Carnage

by Sandra R Neeley

  Carolena stood there, stunned into silence. She watched the interactions of this new Goyle with Enthrall. It seemed to her that this new Goyle was more human-like than her Carnage, but still; this one put her on edge. She stood, watching them and did not realize that she was staring until Destroy spoke to her.

  “Hello, female. I am Destroy,” he told her proudly as he puffed his chest out.

  Carolena snapped to attention, realizing that this Goyle spoke. She didn’t answer, but she inclined her head in greeting. “Allow me to apologize for Carnage. He is my people, but he is savage — far from civilized. I apologize if he frightened you with his behavior,” and he bowed deeply to her.

  Carolena raised an eyebrow as she watched him. Enthrall took over the conversation at that moment, “Carolena, this is Destroy. He is, as you can see, a Gargoyle, just as Carnage is.” He glanced sideways at Destroy, who was obviously trying to charm this human woman. “The only difference is that as dangerous as you may think Carnage is, Destroy is worse!”

  “I am much more safe than Carnage! I am a gentleman!” Destroy objected, a fury clearly present behind his eyes.

  Carolena didn’t address Destroy; it was obvious to her that he was a manipulative male, regardless of his species. Instead, she spoke to Enthrall. “Are there many of you here?” she asked, genuinely interested.

  Enthrall considered not answering her, but as her fate had already been sealed, it really wouldn’t hurt to answer her questions. “Yes, there are many of us here. We became tired of hiding in your human world. Afraid of the fear of discovery and the attacks that could come with it. I found this place centuries ago. It was already inhabited from time-to-time by Ancients, but they allowed me sanctuary. Gradually, I found more souls, lost, with no place to rest. I invited them here; we created a community and live here in peace.”

  “Is it just Vampires and Gargoyles?” Carolena asked quietly, “And how do you move about in the sunshine?”

  Enthrall turned his head just so and regarded her thoughtfully.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pry. I’m just surprised that no one has ever discovered you. And shouldn’t you be ashes from the sunlight?” She looked back and forth from Destroy to Enthrall, “And I’m curious. I never dreamed creatures such as yourselves existed. Well, I dreamed it, I just never thought it was real.”

  Enthrall regarded her for a moment longer before answering, “No, we are not just Vampires and Gargoyles; there are more peoples here than you ever dreamed existed. We all have one thing in common; we just want to be left alone. And do not believe every tale you hear, little human — I will not burst into flame should sunlight shine upon me, nor will Gargoyles turn to stone with the dawn. We are perfectly capable of moving about at any time of the day.”

  “Peoples?” Carolena asked.

  “Yes, we are all just people. Different shapes, sizes, colors, habits and sometimes powers, but we are all, in some form or fashion, people,” Enthrall answered. “Make no mistake about it, some of us are very, very dangerous.” He smiled at her, coldly. “And the one thing not allowed here is human people. I keep a glamour around our land, the swamps, our community. It keeps us shrouded, it makes humans nervous, makes them want to move away from the area as soon as possible. Prevents them from wandering into our territory.”

  “What happens when they do find you?” Carolena asked.

  “They never have,” Enthrall answered, “until you.”

  “And if they do, they can’t ever be allowed to leave; the safety of all of us depends on the secrecy of our existence,” Destroy added.

  Enthrall snapped his eyes to Destroy’s exasperatedly, causing Destroy to clamp his mouth shut.

  Carolena’s heartbeat sped up, her sharp intake of breath letting them know that she picked up on the unspoken threat that Destroy had voiced. She wasn’t exactly sure if they’d hurt her, or just never allow her freedom, but one thing was for sure, she should never have been brought here. Now she was stuck. She looked nervously from Enthrall to Destroy. Enthrall spoke to her first, “I promised you safety this day, Carolena. I will not harm you. But you are correct in deducing that you should not be here. Humans are not allowed in our settlement. Carnage has broken a cardinal rule. This cannot go unaddressed.”

  In the distance, a vicious roar sounded. Timbers could be heard splintering, and the very ground shook with each stomp coming in their direction. Carolena’s head turned toward the noise fast approaching the house she now stood in, faced with two very dangerous males.

  “Ah, it seems Carnage has discovered your whereabouts,” Enthrall said.

  Enthrall bowed slightly to her, “Please excuse me, I must tend to him before he causes complete unrest.” He turned and walked out of his living room, leaving her alone with Destroy.

  “Fear not, little human, I will protect you from Carnage,” he said as he stepped closer to her. Carolena quickly backed up, staying away from this new Gargoyle.

  Destroy smiled at her in a sinister way, “You are wise to fear us, human, but I will not hurt you — much. Only if you like it…” he grinned, showing all his teeth, fangs almost as large as Carnage’s.

  “No, thank you. I do not need protecting,” she answered, trying to appear calm.

  “Of course, you do,” he countered.

  Carolena decided that conversation with this Goyle was not something she wanted to pursue any further. At his next step toward her, she darted around him and through the front door just in time to see Carnage smashing his way out of the woods, full-blown roar on his lips, eyes immediately locking onto hers.

  He threw his head back and roared, “Miiiinnne!” never once slowing his steps as he approached.

  “Carolena, you should go back inside,” Enthrall told her.

  “No. I don’t fear Carnage, and besides, Destroy is in there,” she answered.

  “Destroy, get out of my home! NOW!” Enthrall snarled.

  Destroy, responding to Enthrall’s demand, walked quickly out onto the porch. “I could take her and run,” he said to Enthrall, as they watched Carnage coming steadily toward them.

  “You will not touch her. She stays here,” Enthrall snapped.

  <<<<<<<>>>>>>>

  Carnage marched steadily toward Enthrall’s home. His fury rising with each step. His fear, yes fear, rising in his chest as each moment passed. He was afraid that Enthrall had harmed his female, simply because she was human. He hurried as best he could, but when one was as large as Carnage, it was not easy to hurry. Especially not in thick, overgrown woods. His own shelter was intentionally in the most thick, imposing areas of wild growth in this swamp. He’d have to thin it a bit, clear a path for his female to follow when she wanted to move about. And that thought brought him back to the realization that Enthrall had his female. He started running, as quickly as he could, crashing through the trees, splintering them as he went, a constant growing roar reflecting the fear in his heart.

  As he crashed through the last of the trees and into the clearing that Enthrall’s home was built in, his fear momentarily ebbed. He saw Enthrall standing on his porch, waiting for him. And just then, his female, his Carolena, stepped from Enthrall’s front door to stand beside Enthrall. His fury again shot through the clouds when Destroy stepped onto the porch, and he took up a position directly behind Carolena, possessively — as though she were his. Carnage roared anew and increased his steps toward where they waited.

  When he was but a few feet from the porch, Enthrall went down the steps to meet him. “Carnage! Stop where you are!”

  Carnage only roared again, shaking his head in denial, and continued on, Carolena his singular focus.

  “Carnage! You need to stop!” Enthrall tried again, moving to stand directly in the path that Carnage seemed to be following.

  Carnage moved his focus from Carolena to Enthrall, snarling, “Mine!” as he tried to go round the Vampire who now stood planted firmly in his path.

  “She is not yours! She is a human. And you se
aled her fate when you brought her here! Stand down! Now! This is all your fault. You knew better!” Enthrall yelled at him.

  Carnage came to a sudden halt, eyes locked on Enthrall’s eyes. He’d never wished to have words as much as now. He stood his ground, struggling for the words he needed, “No. Huuurrrrrtttt.” He managed to garble out, while shoving his pointed finger in Carolena’s direction.

  “I have to protect our people, Carnage. She can’t just be allowed to walk away,” Enthrall said sadly. Then, “You created this situation. Not me.”

  Destroy chose that moment to put his arm around Carolena’s shoulders and speak quietly to her. Carnage snapped. He shoved Enthrall aside and stormed the porch where Carolena stood. He grabbed Carolena with one hand and wrapped the other around Destroy’s throat. Roaring, “Minnne!” while lifting Destroy off his feet at the same time he shoved Carolena behind himself. Destroy started fighting to get free, roaring back at Carnage. The struggle toppled several of the rockers and the glass coffee table that Enthrall kept on his porch for relaxing. Enthrall rushed the porch, taking Carolena’s hand and pushing her toward the steps and away from the battling Gargoyles. She took his hint and hurried out of the way, standing far enough from the porch to watch safely.

  Enthrall then stepped between the snarling Goyles, calling on his own strength to force them both to stop, his throat emitting a high-pitched sound that only supernaturals could hear. Both Goyles hunched in on themselves; Carnage dropped Destroy. Both immediately covered their ears in an effort to stop the sudden piercing pain. Only when it was obvious both were hurting did Enthrall stop.

  When Destroy recovered first, which was expected because he was the more humanesque of the two, and made to go around Carnage to where Carolena stood in the yard, Enthralled snarled, “You go near her, and I’ll let him have you. I will not stop him.”

  Destroy froze, looking accusingly at Enthrall.

  “Carnage was wrong to bring her here. That doesn’t mean you get to keep her. She’s not a pet.”

  “Then what are you going to do with her? You gonna kill her? Do it now! He shouldn’t get to keep her at all!” Destroy shouted.

  Carolena stepped back, realizing that being kept here against her will was not the worst thing that could happen. They meant to end her. To be sure that she could never tell of their existence. She let out a soft sob, as she again stepped back, looking around herself for an option, any other option to dying here. She was surprised to find that several of their “people” had gathered on the periphery to watch the show. She took in her surroundings, taking notice of each individual gathered there; then, suddenly, she was swept up in a strong pair of arms that she thankfully recognized.

  Her Goyle, her Carnage, had rushed to her side and was holding her safely against his chest. He glared threateningly at the others gathered there, saying softly, but firmly, “Mine.” Then he turned to Enthrall who had come back down his front porch steps and stood about ten feet from them, watching them curiously.

  “Carnage, you need to put her down. Don’t make this difficult. She can’t stay with you,” Enthrall said.

  Carnage didn’t answer, but snarled, low and deadly.

  Carolena was scared. Very scared. She was afraid of what their plans for her were. She was afraid of the other Goyle, Destroy. And she didn’t trust Enthrall. In spite of his civility and manners, it was his community and his rules that were a threat to her. But if he was at all truthful in his description of Carnage, Carnage wasn’t safe either, despite the calm she felt when in his arms. She was frustrated and angry that she was in this situation. Carnage should have known the consequences of bringing her here. She squirmed in his arms, turning to him, she asked, “Did you know they’d hurt me if they found me here? Did you know this?”

  He spared her a glance, but didn’t answer, going back to his staring contest with Enthrall. Carolena took Carnage’s face in her hands, forcing him to meet her eyes, “I said, did you know that they’d hurt me?” she asked calmly.

  Carnage seemed to melt into her hands, his cheek rubbing softly against one of her hands where they cupped his jaw. She watched patiently, waiting while he struggled for words, “No. Huuurrtt,” he said. “Saaaafffe.” He smiled at her gently.

  “Really? Because it seems like your people don’t want me here. How can that be safe?” she asked. “And even if I manage to get away from here, how do I know they’ll not come after me?”

  His brows came down heavily over his eyes, his scowl clear, “Nooooo, go. Ssssssttaay,” And he held her more tightly.

  “She can’t stay, Carnage. We have rules for a reason. No humans!” Destroy chimed in.

  Carnage looked at Enthrall and Destroy, shrugged, and started walking. He was heading past Enthrall’s house and away from his shelter in a direction that would eventually take him out of the swamps with his female safely in his arms.

  Chapter 5

  “Where are you going?” Enthrall asked.

  Carnage didn’t answer, just kept walking.

  “You can’t take her out of here! The whole point is that she now knows we are here! Your leaving with her is just as bad as letting her go. Either way, she’s out there, knowing we are here!”

  Carnage turned back toward Enthrall, “No. Hhhhhuuurrrrrttt!” he said again. Then he became positively terrifying, “Killllll! Tuuuussssshhhh mine!” Carnage snarled in his deadliest growl. His message was clear. You touch my female, you will die.

  Carolena, still held tightly in Carnage’s grasp, smoothed a hand over his chest at his threat to his own people over her safety. He took his snarl down a notch, afraid that he was frightening her.

  But Carolena wasn’t afraid of him any longer. Any doubts that she’d had, or that Enthrall had created in her mind, were now gone. She knew Carnage wouldn’t hurt her. And he wouldn’t allow anyone else to hurt her either. She wasn’t sure how she felt about belonging to someone, something that wasn’t even human, but she did know he wouldn’t hurt her.

  Enthrall had watched Carnage. He was indeed a volatile male, one that no one fully trusted because he was prone to emotional reactions. But, when this little human female touched him, he calmed. Even in the middle of a fully snarled death threat, he calmed at her touch. Hell, he’d conceded to their demands of her not belonging here and was prepared to walk out of here with her in his arms.

  “Carnage, I’m going to tell you what I just told Destroy; she’s not a stray pet. You can’t just keep her. And now, since you brought her here, you can’t just let her go either. She knows that we’re here,” Enthrall said.

  “I won’t tell anyone! I promise,” Carolena said desperately.

  Enthrall smiled at her sadly, “I’m sorry, Carolena. It’s just not good enough. We can’t take that chance.”

  He’d come to admire Carolena. She was thrown into a situation not of her making, but she’d not fallen apart, wasn’t screaming and crying at finding out that creatures of nightmares actually existed. She was intelligent, and she was sarcastic, which he had a partiality to. He didn’t want to kill her. Wasn’t going to kill her. He just didn’t know what to do with her now.

  Enthrall ran his hands through his blonde hair. “Fuck,” he muttered under his breath.

  “Carnage, put her down. I give you my word I won’t hurt her,” he said.

  “What?! You can’t allow him to have her! It’s not fair!” Destroy shouted.

  Enthrall turned on Destroy, ghosted to right in front of him, nose pressed to Destroy’s nose, “Shut up! Do not open your mouth again. Am I clear?” Enthrall’s already pale skin had gone translucent, almost like marble, the nails on his fingers had elongated and become blade-like, and when satisfied that he’d made his point, turning back around to face Carnage and Carolena, his eyes were blood red and glowing, fangs on full display, so enlarged that he had trouble speaking around them.

  “Again, I give you my word, she is under my protection. She will not come to harm. But you can’t take her with you. I must
consider all options, offer her a choice of some sorts. She has a right to choose how she’ll stay with us. Though staying with us is not optional. It’s a must.”

  Carnage didn’t like that, “Mine!” he shouted.

  Enthrall watched Carnage standing there, holding Carolena tightly to him as she scratched at her arms, and used the toes of one foot to scratch at the top of the other foot. He smiled slyly to himself.

  “Carnage, you can’t take her with you, even if she wanted to go. Look at her. Really look at her.”

  Carnage looked down at his female, and back up at Enthrall, puzzled.

  “Look at her skin. The insects have bitten her. She’s tired, she’s dirty, and I’d bet she’s hungry. Your shanty is fine for you. But not for a human, especially a female human. Let her stay here with me. I have the proper shelter for her. I’ll watch over her. You cannot expect her to live in the conditions in which you live.”

  Carnage looked at Carolena, seeing for the first time the red marks on her soft skin, the marks where she’d been unconsciously clawing at the irritation on her own skin. He looked into her eyes and saw the fatigue there and listened to her stomach growl. Which wouldn’t be happening if the Vampire bastard hadn’t stolen his woman. He’d have already cooked her rabbit for her, and she’d have a full belly.

  “Rrrraaaabbii,” he said.

  “What?” Enthrall asked.

  “Rrrraaaabbii!” He tried again. Then he hopped a step or two trying to show them what he meant.

  Carolena got it, “Rabbit. He’s saying rabbit,” she told them.

  Carnage grinned huge, nodding his head, thrilled that his female understood him. Then he secured her in one arm while miming eating with the other hand.

  “You caught her a rabbit? You were going to feed her rabbit?” Enthrall asked.