Sweet dreams Claire

“Claire woke up startled shortly after falling asleep and quickly realized that something was wrong, terribly wrong. A faint smell of mildew lingered in the air. Her comfortable mattress and the soft, warm sheets of her bed had definitely been replaced by something more restrictive and oppressive. When she opened her eyes, it was evident that this was not the ceiling of her room.

Trying to move, she realized she couldn't. She was completely immobilized, with her arms crossed behind her back, trapped inside an inflatable black latex sack that held her firmly to a hospital bed with leather straps and thick metal fasteners. She wasn’t going anywhere, and terror began to invade her.

The only sounds were the weak buzzing of flickering fluorescent lights above her and a metallic noise that seemed to come from some dark corner of the clinic. She didn’t know how she had ended up there; the last thing she remembered was falling asleep in the comfort of her bed, but now… now she was trapped in this horrendous nightmare.

Claire wanted to scream, but she felt panic imagining who might show up in that place. —¿Is anyone there?— she whispered, her voice barely echoing in the vast, empty room. The air was thick with a tension that seemed to grow more oppressive with each passing second. Her heart raced as she futilely tried to free herself. It was then that she felt a cold shiver run down her spine as she remembered: this place, this dark and horrible clinic… it wasn't just any place. It wasn't real. It was the setting of a horror movie from which she had unintentionally seen a scene as a child, a scene that had haunted her nightmares for a time.

This was a dream.

—No… not again— Claire moaned, desperation taking over her voice. She knew what was coming next. She had heard the rumors from her old circle of friends. No one wanted to talk about it, but deep down, everyone knew they were connected. They all knew who was behind these nightmares.

Just then, a metal door creaked open weakly. Claire couldn't see anything, but she sensed someone approaching. The air grew colder, denser, almost palpable. A faint whisper resonated in the clinic, a voice she hadn’t heard in a long time: —Sweet dreams, Claire.—

The voice was soft, mocking, and laden with unsettling calm. Slowly, it came into Claire's line of sight: Edward Krueger, Ned, Neddy, Nerddy… The boy whom she and the others had laughed at and tormented for years. The one who had died in the fire they themselves had caused during the last of their cruel pranks. But this was not the shy, nervous Ned she remembered. Though he looked physically the same, he exuded a terrible presence, as if the hatred accumulated since his death had warped any trace of humanity in him.

—N-Ned… no, please…— Claire whispered, struggling against the panic as her body trembled. She remembered the cruelty with which she had treated him over the years, her laughter at seeing him hanging from a coat rack by his underwear, and the many other taunts they had directed at him. During the last of their pranks, they had the bright idea to throw a burning rag into the garage where Ned’s treasured belongings were stored, and the fire quickly spread through his vast collections of D&D manuals, World of Darkness, and many others from Warhammer, along with countless miniatures and scenery… At that moment, Ned had been sleeping inside the garage, and by the time he became aware of the danger, it was too late. His death was ruled an accident, and Claire and her friends agreed to say nothing.

Ned smiled, his teeth filled with braces, showing Claire the unsettling glove he was wearing on his hand.

—Do you remember how you used to laugh at me?— Ned said, his tone calm but tinged with malice. —Do you remember how you had fun at my expense? Well, now you’re going to laugh thanks to me… But this time, the one who’s going to have fun is going to be me.—

Claire struggled, her mind searching for a way to wake up, to escape, but she couldn’t. She was trapped in that dream, in that twisted world created by Ned’s thirst for revenge. Her feet, exposed and immobilized in the stocks, began to tense in anticipation. Each of her toes trembled in place.

—No, don’t do it, please… I beg you— Claire moaned, in a pathetic attempt to make Ned feel pity for her.

Ned leaned over her, his cold eyes fixed on hers. —When I was alive, I made that request to you and your friends a bunch of times— he said softly. —But you never felt pity for me.—

Without further warning, Ned lowered his gloved hand toward Claire's feet, and the wheels began to do their work. Claire let out a scream that quickly turned into involuntary laughter. A desperate, choked laugh. The torment was unbearable, all while Ned meticulously focused on his task.

—Laugh, Claire— Ned said, his voice now sounding much darker. —Laugh like you did when I was consumed by the flames along with all my dreams… Now, for that, I will forever be in yours.—

Claire fought, trying to escape, but it was clear there was no way out; She might have managed to escape justice, but Ned had made sure she wouldn't escape of this. The tickling was relentless, her body convulsing under the pressure, the agony. She screamed through her laughter, gasping for air, begging for it all to end. But the minutes passed slowly, one after another, and another… with no mercy...

The alarm clock rang, breaking the silence of the room and abruptly pulling Claire out of her nightmare. Her heart still raced, but she was relieved to find herself in her bed, surrounded by the familiarity of her room. Had it all just been only a nightmare? she wondered, as the tension began to fade.

She got up and headed to the bathroom, trying to shake off the discomfort of the dream. The light from the mirror welcomed her as she began to wash her face. When she looked up, she froze. Beneath her jaw, she saw two small red marks that sent an immediate shiver down her spine, reviving the nightmare all over again. That was where, in the dream, one of the metal fasteners from the gurney had grazed her skin when she had tried to shrink her neck. Her mind flew back to the latex sack, the straps, the stocks, and of course, that horrible glove, recalling the suffocating sensation of helplessness and Ned's cruel, satisfied gaze at her suffering. It had to be a coincidence; the possibility that what had happened to her during the night was real was simply insane. Claire froze, terror flooding back into her. Her heart began to race again as she realized that maybe she was free to enjoy the day, but when she inevitably had to sleep again, Ned could be waiting for her in her dreams once more.”

You see that this is a parody of A Nightmare on Elm Street, with a... different approach. I would have liked to have Freddy Krueger, but I only managed to get the costume and the famous glove with blades, so I had to improvise a new... hmmm... villain? to wear it.

Beware, bullies, for Nerddy Krueger will deliver justice... in your nightmares!