A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master — Adaptation Excerpts

Adapted by Bob Italia
Transcribed by Rob Nimmo

FOUR

Dan was seated in the backseat of Rick’s car as they drove down Elm Street. He sat next to Alice who desperately tried not to make eye contact with him. Debbie sat on the other side of Dan. She wanted to make eye contact with him. Rick and Kristen sat in the front seat. Kristen had just finished telling them a strange story. “Now you know who and what Freddy really is,” Kristen said. “I thought Freddy was just an old town story,” Rick stated. “It’s no story,” Kristen said. “It happened. Freddy’s real, and he’s back.” “Hey, c’mon,” Dan said, “everybody has nightmares.” Kristen turned to face him. “You don’t know what nightmares are. You play by Freddy’s rules. Wake up or die.” Alice and Debbie leaned forward, engrossed in Kristen’s story. Rick grew uncomfortable. “Hey, c’mon,” he shouted, “give me some room. I hate tight spaces!” Kristen looked up at a house they were approaching. “We’re here,” she said ominously. Rick pulled up in front of a boarded up house. Everyone got out and stood on the front walkway, surrounded by a weed-infested lawn. “So why the haunted house?” Dan asked. “Kids died here,” Kristen replied. “Huh?” Dan said. “It’s not just a house,” Kristen told them. “It’s his home. He’s waiting there for me…to dream.” “I don’t get it,” Dan said. “The story of Freddy Krueger, remember?” Rick stated. “I wasn’t paying much attention,” Dan said. Rick rolled his eyes. “It’s a town legend. He was a child killer who was freed on a technicality.” “So?” Dan said. “A lot of parents got angry,” Rick said. “According to Kristen, they hunted him down, roasted him alive.” Dan gazed around. “Nice neighborhood.” “Now it gets weird,” Rick said. “She said he comes back—in dreams. If he kills you there, you’re dead for real.” Alice stared at the house. “Now I lay me down to sleep…” Kristen stared at Alice. “The dream master,” Alice said to Kristen. “I think I remember the rhyme. ‘The master of dreams, my soul I’ll keep…’ ” She faltered. “Sorry, I forget the rest.” “It’s okay,” Kristen said. “It’s only a prayer, no good to me. Freddy’s real.” The group decided to return to the car. Alice stopped as something on the walkway caught her attention. There were traces of a chalk drawing on the concrete. Alice bent down and ran a finger across the surface. “Alice?” Rick said. Alice looked up to Dan and Rick. She started toward them, glancing at the sidewalk again. The drawing was gone.

—

That evening, Kristen’s mother, Elaine, sat at the dining room table, watching her daughter eat. The atmosphere was tense. Kristen was barely touching her food. “Something wrong with the cuisine?” Elaine asked. “Well Mom, I’ll tell ya, when two of your friends die the same day, you let me know what it does to your appetite.” “You’re just tired. Don’t think I haven’t noticed you not sleeping. That has to stop, honey.” Kristen rose to her feet. She felt strangely dizzy. She grabbed hold of the table to steady herself, then sat. “What’s wrong with me?” “You’re distraught. It’ll help.” Kristen’s eyes widened. “Oh, no! What did you do?” Kristen grabbed her glass and poured the last of the milk onto the table. There was a grainy sediment remaining in the bottom of the glass. When Kristen stood again with glass in hand, she was unsteady. She tried to brace herself on the back of the hair with her free hand. Then she lost grip of the glass. It fell to the floor and shattered. With a wobbly gait, Kristen lurched from the table.

Kristen stumbled around and grabbed her mother’s purse. She dumped its contents on the counter. Fumbling around, Kristen found a half-full container of prescription capsules. She turned and threw it at Elaine, pills flying everywhere. “I’m sorry, honey, but—” “Sorry!” Kristen screamed. “Sorry that your tennis pals torched this guy who’s now after me? In case you haven’t been keeping score, it’s his banquet—and I’m the last course!” “Honey, we went over this in therapy—” “Mother, you’ve just murdered me. Take that to your therapy!” Kristen stumbled into her room and slammed the door. “Can’t end like thisss,” she mumbled. “Noooo…” Barely able to stand, Kristen crossed to her bedstand and searched awkwardly through a drawer. But when she pulled the drawer out too far, she spilled everything onto the floor. Kristen got down on her hands and knees, but then collapsed completely. She reached for the telephone and tried to dial, but got hopelessly tangled in the cord. As she started drifting off, Kristen remembered something. “Dream someplace fun…” she mumbled. “Someplace… fun…” Kristen rolled over on her back. Then her eyes shut.

—

The light in Kristen’s eyes was so bright she had to squint. She heard the sound of water gently lapping a nearby shore. She looked up. Kristen found herself lying on a towel on a deserted beach that ran along the edge of a broad lake. The sun was high in the blue sky. Kristen slowly gazed around. Near the water, a little girl was building a sand castle. When the child turned and looked at her, Kristen realized it was the same little girl she saw drawing the picture on the sidewalk. And the sand castle was a model of the Elm Street house. Suddenly, just offshore, the glassy surface of the water was broken by fin-like objects that rose up and sliced through the surf. At first, it looked like a shark. But as it got closer, Kristen could see that it was four blades in ascending height. Kristen looked back at the sand castle. The little girl was gone. The blades turned and headed for shore. When they reached the sand, they continued on, cutting through the beach to the Elm Street house sand castle. Just then, the castle exploded.

Freddy stood on the beach, squinting in the harsh sunlight. He popped on a pair of sunglasses. Then he smiled and stepped toward Kristen. “Time to turn, or else you’ll burn!” Kristen sunk halfway into the sand, preventing her escape. Freddy watched her struggle, and laughed when her screaming mouth filled with sand. He watched her sink below the surface. Kristen appeared in the Elm Street house, hanging upside down on her hands and knees from the ceiling of the dining room. Feeling disoriented, Kristen crawled to the wall, then down to the door. She struggled to open it, and flung herself through. Kristen was horrified to discover that she was back in the boiler room. She stood on the catwalk, fire and steam surrounding her. Freddy stood in font of the furnace, watching her with a sickly grin. With a defiant cry, Kristen ran toward Freddy and crashed into him. Freddy stumbled backward and fell onto the grating. “Do it till you’re dizzy!” Freddy said with a sinister laugh. “We beat you before!” Kristen shouted. “But you’re all alone!” Freddy rose to his feet and advanced on the terrified girl. “Hey, Kristen, why don’t you call in some help?” “Never!” Kristen said. “I’m the last!” Freddy drew closer. “Reach out and touch someone!” Freddy raised his claw. She panicked. “Alice!” she cried. Suddenly, Alice crashed down on top of them. Kristen was enraged, but Freddy was happy. “How sweet!” he said. “Fresh meat!” Kristen slapped Alice hard across the face. “Come on! Wake up and get out! It was a mistake!” Nothing happened. Kristen started to back up, taking Alice with her. “Leave her alone!” Kristen cried, stepping in front of Alice. Freddy grabbed Kristen. He threw her into the furnace. As the flames finished off the doomed girl, a blast of energy shot out of the steaming furnace and slammed into Freddy. His body crackled and contorted. “Now, no one sleeps!” he roared. He advanced on the terrified Alice. “You’ll… you’ll need my… my power,” Kristen said as the flames consumed her. A second bolt of energy shot from the furnace and slammed into Alice, causing her to glow and shake. Freddy closed in for the kill. He raised his razor knives and prepared to strike.

Alice bolted upright in her bed, screaming. She took a few deep breaths and jumped out of bed. Suddenly, Rick burst in. “You all right?” “Kristen,” Alice whispered. She grabbed Rick’s hand and pulled him out of the room. Rick and Alice drove furiously to Kristen’s house. When they arrived, they saw orange flames in Kristen’s upstairs bedroom window. Rick and Alice charged into the house, startling Elaine who was in the living room. “Kristen!” Rick cried as he flew up the steps. Rick burst through the bedroom door, followed by Alice and Elaine. Kristen’s bed was ablaze. Nothing remained.

Chapter 3 | Chapter 5