Ever After

by Heather McBride

  “Is she breathing ok?” He asked.

  Will took a staggered breath and blinked slowly. “No, she’s having long pauses in between, that’s not good at all. I don’t know what that venom will do to her. I know her body was weak, too weak for this, for all of this.” He pulled me closer to his chest as I shook.

  “Damn.” Roth simply said, as was customary of Roth. He was simple but cared deeply for his coven, his “family”. “Doc and Pratt are two miles out, they ran into a chick from the Dark coven, she said she helped get Corrine out of there?” He looked at Will confused.

  “Yes, Corrine told me about her. It seems she was taken against her will and turned into a vampire. I think she said one of those guys with Todd was her boyfriend.”

  “Wow, well I guess she’s with Doc now, she wants to be a Follower.” I was happy to hear Sayann had found Doc and Pratt, and they were accepting of her. I knew how desperate she was to escape Kyle and the Dark coven. At least one thing had worked out tonight.

  It was starting to rain harder, now. That really did not help me much. I was already frozen, despite Will’s efforts to warm me. He picked me up and he and Roth moved closer to the thicket under the pine tree where Will had originally hid me. The rain seemed to hit us less there, but the wind was picking up now as well.

  “Will, hold her up a little she looks like she’s having trouble breathing.” The alarm in Roth’s voice scared me. I was in fact having trouble, but was so dizzy and afraid I did not realize the big pauses between breaths.

  “God, she is.” Will knelt down into the frozen leaves and snow and angled me up wards. It helped somewhat, but not enough. “Damn it Roth what are we going to do?”

  Will’s voice was now full force into panic mode. I must have really looked bad, as they both stared at me, terror in their eyes. It was hard for me to breath but I was holding my own. I thought so at least. I guess I was wrong from their reactions.

  “I’m going to call Doc and see where in the hell they are. I told them our exact location!” Roth flipped open his cell and dialed Doc’s number.

  I listened as he spoke; his voice was rushed and emotional. “You guys have to get up here now, take that frigging thing off road. Corrine’s getting worse dude I’m not kidding!” He was yelling now. I could hear he was talking to Taylor; he must have been driving the others. “It’s just past the bridge, were at the top of the hill, in a clearing of pine trees, haul ass man, its serious tell Doc to be ready!”

  “Where are they?” Will snapped, his patience blown.

  “Not too far from here, I told Taylor to just go off road, if they try to get here on foot it will take forever”

  Chapter 29

  The struggle

  The rain was even harder, we sat waiting to be rescued I heard a scuffle from where Todd and Kyle laid knock out. I gasped as I saw Todd was no longer there. It was then I saw him behind William, he wrapped his arm around his neck putting him in a chokehold. He tried to hold on to me but I slipped out of his arms to the cold ground. Roth grabbed the back of Todd’s neck and tried to pull him off Will.

  “Get the hell off him you pansy, fight your own kind!” Roth yelled, as Todd shoved Will all the way across the clearing into a tree.

  He hit the tree hard with the side of his head. I covered my mouth as I let out a cry. Todd then grabbed Roth and threw him too. I was shocked, as Roth was ten times stronger than Todd was. Todd moved next to me instantly, he knelt down and looked into my eyes.

  “Did you really think I would not make sure you were dead?” I curled into a ball, too weak to run or even try to move away from him. He grabbed my leg and pulled me closer. I clawed at the ground trying to stay away. I could feel the wet cold mud under my fingernails.

  “No, please!” I begged. Todd only laughed as I felt his hand around my throat. He was squeezing so hard I could not breathe. I struggled and gasped trying to claw him and get away. It was no use he was so much stronger than me. I could feel it now, what I had been trying to hide from, out run and avoid for over a year, this was death.

  The sounds around me were dulled, my ears began to ring. I could only hear the slowing sound of my own heart beat in my head. I tried to hold open my eyes but it was no use, my body had nothing left to fight with. My hands began to tingle, my legs were numb. The sound of my heart seemed to be louder filling my head, but the beats were getting slower and slower.

  I felt my chest tighten, as I felt Todd drop me to the ground. It did not hurt, as it should have. I opened my eyes one last time, and saw Will and Roth yank Todd away from me. Will had a vile; I knew they were going to try to kill Todd.

  Will had planned it all along should he get close enough to Todd. He had told me many times, he would do it. I never questioned him, as an animal like Todd did not deserve to live in my eyes anyway. I tried to see if they got him, but that’s when a pain so strong, so piercing tore across my chest. I cried out in sheer agony.

  I could hear my own pleas for help now. I also heard something else as well, my heart stopped beating, and all went dark. I opened my eyes for a minute, to see William running towards me. He slid to his knees to where I lay.

  I felt him take me into his arms. He whispered my name waiting for me to answer him. I could hear him and feel his touch, but it I could not respond to him. I had only been “out” for a minute, but now I was hearing everything and not able to move or speak. I lay in his arms motionless, as he fell apart right in front of me.

  Chapter 30

  Losing my self

  William was losing his mind as I lay in his arms. I felt him move me; he put his ear to my chest, to listen for my nonexistent heartbeat. I felt him grab my wrist hoping to feel a pulse. I could feel his hands shaking, and his breathing was fast. He was freaking out.

  He stroked my cheek and said my name, begging me to come back to him. I knew he was crying, as I felt his hot salty tears drop on to my ice-cold cheek. His tears that he shed would have to be for me too, because along with everything else I couldn’t do, I could not cry either.

  I wanted to take his hand and kiss his lips, tell him I was ok but obviously, I was not. I could not understand why I was not able to do anything. I tried to squeeze his hand, or open my eyes but my body was in some kind of off mode. I was like a TV with the mute button stuck on. I was limp in his arms, unable to hold up my head. I bet I really did look dead, but was I?

  Roth scuffled with Todd, again and from what I heard he forced him to drink some of the vial of dead blood, at least Todd got what he deserved. I heard him choke and gasp, trying to spit out the blood. Roth had forced him to swallow it.

  “Die Todd, you deserve an agonizing death for all the hell you have caused Corrine and William.” Roth said in a low and deadly voice. “I would kill you with my bear hands, but that is not our way. The vial will deliver you to hell, where you came from, and where you will return.”

  I could hear everything remarkable well; even the sound of the rain hitting the pine trees was magnified. I marveled at how I also could hear Kyle in the distance as he ran from Roth, he was cussing up a storm hitting every branch as he ran for his life. This was crazy, why was I like this, it was so much like when I was in the hospital after Todd tried to make it look like I had committed suicide.

  I was in a coma then, and clearly recall feeling pain, when the drugs that had given me for it wore off. This was different. I felt nothing, not hot or cold, no pain of any kind. I could feel myself being touched or moved but that was all. I could not open my eyes, or speak and it sure as hell seemed like my damn heart had quit beating, to me and everyone else.

  I hoped and prayed this was not my fate. I could be buried alive, or whatever you want to call it, just like this. I wanted to cry, but like everything else, I could not do that either. Will was self-destructing right before me, he was falling apart. He held me whispering my name repeatedly, the tears he cried falling on my cheek, could have been my own if I could have shed them.

  I felt as if my h
eart was being ripped out. I was dead to him, to everyone. I was stuck in some kind of hell. I wanted to comfort Will, but it was not even possible. The pain he felt, in thinking, I was lost to him, I felt too. It was worse for me, because I knew I was not dead, but I could not tell him. I was trapped in my own body, it had become a prison.

  Will seemed to be on the edge now. Roth was at his side. I felt him touch my wrist gently with his big hand. I knew he was trying to see if he could feel my pulse. I knew he wouldn’t, just has Will could not find one.

  “Will, my God I’m sorry,” his voice was low and filled with emotion.

  “I failed her, I let this happen, she needed me to protect her and look what happened.” I felt him stroke my hair softly. “I love you Corrine, you are everything to me, please don’t go, don’t leave me here alone without you.”

  “Will, you did all you could, we tried to get her back. You did all you could for her,” Roth said.

  I knew Roth was trying to comfort Will but he was inconsolable. I felt the rain drops mingle with Will’s tears now. He sat in the clearing on his knees. I was lying in his arms, like a rag doll, lifeless. He quit speaking, and it worried me deeply. I knew something was wrong.

  “Do you have the other vial?” Will asked Roth, it had been quiet for so long, if I were capable of jumping I would have.

  “What? Uh… yeah, but why? That Kyle dude took off. Todd hasn’t moved in twenty minutes, he’s dead I’m sure.” Roth sounded confused about Will asking about the vial.

  “I just want to be sure he’s dead, let me hang onto the other one, just in case.” I could hear a strange edge in Will’s voice, an under lying urgency to get that vial.

  “No, I have it don’t worry about it man.” I could hear Roth move back closer to me. I then felt him take my wrist once again. I marveled at how warm his fingers felt, I longed to feel that warm again.

  “Did you check her over good, she might be in shock or something, and you know she may not really be….” He paused trying hard not to say the D word (dead).

  “Gone… we have to be sure.” Gone, well I was so not gone if only I could just get up, yell at them both, and tell them.

  “I did check. I found a weak pulse, and that’s when she was still able to speak to me, right after that freak bit her. I can’t believe he did that, why….. It’s just sick to hate somebody like that!” Will sighed.

  “I want to be sure, Corrine’s system is pretty jacked up, so she could be having some insane reaction to the venom.” Roth was gentle as he placed two fingers against the un bitten side of my neck trying to feel for a pulse.

  I could hear him sigh as he found nothing. Then he pulled back Will’s coat that covered me to listen to my chest, for any heartbeat. I felt him place his ear carefully on my chest, as he waited. I hoped he heard something. He quickly covered me back up with Will’s coat.

  “Damn it! I didn’t hear anything, this is so screwed up I swear!” Will was silent, and that concerned me. “I will call Doc and Pratt, again. I know they will know what to do for her Will you know that too don’t you?” He asked cautiously.

  “Do I?” Will’s voice was low and unsteady. I was really scared.

  “No really, Pratt’s a genius he will know how to get Corrine back, I know he will.” Roth was trying to be convincing, but a slight waver in his voice told me Will’s behavior was worrying him too.

  “Tell me cousin of mine, how does one bring back a human from death? I was not aware Dr. Pratt was God himself. God would have to be the one to give Corrine back to me now. Death is final Roth, of all the creatures that roam this earth; vampires are the authorities on that subject, especially full bloods wouldn’t you say?” Will sounded disgusted.

  “Yes, death is the end all, unless you are a vampire, than it becomes part of you for eternity.” I was shaken by his words and disturbed by the silence from Roth. I knew he was too.

  “Will, come on now, she’s not fully human. Pratt will know what to do and if he doesn’t I know Corrine wouldn’t want you to be talking like this.”

  “Like what?” Will questioned.

  “Like it’s over, everything you know. Corrine loved you….” He groaned at his past tense referral of me. “She loves you, ok? If she is gone… or whatever, she would never want you to do something stupid to yourself. You understand me?” Roth was getting short tempered now.

  “Stupid? Really? That has a lot of definitions doesn’t it?”

  “Will come on quit that, be real here, and listen to me!”

  “I am and I know what Corrine wanted better than you.” He snapped.

  “Really is that so?” Roth fired back.

  “Yes!” He yelled.

  “I know she didn’t want you to die, not by Todd’s hand or your own. That’s what I know William Darcy!”

  Roth’s words stung me and sent me back to the afternoon he came to talk to me about Will. Roth had been worried Will would go off the deep end if I really did ever die. I made Roth promise me he would watch over him, and make sure he did not do anything foolish to himself if I was not here to look after him.

  “Really? Well I know she did not want us to be apart, she did not want to be without me ever.”

  “Yes, I am sure she meant that, but while you were both here on earth, not if she went before you. I got to know her pretty well, and I know she would never want you to hurt yourself over her!” Will still held me close to his chest. I could hear his heart beat increasing, as he got more and more upset.

  “Look Will, let’s wait for Doc to get here before we do anything ok?”

  “Eternity is a long time. I use to dread each day after I became a vampire, did you know that Roth?” Will’s tone was eerie.

  “What? Uh… no I guess not.” He again was caught off guard by Will’s increasingly odd behavior.

  “I wondered what good having eternal life was, without someone to share it with, someone to love. I tried to find things to interest me, like Doc had with his love of medicine. My mother loves astrology and the stars. I couldn’t …I had nothing to interest me. I merely existed, like a rock or a tree, an inanimate object… with hair.”

  “Will …uh you’re freaking me out ok, what in hell are you getting at here?”

  “What I’m getting at Roth, is that you don’t understand what Corrine was to me. I have waited my entire life, for her. I never knew love of her kind even during my short time as a human, and definitely not as a vampire. You don’t know what it is to have what little soul you still have to be brought to life by love, and then have it crushed when that love is gone.” His voice wavered with emotion.

  “Corrine gave me life, she made me feel and think and want to live each day. I know she thought I saved her, and she always told everyone that, but really, she saved me. I don’t want this eternity, this gift they say we vampires have. It’s no good without someone you truly love to share it with. Corrine was to share it with me all of it. It just doesn’t work without her. I can’t comprehend my life without her in it, and I don’t want to.” Will sighed as he bent his head down to kiss my forehead.

  “I can’t say I understand it Will, because I haven’t loved like you. I haven’t met any girl I would die for, or even cut my pinky finger for anyway. I can honestly tell you though; she loved you the same way and would not have wanted you to end your life over her.”

  “I can’t.” Will gasped; he squeezed me tighter, as if he feared Roth might take me from his arms.

  “You must honor her William, don’t give up, you must be strong now, for her for the coven. Do you know what killing yourself would do to your mom? It would destroy her, she loves you so much and Doc too. Think of the others who love you, you have to think Will, really you do!” Roth pleaded.

  “I can’t think, I can’t even breathe anymore, it’s too much, all of it!”

  “You are stronger than this, come on now!” I could hear Roth move closer to Will. I figured he was putting his arm around him or something.

  “
Give me the vial.” Will simply said. The low voice he used scared me, he meant business now.

  “No, I will not. You might want to die but not while I’m around William, not this day!”

  “Give me that damn vial now!” Will’s voice was louder.

  “No!” Roth yelled back. “I told you I won’t. I know what you’re going to do and I’m not letting you.” I knew what he wanted to do, and I was terrified now.

  I wanted to grab William and shake him, and tell him he couldn’t hurt himself. I forced myself to open my eyes; I wanted to see what was going on. I couldn’t stand not seeing what was going on, it was too much. I could see them after I blinked the rain out of my eyes. Roth was holding the vial out away from Will, trying to keep him from getting it.