Night of the Hunter

Two

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*Jared's P.O.V.*

The next morning, I was awoke by the nurse who always did the morning round up and wake-up call to all the patients.

"Time to get up, Jared", she announced, heading off to make her next rounds.

I barely slept. Maybe three hours, close to four. I woke up probably every half-hour due to being afraid. I began to get up slowly, feeling the pain and the aching in my back from the wounds. Planting my feet on the floor, I stood up, and headed out of my room, preparing to join the group for breakfast. The thought came to my mind again about all the commotion that happened last night, and I was still wondering what happened. Sitting at the table with my food in front of me, picking at it while I thought. I didn't even feel hungry. My thoughts were on last night, and the nightmare I had.. Seeing Jensen the way he was, wounded, bloodied.. He wasn't like that when he had died, and all I could think was that the man from my nightmares - our nightmares - had done that to him.

"Hey, what happened to you last night?", Adam asked, sitting down next to me.

His blue eyes looked a little brighter today, and he looked a little more at ease.

"What?", I asked, snapping out of my daze.

"I heard you screaming last night, and the nurses taking you out of your room", he noted, picking at his food now as well.

"Oh.. that.. I had another nightmare.. Jensen was there", I answered.

"What happened?", he asked.

"He was begging me to help him.. And then, that monster showed up. I have the marks to prove it on my back. Nobody fucking believes me, or any of us.. I can't take it here", I retorted.

"I know, but.. We will get out of here. We believe in each other, and that's all we need", he spoke.

"I hope so.. Thank you, Adam".

"Welcome".

Everyone became close in here, especially since we all shared the same nightmares. Adam Lambert was my second best friend, seeing as Jensen Ackles was my first. Adam had come in here after Jensen and I, and his parents had him sent here due to the fact that he attempted to cut his own wrists because of the nightmares he was having. He was only seventeen, tall, about 6'1" in height, slender, with jet black hair, & a bit of blue streaked in there, bright blue eyes, a slender nose, & full lips. And he was extremely talented. But the nightmares were holding him back, just as they were holding all of us back.

"Did you guys hear about last night?", Jay asked, as he sat down with Kris.

Jay Gordon was tall, about 6'4", very lanky, and he had jet black hair, big, dark brown puppy dog eyes, full lips, a slender nose, and a thin face. His eyebrows were thin, and he occasionally wore make-up when they allowed it. He had been admitted by his grandmother, after his parents were killed in a fatal car wreck, and his nightmares started shortly after that. His grandma couldn't handle it, didn't understand, and lost hope in saving him, so she had him sent here. Kris Allen was admitted by his parents when he refused to sleep, and attempted to overdose on pills. He had short, brown hair, brown eyes, full lips, and a decent sized nose. He was only about 5'9" in height, slender, and small built.

"No, what happened?", Adam questioned.

Adam was always up to hearing the gossip around here, but he knew more than most of us, along with Jay.

"I head some things", I cut in, "Screaming, people rushing around.. I heard someone mention about someone new being here, but I couldn't hear why".

"There is someone new among us", Jay replied.

"Who? Have you seen them?", Adam asked.

"I know it's a boy. I saw him in the quiet room", Jay answered.

"Was he cute?", Adam questioned, with a smile.

"Adam, this is serious", I scuffed.

"I know, and I'm being serious, too!", Adam spat.

Rolling my eyes, I attempted to get back on topic. Adam was openly gay, and it didn't bother me what-so-ever, but he had a way of hinting he liked someone. The doctors were convinced that his nightmares stemmed from his homosexuality, but he, and everyone around him, knew that wasn't it.

"Why do you think he's here?", I asked.

"Don't know. Probably the same reason that we are here", Jay responded.

"You think he has nightmares, too?", Adam asked.

"What else, fuck-tard!", Elijah hissed, sitting down next to Jay along with Carlton and Blake.

"Eat shit", Adam retorted, hatefully.

"No thanks, fudge packer", Elijah responded.

"Stop!", I shouted, "Elijah, leave Adam the fuck alone. None of us know why the new guys here,.. Why do you think we're talking about it?".

Elijah Blue was about 6'1", a little built, he had dirty blond hair, golden brown eyes, and pale skin. His eyebrows were thick, he had small lips, and a small nose. He had been admitted due to his out of control behavior over the nightmares he was having. Carlton Bost was short, about 5'8", had black hair that hung longer in the front and got shorter towards the back, greenish eyes, a slender nose that pointed upwards at the end, thin lips and eyebrows. He had attempted to overdose on pills and alcohol and was admitted here after being released from the hospital, because he was deemed 'unstable'. Blake Lewis was about 5'9", had short, spiky black hair, with a blond chunk in the top, brown eyes, a wide nose, full lips, and a full face, with normal sized eyebrows. He occasionally wore glasses, that he was wearing today at this moment. He had attempted to commit suicide as well by hanging himself, but his father stopped him. Now he was here, like the rest of us. And we were a tight-knit group.

"I'm not sure if it's the nightmares, of it it's something else.. But either way, he's here", Jay announced.

"Anyone know his name? Age? Anything?", Blake asked.

"I assume from the looks of it, he's got to be around the same age as us. Not sure about his name though", Jay answered.

We were all between the ages of sixteen and eighteen, so I was taking Jay's word for it. He was always a good judge of character. Jay walked by the 'Quiet Room' every so often, and he was semi-nosy, just as Adam was. They seemed to have ways of hearing things that they weren't supposed to.

"Do you think we'll see him later?", I asked.

"Possibly. Who knows. Unless he's a real basket case", Kris spoke.

"According to the doctors, we're all basket cases", Carlton added.

And he had a point.. None of them believed us.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Fifteen minutes later, we had our group therapy session. Adam sat next to me to the left, and Jay sat to the right as we took our places in the circle. As we sat there, waiting, Dr. Williams came in, with somebody else. Another teen aged boy. I had a feeling this was him, the one that came in last night. He sat next to Dr. Williams, and Nurse Summers closed the door once we were all in there. The boy had pale skin, shoulder length hair that was dyed purple, dark eyebrows, green eyes, a thin nose, a thin upper lip with the bottom one being a bit more full, and a strong jawline. He had to have been 6'1" in height, and he was pretty slender and built. He actually wasn't that bad looking.. Everyone was silent and I swore I could feel the tension between everyone in the room and the new kid. It was as though we didn't know how to handle it or react around him.

"Everyone, we have someone new to our group. This is Jeffrey Hardy", Dr. Williams announced, motioning to the purple haired boy.

"Call me Jeff", the boy spoke.

As nervous as I was, I decided to speak up. I knew I couldn't let him sit there, and feel un-welcomed, or uncomfortable. We all know that feeling.

"Nice to meet you, Jeff", I said, capturing his attention.

He just nodded softly, not saying anything in response vocally. His left wrist was bandaged and I had a feeling he attempted suicide as well.

"I want everyone to introduce themselves, and straight-talk only in here", Dr. Williams encouraged. "Jared, why don't you start".

Taking a deep breath, I prepared myself.

"My names Jared Padalecki.. I'm here because, I ran away from home, due to my parents refusal to believe me when I told them about my nightmares. When I was found, and taken back home, I tried to slash my wrists.. just to escape the nightmares..", I spoke. "And now, I'm here, attempting to make 'so-called' progress in what the doctors call a 'guilt trip' that I'm on, due to a bad experience".

His eyes grew wide, and he appeared shocked by what I said.

"Nightmares..? What kind?", Jeff asked.

"Everyone has nightmares, kiddo", Elijah shot.

I instantly found myself rolling my eyes are Elijah's remark.

"Elijah", Dr. Williams started.

"Look, maybe you don't believe in the truth, Elijah, but we all know we've experienced the same damn nightmares", Adam shot.

"Everybody has their 'boogeyman' nightmares. It's what your parents used to scare you with as a child to get you to behave", Elijah shot back.

"Bullshit! We have all dreamed about the same fucking guy.. He's a monster! And he's going to kill us all, one by one", Adam added.

"You know what, freak boy.. Blow me! You don't know shit about my dreams", Elijah snapped.

"Stop it! This is exactly what he wants", I stepped in.

"Who is he? What the hell does he want, Jared?", Elijah snapped.

"I don't know who he is! All I know is he needs everyone to be weak.. To be afraid of him.. That is the only way he can conquer any of us", I explained.

"You're so full of it, Jared. You, and your fudge packing boyfriend over there", Elijah spat, pointing at Adam.

"Suck my dick", Adam hissed.

"Hey! Everyone calm down!", Dr. Williams ordered.

"No, Jared is right", Jeff stepped in.

"What do you mean he's right, new boy? Huh?", Elijah shot.

"I know who you are all having nightmares about.. And I know why he's trying to kill you?", Jeff spoke.

"Spare me the bull, new boy", Elijah snarled.

"He's terribly burned.. He wears a dirty brown hat", Jeff began.

Everyone was silent, just listening to Jeff now.

"He wears a red and green sweater.. And he has knives on his right hand.. ", Jeff continued, knowing he had our attention. "His name is Freddy Krueger. He was a child murder.."

""What does he want?", Adam asked, again.

"Yeah, I mean.. What have we done to deserve this, or to make him come after us?", Jay asked.

"Your parents, or, well OUR parents, burned him alive.. Murdered him.. And we are paying for their sins and their acts of murder", Jeff responded.

"But, that's crazy.. My parents never mentioned anything about this, and I never heard anything about it. Why would they do that?", Blake said, confused sounding.

"Oh, yeah, like your fucking parents are going to sit you down, and tell you something like that? That they murdered the town nut-case, and torched his ass on their own free will? Get real Blake", Elijah shot.

"Fuck you, Elijah", Blake snapped.

"What does he want though, Jeff?", Adam asked.

"We are the last of the Elm Street children, and he wants his revenge for his death. He knows it'll hurt our parents, and get revenge on them as well, by taking us away from them", Jeff responded.

"This is crazy talk", Dr. Williams interjected.

"Is it?", Kris stepped up. "Then explain this Doc,.. Why is it that we are all dreaming about the same guy? We are just going around in circles, not knowing how to stop this, with no one that believes us, hence us making 'minimal progress' in your eyes. There has to be another reason, and I think Jeff just gave it".

"No, you are all believing in this, and it's nothing more than a mass delusion in your heads", Dr. Williams spoke.

Everyone sighed at his remark.

"If no one wants to believe us, then what is the point of us being here?", I asked.

"Because you are all suffering from whatever issues you have with yourselves, and you're all unstable", Dr. Williams responded.

He glanced at his watch and then noted that the session was over. Once more, we lost. But I knew now that Jeff was the key. He knew more than any of us could ever know, and with him, we could defeat this monster..

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