Episode 9
“No! Now get out!”
The trio hurried out of the third store they’d been in. Everyone had sent them away with a mixture of anger and fear. They walked down the street, a little dejected.
“He’s insistent that we find him. Do you think he’s a spirit trying to communicate with you?” Jay asked.
“Maybe. But I’ve never had one come through so clear.”
“And this is the first one that you’re found attractive,” Doug grinned.
“That has nothing to do with it!” she replied, blushing. Suddenly Julie pointed to a building. “Let’s try in there.” She reached into her pocket. “How much money do you guys have?” They pooled together their cash and found it added up to about thirty dollars. She took it and put it in her pocket. “Come on,” she said and dragged them into the bar.
Julie looked around and then walked up to the bar. “Excuse me,” she said, smiling.
The bartender smiled back and walked over. “What can I get for you?”
“Just a glass of water for now. But maybe you can help me. I’m looking for someone who’s lived here for a long time. I just moved here a couple of days ago and would like to talk about the history of the town.” Julie smiled her best innocent smile.
The man nodded and pointed to a man sitting at a table by himself. “Joseph over there, he’s lived here all his life. Spends most of his time in here. But if you want to know history, he’s the guy to ask.” He handed her a glass of water.
“Thanks,” she said, taking it. “Come on, guys.” Doug and Jay followed her over to Joseph’s table. “Hi there,” she said cheerfully. “I was told that you might be able to help me.”
Joseph looked up at her and a slow smile crossed his face. Then he noticed Doug and Jay behind her and his smile faded a little. “What do you want with me?”
“First let me buy you a drink. What are you drinking?”
“Vodka.”
Julie handed Doug some money. “Would you mind?”
“Not at all.” He took it and walked up to the bar.
Julie and Jay sat down. “We were told you know the history of this town,” Jay said.
“I ought to. Lived here all my life.” He finished his drink and eyed the one Doug was bringing back. “What do you want to know?” he asked, taking the drink from Doug.
Julie waited until Doug pulled up a chair and joined them. “We were curious about the boiler room fire in ‘67.” Julie watched him carefully, expecting to be thrown out. But Joseph leaned back and took a drink.
“No one’s asked about that in a long time. Better that way. But he’s been gone a long time. I don’t think it’ll hurt to tell you.”
Julie took a sip of water and watched him closely. Joseph set down his glass and looked off into the distance. “It was right after Freddy was acquitted. Someone forgot to sign a search warrant in the right place and so they let him go.” He took a drink. “He disappeared right after that but a bunch of folks, mainly from Elm Street tracked him down to that boiler room.”
She gasped. “They didn’t--?”
Joseph nodded. “They went in while he was asleep and doused the place with gasoline. Then they threw in a match.”
Doug spoke up in horror. “They burned him alive?”
“Yep. Then when it was over Lt. Thompson took the remains and hid them so no one could ever prove they’d done it.” He finished the drink and raised an eyebrow at Julie. She nodded and handed Jay money. Jay headed for the bar. “Talk to any of the folks that did it and they’ll tell you that was the end of it.”
“But?” she asked.
“But talk to the kids and they know something different. It started when Thompson’s girl, Nancy, was in high school. There were three unexplained deaths, friends of hers who all lived on Elm Street. I spoke to Nancy once, asking her what she thought.” Jay came over with the new drink and handed it to Joseph. “Thanks. She told me that Freddy Krueger was killing them in their dreams.” He sighed. “I think she expected me to deny it. But I’ve seen some strange shit over the years. It was the only explanation. For six years it was quiet. I began to wonder if maybe she had just dreamed it up.” He took a long drink. “Then there were a bunch of suicides and attempts. A number of kids were hospitalized at the old asylum. All from Elm Street. I talked to three of them when they got out.”
“Freddy was back,” Jay said.
The trio hurried out of the third store they’d been in. Everyone had sent them away with a mixture of anger and fear. They walked down the street, a little dejected.
“He’s insistent that we find him. Do you think he’s a spirit trying to communicate with you?” Jay asked.
“Maybe. But I’ve never had one come through so clear.”
“And this is the first one that you’re found attractive,” Doug grinned.
“That has nothing to do with it!” she replied, blushing. Suddenly Julie pointed to a building. “Let’s try in there.” She reached into her pocket. “How much money do you guys have?” They pooled together their cash and found it added up to about thirty dollars. She took it and put it in her pocket. “Come on,” she said and dragged them into the bar.
Julie looked around and then walked up to the bar. “Excuse me,” she said, smiling.
The bartender smiled back and walked over. “What can I get for you?”
“Just a glass of water for now. But maybe you can help me. I’m looking for someone who’s lived here for a long time. I just moved here a couple of days ago and would like to talk about the history of the town.” Julie smiled her best innocent smile.
The man nodded and pointed to a man sitting at a table by himself. “Joseph over there, he’s lived here all his life. Spends most of his time in here. But if you want to know history, he’s the guy to ask.” He handed her a glass of water.
“Thanks,” she said, taking it. “Come on, guys.” Doug and Jay followed her over to Joseph’s table. “Hi there,” she said cheerfully. “I was told that you might be able to help me.”
Joseph looked up at her and a slow smile crossed his face. Then he noticed Doug and Jay behind her and his smile faded a little. “What do you want with me?”
“First let me buy you a drink. What are you drinking?”
“Vodka.”
Julie handed Doug some money. “Would you mind?”
“Not at all.” He took it and walked up to the bar.
Julie and Jay sat down. “We were told you know the history of this town,” Jay said.
“I ought to. Lived here all my life.” He finished his drink and eyed the one Doug was bringing back. “What do you want to know?” he asked, taking the drink from Doug.
Julie waited until Doug pulled up a chair and joined them. “We were curious about the boiler room fire in ‘67.” Julie watched him carefully, expecting to be thrown out. But Joseph leaned back and took a drink.
“No one’s asked about that in a long time. Better that way. But he’s been gone a long time. I don’t think it’ll hurt to tell you.”
Julie took a sip of water and watched him closely. Joseph set down his glass and looked off into the distance. “It was right after Freddy was acquitted. Someone forgot to sign a search warrant in the right place and so they let him go.” He took a drink. “He disappeared right after that but a bunch of folks, mainly from Elm Street tracked him down to that boiler room.”
She gasped. “They didn’t--?”
Joseph nodded. “They went in while he was asleep and doused the place with gasoline. Then they threw in a match.”
Doug spoke up in horror. “They burned him alive?”
“Yep. Then when it was over Lt. Thompson took the remains and hid them so no one could ever prove they’d done it.” He finished the drink and raised an eyebrow at Julie. She nodded and handed Jay money. Jay headed for the bar. “Talk to any of the folks that did it and they’ll tell you that was the end of it.”
“But?” she asked.
“But talk to the kids and they know something different. It started when Thompson’s girl, Nancy, was in high school. There were three unexplained deaths, friends of hers who all lived on Elm Street. I spoke to Nancy once, asking her what she thought.” Jay came over with the new drink and handed it to Joseph. “Thanks. She told me that Freddy Krueger was killing them in their dreams.” He sighed. “I think she expected me to deny it. But I’ve seen some strange shit over the years. It was the only explanation. For six years it was quiet. I began to wonder if maybe she had just dreamed it up.” He took a long drink. “Then there were a bunch of suicides and attempts. A number of kids were hospitalized at the old asylum. All from Elm Street. I talked to three of them when they got out.”
“Freddy was back,” Jay said.