A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge — Adaptation Excerpts

Adapted by Bob Italia
Transcribed by Rob Nimmo
Order

SIX

Lisa hurried down the steps, crossing the foyer floor to the front door. As she opened it, Jesse collapsed in her arms. Jesse was bloody and bruised. His clothes were torn and dirty. Panic seized Lisa. “Jesse—what happened?” Jesse was hyperventilating. “I killed him! I killed him! I killed Grady, Lisa. I killed Schneider. And now, he’s inside me!” Lisa looked around frantically as she held Jesse tight in her arms. “Who, Jesse?” “He’s just waiting to take me—when I sleep!” “Who? Who is doing this to you?” “Freddy Krueger! He’s been trying to get hold of me, to use me. He needs me to get out of his world into ours. He’s gonna take me again!” “No, Jesse, this isn’t happening! It’s gotta be everything you’ve taken in—Schneider and the diary and the glove. Only it’s all mixed up!” Frustrated, Jesse pushed away from her. “How can I make you understand? He tried to make me kill Angela last night! Look at the blood on my hands!” Jesse began sobbing. “Oh, no. I did that to Grady.” Then he grew sober. “He owns me.” Lisa put her arm around him and stroked his head, trying to calm him. “I’m not gonna let anyone take you from me. There’s got to be a reason. We’ll figure it out together.” Then she paused. “Wait a minute! Wait here for me. I’ll be right back!” Jesse dragged himself into the study and Lisa hurried off.

—

Wearing Mr. Poletti’s apron and hat, the boy stood faithfully by the barbecue, cooking the hot dogs and hamburgers. Suddenly, the platter of hot dogs attached to the barbecue began exploding and bursting into flames. Soon, the entire platter was ablaze. The boy picked up the flaming platter and tossed it onto the grill. Then he slammed the lid down with a crash. The others hooted and howled, and there was a scattering of applause. But as the boy began bowing for his bravery, the soda pop cans in a nearby cooler began exploding. Geysers of soda pop shot up towards the sky. The boy’s eyes widened. “What’s going on here?”

—

Lisa returned to the study with the leather diary. She opened it as Jesse looked over her shoulder. “Something Nancy said—her last entry,” Lisa said, flipping the pages. Then she read aloud. “He is evil itself. I know, now that I brought him into my world. We all did… gave him all the energy he needed. Our screams were all he needed. Now I will take it back—deny him.” Lisa looked at Jesse. “She wasn’t crazy. All this really happened. You can fight him.” Jesse looked confused. “Remember what I said?” Lisa stated. “About the good energy and bad energy? He thrives on bad energy. Hate, anger, fear. He is bad energy. You’ve been afraid of him.” Jesse winced in pain and put his hand to his stomach. “Oh no, he’s coming back! Get out of here, Lisa!” Suddenly, the window slammed shut and locked. Frightened, Lisa looked behind her and back to Jesse. “Fight it, Jesse!” she said frantically. The front door slammed shut. Its deadbolt turned with a loud snap. Then other doors in the house slammed tight, their locks latched firmly.

—

Drenched in sweat, Mr. Poletti sat up with a start. “What was that?” He jumped out of bed, threw on a robe, then approached the door. He tugged on the doorknob, but the door wouldn’t open. “What is it?” Mrs. Poletti said. “The lock’s jammed.” Then Mr. Poletti noticed that all the bedroom windows were steamed up. Suddenly, a blast of music from the clock radio startled them. Moments later, the clock began melting. The music groaned to a stop as the amber dial-lamp died.

—

Jesse doubled over in pain. Lisa put her hands on his shoulders and shook him, trying to bring him out of it. The heat was so intense that both sweated profusely, their clothes sticking to their wet bodies. “You created him,” Lisa shouted, “you can destroy him! He lives off your fear. Fight him, Jesse! Fight him!” “I can’t!” Jesse cried painfully. Tiny bubbles rose to the top of the aquarium tank. The angelfish floated to the surface of the water. “You’re not afraid of him! He doesn’t even exist!” Just then, the TV burst to life with a blast of sound. Sparks shot out, and the TV fell silent. The water in the aquarium boiled over. The glass shattered and the carpet was flooded with a wave of steaming water. Finally, a red fog enveloped Jesse as Lisa looked on in disbelief.

—

Kerry was in the pool. Steam rose off the surface. The water seemed strangely rough. “Hey,” she called out, “can somebody turn down the heater?” Suddenly, the Japanese lanterns began to brighten as if there was a power surge. The bulbs began bursting one by one, scattering a group of screaming teenagers. The pool water began bubbling, choking the surface with steam. Kerry’s body turned lobster-red, and she tried to swim to the ladder at the low end of the pool. But the water grew hotter and more turbulent, and the random waves kept pushing her back toward the deep end. “Help!” Kerry cried. Several boys rushed to the fence to pull down a life-hook hanging on a bracket. Other teens stood around in shock, wondering what was happening.

—

Lisa watched a razored hand scrape up the wooden panel of the desk. It gripped the desktop, cutting four deep notches into the scrolled edge-molding. Lisa gasped. Freddy was standing before her. “He can’t fight me,” Freddy laughed hideously. “I’m him.” Freddy approached, flashing his razor-knives. Lisa looked about the room for an escape route. But there were none. Lisa pulled an afghan from the back of a chair and threw it at Freddy. Then she ran out of the study and slammed the door behind her. Enraged, Freddy chased after her. Lisa rushed to the front door, grabbed the knob and pulled. The door was locked. “Jesse!” she cried. Panic-stricken, she turned to run. Freddy leaped across the room at Lisa and grabbed her by the foot. But Lisa squirmed free. Freddy lunged at Lisa. The blades wedged deeply in the oak floor. Terrified, Lisa raced into the kitchen as Freddy tried to pull the knives from the floor.

Lisa frantically scanned the room. She ran to the sliding glass doors leading out to the pool and hurled aside the drapes. On the other side of the glass, five teens tugged wildly on the door and banged on the glass, trying to get in. Lisa turned toward the counter and spotted a wooden knife-block filled with gourmet cutlery. Then Freddy crashed into the kitchen. Lisa grabbed the thickest handle and unsheathed the long knife from the block. The five teens outside the glass doors stared, aghast. Freddy stopped in the center of the room as Lisa held the knife in her fist. “Jesse, help!” she shouted. “I’m Jesse now, Lisa,” Freddy said. He chuckled as he raised his weapon, rhythmically clicking the blades together. Lisa tried to summon the courage to plunge the knife in Freddy. But then Freddy’s expression changed suddenly. “Go ahead” Jesse’s voice said. “Defend yourself!” Lisa was devastated by the sound of Jesse’s voice coming from within Freddy. Then Freddy was himself again. “Yes, go ahead, Lisa. Use the knife!” Lisa began quaking and her knees weakened. Then she closed her eyes and dropped the knife, prepared for the worst. Moments later, she opened her eyes, wondering why she wasn’t dead. Freddy was still standing there. But he was staring at her with an odd expression. A frown of confusion distorted his ugly face. His lower lip quivered slightly. Suddenly, Freddy threw her aside. “Nooo!” Jesse’s voice cried. Then Freddy lunged through the glass doors to the pool area. The glass shattered into a million shimmering pieces.

Freddy was gone. The pool stopped swirling. Kerry coughed and shook as she was helped from the water and wrapped in towels by some friends. Many teens were huddled in little groups. Some were crying. Others just looked at the shattered remnants of the party in disbelief. Some teens moved closer to the shattered glass. They touched it and examined it, looking for some explanation. Suddenly, Glen Miller music began blaring from the speakers. Everyone looked around in confusion. Freddy violently burst through the poolside deck. The teens screamed and ran at the terrible sight of him. The pool began churning and boiling. Freddy fanned open his razor knives. Then he grabbed a teen and tossed him into the boiling pool.

—

Mr. Poletti listened to the uncomfortable silence. He looked at the door as it unlatched with a soft snap. Wary, he didn’t move. Then he opened the door and scrambled down the stairs, Mrs. Poletti close behind. Mr. Poletti burst into the kitchen and found Lisa slumped against a wall. He knelt down beside her. “Thank goodness she’s all right!” Mrs. Poletti said. Mr. Poletti looked up at the sound of the poolside screaming. He rushed across the room to the shattered glass and looked out in horror. Teens rushed toward the fence, screaming, as Freddy chased them. Others broke for the gate, but the padlock was secure. Mr. Poletti turned white. He backed away and looked at his wife and daughter. “Get her out of here!” Mrs. Poletti helped Lisa to her feet. “He couldn’t do it, Momma,” Lisa said groggily. “Do what, baby?” “He couldn’t hurt me.” Mr. Poletti ran into the study and swung a chair into the gun case, shattering the glass door. He grabbed a shotgun, made sure it was loaded, then headed for the pool. Outside, the hysterical teens were trapped, frozen with fear. Freddy stood before them and spread his knife-fingers. “You are all my children!” he roared. Just then, a shot rang out. Several teens dived for cover. Mr. Poletti stood by the edge of the pool and gave the shotgun a second pump. He raised the weapon again, but Lisa rushed up to him and pushed the barrel of the gun down. “What are you doing?” Mr. Poletti said furiously. Freddy looked at Lisa. He turned on his heels and walked through the fence, burning a hole through it and the shrubbery. When he was gone, all that remained was smoke and flame. “Where did he go?” Mr. Poletti said. Lisa put her hand to her mouth. She knew.

Chapter 5 | Chapter 7