"1-2 I'll be coming for you. 3-4 it's no use locking your door. 5-6 gonna get my kicks. 7-8 no use staying up late. 9-10 you'll dream about me again." My friend Brandy sang and I shuddered as we walked past the elementary school we had attended as children. Something about that place and that song brought back bad memories though I couldn't figure out what they were.

"Catrina have you figured out what you are going to do for Halloween? It's only a few days away." My best friend asked me with a smile.

I shook my head. "I'm most likely will be staying home and hand out candy." I replied shrugging my shoulders. 

"Come on handing out candy? What are you and old maid? That's no fun. Why not go to a costume party or something?" Brandy asked.

"You know my mom, she's overly protective. She didn't even allow me to go trick or treating when I was little. She doesn't like Halloween she feels that it's the devil's holiday."

"I know. Why can't she let you have some fun once and a while? I mean, you are 17." Brandy replied.

I shrugged my shoulders. "That just the way she is let's talk about something else. Where did you hear that rhyme you were singing?" I asked hoping to change the subject.

"It's the theme song for a new movie called The Waking Nightmare The dawn of the Elmwoods Slasher. It's supposed to be about a murderer who goes free on a technicality. The outraged parents of the the town decide to take justice into their own hands and kill him. Yet he curses the town as he dies saying he'd be back one day to get his revenge. Sounds cool right?"

I frowned. "Are you sure this is a new movie and not a remake of something?"

"It's brand new, In fact, it's premier date is this coming Halloween. Why do you ask?"

"I think I've heard or read something about a story like this. It reminds me of something but I can't remember what it is at moment. Are you sure it fiction?" I asked trying to wrack my brain and figure out why that plot seemed so eerily familiar.!

"That's what the review said but who knows? Maybe it did happen, maybe there is a real slasher. We will just have to watch the movie and find out. A bunch of us are going to go see it. You can want to come?" Brandy replied.

"What's it rated?" I asked knowing that it would be a yes or no from my mom depending on the rating.

"Do you really want to know?" Brandy asked with a smile.

"Brandy, you know my mom will never agree to it. You know how she feels about R rated movies. I replied.

"I know." Brandy replied rolling her eyes. "I can't believe she treats you like your still a little kid. It's not like you couldn't handle watching a scary movie." Brandy replied with a sigh.

"She just wants what's best for me. I'll ask her about seeing the movie but don't count on it."

"You could say it's for a homework assignment." Brandy suggested.

I shook my head "my mom would never believe that even if she did she wouldn't let me see it. She wouldn't even allow me to see Shindlers lost for History class remember. If I can't watch a historical rated R movie what makes you think she'll let me see a fictional rated R movie? The only thing lying about it being a homework assignment would accomplish is my being grounded for a month." I replied.

"Well, it's your loss. Just promise me you'll try to get your mom to let you come."

I sighed. "I promise." I knew my mom would never let me go see the movie. "Mom, I'm home." I called to my mom as I entered our house. It was just my mom and I and that's just the way we liked it. Though she never was the same after my dad died. Sometimes I think she blames me for his death. She began drinking a lot and would spend all day and sometimes all night at bars trying to hook up with a cute guy.

"About bloody time! Where have you been?" My mom demanded.

"I'm sorry mom, I've have been home sooner but I missed the bus." I replied.

"Yeah well, don't dawdle in the door way. Go up to your room and stay there. I have company over. I don't want you to ruin my night."

"Ok mom." I replied with a sigh grabbing my backpack as headed up the stairs to my room. "Hey mom, I was wondering if I could go out with some of my friends tonight?" I asked.

"I don't think so honey. Tonight is Halloween and I want you at home. It's not safe to be out after dark on Halloween. That's when all the crazy people are out and about. You know better then to ask me a stupid question like that." My mom replied.

"Aw Crystal, let her go out. She's almost an adult now. She's old enough to be trusted to take care of herself." My mom's date replied.

"Ok fine! But I want you home by 10:00." My mom replied.

"Ten? Really? Isn't that a little early? After all, she's not a baby anymore she's a mature 16 year old. Besides, the longer she's out the longer we can be alone together. Why not make her curfew midnight just for tonight." My mom's date replied with a smile.

"All right. Just this once. What are and your friends planning on doing?"

"It's no big deal we were just planning on going to the movie theaters and see some of the new Halloween movies that are showing."  I replied.

"Such as?"

"Mom's got a date with a vampire, Hocus Pocus 1&2, The waking Nightmare the dawn of the Elmwoods slasher, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr Toad." I replied.

"Back it up. What was the last one you mentioned?"

"The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr Toad."

"The one before that. The R rated sounding one."

"The Waking Nightmare the Dawn of the Elmwoods Slasher?"

"Yes that's the one. You know the rules Catrina, no R rated movies."

"But mom, everyone in my grade has seen or is going to see it." I muttered.

"Oh? And if everyone was going to jump off a bridge would you jump too? No. I'm sorry, but my answer is no."

"I knew you'd do this! I don't even know why I bothered asking you. You never let me do anything!" I replied angrily.

"Your not going to see an R rated movie and that's final." My mom replied.

"Crystal, let the girl have some fun." My mom's date replied.

"I don't know." My mom replied hesitantly.

"Would it ease your mind if I told you that I've seen the previews for the movie? It doesn't seem like it's going to be that bad. It really shouldn't even be rated R as far as I'm concerned. I mean, the only thing bad about it is the violence. The truth is that she could see just as much violence watching the news or cartoons." Arthur replied.

"Oh all right, you can go." My mom replied with a sigh.

"Thanks mom!" I replied giving her a big hug.

"Don't thank me thank Arthur. If I had my way you wouldn't be going anywhere tonight." My mom replied.

"Thanks Arthur!" I called to him as I rushed out the door.

"Anytime kid, anytime." He replied with a eerie kind of smile. It made me shutter momentarily.

"Hay, Catrina glad you could make it. I can't believe your mom actually let you come. Let me guess their were conditions? Like say, you have to be home by 10:00?" Brandy asked.

"No actually my curfew tonight is midnight." I said with a smile.

"Catrina that's great!" Brandy said with a smile.

"You can thank my mom's new Boyfriend for that." I replied with a smile but slightly bitterly. I hated my mom's as each boyfriends was worse then the last. Arthur was the worst one yet. I didn't like the way he looked at me behind my mother's back.

I'd often catch him ogling my body as I sat watching tv or doing my chores. He even walked in on me when I was using the bathroom or taking a shower. This was happening far more frequently for it to be accidental.

I tried talking to my mom about it but she didn't want to hear the truth. I often found myself missing my father. Though she never said it, I know that she blames me for my father's death.

"We are going to have a great time tonight." Brandy told me as we walked along and I smiled and nodded.

As we settled down in our deluxe recliner seats and the movie started I had began to have a very uneasy feeling. Within a few minutes into the movie when the slasher came onto the screen I began to shudder. Something about this movie was really bothering me.

I closed my eyes to shut out the gore but when I opened them again I stared up in horror as the actor on the screen disappeared and Freddy Kruger took his place. "Hello princess? Did you miss me?" He said with an evil smile.

I looked over at Brandy and the others who were completely entranced by the movie. Couldn't they see Freddy Kruger? He just smiled at me and shook his head. I shut my eyes "This can't be. This can't be happening." I moaned and Freddy just smiled.

"Shh!" Came the voice of irritated movie goers.

"Catrina what's wrong?" Brandy asked worriedly.

"I've got to go, I can't watch this. I'm sorry." I replied getting up from my seat causing the movie goers behind me to boo.

"Catrina come on it's just a movie, a work of fiction designed to scare us. Don't be such a big baby!" Brandy replied grabbing me by the arm. "Come on, sit down and enjoy the movie."

"I can't. Somethings not right, I'm sorry. I've got to go.." I replied and win that I dashed out the theater doors. In my rush I bumped into a usher who immediately turned into Freddy Kruger.

"What's the matter? You look like you just saw a ghost!" Freddy Kruger laughed.  "Tell me did you miss me? Did you miss our games we use to play? Well don't worry, we play our games again real soon." Freddy replied with a laugh before disappearing.

I stumbled back in disbelief as I did I slipped on a spill and hit my head. This couldn't be happening. It wasn't possible. It was all a dream it had to be a dream. I tried to convince myself to no prevail.

"Miss. Are you ok miss?" The young usher asked me bringing me back into reality. "Would you like to sit down?" I nodded and he lead me to a small couch area. "You should rest here for a moment you hit your head pretty hard. Wait here, I'll go get you something to drink." The usher replied hurrying off to the concession stand.

A few minutes later he returned with a bottle of water and after handing to me he sat down by my side to make sure I was ok. "Are you alright miss? You seem a little out of sorts. Is everything ok? What happened? Why were you running so fast?" The usher asked worriedly.

"I... I can't remember." I replied shaking my head to try and clear it however, instead it just began to throb worse. I felt as if I had just been run over by an elephant, a space shuttle and the titanic. "Ooh, my head..." I replied.

"Miss how many fingers am I holding up? The usher asked holding up three fingers.

"Six? No wait. Three I think I'm not really sure. Just give me a minute to compose myself and I'll try to answer your question." I replied rising from the seat.

"You really should stay seated miss. I think you might have some head trauma." The usher replied.

I shook my head. "I'm fine, I'll be ok by myself. You don't need to call the paramedics or anything. I just want to sit here by myself and wait for the movie I was watching to be finished so my friends can take me home." I replied.

"Ok." The usher replied hesitantly. "If your sure your ok." I nodded and he walked away and I closed my eyes to try and make the throbbing of my head stop. I soon wished that I hadn't done that for as soon as I had Freddy reappeared right beside me.

"Hello Princess."

"What do you want from me?"

"I already have what I want from you. You don't remember me do you? Don't worry, you will remember me in time. But for now it's time to wake up Princess. We will talk again real soon. I promise. Now wake up Princess." Freddy replied.

When I opened my eyes I saw a group of worried bystanders including the usher. "I knew I shouldn't have left you alone. Are you ok Mrs???"