became his last thread of hope.

Twisting his stiff neck, frozen with fear, Crane quickly turned to plead for help from the old priest.

But the next moment, the sight before him made his expression freeze.

The priest sat slumped in his chair, head bowed, one hand limp and bloodied, revealing a gaping wound. He showed no reaction to Crane’s desperate cries.

“Could it be…?”

A horrifying thought flashed through Crane’s mind.

“No!”

And with that instant of shock, his strained, wide-open eyes finally reached their limit. Tears blurred his vision as he closed them in despair.

*“Knock, knock. Who’s there?”*

*“Oh, it’s Freddy at the door.”*

As Crane’s eyes shut, a burned, grotesque face materialized in front of him in his nightmare. Freddy extended his metal-clawed hand, mimicking a knocking gesture, his sharp laughter echoing around Crane.

*“So, Crane, what do you think of my grand entrance? How many points would you give it? I’m thinking full marks, of course.”*

Freddy’s disfigured face twisted into a grin.

*“You know, these days, the world demands a lot from characters. Without something flashy, you’re forgotten—like you, just a background character, here to set the tone in a horror film. See? Just like this…”*

His scarred mouth twisted into a mocking smirk as he rambled, clearly enjoying himself.

*“Alright, enough chit-chat. It’s time for business.”*

Adjusting the brim of his brown hat with his clawed hand, Freddy stared down at Crane, generously offering him the choice of his demise.

*“So, Crane, what’s your preference? Which death package do you fancy? Personally, I recommend ‘Death by a Thousand Cuts’ or maybe ‘River of Blood.’ But hey, if you’ve got your own favorite, I’m happy to oblige…”*

Flexing his clawed hand, Freddy made a ‘helpful’ suggestion.

But clearly, the serial killer’s twisted preferences and an ordinary person’s desires were worlds apart.

Seeing Crane hesitate, Freddy sighed in disappointment.

*“Well, since you can’t decide, let me do it for you. Let’s see… Yep, ‘Death by a Thousand Cuts’ it is!”*

*“Ready, Crane? This might hurt—just a little! Ha-ha-ha-ha…”*

In the nightmare, Freddy's maniacal laughter rang out as he closed in on the fleeing Crane. Swinging his claws, he lunged at the boy.

---

*“Heavenly Father, in Your name, banish the powers of darkness. Through Christ, guide me to save this afflicted soul. Expel the evil spirit and redeem it in Your name… Amen!”*

At the crucial moment, in the real world, the priest suddenly raised his head, praying fervently for Crane.

With the power of prayer, Crane, dragged into Freddy’s nightmare, was pulled back into reality.

Collapsed on the ground, Crane gasped for air.

“Cough… cough, cough…”

Meanwhile, the priest, having completed his prayer, looked even paler.

Clutching his stomach, he coughed violently, blood seeping from his wound and staining his robes.

---

*At the Police Station*

As the priest repelled Freddy…

---

*Elm Street, Outside the Church*

Amanda and Agent Zhou halted their steps.

“I remember the church looking a lot less creepy in the daytime,” Agent Zhou said, glancing at its dark and ominous silhouette.

Whether it was the night or his imagination, he couldn’t shake the eerie feeling emanating from the church.

“Maybe it’s because you now know Freddy’s remains are inside,” Amanda replied.

Zhou nodded, shrugging. “You’re probably right.”

Amanda turned to face the dark church, instinctively gripping her handgun.

She knew bullets wouldn’t harm Freddy, but the cold metal in her hand provided a shred of comfort.

Thinking about what they might face inside, Amanda’s breathing quickened.

Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to stay calm.

Tightening her grip on the gun, Amanda's nervous expression turned resolute as she stepped toward the church.

Watching her lead the way, Agent Zhou silently drew his gun and followed without hesitation.

---

(End of Chapter)  

*Chapter 82: The Remains*

Creak—

In the darkness, a sharp creak broke the silence of the church.

Click, clack. Click, clack.  

Pushing open the heavy church doors, Amanda stepped inside, gun in one hand and flashlight in the other. She cautiously swept the beam of light across the interior, her footsteps echoing in the stillness.

Unlike its aged exterior, the church was impeccably clean and orderly, a testament to the old priest’s diligent upkeep. The flashlight’s beam glided over the dust-free pews before resting on the white cross in the center of the church. The cross, a symbol of the Lord, radiated a quiet sanctity even in the desolate space.

Unfortunately, it was merely a symbol.

“Found it...”

The thought flickered through Amanda’s mind. Shifting the flashlight beam away from the cross, she scanned the room until her eyes landed on the iron door the old priest had mentioned.

“It’s locked.”

Agent Zhou tugged at the rusted iron lock and shook his head at Amanda.

Clearly, the priest had failed to mention this locked door.

“Stand back,” Amanda ordered in a low voice. Zhou immediately stepped back, covering his ears in anticipation.

Without hesitation, Amanda raised her gun, aimed at the lock, and pulled the trigger.

Bang! Bang!  

Muzzle flashes flared briefly, followed by the loud crack of gunshots. The lock shattered and fell to the ground.

“It’s open now,” Amanda said flatly, lowering her weapon. She pushed the door open and stepped through.

“Well, it’s useless now,” Zhou muttered, glancing at the mangled remains of the lock.

“This must be it—the well containing Freddy’s remains,” Amanda said as they walked through the overgrown courtyard to the well the priest had described.

She directed her flashlight toward the Bible sitting atop the well’s cover. The priest had placed it there in an attempt to suppress Freddy’s evil power. However, his efforts were in vain—Freddy had still escaped and terrorized the children of Elm Street in their nightmares.

Standing before the well, Amanda and Zhou exchanged a grim look. The atmosphere grew heavy with tension.

They both knew the next part would be the most dangerous and critical phase of their mission.

“Phew...”

Taking a deep breath, Amanda gave Zhou a small nod. He stepped forward and removed the well’s cover.

Immediately, a putrid stench rose from the well, filling the air.

Zhou grimaced at the smell, while Amanda instinctively stepped back.

“This smell... Now I’m convinced Freddy’s remains are down there,” Amanda said, holding her breath. She directed her flashlight beam cautiously into the depths of the well.

The faint light barely illuminated the pitch-black interior of the well.

“It’s no use. It’s too dark. The flashlight can’t reach the bottom,” Amanda said, shaking her head with a frown.

According to case files from 20 years ago, Freddy had been burned to death by enraged parents in Springwood. His charred remains were mixed with the muck at the bottom of the well, making them nearly impossible to identify.

“It looks like someone will have to go down there and retrieve Freddy’s remains,” Zhou said after a moment of silence.

Rolling up his sleeves, Zhou made it clear he intended to do the job himself.

“Wait. Maybe there’s another way,” Amanda interrupted, holding out a hand to stop him. She stared at the well, her thoughts racing.

---

*Meanwhile, at the Elm Street Police Station*

...

The survivors, including Crane, were gripped with fear of Freddy. None of them dared entertain any other thoughts.

They stared wide-eyed at the clock, their nerves taut as they anxiously watched time tick by.

Every movement of the clock’s hands sent a jolt through their bodies.

When the hands completed their final rotation and dawn began to break, the faint light outside the station finally allowed Crane to relax.

“We did it. We made it through Freddy’s nightmare,” he said with a crazed tone of relief.

Hearing Crane’s words, the others in the station broke into hysterical laughter or tears, releasing the tension that had nearly driven them mad in the past few hours.

However, in their collective outburst, none of them noticed Father Merlin sitting motionless in his chair, completely unresponsive.

---

*"SURPRISE!"*

A sharp, high-pitched voice echoed through a cloud of red smoke.

In the murky gaze of the old priest, Freddy appeared, tied to a blood-red cross, shouting gleefully.

“How do you like my performance? Are you satisfied with the show?” Freddy sneered as he easily broke free of the ropes binding him and leapt off the cross. He approached the old priest, his grotesque face twisted in mocking amusement.

“After all, I never said I could only appear at night!” Freddy cackled. “When those kids think they’ve escaped their nightmares, only to discover it was all wishful thinking, and then realize even their last hope—you, Merlin—died in a nightmare…”

“I can’t wait to see their faces when they learn the truth,” Freddy said, his high-pitched laughter ringing out.

The old priest remained silent, his lips moving in prayer.

“...Almighty Lord, my Heavenly Father, who grants us eternal life. You sent Jesus to redeem us. Please save the souls trapped in hell and cleanse those possessed by evil. Protect me to fulfill Your will and shield her. Only the Holy Trinity can tame this evil. In the name of God, I pray. Amen.”

“Meaningless struggle! In the world of nightmares, I, Freddy, am invincible!” Freddy scoffed at the priest’s prayers, viewing them as nothing more than a futile act of defiance.

But before his mocking laughter faded, Freddy sensed something strange.

“What did you do? What’s happening to my world, Merlin?” Freddy’s expression twisted in anger and confusion as he looked around at the changing nightmare realm.

(End of Chapter)