A/N: This is it. The final chapter.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own A Nightmare on Elm Street or any of its characters.

WARNING: CERTAIN CHAPTERS OF THE FOLLOWING STORY WILL CONTAIN GRAPHIC SEXUAL CONTENT, GRAPHIC VIOLENCE, AND ADULT LANGUAGE. TO AVOID SPOILERS, THERE WILL NOT BE INDIVIDUAL WARNINGS FOR EACH CHAPTER.

Chapter Six: Replacement

1962

Loretta stuffed a blue washcloth into the drain and spread a larger towel over it, covering the bottom of the sink. She twisted on both taps before adjusting the flow of the water to a warmer temperature. The towel soaked it up as it turned a darker shade of blue from the center out. A few inches pooled over it, and the water level began rising. A bed of air bubbles clung to the towel's threaded texture.

She hadn't noticed that Freddy was home from work until she heard him coming down the hall. He poked his head in from around the open doorframe with a pleasant grin.

"There she is," he said, crossing the tiles. He passed Loretta, and bent over to scoop the baby out of her yellow, tri-pod walker. "There's my little princess."

Lifting her up to his face, he planted a loud kiss on each chubby cheek, and one on her round belly as she giggled.

"Is it bath time, Katherine?" he crooned as he laid her on the changing table. He undid the snaps on her doll-sized onesie, and pulled it off, leaving the baby in only a diaper. She cooed and babbled as she kicked her little legs in the air like a frog. With a cold wipe in hand, he peeled off the tabs and opened the wet nappy, sliding it out from under her.

Loretta swept her fingers through the water as she shut it off.

After he wiped Katherine clean, Freddy picked up the naked baby, and placed her in the sink. Her arms flailed as he held her upright and poked her button nose. He left the room, chuckling to himself without looking at Loretta even once.

She stared down at her baby, who was darting her large brown eyes from the shower, to the towel rack, to her mother, and back around. Katherine's gaze never focused on anything for more than a few seconds. Her miniature palms slapped the surface of the water, splattering Loretta's blouse.

She dunked a rag and squirted two pumps of gentle shampoo and body wash before lathering it over the infant's corn-silk hair. A drop of soapy water rolled over her rounded forehead, and into her eye. Her tiny brows creased, and her whole face wrinkled up as she started making that awful noise. The one Loretta had to listen to every night. It started like a nasally cough, then transitioned into long, ear-splitting wails, growing louder until Loretta couldn't take it anymore.

But tonight, it was as if the cries didn't reach her. She watched the red faced, screaming baby with a cold detachment, still scrubbing her head. The inside corner of Katherine's eye was turning pink, and tears swelled over her cheeks.

When she was finished shampooing, she left the rag in a soggy heap beside the sink. The crying seemed to drift farther and farther away, as if carried by some imaginary wind until she couldn't hear it anymore. She slowly moved her hand up the baby's dimpled back, and began reclining her into the bath. First, her chest went under, then the sud covered hair, then her tiny ears. The water crept up around her face, which was still contorted by mute screams. It covered everything but the tip of her nose. The nose that Freddy said was as sweet as a cherry.

Then that sank under, too.

Katherine stopped crying the second she was submerged. Her arms and legs went still as she lay flat on the bottom of the sink, looking blankly up at her mother through the distorting ripples. A chain of bubbled air escaped her as her eyes glossed over. The ends of Loretta's hair hung into the sink, her body hunching over to get a closer look. Color drained from the infant's face. Her rosy cheeks became pallid and lifeless. Her pupils dilated, making her eyes like two black marbles.

"What the hell is going on?"

Loretta's head snapped towards the bathroom doorway as she heard Freddy's voice. He stood in the hall, glaring at her. "Keep the noise down, alright? I'm trying to read the paper."

As he walked away, she turned back to the sink. Katherine was sitting upright, still screaming. Loretta snatched up a fresh washcloth, and wet it before wiping the soap out of her baby's eye.

She was disgusted with herself. With her thoughts.

After rinsing the baby clean and lifting her from the sink, she patted her dry.

"It's okay, Katherine." she hushed her.

She fastened on the new diaper and held the sobbing infant against her breast.

"Shhh, shhh…"

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1966

Potted flowers lined the windowsill, with the blue gingham curtains drawn to the sides of the glass pane, and tied with blue bows. A wide silver spoon cut into the wad of yellow dough sitting at the bottom of a ceramic bowl, and scooped out a small chunk filled with chocolate chips. Holding it over the greased cookie sheet, Loretta tapped the metal handle until the sticky ball dropped in line with the others.

When it was full, she opened the oven door and slid it onto the burning rack inside. She set the notch on her egg timer for eight minutes, placing the ticking, plastic hen on the counter.

It wasn't long before the warm, sweet scent filled the room. The timer rang, and Loretta laid the spoon beside the newly filled cookie sheet. She took out the hot batch and set it over two burners on the stove range.

She heard the television switch off, and the pitter-patter of little feet rushed in from the living room.

"Mommy, are they done yet?" Katherine asked, holding the edge of the counter with an excited bounce. Her light brown ponytail swung behind her.

Loretta began scraping them off the sheet and depositing them two at a time on the white plate beside them.

"Yes, but you'll have to wait until after dinner, or you won't have any room in your stomach for the scallop potatoes." she said.

"Yuck," Katherine spat, her nose wrinkling, "I hate potatoes."

"Well, you're not getting any cookies until you eat it. And the roast beef." she said as she finished emptying the tray.

With a furious pout, Katherine lunged past her mother and stole a cookie from the plate. She crammed it into her mouth, chewing it up.

"Katherine," Loretta barked as she grabbed the child's arm and smacked the back of her thigh, "I said no. Now you aren't getting any of them tonight."

Tears gathered on the rims of her daughter's eyes. She threw her head back and started crying and screaming, before running out of the room.

With a defeated sigh, Loretta placed the tray on top of the other dirty dishes. She'd wanted to do something nice for Katherine, make her a treat. All the girl had to do was eat her dinner. But could it ever be that simple? Of course not. There had to be a temper tantrum every time she didn't get her way.

A minute later, Katherine returned with her father in tow.

"What's the matter, baby girl?" Freddy asked as she pulled him through the kitchen arch by the wrist. His brows were knit with concern.

"Mommy won't let me have any cookies, and then she hurt my leg." the child said, sniffling.

His eyes narrowed. "What do you mean, 'hurt your leg'?"

"Right here." she whined as she pointed to the spot. "It stings, daddy."

Freddy lifted the hem of her dress to find a slim red hand print on her skin.

"Fred, she was being disobedient. I told her-"

"Shut up." he snarled so viciously that even Katherine flinched. Noticing her unease, he drew a breath to calm himself. He didn't want to scare his little girl.

Loretta took an involuntary step back when he came toward her. He stood close, making her tilt her face up to see him. The left side of his mouth was twitching with barely concealed rage. He didn't have to tell her what was going to happen after Katherine fell asleep that night. She knew.

"Take a seat, princess." he called over his shoulder without breaking eye contact with Loretta.

Katherine scrambled onto the chair next to her, and Freddy left his wife to get the plate of cookies off the counter. He put it on the table in front of her.

"You have as many as you want, okay sweetheart?" he told her as he patted her head.

With her nose still red and puffy from sobbing, she smiled and brought one of the warm, soft cookies to her mouth. When that one was swallowed, she started on the next.

"Take it easy, baby girl." he laughed. Then he turned to Loretta, and the humor vanished. "Get her a glass of milk."

Loretta moved to the lime green refrigerator and pulled the handle on the rattling door, taking out a tall, blue and white carton. She popped open the cardboard spout and filled a clean cup from the dish strainer.

Katherine remained bent over the plate of cookies, pounding them down like it was her job. She didn't even stop for a second when Loretta placed the milk down for her.

She could sense that they didn't want her there, so she went out into the living room to fold the pile of laundry on the couch.

"Daddy?" she could hear her daughter's voice through the wall.

"Yeah, Kat?"

"Why can't mommy be nice like you?"

Not wanting to listen to the rest of their conversation, she dumped the clothes into a wicker basket and carried it up the stairs on her hip. She'd finish it in her bedroom, where it was quiet.

Lining up sleeves and hems, she folded each garment and placed it in its proper pile. Soon the basket was empty and overturned, and three stacks sat on the blankets. She carried the pile of colorful little dresses to Katherine's room, and sorted it out into her chest of drawers.

By the time she was done, Freddy had settled into the couch with Katherine under his arm. The lights were out in the living room, and the television screen threw a pale blue glow over them. Loretta saw them from the stairs.

She and Freddy used to watch the late night shows like that when they were dating. It seemed like a lifetime ago, but she could still remember leaning against the side of his warm chest.

All of that belonged to Katherine, now.

She passed in front of the coffee table, and disappeared into the kitchen to set out the plates and cutlery. A few minutes later, she called through the archway.

"Dinner's ready."

The old springs beneath the sofa cushions squeaked as Freddy pushed himself up. He stretched and rolled his shoulders, bending out a crick in his neck.

"Come on, Kat." he said while he patted his daughter's scrawny leg. He noticed that her face was a little paler than usual when she looked up at him.

"I'm full. Can I stay here?"

"Alright, but just this one time." he said with a huff, "I don't want you withering away on me."

She giggled. "I won't."

"Do you want me to put on some cartoons for you?" he asked, motioning towards the screen that was still playing the evening news. The headline at the bottom read, "Body of Missing Child Found", with the details scrolling beneath it in smaller text. To the right of the plastic-haired anchorman was a picture of a smiling, six year old girl with short blonde curls, and a white lace bow on her head. Her new front tooth had only grown in halfway.

"No thanks." Katherine said, "I want to watch what you watch, daddy."

He smirked as he headed for the kitchen, but again, his expression went cold when he saw Loretta cutting up her beef. The knife and fork occasionally tapped the plate. He sat across from her, and began doing the same with the meal she'd set out. But his knife scraped the ceramic surface with far more pressure than necessary. Loretta felt her stomach flip with every screech he made. When he brought the meat to his mouth, he ground it between his molars like it had no flavor.

She never looked up through the entire dinner, feeling his eyes on her.

Then his chair slid back, and he walked away. The empty plate he left behind was covered in scratches, with bits of spat-out fat scattered over its ruined finish. She cleaned it off into the trash can, and brought it to the sink. After massaging the hot water and soap into her yellow sponge, she began scrubbing the dish. The texture wasn't smooth anymore. It was rough and marred. But even in its miserable state, it was still able to catch her reflection after she rinsed it.

"Mommy?" Katherine said from behind her. Her voice was small and sluggish. "My stomach hurts."

Loretta put the clean plate into the first slot on the dish strainer to dry, and started soaping up the next one.

"I think I need some medicine." her daughter continued, sounding like she was about to vomit.

After a few moments, Katherine asked again, "Mommy?"

But Loretta was unresponsive. She continued washing the dishes as if she were the only person in the room.

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Brittle, autumn leaves coated the front lawns on Elm Street, rustling and spiraling up into the air with the cold wind. Some properties had raked-up mounds of leafy debris dotted across the combed, dying grass. Katherine studied a red cardinal hopping through the barren, scraggly branches of the maple tree in their neighbor's yard. It flew away as she was trotting past the twin white pillars that supported the arched roof over the front door.

"Wait!" she shouted, running out to the parked red truck. Freddy leaned his back on the driver's side door, boots crossed. He tapped off the ashes from the lit end of his afternoon cigarette, and grinned as he saw her approaching. Her pigtails lashed back and forth over her ears.

"What's the emergency, sweetheart?" he asked.

She ran into him with all the force of her puny body, locking her arms around his lower waist and squishing her face into his stomach.

He barely understood her muffled whine. "You can't go to work without saying goodbye."

"I'm not leaving yet. Not until I finish my smoke." he chuckled.

Craning her head all the way back, she peered up at the strange, white stick between his lips, with the grey cloud curling from the end.

"Why do you always eat those, daddy?" she asked as she cocked her head to the side.

"These aren't food, baby girl," he said with a hint of amusement, "You only breathe in the stuff inside them. See?"

He demonstrated, pinching it straight and inhaling. Then he blew the smoke up toward the sky.

"Can I breathe one in?" Katherine beamed, a look of wonder in her eyes. "Please?"

"Sorry, sweetheart, but they're not for little kids."

She pouted as he rubbed out the burning tip on his boot, and opened the door. Before he climbed in, Katherine stopped him.

"Will you be home soon?" she asked.

"No, honey. I'm working late, tonight."

He pet her head and backed the truck out of the driveway. Katherine waited until it disappeared around a corner before she scampered inside.

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Baby dolls of varying sizes and stages of wear were strewn across the bedroom floor, with their miniature dresses and hair ribbons littered between them. A small toy shopping cart had been knocked on its side. The painted, plastic foods were spilled out in front of it. Surrounded by the mess, Katherine sat Indian-style in a circle she'd cleared for herself. Her eyes were glazed with boredom as she hopped a teddy bear along to no particular destination.

Her dad hadn't been joking when he said he'd be home late. It was already dark outside, so there was no chance that he could take her out on her tricycle when he got back.

She perked up as headlights flashed over the drapes, accompanied by the familiar sound of crunched gravel. Without bothering to check at the window, she threw aside her toy and bounded down the hallway toward the stairs, darting past the bathroom doorway.

At the sink mirror, Loretta held a tube of lipstick poised on her upper lip as the yellow dress and pigtails went by in a blur. She drew it over her cupid's bow, plumping her lips with the deep red pigment before smacking them together. She felt like a fool for still trying to get his attention. Just one glance, one smile on their anniversary. She was starving for even the simplest gesture.

Downstairs, Katherine was bouncing with anticipation by the door. She squealed when it opened, clinging onto Freddy's legs.

"Daddy's home!" she announced, more to herself than anyone else.

Crouching to her level, he reached into his back pocket with a playful grin.

"And I brought you a surprise." he added. He placed a box of Stallion candy cigarettes in her outstretched hand, and she stared down at the bold, red and white design. Two black horses were posed in mid-gallop beneath the brand name. It rattled when she shook it, and she dug her finger under the tab to pull it open. Long, white sugar sticks were packed inside.

"Thank you!" she squealed, hanging around his neck, "Can I have one now?"

"Sure, come outside." he said.

They went onto the doorstep, each tapping out a cigarette from their own pack, and holding it between their lips. Freddy rummaged through his pocket for a silver lighter, and the tiny flame grew out the top with a click.

"This is hard to do, daddy." Katherine said through the side of her mouth.

He quirked an eyebrow. "How's that?"

"It's hard not to chew it, because it's so yummy." she explained, "And it's melting, too."

"Eat it and take another."

He listened to her delighted hum as the stick grinded to powder on her tongue. With the next one between her fingers, she pretended to puff it the way Freddy was puffing his. When he exhaled, she blew out her breath to form a steam imitation of his thick, grey billows.

She watched his every move, and he knew it.

Loretta heard the laughter as she came down the stairs, her hair now brushed and pinned back on both sides. She peered through the window, and saw them under the doorstep light. They were facing one another, leaning on opposite columns. Katherine mirrored each drag her father took of his cigarette with her own candy replica. It was sick. Why was he teaching their daughter such a disgusting habit? As she debated whether or not to intervene, he dropped his smoke and crushed it under his boot toe. He came inside with Katherine following at his heels like a puppy.

Backing away from the windowpane, she found herself in their path as they headed to the kitchen.

"Fred," Loretta began, unsure if she should continue, "I don't think we should be letting Katherine pretend to smo-"

Her bobby pins came loose as he swatted the back of her head in passing, not missing a step along the way. It snapped forward as hair lashed her cheeks. She didn't raise it, or say another word.

"Do you want to go out for some ice cream, Kat?" he said from the kitchen as he shut a cabinet.

Katherine gasped. "Really?"

"Yes, really." he chuckled, "Go get your shoes on."

"Can I have sprinkles on my cone, too?"

"Whatever you want, princess."

They were gone by the time she looked up. She walked to the counter, taking the nearest dish towel to dunk it in an abandoned cup of water.

He'd probably forgotten what day it was. Or he didn't care.

She wiped off her lipstick, which smeared on the blue towel. What a stupid thing to bother with. He hadn't even noticed. She was an idiot for thinking that he'd ever look at her the way he used to, just because she put on some makeup. Two-dollar whores did the same thing every day, and it didn't earn them any love. So why did she think she'd be any different?

She lifted the lid off the ceramic tea jar and fished her hand inside, pulling out a small piece of crumpled, yellow paper. It had been wadded into a ball many times throughout the years, but she couldn't make herself throw it away.

She took the phone off the hook, hearing the quiet dial tone as she read the faded telephone number.

But they wouldn't want her. Not anymore.

She hung it back up, and the tone went dead.

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1967

The cardboard flaps fell closed, concealing the stack of old, water-damaged novels. Loretta slid it across the basement floor into the tangle of junk they never used. It left a clean trail through the dust and dirt, blending in with the other boxes.

A thin strip of sunlight came through the gap between the closed cellar doors. She heard Katherine giggle out in the backyard, still playing tag with Freddy.

As Loretta walked back in the direction of the stairs, something stopped her. The heavy padlock that kept his room sealed off was hanging closed on the latch. Same as yesterday, and the day before. Nothing was different about it, but it held her attention like a vice grip.

She hated that door. Every day, it was waiting here to remind her that she wasn't welcomed. Not inside his room, or in his house, or in his family.

Behind her was a heap of broken cinder blocks from the power plant. She wasn't sure what made her do it, but she bent to pick up a corner piece. The edges were jagged, digging into her hand as she squeezed it. She smashed it down against the lock. It swung on the latch, showing more dents and scratches with each blow. She raised the bludgeon above her head, and hammered the fixture with all her strength. And she didn't stop until it broke open.

The block fell by her feet, rolling to a flat side. Cement granules were embedded in her raw fingertips, with specks of blood trapped beneath her skin. She reached toward the door, fingers curling with hesitation before touching the cold metal. Without giving herself time to change her mind, she slipped the lock off, and flicked back the latch.

The door creaked open.

For a while, she didn't move as she stared into the room. The off-beat pounding in her chest grew louder.

Newspaper clippings dotted the walls, with a concentrated cluster of them pinned up over a wooden worktable and bench. Headlines screamed out rape and murder from each article, and the children in the photos were the same faces that had been plastered all over town. They were the little ones that never came home. The victims of the Springwood Slasher.

A tall shelf housed an arsenal of blood stained weapons. Rows of gloves with grotesque modifications sat on the highest level, raised above the common knives and saws. Some had razors protruding from steel plates on each finger, or spikes jutting up from the knuckles. One was fitted with fish hooks, and the sight of it made her stomach churn.

This was who her husband was.

She glanced back around the door frame, first at the cellar doors, then the staircase. The entire Sheriff's department could be here in minutes. No one else would die. All she had to do was make the call, but her feet remained frozen in place.

It was wrong. It was selfish. But she didn't want to be Ms. Loretta Johnson again, all by herself. She couldn't watch them close handcuffs on his wrists, and shove the back of his head down into a police cruiser.

What he'd done to those children and to her didn't matter. She loved him too much to betray him.

With a sick curiosity, she reached inside the doorframe to feel for a light switch. Instead, she hit something smooth and cold. The whole stack of jars toppled over, crashing in front of her. Putrid juices splashed onto her feet. Mixed with the transparent shards of glass, were pickled fingers, ears, genitals, and other tiny body parts. Stringy, red tendons trailed behind a clouded eyeball.

She screamed, regretting it before she had even finished. The laughter in the yard ceased.

Loretta rushed to throw open the cellar doors. They slammed flat onto the grass, letting sunlight pour over the concrete steps as she climbed out.

Freddy came toward her, his face darkening with hatred, and it was then that she knew she'd made the wrong choice. But in the end, there was no one else to blame.

She'd seen the smoke.

She should have known what came with it.

THE END

A/N: I had a blast writing this story, and getting to know Loretta. I hope you liked it. If you did, I'd be really happy if you'd leave a review. Thanks so much to all my readers, though- those that reviewed and those that did not.

I thought it would be interesting to challenge the idea that Loretta just happened to stumble upon the unlocked door. And honestly, every character in EVERY story should have a scene where they get to bludgeon something. :)

If you're looking for your next read, check out "I Won't Tell" by Darkness Takes Over. I've recommended her stories before, but I wanted to do it again for this specific one because it begins exactly where this story ends. Then it takes Freddy and Kat down a very dark, non-canonical path. It's tons of fun! (I should note for you that she writes Katherine 's character somewhat differently. She isn't a spoiled brat in Darkness's story. I promise.)

Anyway, here's the "(Un)official Soundtrack" that I mentioned before. I'll have links to all the underlined songs in my profile for the next few weeks. I chose the ones with the best sound quality, and not all of them have lyrics in the video. If you want the lyrics, you may have to look them up online.

Chapter 1: Lana Del Rey - Prom Song (Gone Wrong) *This really captures the innocent, 1950's dating scene.

Chapter 2: The Black Keys - Weight of Love

Chapter 3: The Beatles - Run For Your Life

Chapter 4: Erik Satie - Gymnopedie No. 1 *The scene where Loretta's lying in bed at night, and watching the clouds before she runs away makes me think of this song. It's in pretty stark contrast to the rest of the chapter, but it stuck out to me and I couldn't ignore it.

Chapter 5: The Misfits - Scream

Chapter 6: The Fray - Heaven Forbid

FURTHER DISCLAIMERS: I DON'T OWN STALLION CANDY CIGARETTES.