A/N: It is finished! Hallelujah! I know I promised that this chapter would be posted faster than the last one, but I'm only human. Life gets in the way. I swear to you guys that I will not drop this story; it will be completed, if it's the last thing I do. So help me God.

Thank you to Darkness Takes Over, thatredheadedchick, The-Original-Mystic, and Germany11 for reviewing chapter eight, and thank you to all the people who have followed and reviewed Wake. You're what draws me back in when I feel like quitting.

(And side note to my favorite redhead: I have a feeling you're going to enjoy this chapter, specifically.)

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 Nine: Fresh and Young

Ropes of incense snaked through the air as Nancy kept pace with Krueger's easy strides. They curved around her body, enticing her down the grand walkway and clouding her vision. The gaps in the smoke revealed unearthly luxuries like polished marble floors, statues and curtains edged in gold, and diamonds encrusted in the hellish murals along the walls. Blocking out the painted depictions of torture, she lowered her head, but found her senses overwhelmed in other ways: Strongly scented smoke burned her lungs and dripped down the back of her throat as she caught echoes of moans, screams, and stabbing, insane cackles from somewhere deep within the desert palace. The colossal doors drew shut behind her and Freddy, sealing them in.

Between two huge columns carved from white stone, Nancy saw glimpses of a room lit with low-hanging candelabras. The searing white wax dripped onto the tangles of naked bodies below as they thrust against one another in endless ecstasy and pain. Some had twisted themselves into unimaginable positions that would have broken the bones of a living human. The people's eyes were hooded and glazed, their consciousness abandoned centuries ago on the lavish couches and canopied beds beneath them. The pungent smell of lust floated into Nancy's nostrils, repulsive to her mind yet intriguing to the ghost of her flesh.

Freddy pulled her forward, uncharacteristically disinterested in the scene. She glanced up at him and saw that his eyes were narrowed and fixed straight ahead. She caught one last glance at the sweat-slicked bodies before leaving the orgy behind her.

He led her to a curtained archway at the end of the hall that was guarded by two bleached skeletons. Their bones were long and thin, decorated with the same language of carvings that she'd seen on the door to the desert, and they towered over both of the visitors. Nancy stared up at the one closest to her, searching its hollow eye sockets for a sign of life. Her gaze was returned with only empty blackness. Freddy groaned as the guard on the left reached over to draw back half of the curtain in ceremoniously slow motion. Nancy would have flinched if not for all the nightmarish things she'd already seen in this world. Instead, she calmly reached into her pocket and clasped the orb. Her mind was going numb to the bizarre and horrific; she wasn't sure that anything could disgust her anymore.

She would retract that thought within the hour.

The room they entered had a high ceiling and a single, intricately tiered chandelier hanging from the center. Blue flames clung to the wilting candles, casting a surreal glow onto the obsidian thrones along the far wall. Three black forms slouched in each seat like enormous slugs with misshapen skulls, and they paid no attention to their guests. Spidery arms extended from their sides to pick at the gluttonous heaps of food that were spread around them; one lifted a ripe purple grape dripping with dew, examined it, and rejected it to the floor. It perused the layers upon layers of fruits and savory meats, slumping back into its throne dissatisfied. Nancy watched it tap its needle-thin fingers along the armrest with an air of agitated boredom.

The largest one, which sat in the middle throne, beckoned her and Freddy forward before dropping a seasoned cube of dark meat into its gaping mouth. Nancy stared at the jagged, skeletal teeth that closed on the morsel, and she knew that if her hand was caught in its jaws she wouldn't be getting it back.

"What do you want, Krueger?" snapped the small one.

Freddy bit back whatever snide remark had popped into his head and spoke - to Nancy's surprise - complacently. "You got it all wrong," he said, "I'm not here to ask for anything."

"Then why has a selfish piece of scum like you crawled all the way through the desert to see us?" asked the medium-sized one. So far, none of them had even glanced at her, and she wished it could have stayed that way.

"Look fellas, I know I haven't been bringing in many souls lately-"

"Any souls lately," it corrected him.

Nancy was close enough to hear Freddy grind his teeth for the briefest moment. "Yeah. Well, I don't want you boys thinking I'm ungrateful for the power you gave me…so I wanna give you something."

"A gift," mused the middle one, and all at once their attention locked on Nancy. She fidgeted, eyes darting around and down at the polished floor.

The small one broke the silence. "Send her up."

Freddy nudged her in the back and she dug in her heels, forgetting her mission in the face of those creatures. Her instinct said to keep as much distance as possible between herself and them, but after another hard shove, she stumbled forward. She felt Freddy's frustrated glare on the back of her head, urging her on. The thrones were elevated slightly above the main floor, and she stopped at the bottom step. The large one motioned for her to spin around, showing the deceptively long reach of its arms. Her body went as stiff as a board as she turned once around to meet their scrutinizing gazes again. The demon leaned forward and eyed her head to toe. Then it snapped its needle-fingers.

The sharp sound cracked the air, and Nancy looked down to see her standard-issue pajamas vanish. They were replaced by a garment of sheer blue silk which left little of her body to the imagination. Her breasts swelled out from the loosely draped neckline on the front and the sides, and a crisscrossing layer of fine golden cord cinched her waist. Tinkling gold plates adorned the intricately-laced material on her hips, stirring at her slightest movement. The curve of her thighs peeked out on both sides of the double-slit.

"That's better," said the demon, "I never understood why human women these past few centuries have dressed like such idiots."

Nancy's brow quirked. This asshole had a problem with the way she dressed? Westin Hills pajamas may not have been the height of fashion, but at least she wore clothes. These lumpy, slimy little bastards should learn from her example before they criticize.

"Music," called the small demon. Within seconds, a tambourine began to rattle from some unseen place as the hypnotic sound of string instruments joined in. The ancient rhythm filled the room, and Nancy swallowed hard. She knew what was coming next.

"Dance for us, human," rasped the largest one.

She cringed. "Um, I'm not a very good dancer…Your Majesty. Maybe I could just-"

"DANCE," it roared, shaking the room. Nancy flinched back half a step and resigned herself to the awkwardness to follow.

"Alright, alright," she muttered. "No need to yell."

Balling her hands into fists, she brought them up by her head and began pumping them into the air. She stepped from side to side and rocked her hips, completely out of sync with the languorous, exotic melody. Beads of sweat flew from her thrashing hair as she rocked out to whatever Eighties aerobic exercise video was playing in her mind.

The Dream Demons were not impressed.

"The human has no skill in dancing," said the large one to the small.

Nancy ignored them and glanced over her shoulder to find Freddy admiring her butt. She shot him a scornful glare as she stuck out her elbows and began twisting at the waist. How long was this fucking song? It had better end soon, because she was running out of dance moves. Not that she had many to start with.

"That's enough," said the medium-sized demon, carelessly waving his hand to silence the instruments.

No one had to say it twice; the humiliated girl was glad to return to her rigid, uncomfortable posture.

"I sense a strong force of good within her," said the large demon. Nancy tensed, squeezing the orb in her hand and praying they hadn't noticed it. Her pulse picked up under their suspicious stares.

The small one leaned closer to Nancy. "I sensed it too; this one will be a pleasure to corrupt."

As it signaled for her to approach, a bulge of black, mucous-covered flesh erupted from between its legs. The other two grew similar appendages and cackled, and Nancy felt the bile rising in her throat. It tasted like acid. She fought it down, mounting the lowest step. The slinky dress slipped between her legs as she walked, but she paid no attention to it; her focus was on the huge, open mouth of the largest dream demon. It roared with laughter, head tipping back in revelry. If she could get close enough, all she'd have to do is drop the orb inside.

She inched towards the creature. All three of them were lost in their amusement; they weren't watching her. Slowly, cautiously, she brought her trembling fist up towards its teeth. A string of saliva spilled out from between them and splashed onto its bloated stomach. She flinched back, but drew closer a second later, making up for the lost seconds.

"What's in your hand?" said the smallest one, recovering first from the laughter. The other two sobered instantly. They stared at her as she pulled back her fist and hid it behind her thigh.

"Nothing," she answered. "There's nothing in my hand; I was only trying to make myself useful and clean the drool off your chest. I thought that's what you wanted."

"What we want," said the large demon, frothing in rage at her insolence, "is for you to stop talking back and open your hand."

It smacked her in the side of her head, and she tumbled backwards down the stairs. The gold plates tinkled like spilled beads when she hit the floor. Her vision swam for a few seconds as she blinked the blurriness away, cramming the orb into her mouth.

The large demon exhaled, counting his frustrations. "She can't dance, she's disobedient: is your gift good for anything?"

Its infuriated gaze roamed over the contours of her figure. She lay on her side, struggling to get up, with the high slit revealing the bottom half of her butt. Its glare softened into something perverse, and Freddy saw his chance to redeem himself: "She's good for a lot of things, boys. As you can see."

The medium-sized demon lounged against the arm of his throne. "Why don't you demonstrate for us?"

"I'd love to," he growled with a nasty smile, tugging down his fly. Nancy sat up and crawled backwards as he approached. His predatory eyes flashed from under the rim of his old fedora. He cornered her against the wall of the chamber and seized her wrist. "Oh, no, Nancy. We don't wanna hide back here; they'll miss the show."

He dragged her back into the center of the floor and threw her down, straddling her bare, thrashing hips. The more she bucked against him, the more excited he got. He popped off the button on his trousers and licked up a trickle of sweat from the side of her neck.

"Krueger," said the large demon. "This woman is a virgin. Leave that for us."

Freddy groaned and yanked his pants shut. The cock-tease left him bitter, and Nancy felt that frustration coming off him in waves as he shoved a rough hand between her legs. She wanted to scream obscenities into his ugly face, but her lips were sealed to contain the orb. His fingers abused her sensitive pink flesh without restraint, and he leered down at her, savoring the hopeless terror in her eyes. He rubbed up and down between her folds at a frantic speed that her nerves couldn't ignore.

She jerked against him, grabbing at his arms in a failing attempt to shove him off. He enjoyed her little struggle; it was useless. He was far stronger. He let her squirm out from under him for a moment before yanking her in again, this time with her back tight against his chest. Slipping an arm around the underside of her thigh, he raised her leg and spread it wide from the other. He tore aside the flimsy silk that had barely shielded her from the Dream Demon's view and let them watch as he returned to his work.

If he couldn't come, she was gong to have to do it instead. Whether she liked it or not.

He pressed his fingertips into her swelling nub and rubbed it mercilessly. Within minutes, she was twitching and choking back cries. He heard the distressed noises tangle up in her throat.

"If you want me to stop, Nancy," he teased, "all you have to do is ask."

She clenched her jaw, feeling herself growing warmer. Freddy glanced down to see a drop of clear liquid trickle from below his hand. When her toes curled in, he stopped. He didn't want this to be over too quickly.

The hand that was hooked around her leg reached up to grasp her plump, jiggling breast, spreading her legs even farther apart. He thrust two charred fingers inside her and pumped them in and out at a brutal pace. Out of the corner of his eye he saw her face contort from the pain. He forced a third finger in, pounding into her like he were trying to satisfy his own throbbing erection.

Hot angry tears threatened to fall on her flushed face. Everything in her mind was disgust. Disgust for him, disgust for the hungry sets of eyes watching her, disgust with her own body for not shutting down and going numb. Why couldn't there be a switch in her mind that turned everything off? Why did she have to feel it all? And the disgust grew inside her stomach, infusing with the pleasure. Swallowing it.

Her legs had begun to stiffen. Her back writhed against his chest in direct disobedience to her will. All she could do was keep her mouth sealed and choke down the screams and groans. She was aware of the winding-up in her belly that would soon break into spasms. With a clenched jaw and a hammering heartbeat, she fought it. But it was a losing battle. Control was slipping out of her tight fists. His hand drew it out of her. She was slipping.

"That's good, Krueger. Enough."

He ceased, resting his still hand on her inner thigh. "But she isn't finished yet," he informed them, brushing his fingertips over her slit. She shuddered, so very close to exploding. He licked his teeth, momentarily forgetting his overlords as he teased her twitching flesh again, light as a feather.

The largest demon glared at him. "You've had enough fun. We'll finish her."

"Come to us, woman," called the small one. Nancy stood up, legs shaking like a newborn colt. She hesitated and stared at the floor, not wanting to look at the monster behind her or the monsters in front of her. She tried to wish them away. Freddy got to his feet with a groan.

"Behave and do what you're told," he snarled, shoving her forward. "Move, bitch."

She staggered across the floor and up the steps. One of her breasts had fallen loose from the struggle, but she didn't care. She wasn't human anymore. She was a disgusting carcass that only looked fresh and young on the outside.

"Sit," hissed the large demon, patting its lap. Nancy sat on the slimy, bulbous slug and stared up at the chandelier. Its erection stuck out like a flagpole beside her. It ran its spindly fingers through her hair, lifting a few wavy stands to the blue light to admire them. "Did you see our little menagerie of humans on the way in?"

She nodded lifelessly.

"You'll make a wonderful new addition," the medium-sized one said.

The large one continued playing with her hair. "We had a human woman like you decades ago. The same hair. Same lips. You may have seen her with the rest."

Nancy gave no response.

"She tried to fight us the first time we took her. And do you know what we did?"

She stared on.

"We broke her spine. Into three separate parts," it whispered.

"But we're not going to have any trouble like that from you, will we?" Asked the small one, snickering.

No response.

"Answer me, you little human whore!"

Most people would have flinched. Nancy didn't; she only gave a slow nod.

"Good," it said, rolling its long dark tongue over its bottom jaw. "Now kiss me."

It fisted her hair into a knot and jerked her head back. Steaming lusty breath leaked from between its teeth, rippling over Nancy's dull face. The smell woke her from her trance.

She had to get out of here. And the only way out was in.

She leaned up and clashed her lips against the putrid, skeletal mouth. Its tongue slithered past her lips, and she reciprocated. They tangled; they twisted. And when it had begun to retreat for air, she pursued it and leaned in farther to connect mouths again. The demon grinned. With its mouth open and guard lowered, she tongued the orb out of the pocket of her cheek and shoved it down the monster's throat. She leapt away. Its breath hitched.

Glowing fractures crawled over its body, splitting its skin as it gagged. The light broke through in sharp beams from deep inside, and the creature slid from its throne. Within seconds, shards of light tore apart the other two demons. They fell to the polished marble floor, writhing and gasping.

Freddy watched with a satisfied smirk and slid on a pair of black sunglasses. The three dark slugs shriveled down, withering away like flopping fish in sun-baked sand. Then they lay on the floor motionlessly, no bigger than Nancy's fist. Freddy slunk toward them with relish in every step. He stooped to pick one up by the tail, dangling it over his open mouth before crushing its skull in his teeth. After chewing and swallowing the other two, he tossed his chin toward the exit and Nancy followed him out.

The hall they had entered by was lined on both sides with the naked souls from the orgy. They stood without shame or self-awareness, and Nancy stared at their bodies that had been worn and abused in infinite ways. Each one bowed to her and Freddy as they walked by, both rows folding over into a prostrate wave that ushered them out. The enormous doors waited for them at the end of the procession. Freddy blasted them open with a flick of his finger-blade and they strolled out into the scorching desert.

Nancy watched him cautiously from out of the corner of her eye as they started the trek back to the world they'd come from. Something about him was different. His movements seemed to be infused with a power he hadn't possessed before. At the peak of a sand dune maybe two hundred yards out, he stopped suddenly as if he'd forgotten something. Then he shot a half-glance at the desert palace over his shoulder and snapped his fingers. There was no resistance; the entire structure collapsed in on itself, flattening into rubble, souls and all. A pathetic cloud of dust swelled into the bending air above it.

xxxxxx

Amanda Krueger's face was serene and delicate like an old china plate. She stood at the altar of the church from Nancy's nightmare, hands closed over her cross pendant. It seemed impossible that someone who looked so much like the mother of God could have been the mother of evil itself.

Nancy wanted to run to the woman, straight into her arms, and dissolve into a spirit like steam. She wanted to forget flesh and blood and pain; to forget her family, even, if it meant finding peace. But she stayed beside Freddy as they walked past the dusty, dilapidated pews with Ann following at their heels. A door stood open behind the nun, filled with a peachy glow like a warm sunset. Like rest. So different from the cold dead white of the church house.

When Freddy reached the front pew, he stopped. Nancy (in Westin Hills pajamas once again) took a hesitant step past him, expecting him to seize her by the arm. He didn't. She took Anne's tiny hand and led her up. Amanda smiled at them. "Come on, children. I'll take you now."

The promise of eternal peace waited for her, moments away, like a pen poised to blot out a lifetime story of suffering. Sleep was calling - sleep without dreams, a disconnect from her own mind and the hellish memories trapped within it. Thoughts of her father and mother flickered out like a dying bulb. The world behind her fell away, and she knew she wouldn't miss it. You can't miss what you don't remember.

Anne slipped from her grasp to clutch at Amanda's robes. The light welcomed them as they stepped through the doorway, edging the child's lacey dress and the slender old woman's white habit before enfolding them. As Nancy watched them fade, a temperate breath from the other side of the threshold ghosted over her skin. It hushed her common sense and reason so that she didn't realize why the air stirred until it was too late.

The doors were closing. And they were closed before her heart could drop into the freezing acid pit of her stomach.

Closed. Shut. Sealed.

"You didn't think I was gonna let you go that easily?"

After several meaningless bangs of her fist against the wood, Nancy whipped around. Hatred burned red in her eyes as they strained to see through the sting. Her lashes matted with numb tears. "We made a deal. I shook your disgusting fucking hand."

Freddy seemed confused for a moment or two before his face lit up; it was an act, and no doubt for her benefit. "You mean this hand?" he asked innocently, flashing a rotted grin and lifting his arm with a flourish of dancing fingers. He looked sideways at it, then up at Nancy, then sideways again like a mischievous little boy. Winding up his other arm, he slashed all four razorblades down into his wrist. The hand dropped to the floor as an uneven spray of black blood and viscera rained over it from the stump. Its fingers curled against the flat carpet in withering spasms. He kicked it aside and it bounced off the wall, tumbling under one of the pews. Nancy searched for it for a moment as if it were the key to her freedom.

Freddy had grown a new one by the time she looked back. He slunk up the altar steps and she came forward to meet him, rage blocking out her fear. "Well that takes care of that," he said. "Any other misunderstandings I can clear up for ya?"

"I did my part; you said I could go. Amanda won't let you keep me here, you lying bastard."

A chuckle rumbled low in his throat. "I don't think you understand how powerful I am now; I don't answer to that wrinkled cunt, or those slimy black sacks of shit. I don't answer to anyone."

"You-"

"Shut your mouth," he growled. "I'm not done. See, a brand new career opportunity has opened up here and I think you might be interested."

He loomed over her as he spoke. Nancy's feet felt like they were sinking into the ground. Her bones seared inside her, crunching and compacting. The dirty white sleeves of her pajama top hung empty over her tiny hands. Freddy tucked his chin into the hollow of his neck and stared down at her with a smirk. His face was far away, shadowy and towering, and her eyes grew wide before she looked back down to examine her body. Like a perverse magic trick, a small white dress with creampuff sleeves had taken the place of her oversized shirt and pants. It was buttoned up the front and tied with a bow around the waist of her short, sexless figure. A child's figure.

"My last little jump-roping cunt has…retired, and slaughtering piglets is no fun without background music," he said. "You can sing, right?"

.

.

.

To be continued…

A/N: Ta-daaa! The (almost) lemon you've all secretly (and not-so-secretly) been waiting for! I'll start working on the next chapter tomorrow, and I hope my lazy ass gets it finished within 2-3 weeks. Please review; I live on reviews and instant ramen, and I'm all out of instant ramen.