Free curse of the alpha - episode 03 & 04 by Tasha Black Page B

came the day that cemented their friendship.
    C H A P T E R
    7
    A insley and Erik were in third grade.
    A bunch of the fifth-graders brought a big rope out to the creek that day. Under the
    direction of Clive, who was a leader in the fifth grade group, a few kids had managed to scale the sycamore and tie the rope around a thick branch about twenty feet off the
    ground.
    Clive announced that they were going to swing off the rope and into the creek. Erik
    was on the branch with him. He’d been proud to prove his mettle by climbing the tree
    with the big kids and tying on the rope. But he knew swinging down was a dumb idea.
    The creek was only maybe three or four feet deep at its center. And there were sharp
    rocks, branches and danger in every direction.
    “Clive, that’s probably not a good idea,” he muttered.
    “What did you just say?” Clive had asked, articulating each word and projecting his
    voice out over the group.
    “Clive, it’s a cool idea.” Erik tried to save face in front of the crowd. “But the creek is too shallow. You might get hurt.”
    “Aw, are you afraid, Erik? Are you a baby?”
    “No. But I’m not an idiot either.”
    That garnered a nervous laugh from the other kids.
    Clive was incensed. His ruddy cheeks went red, but there was a dangerous glint in his cold blue eyes.
    “Erik Jensen, you’re such a brave little boy. You’re going to take the first swing and show everyone how it’s done.”
    Erik realized his mistake too late. Clive was way bigger and stronger. And of course he wouldn’t like to be shown up by a little third grader.
    Erik began to back up along the branch.
    But Clive was too fast for him. He grabbed Erik by the front of his t-shirt and thrust the rope into his hands.
    “You can’t do that, Clive, leave him alone!” Ainsley Connor squeaked from below as
    she wiped her muddy hands on the front of her overalls.
    Erik waited for other kids to join her, but they were silent. They were all too afraid of Clive to argue with him. Erik’s heart pounded in his chest. He fought to keep his balance.
    Beads of cold sweat formed on his forehead.
    “You will grab this rope and swing,” Clive whispered. “Or I will push you down. Your
    choice.”
    Erik took a breath. It would be better to go down with a rope than without. He took
    the rope from Clive and headed toward the end of the branch.
    The creek seemed impossibly far from the tree. Would he be able to swing out far
    enough to reach it? And what were the chances he could hit the center where the creek would be at its deepest?
    His head got lost in wild calculations. But Clive just smiled and bounced the branch
    beneath him, like a springing diving board.
    Erik grasped the rope as best he could, took a breath, and swung off the branch.
    He flew through the air in slow motion, with time to mark the expressions of mixed
    admiration and horror on the faces of the kids below.
    When the rope was at the peak of its arc he let go. Impossibly, it seemed he was
    actually over the center of the creek. As he fell, he allowed himself to hope that he wouldn’t get hurt after all.
    The last face he saw before he hit the water was Ainsley Connor’s.
    Erik’s heart nearly stopped when splashed into the ice-cold water. His feet smashed
    into the rocky creek bed and his ankle turned with a sickening crunch. White-hot pain shot through his legs as he struggled to the surface.
    He bobbed up with an expression that must have told them he was badly hurt. There
    was total silence. And then one of the fifth graders yelled and they all started running off through the woods.
    Erik was alone in the freezing water and his legs were burning in crippling agony. He knew he should be afraid but instead he felt tired. It was hard to remember how to keep his head above water when he couldn’t move his legs without excruciating pain. He shut his eyes for a second.
    Then there was a terrific splash and a gasp.
    “Hold on, Erik. I’m