A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors — Adaptation Excerpts

Adapted by Bob Italia
Transcribed by Rob Nimmo
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FIVE

The next day, Nancy closed the door of the group therapy room and faced the remaining teens: Kristen, Kincaid, Will, Taryn, and Joey. Gordon sat nearby with a clipboard on his knee. Simms was conspicuously absent. “Okay, straight talk only in here,” Gordon said. “Is this group?” Taryn asked. “Well, unofficially,” Gordon replied. “Pretty soon there won’t be enough of us left to call it ‘Group’.” “Listen up,” Gordon said. “Nancy’s got something to say.” Nancy paused.

“I know who’s trying to kill you. He wears a dirty brown hat. He’s horribly burned. He has razors on his right hand.” All eyes fell on Nancy. “Who is he?” Taryn said. “Freddy Krueger,” Nancy replied. “He was a child murderer before he died. After he died, he became…something worse. Six years ago, Freddy killed my friends. He almost killed me. I thought I got rid of him—but I guess he was too strong.” The group stared at her in amazement, not knowing whether to believe or doubt. “Why is he after us?” Will asked. “Yeah,” said Taryn. “What did we do?” “Not what you did,” Nancy said. “Your parents. My parents. They burned him alive. We’re paying for their sins. You’re the last of the Elm Street children.” The group stared at each other in bewilderment. “Mom and Dad?” Will said. “That’s crazy. They never said—” “Oh, sure,” Taryn said. “That’s the sorta thing parents tell their kids. ‘Goodnight, honey. Don’t forget to say your prayers. Oh, by the way, your father and I torched some maniac last night’.” “So what do we do about this creep?” Kincaid asked. “Last time, it was me against him,” Nancy said. “I wasn’t strong enough… alone. Kristen’s the key. She’s got a very special talent. A gift.” “I haven’t been able to do that since I was a little girl,” Kristen said. “You did it the other night,” Nancy said. “That was different.” “You never lose a gift like that,” Nancy stated. “You just forget how to use it. How about it? Will you try?” Kristen nodded. “Each one of you has an inner strength—some special power you’ve had in your most wonderful dreams. Together we can learn to use those powers… if we try.”

“Okay, we’re going to try a little group hypnosis,” Gordon said. He turned to a high-tech chrome pendulum device sitting on the tabletop and flicked the switch. The pendulum rocked slowly from side to side as a tiny blip of high intensity light flashed intermittently. Everybody stared at the device. “I want you all to follow the pendulum with your eyes. Tune out everything else…nothing else exists but the pendulum.” “Take us there, Kristen,” Nancy said softly to her. “Breathe deeply and relax,” Gordon said. “Keep following the pendulum.” The group stared at the device, becoming mesmerized. “You find yourselves getting tired,” Gordon said. “Nothing would feel better right now than a nice, long, deep sleep.” Kristen’s eyes fluttered closed. “I’m going to count backwards from five,” Gordon said, “and when I finish, you will all be asleep. Five…four…three…” Nancy stared at the device, lulled under its spell. “Two…one.” Kristen’s eyes flew open and she looked up. Everything seemed the same. “I’m sorry,” she said. Everybody reacted with disappointment. “We can try again,” Nancy said. “Everybody take five,” Gordon stated. Several teens stood to stretch their legs. Gordon turned to Nancy, drawing her aside. “Look, I was willing to go along with this for the kids’ peace of mind,” he said. “But you’ve got to face reality.”

Meanwhile, Joey got a drink at the water cooler. He paused, hearing the rhythmic squeaking of a cart. Marcy, a cute candy-striper, appeared outside the door with her cart. She saw Joey and stopped. Joey smiled. Marcy glanced around to see if anyone was watching, then smiled and gestured to him. Joey looked around, then slipped out the door unnoticed. Then Gordon absentmindedly toyed with the metal click-clack balls on the desk. “Neil, let’s give it one more time,” Nancy said. “If it doesn’t work, then I promise—” Gordon raised the end ball and let go. Instead of clicking, the balls floated apart. Nancy gazed in wonder as the metal balls floated past her head. All activity in the room came to a standstill. Everybody stared at the floating metal balls. “We’re here,” Will said. “Where?” Taryn asked. “Here?” “Yes,” Kristen said. “We’re in the dream.” Gordon stared at the balls in rapt fascination. “No we’re not…we’re in Group.” “In my dreams, I can walk,” Will said. “My legs are strong.” Everyone turned to see Will standing straight and tall. His wheelchair was gone. He plucked a metal ball from the air, held it in his fist, then blew in one end. A dragonfly appeared out of his hand. “We made it,” Nancy said. “Neil, we made it!” Gordon ducked as the dragonfly flew past. “This isn’t possible. And if it is, what the hell am I doing here?” “Try something, Kristen,” Nancy said. “What can you do in your dreams?” Kristen took a few steps back, then launched herself into a perfectly executed series of twisting hands flips across the room. “A perfect score!” Will cried. “The crowd goes wild!” Kincaid picked up a metal chair and twisted it open like a paperclip with his bare hands. “Dig this!” Then everyone looked at Taryn. She had become a breathtaking street punk: shimmering platinum hair swept back in a wild Mohawk and dressed in sleek black leather with delicate silver chains. “In my dreams, I’m beautiful.”

Suddenly, the lights dimmed and flickered out. Everybody stood motionless, looking around apprehensively. “What’s happening?” Gordon asked. “He’s close,” Kristen said. “Freddy?” Nancy inquired. “He’s heavy in the halls,” Kristen replied. Taryn glanced around. “Where’s Joey?” Kristen’s eyes bulged. “Freddy’s got him! We’ve got to help him!” Gordon grabbed the door—then yanked his hand back. The doorknob was glowing red-hot. Then the door began to scorch and sizzle as the room turned stifling hot. “The room’s changing!” Will shouted. The walls began closing in. The group was backed into the center of the room as it became cylindrical—like the inside of a furnace. Rivets appeared as the walls became scorched steel plates. Gordon staggered back. “This is crazy!” He looked down and saw his feet slogging through smoldering ash. Kincaid hunkered down and tried to push through the steel door. Then he jumped back as his hands were burned. The group looked about helplessly as the smoke thickened. Roaring flames leaping up around them.

Suddenly, the furnace door slammed open. Simms stood in the perfectly normal hospital hallway. Everything fell silent. “What’s going on in here?” she said. Gordon, Nancy and the others were seated in their chairs, heads coming up as they awakened. They gazed around, still confused. “What’s wrong with Joey?” Simms inquired. Joey was lying unconscious on the floor near his chair. Simms rushed to his side. “He’s not breathing!” Nancy pushed her out of the way and knelt over Joey, desperately giving him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

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