A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET

☀︎

SATURDAY MORNING WAS FILLED WITH CHILLS AND FRIGHTS. Alex Henderson had ventured out of her room for a horror movie marathon that she typically only participated in when everyone else slept. After finishing The Shining, she had dived right into a Nightmare on Elm Street once again. Something about horror movies had been a comfort to her. The ability to watch something terrifying and know she was safe in the comfort of her own home, wrapped in the warmth of her blanket— it felt calming. It was a distraction she had always wanted.

Her eyes had been focused only on the tv as the other Henderson's carried upon their day. Coming out of his room, Dustin was on the hunt for a midday snack. Mike was on his flight to California and Lucas was currently fighting a hangover someplace else in Hawkins, which left Dustin to spend the day at home and take some time for himself this break.

When he made his way into the living room, he had done a second glance at his sister. It was unlike her to be out around the house when she had typically kept herself in her room. A part of it was heartwarming to see her. Just getting those few moments to see her around, those were what he cherished. On the other hand, he was concerned. Alex kept to a strict schedule that kept her away from everyone. After a night spent with Robin Buckley, he hoped she was around for the better.

The frightful screams coming from the tv called out to him to find new plans for the day. Perhaps taking the day for himself wasn't his only option. It was an opening to spend time with her or attempt to do so. He often told others that giving Alex her space was necessary, that they all should carry on with their lives, but it was only because he found himself trapped. Dustin was stuck longing for the days his sister was his again. It weighed on him daily, creating a darkness in him he didn't share with the others. What he could do for them was protect them from how he felt while waiting for her to come back.

Finding his way towards the couch, he had taken a seat at the edge, his eyes trained on the tv. He held his breath, fearful that if he was too quick and noticeable, she would leave. Alex didn't pull her attention off either, but she did notice him sit alongside her on the couch. He didn't make a big deal of it, it was a silent gesture of love that he still wanted to be with her. Wanting him to know she saw him and his attempts, she laid her feet out, gently placing them onto his lap as he watched.

Dustin felt his heart stop as he fought back a grin. Instead, he leaned back into the couch, taking the blanket that wrapped around her feet, and pulled it over himself as well. This was a moment he waited months to have back. It was silent and subtle, but it meant the world, it meant everything.

It wasn't until the nightmare had shifted from Freddy Krueger on Elm Street to Hawkins, Indiana. Rushing into the room with her kitten in hand, Claudia Henderson had gotten off the phone with Karen Wheeler. She was panicked, speaking in quick flustered words as she took the remote from beside Alex.

Alex sat up in surprise, her feet and blanket pulled from Dustin, snatching away their moment just like that. Dustin began to argue, sitting up as he yelled at his mom to let them at least finish their movie, while Alex pulled her feet closer to herself, a frown sitting on her lips. Both of them were once anticipating the death of Glen Lantz— his eyes fluttering closed as music played in his ears, unaware of the horrors that would soon wrap a cold grip around him and pull him into a gruesome death.

Claudia Henderson wasn't a fan of horror movies. Even if she was always willing to head to Family Video for Alex whenever she needed another horror movie to fuel her thirst for the thrill of it all, she still never was willing to participate. Keeping A Nightmare on Elm Street on was the least of her concerns when she took a seat alongside the couch, sitting right on Alex's feet. Tears clouded her eyes as she listened to the reports of the recent murder in Hawkins, and thus it clouded her ability to see that her children had finally taken comfort in one another in what had been months.

Without the comfort and safety of the horror movie, Alex grew upset to be sucked back into another real-world nightmare that haunted Hawkins. Pulling her feet out from under her mother, she didn't bother hiding how upset she truly was as she tossed the blanket to the couch and marched herself to her room. The moment she stepped in, the slam of her door filled the Henderson's house causing Dustin to flinch.

Prying his eyes off the tv, Dustin's eyes shot over to his mom. "Mom, we were watching that! Alex was actually out here. It's her favorite movie!"

She hushed him gently, captivated by the story of the unnamed victim. Looking for a sense of comfort, she began to kiss her sweet cat on the head before finally finding the words. "My heart can't take it anymore. It just can't take it."

Dustin kept his mouth shut. The murder was an awful thing to happen to Hawkins after all the horror it already went through, but he felt his mom's heart should have been focused on the fact he was spending time with his sister. Any other day she would have jumped on the sight of the two together again and sat herself down as well to watch, even if she'd have nightmares. A horror movie wouldn't have mattered as long as the Henderson's could finally feel the comforting warmth they once had in the home, that soon turned into a cold, quiet house they didn't recognize any longer.

Dustin watched the news but his mind stayed on his sister. He was searching for a way to bring her back out, a way to spend time with her again. Eddie always told him to bother her until she talked only because it worked for him, but Dustin wasn't sure that would work. Anything he thought of doing, he was afraid it'd give her another reason to keep him away, to hate him.

The sound of the doorbell ringing helped him pull out of his dark thoughts. Offering to get it, he left his mom to whimper at the news and pulled open the front door. Standing there was Max Mayfield. Dustin couldn't hide his bewilderment, standing there in silence as he watched her. Max was his friend, but the bond she used to share with Alex was as if the two had been siblings in another life. It pained him when Max stopped showing up to see her because if Alex shut her out as well, she was willing to let everyone go.

Max even felt how different the Henderson house now was. All the other times she'd show up to see Alex, there was always something happening. Often she and Dustin were busy messing around, their mother nervously pacing around, begging them to settle down as to not scare the cat. Now it was so quiet and the house was in order, no board games were out, no science experience taking place, and certainly no homemade obstacle courses they would compete in where the loser earned the chance to do whatever chores they had for the day.

"We need to talk. Is Alex home too?" Max asked him but she knew she was, she always was. The only time she ever left was for school and work but this was Saturday and Alex didn't work on the weekends.

He placed his hand on the door as he looked over his shoulder. "When doesn't she leave?" It felt like a strange day for him and it wasn't even the murder, it was Alex out of her room and Max standing on his front step. Nothing was making sense to him. For a moment, he feared he fell asleep and Freddy Krueger sent him into a hopeful dream that would soon turn dark.

Pushing her way in, Max didn't have time for explanations. Not bothering to say hi to their mother, she made her way towards Alex's room with Dustin trailing behind, informing her that going to Alex was not a good idea.

Coming to a stop in front of Alex's door, she listened to the music seeping out as she turned to Dustin with a glare. She didn't care what he had to say or if Alex would be angry because Max was far more concerned about other matters. Bringing her fist to her bedroom door, she beat against it until with a click, Alex's music shut off.

Coming to the door, Alex cracked it open, not sticking her head out as she spoke through the opening. "Is mom done with the tv?" If anyone was to bother her, she suspected it to be Dustin. All she wanted was to continue her movie and allow the police to handle the darkness that fell upon Hawkins.

Max didn't give an answer as she pushed Alex back with the door and invited herself in. "Did you watch the news or not?"

Dustin hurried in after and took a seat on Alex's bed. His eyes darted around the room, seeing Robin Buckley's attempts at bringing it all back to life. Pictures were pinned back up and movies and books were back to littering her desk and bed. He even smiled at the Johnny Depp poster she had kept pinned up— however, he did want to finish their movie in fear of his character's doom.

His concerns didn't land on the recent murder as Max wanted to discuss, his mind was stuck back to the movie. "Does he die or does Nancy wake him up?" He didn't take notice of the look Max had shot over to him, rather he looked to Alex for answers he actually wanted.

The mention of the movie caused a flicker of excitement in Alex. Dustin's smile grew as he watched her glow for that split second. "I'm not spoiling," she said, knowing if she said anything else, she would dive into a conversation about the movie.

"Son of a bitch," he whispered under his breath. He expected the death, but living in the unknown was disappointing and agonizing. Living in a world where Glen Lantz lived, possibly saved at the last moment by Nancy Thompson was the world he wanted to live in. It only caused him to grow more eager to head back to the living room and finish up the movie and maybe even ask to rewatch so he could see every part of it.

Max stood in disbelief. "Did you two see the news or not? Someone was murdered and I know who it was." Finally, she gathered their attention. "It was Chrissy Cunningham. I saw her. It was at the trailer park. I watched her go to Eddie's and then I saw the body this morning."

"Chrissy Cunningham with Eddie?" Dustin couldn't help but chuckle at the thought. Chrissy was beautiful and popular, everyone loved her. Eddie was despised by most of Hawkins High for his obnoxious behavior and loud voice even if he had a heart of gold.

"Yeah, they got there after the game. I just... I don't know why they were together."

Alex knew Max couldn't have been lying. Consuming her mind had been her encounter with Chrissy. She was sweeter than she once thought and despite being on the search for drugs, she was innocent. It didn't help when her nightmares told her how she doomed Chrissy for letting her even the smallest bit into her life. Now that all felt true. "Chrissy asked me yesterday if she could buy off me. I told her she could talk to Eddie."

"Buy off you? Buy what?" Dustin questioned.

Alex looked over at him in with an annoyed glare. It was something he was sure to make a big deal out of. Despite being a freshman now, he still managed to be clueless about all the rumors about his sister. He knew exactly the kind of person she was, listening to any gossip about her seemed pointless. "Drugs, man. She was looking to buy some weed. Clearly I didn't have any but I help Eddie if anyone asks me."

"You're a drug dealer," Dustin spoke loudly.

"No! Are you kidding me? Of course not. Eddie knew some people would ask me since everyone thought I was high out of my mind talking to a monster in my head, so he asked if I could point people his way and help him out. Chrissy asked me and I pointed. But she wasn't supposed to buy at his trailer. I told her it was behind the school."

Dustin shook his head in disapproval as he turned over to Max. "Are you sure it was Chrissy?"

"Yes, in her cheerleader outfit. Same thing she was in when I saw her with Eddie." Looking over at Alex, Max had tried to meet her eyes but she kept turning them away. "Did either of them say anything to you about going there? Why they would go there?"

Alex thought for a minute but nothing seemed to add up. Eddie didn't like having people come by his trailer for such a simple thing. People would notice and Max proved that. But when she spoke, she didn't look at Max, she looked at Dustin. "No, Eddie likes to do it in complete secret. If people started seeing random people show up at his trailer at night, they'd think something was up. I don't know why he'd bring her back there. It just isn't like him."

Dustin lived for this moment. Talking to Alex and finding out more about her made him jump at the opportunity to learn more. "So are you and Eddie friends?"

"He's more your friend," Alex shrugged. "He's cool and all, but he's sort of annoying."

Dustin scrunched up his face in agreement. "He calls you Alexandra."

"That's weird, isn't it?" Alex questioned back with a small smile. She hated that Eddie did it, but it was funny to know Dustin thought the same. Even her brother who enjoyed annoying her thought it was annoying himself. Eddie Munson just did whatever he pleased which is what made him so unique and lovable.

"Excuse me," Max spoke over them. "There's been a murder."

Recollecting himself, Dustin let his conversation with Alex run short just to stay on track. "Did you tell all this to the cops?" It seemed like a big deal that she could really help move along the case but she shook her head. "No, but I-I can't be the only one who saw them together. I mean, they stood out."

"Eddie the freak with Chrissy the cheerleader?" Dustin questioned, still in complete disbelief. It made no sense to him whatsoever. "Why would she even ask for that?"

Alex shrugged, "I don't know, man. She asked me if I ever felt I was losing my mind. Maybe she's just really stressed. She's gotta be. She's super popular, her boyfriend's a douchebag, and she's always having to prove herself."

"You know, Eddie's names not in the news yet or anything, but I guarantee you Eddie is suspect one right now," Max chimed in.

Real panic began to set in as Dustin realized the stakes. Someone he adored was a wanted man. Standing up, he began to pace across Alex's room, his nails picking at his lips as he thought it all through. It all seemed entirely impossible given he knew the real Eddie— the same one who showed him his path to follow, that made him feel wanted, that was there for him and Mike when no one else was. "That's crazy. Eddie didn't do this. No way."

"I have to agree with him," Alex said as she sat at the edge of her bed. "Eddie's bonkers, but he's not an evil person. I mean, he's a total softie once you know him."

"Well, we can't rule it out," Max stated, crossing her arms.

"Yes, we can," Dustin spoke loudly. "You don't know him like I do, Max. When we got to high school, Lucas made all his sports friends. Mike and me? I mean, no one was nice to us. No one except Eddie."

"Okay, well, they said the same shit about Ted Bundy." She had to give it a shot. Chrissy's body was found at Eddie's. If he could easily charm her, then there was a chance he was an up-and-coming Ted Bundy. "Yeah, he's like a super nice guy but then he's murdering women on the weekend."

Dustin stopped pacing and gave her a quizzical look. "So you're saying Eddie is like Ted Bundy?"

Hearing it repeated out loud, Max could hear how ridiculous it all sounded. Eddie did not look like he was capable, no matter how crazy the others said he was, to do such a thing. "No, I'm not saying... I'm saying that we can't presume anything, okay? But it doesn't look good for Eddie."

Dustin let out a heavy sigh and fell into the spot beside Alex. He and Eddie had developed a strong friendship and he believed he was a good guy. There was no doubting his trust. But none of this was adding up in favor of Eddie. The only factor that gave him his doubts was he trusted Max after everything they had gone through, but couldn't wrap his mind around one thing. "Why haven't you told the cops this?"

Crossing her arms, Max avoided his eyes. "I-I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"Well, I'm glad I didn't now. If Alex pointed Chrissy towards Eddie, then she's involved in all this whether it was intentional or not. I'm sure Callahan would have a field day if he found out she was in some way involved in this shit."

Max had other reasons to keep it to herself, but sharing it seemed like she was searching for the worst to happen. Her eyes shifted between the two, debating on how to share the truth with them on why she was keeping it from the cops and why she chose to run here of all places.

Making her way to the bed, she sat beside Alex. "After I saw Eddie and Chrissy go in the trailer... something else happened. My tv went out and then... everything started acting strange. All the lights— they flickered just like before. When it all stopped, I heard him— Eddie. He was screaming. When I looked outside, he was running to his van and he just... he took off. Nothing that weird or anything. I mean, Eddie always drives like a maniac, and the power goes off at my place all the time. It's a piece of shit. But... This morning, I started to think back, and... I don't know." She let a small breath of air escape her lips. She wanted to justify why she'd keep this to herself this whole time, but it seemed more like explaining why she let Eddie Munson have time to run. "The look on his face. He was scared, guys. Really scared. Maybe he was scared because, you know, he just killed someone, or maybe, um..."

Max couldn't bring me herself to say it. To even suggest anything evil could be back in Hawkins was a long shot. They watched the Mind Flayer die when the gate had closed.

Dustin had to believe there was a reason for what happened because even that made more sense than Eddie Munson having a thirst for blood. "Something else killed her," he suggested gently.

Max looked over to Dustin with a small nod. It's what she believed but she didn't want to bring herself to say it. Especially not when she had seen Alex look down at her lap. "It's impossible," she said softly. "Right?"

"It should be, right?" Dustin asked as well. Each of the two had looked to Alex who had yet to say anything. This was a time they needed her and she was giving them nothing, just as she had given them for months. Dustin decided it was up to him to stay in control for her sake. "Only one person knows what actually happened."

"Eddie," Max responded. Standing up, she picked her bag up off the ground. "Come on."

Scrambling to his feet, Dustin looked around. "Where are we going?"

"I couldn't find Lucas or Nancy and Mike's in California. Anyone else besides you two who could help?"

A smile came to Dustin's face to give him a reason to visit Family Video. Seeing that, Alex stood up next as she looked at her brother. "I can't go there. W-why do you even need me?"

"Because if we're right and Eddie didn't do this, then we know exactly what's going on." Grabbing her by her hand, he pulled her to her door but she fought back and released her grip. "Alex, you have to do this for us, please. You know if it's something else, then there's always a good chance you're involved too. So you can stay here and pretend, or you can wake the hell up and realize no matter how much you don't like it, you're in it. And I can't lose you too. I can't leave you alone. Would Nancy leave Glen alone?"

Alex looked down at him in bewilderment. "What? Are you seriously comparing this to a movie?"

"Your whole life is a goddamn nightmare! So answer me, would Nancy leave Glen if nothing stood in her way?"

"No, but..."

"No buts!" He screamed. Taking a step back in the hall, he was ready to pull her along. Much stronger than Dustin, Alex grabbed his wrist and pulled him back to her. She promised no spoilers, but the way he spoke, it instilled panic in Alex. "Dude, if you're Nancy, then that means I'm Glen." Her eyes stayed on him, wishing his comparison hadn't been so dark, lacking so much hope for her when he assigned her the role of someone with an inescapable doom. "Glen dies, man."

Dustin paused as he looked at the Johnny Depp poster in disbelief. His choice of words was supposed to be wholesome and give her a reason to follow along. There was always supposed to be hope at the end of movies, a reason to feel satisfied. Someone like Glen and Nancy deserved to live and despite everything she could have done, Nancy Thompson couldn't save him. Dustin wanted to do better, to fight harder. "Okay, well, I'll come up with a better analogy. We don't have time to discuss this! No one is dying!"

He tried to convince himself, hopeful that when he had that chance to finish the movie, the ending would be different than Alex said. Looking down, he saw her backpack next to her door. Picking it up, he dug around inside, pulling out all her schoolwork before he marched across the hall to his room and grabbed the essentials. After tossing in a flashlight and compass, he tossed it into her arms. "All the essentials for a new end-of-the-world adventure."

"This isn't the end of the world," Max chimed in as she followed along. To see it as such was only going to lead them down that path, and she had to think highly of the situation. None of them deserved to take this all once again.

Dustin didn't listen as he dragged Alex towards the front door with them. Despite her fighting, he knew she was still following otherwise she would have broken free long before. Opening the front door, he moved her around him and gave her a hard shove out the door. Their mom had grown panicked as she looked from the news to her children filing out. "Where are you going?"

"To see a friend," Dustin called out as he ushered Max out the door.

"You heard the news. It's not safe."

"We'll be careful! Alex will watch us! Thanks, love you! Bye!" Unwilling to fight or bicker about the situation, Dustin shut the front door when he saw his mother prepared to argue.

Placing the backpack on, Alex turned back to Dustin with wide eyes. "Dude, I don't want to go. I don't want to be Glen. I-I don't want to be anyone. I want to stay here."

Grabbing her, he turned her back around and guided her over to his bike. "That's great, Alex, really. And you won't be Glen, but you're coming. So forget about the fact that you shut everyone else out and that we're going to get Robin and Steve's help. Talk to him or don't, I don't care, but you're coming and you're riding on the back of my pegs!" Jerking his bike out into the driveway, he climbed up and flashed her a look. "Get on, or I run you over."

She raised a finger at him as she made her way around his bike. "I swear, Dustin if you jinxed my life with your Freddy Krueger comparison bullshit, I will take you down with me."

"Take me down, I don't care," he snapped. "Just get the hell on."

With a heavy sigh and a painful ache in her chest, Alex climbed onto the back of his bike as he asked. She didn't like it and knew that if they were somehow roped into another terrible thing at Hawkins, it was much worse than any typical murder. A Nightmare on Elm Street wouldn't compare to the carnage that would flood this town. The Devil was in Hawkins, Indiana and he was coming for them all.