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Nancy Tompson was your normal high school girl. Well, as normal as someone who just watched their best friend be brutally murdered and dragged across the ceiling can be, but still.
She’s pretty damn smart, too. She’s realized by now that the man who killed Tina is haunting their dreams, and killing them through it. She’s unsure of how a nightmare is able to do this, but luckily there’s a simple fix before she can figure out how to fight this thing: staying awake. She mostly manages this by stealing her parent’s coffee pot for the foreseeable future so she doesn’t have to leave her room for refills, researching dreams and sleep.
The thing she finds out about is a god, or better called, an Endless. His name is Dream, Morpheus, or Oineiros, depending on what source she’s looking at. But all of them are about the same sort of man, or being, or deity: one who can control the dreams and nightmares of people.
And if he’s real, he might be the one who can restrain this nightmare that’s hunting her and her friends.
So, when she runs out of coffee grounds and feels her eyelids getting heavier by the second, she comes up with an idea. She rests her head on her desk, muttering one word as she’s dragged into the dreaming.
“Morpheus…”
Nancy’s eyes flutter open in the Dreaming, standing in the center of her room and face to face with the man who’s been chasing her. She takes a deep breath, but it doesn’t do anything. Panic still rises within her. It didn’t work. It didn’t work.
And then a deep voice comes from behind her: “Freddy Kruger.” Nancy spins and faces the man. Except, he is no man. His voice is deep and all-consuming, like sand standing in a too-tall grain silo, and his skin is ethereally pale. Something about him screams inhuman.
“Morpheus,” she says again, naming the man in front of her.
He simply nods to Nancy, walking past her to the monster that took Tina. “You’ve done enough harm, Kruger. I will not allow you to take this girl’s life.”
Carefully, he reaches out. “Don’t do this to me,” the nightmare begs as Nancy steps carefully out of the way. She’ll be a happy observer to this demise, after everything that’s happened to her. To her friends.
“You were only meant to frighten. Based on a horrible man, I should never have created you. But you have taken it too far, my nightmare. This is a hideous thing.”
“Let me finish the job!” Kruger begs.
“Why?”
“Because– well– she’s right there!” Freddy gestures wildly at Nancy, one of his finger knives grazing her cheek just enough to draw blood. This fuels his bloodlust, but he’s stopped from jumping on her by Morpheus placing a firm, strict hand on his shoulder.
”Enough. I will unmake you now, and any protestations you may have are ruined by your casual disregard for the lives of the people you were supposed to help grow. You have failed in your purpose, Nightmare. It is time for you to go.”
Morpheus raises his hand, and Nancy witnesses as Kruger's body starts to swirl and dissolve into sand. First his arm, then the beginnings of his torso. Of course. Of his many names, Morpheus is also the Sandman. But before she can smile in hysterical freedom, the half-formed Kruger lunges at her. Nancy jumps back, causing Freddy to just his final breath to laugh at her terror.
And then he’s gone, and Nancy crumples over, panting.
After a few long moments, Morpheus offers her a hand. “He will not claim any more lives.”
“I… thank you, Morpheus.” She takes his hand, pulling herself off.
He seems to wipe his hand off on his coat as if humans have cooties. “He was a criminal among the dreaming. His capture and undoing were inevitable.”
“Still, I could have died.”
“You nearly did. I am sorry about your friends. I cannot bring them back, as much as I wish I could. But Kruger will not inflict any more harm upon you or your loved ones.”
“Good…” Nancy hugged herself, settling into thought. As Morpheus simply disappears, she thinks of how she could possibly cope with… everything.
Well, the first step is probably waking up.