Living Dreams: Taking Over Me

Disclaimer: I do not own NOES. Zoe is mine.

A/N: Please, review!! I THRIVE on reviews. You're starving me! 0 reviews = 0 updates, so review, dammit!!


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Will opened the door to the apartment he shared with Lori, his mind lingering on the strange girl from the library. Why had she been crying? His thoughts were interrupted as Lori's voice drifted down the hall.

"Is that you, Will?" she called.

"Yeah, I just got back from the library." he replied as he entered the living room. "There was a girl there. I think she knows about Freddy."

"She does? How do you know?" Lori inquired.

"Well, she sorta freaked out when I mentioned his name." Will replied. "She said she'd just gotten out of Westin Hills. I found her looking through the old newspapers."

"So, you think she knows?" she asked worriedly.

"Maybe. But, I wouldn't worry too much about it. He's gone, remember?" Will replied.

"Yeah. I guess you're right." she said with a small grin. "I was going to take a nap, anyway. I'll see you in a bit, okay?" Will nodded as she headed for the bedroom and made himself comfortable on the couch.

Lori sat down on the bed and stretched, quite ready for a nice mid-afternoon nap. She laid back on the soft double bed and drifted off to sleep.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Zoe burst through her apartment door and collapsed onto the sofa in a sobbing heap. She couldn't believe it. It was all for nothing. She curled up on the soft leather and cried her heart out for nearly five minutes straight. There was a sudden knock on the door, but she ignored it. The knocking continued until she couldn't stand it any longer.

"Go away!" she shouted, her voice breaking slightly.

"I have a package here for a...'Zoe Anne Marks'." came the reply.

Zoe groaned in annoyance. There was no doubt it was from her parents, only they would use her middle name. It was probably a 'housewarming' gift. She pushed herself up on the sofa and dried her eyes, muttering a quick, "Be right there." as she stood. She walked over to the door and pulled it open, staring grimly at the person on the other side.

It was a girl, not much older than her, with short chestnut brown hair pulled back in a ponytail and light brown eyes. Zoe sighed and rubbed her own eyes. "I must look terrible..." she muttered aloud. The girl remained silent, unsure if she should answer.

"Um...your package, Miss." she said, holding out a a wide flat box and a clipboard. "Just sign at the bottom."

Zoe took the clipboard and signed her name as the delivery girl handed her the package. She thanked the girl and shut the door. Walking back to the living room, she plopped down onto the sofa and began to unceremoniously tear open the package. She rolled her eyes when she saw what lay inside. It was a crisp white summer dress with white embroidery flowers on the bodice. "Well, Mom's tastes certainly haven't changed." she mused to herself.

"It is pretty, but white? Heh, I guess she still wants to believe her 'precious' little girl is still a pure and innocent virgin. Yeah right, hasn't been that way since he--" Zoe stopped abuptly in her musings as she remembered what had happened earlier.

She shook her head as tears flooded her eyes. "No, just forget about that." she murmured and quickly wiped away the tears as she stood. Clutching the package to her chest, she walked to her bedroom, tossed it onto the bed and continued into the bathroom. She leaned against the sink and stared at her reflection.

"God, I look like crap." she groaned sourly. Her eyes were red from crying and glistened with unshed tears; her hair was also a mess. She turned around, wiping her eyes and muttered. "I need a shower..."

Fifteen minutes later, she stepped out of the bathroom soaking wet and wrapped in a deep red bathrobe. She sat down on the bed and sighed. The warm water had been soothing, but she still felt horrible. She tried to forget it and pulled the package onto her lap. She idly traced the intricate embroidery as she stared at the gift. She had to admit it was quite beautiful, if a bit too innocent.

"I may as well try it on to make sure it fits." she sighed and pulled the dress from the box. She took off the robe and slipped into the dress, not bothering to put on any underwear. She zipped up the back and looked into her full-length mirror. It fit alright, maybe a little too well. It hugged every curve of her chest and the flowing skirt draped nicely over her hips.

"God, I'm beautiful, no wonder he wanted me." she muttered disgustedly as her eyes shimmered with new tears. She turned away from the mirror and flopped onto the bed as the tears spilled down her cheeks, crying out all her pain and anguish until she eventually ciried herself to sleep, still wearing the beautiful white dress.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

She opened her eyes to the dim red glow of the boiler room and gaped in surprise. She was here. She wiped the tears from her eyes and looked around to make absolutely sure it was real. Steam billowed out from the pipes, creating an eerie fog throughout the area. She grinned in delight and set off at a run in search of the murderous inhabitant.

It wasn't long before she heard the familiar shriek of metal echo in the distance. She tried to pinpoint its exact location, but it sounded like it was coming from all around. She continued onward as her heart pounded with anticipation. There was another shriek of metal, closer this time, and she could've sworn she heard him cackling from the darkness.

She turned the corner and found the infamous Dreamstalker standing with his back to her. He stood, panting and grinning at his latest kill, and turned to her as he tossed aside the limp body of a teenaged boy. He raised his blades, their tips dripping with fresh blood, and slowly licked them clean. He grinned at the look of disgust that crossed her face and took a step toward her.

"What do you we have here? Another unlucky dreamer." he growled and before she knew it, the object of her obssession had her pinned against a steaming wall of pipes.

She gasped in shock and surprise as she stared into the familiar hazel eyes. Gasping and squirming in pain as he pressed her tighter against the scalding pipes, she choked out his name. "Fr-freddy...st-sto--op..." she squeaked.

Freddy grinned deviously. Obviously she knew who he was, but what she was doing in his world was another question. She wasn't one of the bratty teens he usually expected to find in his playground. She was much older. She was an adult. It had been a long time since an adult had entered his playground.

"It's playtime..." he grinned and held her in place as he wrapped a scarred hand around her delicate neck, squeezing tightly and choking the air from her lungs.

He watched with amusement as she squirmed and clawed at his arm, raising his glimmering blades to her face. She gasped desperately for air as she tried to remove his hand and eyed the gleaming steel tips hovering mere inches from her face. This certainly wasn't the welcome she'd expected. It was obvious he didn't recognize her.

He leaned forward and glared into her violet eyes as the life slowly faded from them, but there was something strange and almost familiar about them. Zoe watched hazily as confusion and faint recognition shimmered in his cold hazel eyes and his grip on her neck loosened. She immediately took action and pried his hand from her neck, but instead of running like her mind screamed at her to do, she leapt forward and pinned the shocked and confused Dreamstalker to the opposite wall of the corridor. She gasped in a harsh, labored breath before pressing her lips to his in a desperate kiss.

Freddy's eyes widened in shock, but he was quick to recover as he shoved her back towards against the opposite wall. Both stood gasping and panting for breath on opposite ends, staring at each other as everything sank in. Freddy was the first to speak.

"What...the hell...was that?" he asked in a dangerous tone. Zoe panted softly and looked away, trying to find the words to explain.

"Do...do you remember...a teenaged girl named...Z-Zoe Marks?" she asked carefully, glancing cautiously at his gleaming steel blades. Freddy's eyes narrowed in recognition.

"Maybe, I do." he replied. "What does it matter to you, bitch?"

"Th-that girl was me. You--you...raped me..." she trailed off, suddenly feeling seventeen again under his icy cold stare. Freddy grinned maliciously, quickly remembering in full detail.

"That's right." he laughed cruelly. "You were that little virgin slut. I really enjoyed fucking the shit out of you, when you screamed my name, begging and moaning for more like the little whore you are." he grinned, taking a step closer. "But, you want more, don't you? You want to be ravaged and raped by the demon of dreams...by me...don't you, you little slut?" he hissed. Zoe nodded numbly as her breath hitched in her throat.

"I think I can arrange that." Freddy growled as he inched closer. Zoe instinctively backed away, pressing against the wall of pipes as he neared. It didn't take him long to cross the narrow hallway as he pressed firmly against her willing body.

"You've grown a lot since then, haven't you?" he growled into her ear. Zoe nodded and leaned closer. "Let's see just how much you've grown." he hissed and captured her lips, kissing her viciously. This wasn't exactly how he'd planned his evening, but he certainly wasn't complaining.

The impassioned young woman wrapped a slender arm around his neck and deepened the kiss as Freddy braced himself against the wall with his left hand. She trailed her fingers along his right arm and held his gloved hand. Breaking the kiss she panted boldly into his ear, "We won't be needing this...will we?" as she pulled the glove from his hand and tossed it carelessly to the floor.

"Not yet, we won't." he growled as his now bare right hand rubbed up along her side. She panted and moaned as he pulled her closer and wrapped her leg around his side, completely lost in the moment. She gently kissed his rough, scarred neck as she rubbed against him. The intense heat of the room combined with her rising internal temperature was almost enough to make her faint, but she remained aware as her skin dripped with sweat.

Freddy ran a hand along her raised thigh and slipped it under her skirt. She moaned softly and clutched tightly to him, realizing she had not put on any underwear. As much as she'd been waiting for this moment, she had never imagined it would be this...intoxicating. She leaned against his shoulder as he slipped a hand between them to undo his belt.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Lori stumbled blindly along a darkened corridor within the confines of the boiler room, her breath leaving her in short panicked gasps. Only moments before, she had heard that terrible screeching metal and his twisted laughter emanating from the shadows.

She was finally released from the terrifying darkness as she stumbled into the glow of a raging furnace, the flames leaping and crackling in the calm silence. Lori took a moment to catch her breath before proceeding cautiously down an adjoining pathway. As she walked further down the narrow hallway she heard something.

She stopped and listened, but she couldn't make it out. She inched closer and closer until the sound became clearer and gasped in recognition. It was the sound of someone whimpering and crying out in pain. Lori suddenly realized in horror that he hadn't been chasing her, but another defenceless teenager who was now in desperate need of help. Her help.

Lori raced down the rest of the corridor, intent on rescueing the helpless teenager. But, as she rounded the corner, she saw something far more twisted than Freddy merely tearing apart a hapless victim. What she saw tore a horrified gasp from her throat as she stumbled back against the wall, staring in shock, fear and disgust.