The Carnage Trilogy (Book 3): Aftermath [Who Will Be Left?]

by Birch, Matthew

  AFTERMATH

  BOOK 3 OF THE CARNAGE TRILOGY

  MATTHEW BIRCH

  While this story takes place within the real world, the place in which its set is a complete work of fiction, built up from the imagination and creativity of my own mind.

  Before the final chapter in this trilogy begins, I just want to give a big thank you to the family and friends who were there for me, and inspired me to write this trilogy. This is the first series of books I’ve wrote and finished successfully. I’m not perfect, but I can only hope years of practice, studying, and constant feedback from numerous people created a story worth reading.

  Dedication

  To my friends, family, and you, the reader for getting this far in the Carnage Trilogy, you have made me happier than you’ll ever know!

  © 2018 Matthew Birch ALL RIGHTS RESERVEd

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1 - The Carnage Has Come

  Chapter 2 - Humanities Final Battle

  Chapter 3 - Branded

  Chapter 4 - The Mist

  Chapter 5 - The Big Spilt

  Chapter 6 - North

  Chapter 7 - South

  Chapter 8 - Instinct

  Chapter 9 - Sleep is for the weak

  Chapter 10 - Not you again

  Chapter 11 - Time Cut Short

  Chapter 12 - Desperate times

  Chapter 13 - It must be done...

  Chapter 14 - Finding my Escape

  Chapter 15 - Play Time

  Chapter 16 - Little Note on the wall

  Chapter 17 - The Hour Glass

  Chapter 18 - Where do you think you're going?

  Chapter 19 - At Last

  Chapter 20 - You Don't Need That

  Chapter 21 - Thank you

  Chapter 22 - Human

  Chapter 23 - Monster

  Chapter 24 - The Passing

  The Survivors

  Epilogue

  Chapter 1 - The Carnage Has Come

  Robert

  I wouldn't ordinarily exert too much pride in my own methods, though I must honestly say, I am for once happy that planning ahead was possibly the craftiest thing I have done in a long time. Of course, things had to go ridiculously sour. Even now, with the smoke rising, and the flames sizzling, the Carnage turns to face us all. We have our differences, however, now we all fight as one. I know for a fact that the Carnage is not nearly as strong as he is making out. Yes, I will admit, he is a towering, mighty giant...

  But he is also as old as he is fragile...

  With my plans having been secretly put in place and laid out, with the little timing I had, through my exhausted, weary eyes, I recount everything that has been put in position to the last insignificant detail. We will defeat him and bring him down to his knees, reducing him to a pile of nothing.

  With every breath, his chest shudders, like a weak-willed earthquake, his internal organs struggle to keep up. Shivering almost, the Carnage refrains from his pain, scratching nervously at his spine as he claws deep into his own flesh to remove the scorching burns that coat his form.

  Eyes narrowed, I focus harder than I have ever done in my life. I see for myself how brittle this creature really is. This beast is not the devil he was made out to be in my mind. Everything he said, made perfect sense, not a single lie was told. We had our chance, do not get me wrong, but as a soldier, when things take a turn, you do not have time to wonder what if scenarios. Dainty, faded, the Carnage maybe is, even more, worse off than I had originally thought...

  He is the most vulnerable he has ever been in his entirety of a short, unfulfilling existence. He learnt many lessons; yet, he won't live long enough to practice them, thus, providing us with this magnificent opportunity that we had all needed from the beginning. Using and making the most of all the deserted military, high-grade equipment just laying around for the taking, proved to be our magnanimous advantage. I prepared the last of my soldiers in the only way I could, for a final bout with the Carnage...

  Twisting my hips, I crane my neck, turning to face Chris who prods at and removes the bullets out of his hardened armour. He designed it himself, piecing the different plating’s together until he had a mesh of jigsaw pieces that created his knight-like armour. Dark, foreboding, his form says it all, though his face, whilst mostly unfazed, shows the shock of having almost been killed earlier. Callum had shot at him three times without hesitation, and when the time comes I'll deal with him too. Chris, glancing at me, gives me his undivided attention. With a single nod, I tell him everything I need to. Not even a fraction of a second later, his arm, like a blur, shoots into the sky. He was always ready. His flare is fired, and this time, instead of the deathly, dreaded red smoke, we are rewarded with green smoke to accompany its message instead.

  Reversing my attention, I promptly spare a particular glimpse at Graham who is having a mental collapse in the dust. His stomach suffers without end, his guts are detached. Vicky and Matty, having come to his aid, begin comforting him, more than helping. He cannot be saved now, not from the wound as grave as his.

  Taking another glance incessantly, I lay my fatigued eyes onto Ed who, injured, is helped up by Maya. The two of them caught in their own bubbles just as much as the deranged Callum is. Endlessly staring, like he has an undoubtedly powerful affection, his eyes are for the Carnage and nothing else.

  The whole area, no, the entire port shakes beneath my boots. I lose my footing, following in the same footsteps as everyone else who is taken aback by the mini quavering the earth lets out. Breaking out into a slow jog, his clicking, weakened joints push themselves to pass the finish line. The shipyard rocks, the ocean wobbles, concrete and debris is brought up with the apathetic stomping of every footstep the Carnage takes. I feel like my end is running right at me. While my plans are put into action, I have no choice but to watch. I know, it's strange, I should run, of course. Although, I see he is off balance, stumbling even, unable to quite grasp the strength he once had.

  YES, THIS IS THE OPPORTUNITY WE NEEDED.

  I had timed my soldiers with the little planning we had, the distance and poor speed of the Carnage gives us more time than we required. Now, we wait for the right moment. Dashing, I hastily rip the flare again away from Chris. I overlook his glare from the sudden interruption. He had just reloaded, but the timing is too essential for hurt feelings. Held high, the flare gun, the weapon we rely so heavily upon is our hope. Closer, closer, closer-

  I squeeze the trigger, and on command, with the signal of the flare, two overly long spun red lines, with a single marking point rest exactly on the Carnage's orbs. His vein ridden, bulging eyes blink from the sudden light, and with the distant BOOMS that echo throughout this wasteland, I see the two distinct gory explosions ripple from the Carnage's eyes-

  Roaring, tripping and distressed, his joints give out; descending with a final snap, the Carnage hits the ground running! Dust and more is thrown everywhere, his manic body flailing around in his own madness as his hand's race to his skull, protecting the two gaping smoking holes where the sniper rounds had so perfectly hit him.

  I must remember to thank my two snipers after this, their little hiding spots and timing was beyond expectation.

  His body adapts, hundreds upon hundreds of little sockets open up all over his body, little, tiny eyes poking through each and every one of the pores that open. It doesn't take long before he is standing tall once more. Back on his feet, the Carnage, livid, albeit slower this time, makes his march once more.

  Lamenting, I can't help but shake my head dismissively at that fool. His body's armour is down, having been replaced
with the sight he needs to overcome our tactics. Did he think we would surely just keep firing, trying our best to penetrate the skull? No, it doesn't work, if killing the brain worked then the two shots through the eye would have been more than sufficient. It'd be too simple. His body is constantly adapting, one big living humanoid form of biomass. He needs to be completely vaporised to decisively execute him.

  So, with the third and final flare that I let loose into the gloomy, dark sky, I allow the final signal to chime free.

  Several readily moving, ear deafening rockets shine through the air, splitting it in two until it nosedives into the Carnage who shrieks and screeches as he is split to tatters. No armour to defend himself, just hundreds of little eyes to see his own death. Ironic, isn't it? Being brought to his knees in the cloud of smoke and gore, we see with every hit, with every repeat of fire, that the volley of rockets blasts parts of him into oblivion. Vaporising him, his insides splattering wherever...

  Faintly, I smile, trying so arduously to stop the smug smirk on my expression. By the end of this strategic ordeal, when the madness clears, and the visibility returns; we see the Carnage has been left horribly pained, groaning agonisingly from the horrid assault. But we will not stop there...

  Ed had plans to fulfil as well, I can only hope he has everyone ready.

  “EVERYONE OPEN FIRE!” Top of my lungs, my vocal cords vibrate furiously as the given command has every last survivor who had received the greatest morale boost in a long time from seeing how flimsy the Carnage really is, takes every last weapon we have and just...

  Let's loose, I suppose?

  Shrouded in a dense, grey, crimson smoke, we hear the cries of the beast quieten, and his voice subsides. Eventually, the ringing gunfire stops. Everyone hunkers down for a moment so their ears can recover, and their ammo can be reloaded after the intense suppression.

  When the smoke clears, and it does, we see what is truly left of our enemy. Twisted, contorted, mangled, broken, bloody dripping mess on the stained ground. Shredded torso, half a skull, one measly limp is all that he has left. His left arm; omitted hanging in the air, his bones shattered as much as his spirit. With one last attempt at adaption, we see the Carnage has no face now, other than one overly large grotesque eye that aimlessly watches us all.

  Shouting again, I command all my soldiers this time, who finally regroup with me. Forming a line, I command them into place. Chris hands me another spare flare gun, and with all our aims flashing true...

  We ignite our final stage...

  The flares are unleashed, each one directly hitting the Carnage at different points. He does not make a sound as he erupts into flames, the grey and black smoke are mixed with the multicoloured flares that deliver hell onto his remaining body. Maybe the Carnage isn't so powerful after all. The Carnage has come, and now, we have won...

  The wait is longer, and we do stay, hopefully, to see the Carnage gone lacklustre. The smoke takes longer, being more drawn out, and the wait does make me feel a slight anxiousness I haven't felt till now. The flames do not rinse themselves from the Carnage who crawls forward pointlessly. All our attention is placed on him. We are ready for more, but he doesn't seem quite as capable now. Legendary was his power and intelligence, now, this leader of a potentially new species has been destroyed in a matter of minutes. He was old and near death, regardless, I count this as a victorious human achievement.

  Casually withering away, the Carnage gives up. Motionless, his Cyclops eye watches, concentrated on me alone...?

  Disappearing, he sinks into the ground? A scanty muddy pile of red and black patchy gloop on the floor has me... well, confused? The fire still burns on top of the grime, acting like oil that is being burnt away wastefully. Watching this, my mind works to figure out this puzzle right in front of me.

  What is he planning?

  Moving rapidly, the red puddle separates into several smaller puddles. Interesting, is he planning to divide and conquer? Perhaps, that is his plan, to come from several smaller forms at once. He is a hivemind, so he is capable of this-

  Oh for fuck sake, I see why he intentionally left all the bodies just laying around in the environment. Taking account of his past battles, he hungrily spreads, each blob moving towards a different pile of bodies...

  He absorbs, coats, consumes...

  How do we fight a puddle?

  Everyone chatters, confused, curious, scared. I, their leader, have no plans until it is already too late. My only thought and warning are to retreat to higher ground, but alas those words never come, because within seconds, the red gloop floods back into one space and heads right for us...

  Several wide, long tentacles shoot out from the gloop, flailing wildly all over the place-

  Blinking, I miss the harsh stinging that is the crack of one tentacle-

  Being roughly flung aside, I fall into one of the various soldier's accommodations. My weight rips the surface of the tent as I fall straight through. Tumbling through boxes, beds and soldiers lockers alike...

  The aching in my head has me distracted. Lazily, I wobble, unable to gain a bearing. I need to get up-

  Several smaller, more defined tentacles scramble through the roof of the tent-

  What am I even looking at here?!

  Retrieving my pistol without a second thought, I shoot each one until they separate themselves from the red gloop, flinging right at me-

  I shoot them as they approach, scrambling backwards, my aim worsening with the panic that terrifies me-

  I am all alone in this huge tent-

  Then, one of the bastards latches itself onto my skull, on the side of my face, quickly spreading; the red gloop spares no mercy-

  I can't breathe, shouting, calling for help-

  No ammo-

  No way to fight back-

  Desperately, I claw at the red gloop that has coated my entire skull...

  At least until it stops spreading and fastens itself in place. Sinking into my skin, leaving only a hot, burning mark as it settles? Breathing heavily, I tiredly recollect my senses. I feel fine now? The rest of the red gloop chooses to ignore me, retreating back the way it came...

  Crawling, I ignore the burning as much as possible; the whole of my face feels hot. Like someone has poured a hot kettle of water on me. It feels strange. I can't explain, not even if I tried. Eyes loopy, I look through the same hole I fell through. Bit by bit, Graham, having been abandoned, is swallowed whole. Being taken by the merciless red gloop, he is squished underneath its ungodly weight no doubt, consuming until it leaves him but a skeleton that is not disregarded as it is gobbled up as well.

  The hundreds of red tentacles that spread around, withdraw somewhat except they don't disappear. They all come together and from the ground, the Carnage comes back out once more. Only his upper half is visible this time, the slimy, slithering gloop at the bottom supporting him and transporting around. Roaring, his arms swing wildly, he spares no quarter, fighting off my soldiers who try to barter-

  Hopeless is our situation, being smashed, crushed, grabbed, torn, chewed, infected and finally... consumed for more biomass...

  The Carnage has come...

  Chapter 2 - Humanities Final Battle

  Robert

  Backing away, I remove my scarred eyes from the view of the people who are dying for me. I can't bear to witness it. Retreating into the depths of the lonely tent, I run. Watching the events unfold in front of me, without action, isn't my priority. I am no longer a soldier or a leader, I am a survivor, and I plan to live. Sprinting through the tent, until I come out the other side, the fresh air hits me, my ears catching the traces of the nearby battles.

  If the Carnage attacks and my planning’s fail, then everyone is to retreat to the command centre. That is what I agreed on with Ed. That is the regrouping point. Staying low, I work my best to stealthily manoeuvre round to the huge command centre, a massive warehouse that has been redesigned to be a superior military base. Once I get there, I oversee the Carnage
's minions continuing to spread, chasing after all the other survivors who scramble into the building. These minions like little demons, move with tiny feeble arms and bulky vulgar legs. With fat bodies and dainty heads, they make little shrieks in their haste for a feast. Moving quickly, I go in after everyone, walking over the broken down door and into the hallways of a once mighty military base. Dark, calamitous corridors are all I find, echoing gunshots and distant yelling is all I hear. My sprinting becomes a jog, which becomes a fast-paced walk. I see the dead minions and parts of red gloop that continue to gradually move onwards. Though, some of the little demons still live. Injured, these minions are pathetic. Smashing my heel into the minions, whilst neglecting the puddles, I continue, following the clues of the directions the other survivors took until-

  The main hall, the place that is ripe for military operations, filled with all the various equipment, desks, and different areas for military planning and more is now a war zone. My eyes search, trying to find the best path through, I have no plan now, other than to regroup. Though, that motive won't be so simple and kind.