"What???" I had been jarred awake by the sound of my mother's voice and needless to say, that annoyed me...

"Watch your tone! I was just checking on you," she glared. "You shouldn't sleep too long. You won't be able to sleep tonight."

Rubbing my eyes, I sat up and looked over to my rooster. It was already noon? I dangled my feet off the side of the bed and Mom came over to sit down next to me. She reached over and brushed my hair with her hand and forced a smile, but I didn't even attempt to return the gesture. Her smile faded and likewise her hand stopped caressing my head.

She stood up from the bed and walked to the door, "I know you're sad, honey, but you've got to push through and face the day."

"That's funny advice coming from you," I muttered before I even thought about what I was saying.

"Excuse me?" Mom shot around to look at me again, her face red with anger.

All I could do was sit there dumbly while her rage built and she approached, saying nothing as she threw hand, slapping me hard across the face. I didn't move. I just let it happen. I had been taught from a young age that if I were to try and defend myself or dodge blows, that I would only be hit that much more. Instead, I had just grown used to not reacting when someone was trying to hurt me.

The woman shook her head and hastily made her way out of my room, slamming the door behind her. I could tell she wanted to hit me more...I knew that look in her eye, that energy in her stance... but that might leave a mark. Wouldn't want people to think badly of her...especially with kids dropping off like flies...so she just forced herself to leave.

Only then did I touch my face. My hand felt cold next to the stinging sensation that was still on my cheek... Wait. My fingers crawled along my face, trying to find the cut Freddy had just giving me...but there was nothing there. I twisted toward the window. All the dolls were just as I placed them. I was going crazy...

Sighing, I rubbed my face and got up to retrieve a book from the shelf. I sat on the floor, leaning against the side of my bed and began reading, 'The Picture of Dorian Gray.' It was my favorite. I had probably already read it ten or twenty times... I was still feeling groggy from the medicine, but I wasn't going to try and sleep anymore. One, because Mom was right and it would just be difficult would to sleep tonight and two, because I didn't want to be hit or yelled at again. So I sat there reading though my mind was having trouble focusing on the story instead of on Freddy.

"Miss me?" the familiar raspy voice sounded.

My head shot up, but saw nothing. Great. I was devolving rapidly... I looked back down at my book.

"Don't ignore me, bitch," the voice came again.

My head was up again. Nothing. I growled, agitated, and clapped my novel closed. I stood up and looked around...finally spotting the man's reflection in the mirror hanging on the back of my door. Turning to look for his body again and coming up empty, I stepped closer to the mirror...my reflection joining his.

"HAAHAHAHAAH!" he chuckled.

His hands went to rest on my reflection's shoulders and I could feel their weight on me. My head twisted, but I was still alone. I silently watched as he opened his knives and placed them on my neck. Once more, even though he was only in the mirror, I felt the metal scratching my skin. Then, in an abrupt swipe, he slashed his claw across my neck. I jumped, grabbing my throat as, in the glass, I spewed blood from the site.

I stumbled back, falling against the dolls on the table under the window. Two fell onto the floor; one of which cracked apart on impact. As I stared at the split porcelain face beneath me, the demon in my mirror was laughing again.

"Nice trick, huh?" the man grinned.

I walked back to the door, my eyes slit in curiosity. "You're not real."

"Oh," he cooed, "Aren't I?"

"No," I snapped. "If you were, I'd have a cut on my cheek like in my dream. You're just a hallucination."

"Check again, sweetheart," he spat.

Getting close to him again, he scooted to the side, and my reflection reappeared. I leaned in and turned my cheek to inspect. Near my ear, there was a slight mark...a scratch, really.

"I thought..." my voice was a whisper.

"I did more damage?" Freddy finished. "Yes...and it would have shown if it weren't for what you are."

"What I- what do you mean? It showed last time we'll enough," I said.

"Unafraid," he purred, "You're afraid...but not of me. That first time? Yeah. But out of surprise. After getting a sense of me, well... Your feelings changed."

I gazed back at him as he casually picked up my reflection, tossing my body to the side out of the way. "So what do you want?"

"I have had...trouble in the past with keeping a connection to this world. Someone always tends to find a way to remove me... Kids sticking their nose in where they don't belong!" he growled the last statement loudly.

I tilted my head, "What am I supposed to do exactly?"

"Keep your snot-nosed friends from asking too many questions...trying to resist me. Keep my..." he chuckled, "Food supply uninterrupted."

"So you want me to help you kill everyone?" I scoffed. "My friends? Doesn't sound like incentive for me to help you."

"Don't play games with me, bitch. I've been inside your mind," he widened his eyes and pointed a finger at his temple. "I know how you really feel."

There was a brief pause. I recalled the cemetery...the names...my mom's hung corpse... He was right. I didn't care about these people. And life would certainly be easier with less judgemental creeps in the world... Even so...

"You've made your point, but I still deserve something in return," my arms were crossed and eyebrow raised. "What are you going to do for me?"

"Heheheheh..." Freddy poked at a toothy grin with the tip of one of his blades, "I can help you...explore this little...fetish of yours..."

I froze. Fetish? The pain, he meant... "I don't need you for that," I barked unconvincingly.

"Oh really?" he smirked. "And you'll just forget me, then? Just like that?"

I dropped my lip, but couldn't respond. No, I don't think I could easily do that... It wasn't like I was going to try and stop him from doing whatever he was going to do to whomever he was going to do it to so I was no threat to him either way. However...would he just kill me anyway to get me out of the way?

"I know what you're thinking and no," he said, "I'm not going to give your pretty little body a quick end...that would solve your problems too, wouldn't it? Though...you don't really want to die...I've seen your mind, Francine."

That was true...I had wanted to die, but...finally having a true friend- someone who didn't shy away from the real me...someone who understood and even enjoyed my true self... AND the enlightenment that if the problems were removed- those others who judged me- then life was something I wanted to experience...

"Alright," I nodded with decision, "I'll help you."

The smile on the man in the mirror grew into a mischievous beam. He extended his armed hand out toward me, palm up and flicking his claws open. Shutting it again, he curled his index blade in and out a few times, motioning for me to come near. So I did. As I reached the mirror, the picture of the demon popped into a three dimensional form, grabbing my face in his hands and pulling me until our noses touched, his blue eyes fiercely boring into mine...and with his final words, my body was clenching again, heart skipping rapidly in carnal excitement.

"I'm your boyfriend now, Frankie."

AUTHOR'S NOTE:: Chapter originally written 10/21/2015
Chapter rewritten 10/29/2017