Free Ever After by Heather McBride

play it like that, let her go and face me like a real man.” The look on Will’s face was much like the one I had seen at lunch. I could see him clenching his hand into a tight fist. He was trying to control himself he was nearly shaking. I had never seen such anger before.
     
    “Let go of her arm, you idiot! Unless you would like me to rip it, off. I will not warn you again!” Todd suddenly seemed almost paralyzed by William’s stare. He just stood there, his eyes fixed on him. I felt Todd’s hands drop from me. I quickly ran to Will’s side opposite the one facing Todd. I was speechless. Todd just stood there as if he couldn’t even move. He was terrified of William now, absolutely terrified to the core.
     
    William pushed me away from him gently with one hand, never looking at me, his eyes locked on Todd. “Go out by the door Corrine. Please move away from us, you don’t need to see any of this.” I took a deep breath. Reluctantly I backed away, clutching my backpack to my chest. I watched William. He moved so slowly and carefully around Todd, he was like a lion stalking his prey. He narrowed his eyes as if assessing him from head to toe, deciding how to handle him.
     
    “Who do you think you are, touching Corrine? You don’t deserve to breathe the same air she does, let alone put a hand on her.” He got in Todd’s face, shaking his head in disgust. “It’s comical. You are a parasite Downs you are nothing! Do you understand me?” He laughed softly. Todd was still frozen in fear, the color drained from his face.
     
    “What the hell are you?” Todd asked, his voice shaking. He took a jagged breath and swallowed hard.
     
    “I’m what people have nightmares about, Todd.” He smirked smoothing his hair back, stepping back slightly from him.
     
    “You’re crazy man, crazy.” He stammered his eyes wide. He was sweating and blinking fast.
     
    “Yes you could say that. I am a lot of things Todd, never doubt that.” He grabbed Todd by the neck. He choked at the force of his grip. “I will kill you if you ever come near Corrine again. I will hunt you down and tear you apart, a worse death you could never imagine in that pea-sized brain of yours. I am something you cannot even comprehend, the worst kind of thing.”
     
    William leaned in closer to Todd. “I am something your kind fears, the worst kind of thing that you can comprehend. Killing you would only bring me pleasure.” I grabbed onto the door in shock. Will had said the last sentence in a whisper. He had clearly not intended for me to hear I’m sure, but I did. I gasped wondering why he said that. What did he even mean, by saying he was (something your kind fears?)
     
    “William.” I croaked, my voice failing. I felt my knees going weak and the room was starting to spin. I slipped down the wall to the floor.
     
    “You win this time freak, but I don’t give up. This isn’t over man…” Todd yelled running from William as fast as he could, stumbling over a hedgerow. He was as pale as a ghost with fear. He didn’t look back after that, he just ran like a mad man.
     
    “What is it, love?” Will knelt to my side rubbing my back.
     
    “I… feel sick.” I whispered, my head still aching. “Take me home please.” He swiftly picked me up and carried me out of the lecture hall to his car. I closed my eyes inhaling his cologne, trying to forget the menacing words I had just heard him speak.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 10
     
    The Dark Truth
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    I did my best to forget the incident with Todd, but the police definitely did not. He was placed into the county lock up for a few weeks, for breaking his house arrest. His father used his massive bank account, and heavy connections in the political world to get Todd put back on house arrest exactly three weeks later. The court