The Carnage Trilogy (Book 1): The Carnage [Unbending, Unyielding, Unforgiving]

by Birch, Matthew

  "How are you doing mate?" I ask without looking at him. "I don't know," he says back with an unusual air of honesty.

  Silence.

  "Hey, Ed, you left a glass o' water over there?" he questions me. Leaning on the back of the sofa with a slight smile, I reply with a beaming look of purity. "Yeah, made it for you mate"

  "Is that the best you can do to say sorry to me?" he shrugs his shoulders, and with the scratch of his still half naked ass, he goes to observe the mysterious act of kindness that is the mystical glass of water atop the kitchen counter. He leans over, inspecting it closely.

  I scoff at his suspicions of me. I would never do anything. "Just fucking drink it Marcus" To which he begins to down about half of it.

  "Good. Feeling better?" I raise an eyebrow. Marcus furrows his. "It has a slight taste of vodka you prick" he growls at me. "You know I can smell it as well, have you got no brains in that dense skull of yours?" Slight anger beginning to bubble under his dark skin now as well I see. I don't listen to him as I am too focused on the T.V.

  One groan of irritation later and Marcus feebly lets his problems go out the window. He isn't the type to make a fuss over something like this. "Halloween episode?" he asks me instead, changing the subject and truly letting go of the vodka issue.

  "Yep," I say loudly so he can hear me. It is his favourite episode as well. Soon enough, he grabs his marginally spiked water and flops down beside me. "So, about last night..." Marcus says after a few minutes of bliss. "What is it?" I reply. My attention still on the T.V. "Look... I didn't mean to abandon you to be with that girl" Marcus apologises for the horrible act of betrayal from last night. I am absolutely devastated and may never ever forgive him EVER.

  "Doesn't matter Bro, because you left me at the bar, I got to make a bet with those drunks and now I have made a profit" and with this, there is no stopping the smirk that sits on my face. Marcus smiles at me. I see it from the corner of my eye.

  "Good to hear. Thought you were being a dick because of what I did" he explains why he apologised to me although he should know better than anyone that this is how I handle a hangover. By being a total prick. Looking at him now, I plainly say, "Mark, I am a dick regardless. By the way, did you even remember who that girl is?"

  Marcus freezes.

  "Wow, you did what you did and didn't even get her name! I have my answer"

  Silence falls over us again as the episode drags on. Soon enough, the show cuts for adverts and the break begins.

  "Going for a shit" Marcus states. "Have fun"

  Marcus rolls his eyes. To be honest, I get people rolling their eyes at me a ton. Anyway, how are the-

  BANG

  Jumping out of my skin, I almost, knock over Marcus's half empty glass. "What the fuck!" I shout to myself. Marcus runs back into the room. "WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO? I DID NOT EVEN CLOSE THE DOOR AND YOU ALREADY- Wait, that wasn't you?" Marcus goes from enraged to peaceful in the blink of an eye. Absolutely crazy.

  "No, that wasn't me! Where would I get a gun?" I throw back at him. "Okay calm down!" he retorts. "You're telling me to calm-" Marcus holds his hand up as a smile creeps onto his face, and thus cutting me off from telling him he is in no place to be telling me to calm down. He's shouting his head off. But now, his voice is calm, "This area is popular as a hunting ground. Someone must have got lucky with a fox or deer or something" he explains.

  "Oh," I keep my calm and nod. The only thing to reassure me is Marcus telling me this is common around here. It is reassuring I guess. So people were likely to have their rifles with them which will explain the gunshot. Marcus goes back to the toilet and closes the door. Nothing more to say I expect? "Okay then..." I whisper to no one. I had presumed him to say more. I suppose the man’s gotta do what the man’s gotta do.

  Five minutes later

  BANG

  I kind of jump but I have been on edge for the last five minutes. You aren’t gonna get me this time! I AM ONE STEP AHEAD OF YOU PEOPLE WHO ARE HUNTING.

  "That was dangerously close," Marcus says as he leaves the bathroom.

  "So?"

  "The hunting area is in a specific location so no one gets hurt and no one ends up seeing dead animals lying about" Marcus's words of wisdom shine true. "Well, I guess it was pretty close" is all I can say, because he is right...

  "Why are we so closed in? Its way too stuffy in here" Marcus points out, a hint of annoyance in his tone as he heads into the kitchen. “I closed the windows and curtains" I let him know even though it should be obvious.

  "Open those, Bro, get some fresh air and sunlight in here"

  "I want to be a vampire though" I pout. Okay, why do I even bother arguing with him? Marcus just has this look when he has had enough of your childish behaviour as he would put it. I know that look first hand. I have the privilege of getting it often. In fact, he has that look right now!

  BANG

  "Okay, what the hell" Marcus has clearly had enough and goes to open the window by the door. "Why the hell are they shooting so close-" he goes dead silent.

  "Bro you're missing the episode" Marcus ignores me and changes the subject to something much more, interesting.

  "Hey, there's a cop-" He stops. "Police car, or whatever it is you British call it out there man?" Grabbing my attention in seconds, I leap up and look out the same window. "Budge up" I push him slightly to get a better view. "Hey, isn't that the drunks house?" I question no one in particular. Marcus hums to himself in acknowledgement. There is one police car pulled up outside the cabin that belongs to the four drunken guys.

  "He's just sitting there in the car. Where's his partner?" I ask Marcus stupidly. I say stupid because I realise a second later that the first Officer is speaking with the family of three in the cabin beside the drunk’s cabin. The father of the family seems to be going off like a firework about something and the first Officer is furiously writing down notes on his notepad. The second Officer rests in the car, a newspaper in his hands. Can't bloody see him, the newspapers so big it's obstructing his face! Unless it's the angle from where I'm looking; oh, who cares?

  "The family definitely called the cops" Marcus states the obvious.

  "No shit Marcus. Also, police" I correct him.

  "Does it really matter?" He deadpans me, clearly fed up. I grin, "Yes,"

  Marcus ignores me. Probably the right thing to do, not gonna lie to you. "So that car must have had a total of four officers in it," Marcus directs my eyes to the other two Officers who wander around the drunks home until one Officer eventually starts treading into the forest in search of the culprits who have become a public disturbance while the other officer stays behind. Nodding is the only acknowledgement I can give Marcus as my focus is on the man sleeping in the lake. Well, I say sleeping, but he seems disturbed. His hand ripping through the mud and sand that envelopes his body. Something is off about him. Bit by bit, the drunk gets himself up and onto his two shaky feet, water dripping from his pale body.

  And-

  And...

  "What is wrong with him?!" Marcus whispers in shock. Both of us stare at what might have been a man. Shaking violently, the drunk's neck twists around erratically, his eyes moving like a maniac. His nose pointing forwards towards the Officers. He sniffs wildly. His ears perking up and down almost like he's an animal! With a pained groan, he begins limping very fast towards the police car. I notice all the bites along his ribs. Dry blood gushes out from these same wounds with a mix of dirty brown lake water. We see his eyes are discoloured and the strange thing that pulses out of his wounds is this red gooey stuff. Don't want to know what it is, just, kill it. It looks as if it was pulsing bigger and bigger, as it fills up his disgusting wounds until there's no wound left to see. I also forgot to mention that he is decaying and pale like he's already been a dead man a long time. This madman charges like a fool, and in a lazy rugby tackle like fashion, he barrels into the police car at full speed! It has little effect... So little in fact that the police officer does not see
or hear the man as he is too busy reading his newspaper.

  "Marcus..." I whisper. I get nothing back in return. "Marcus?" I say again, but I am already too late. Marcus, quick to react, runs for the door. I follow in pursuit. Opening the door in a hurry, we charge outside. Marcus shouts at the top of his lungs, "Hey! You might want to look out!" But the Officer does not hear us. We shout and shout, getting the attention of a few others who are slow to understand what's happening. "Radio must be on..." Marcus seethes through his teeth. "Well done, you figured it out" I mock. Marcus glares at me.

  "Wait, Ed, look!"

  Luckily, the Officer in the car finally snaps out of his little paradise when the only sound to crack him from his shell is the single ringing gunshot that echoes across the open valley and lake. It's loud and clear, emanating from the forest in the distance. He puts the newspaper down and takes one look at the madman before quietly jumping in his car. I bet he screamed, but we can't hear a thing from him. He did look like he kinda had a little freak-out, like when you get jump scared in a horror movie. After recollecting himself, the Officer places a hand on his chest, right over his heart, before finally; he scrambles to the other side of the car. One deep breath later and he is out in the open. He closes the door after him and holds a warning hand out. Open palmed, he talks soothingly. I can barely hear him from here. He tries to calm the man who wanders around the side of the car. The red pulsating sacks suddenly overhanging from the guy's wounds...

  "Hey, Ed. Check it out" Marcus points to an opening into the woods where the four drunk people come swarming out after the fourth officer who is in a complete state of terror. All of the drunks look the same as the man who was sleeping in the lake. That poor Officer who decided to check the surrounding forest is screwed.

  The Father of the family points with a shaky hand at the drunks who catch up. "HELP!" the fourth Officer's word echoes through the area. The Police Officer's cry for help does not go unnoticed. The Mother and daughter of the family look out to see what all the commotion is about, choosing instead to stay inside and watch from the window.

  The first Officer with the notepad drops his tool and just watches, unable to react for some reason. Wait, I think I see the guy I made a bet with. He is fastest and also the one who is able to catch the officer. He didn't seem that athletic yesterday. Now, he's shoving the fourth Officer to the floor-

  He screams and screams as he is torn limb from limb...

  The Officer with the notepad immediately attempts to rush the family back into the shelter of their cabin. Muddy Lake man suddenly roars, causing me to scrunch up my face in a flinch. Distracted, the Officer has no time to react because he's still eyes wide from his friend being decimated close to the forest borders. The lake man literally barrels over the car, pouncing on the Officer and begins sinking its teeth deep into his bare neck. That's one Officer being torn to shreds by the forest edge, and another Officer gagging on his blood as black, rotten teeth munch away at his face. I and Marcus look at all the other cabins and watch as people either stay inside for safety or run for their lives in masses. Several cabins are emptied as people begin bolting up the hill towards anyone who can help.

  "Marcus, we should get back inside," I say, subconsciously cowering behind him. I feel like I am going to throw up. I am going to throw up. I run inside, heading straight for the sink. I can feel last night’s meal coming up...

  A burning taste lingers in my throat after I emptied my stomach all over the sink. Coughing up all I can whilst spitting the rest. I close my eyes. Listening closely, I hear the gunshots start up again. I think the sheriff was there as well with his revolver. He was the Officer taking notes. The gunshots ring in my ears until it's just a faint buzzing. My head spins, is this a migraine?

  I can hear it, the screams and the splattering of guts and blood. I can hear the family of three screaming now. That can only mean...

  No, I don't want to think about it. They had a little girl...

  The gunshots cease seconds later. Marcus runs inside and slams the door hastily.

  "THEY GOT ALL THE OFFICERS!" he screams, panics written all over his face when I look up and open my eyes. I mouth the words, 'family' he nods back at me, confirming what I already knew. I throw up a little more. My head feels so dizzy. Luckily for me, Marcus is there for me when I fall back.

  "Come on; let's get you cleaned up yeah?" Marcus tends to me. Making me a glass of water and passing me a towel to clean myself up. "We are lucky to be on the farthest side of the lake. Away from all this insanity! Get changed and leave your stuff. We are going to the ranger station now!" Marcus is already one step ahead of me with a plan. He grabs his father’s machete, and the plan commences.

  * * *

  When we leave the house, we take the back door, manoeuvring past the cabin, shuffling through bushes, past some bins and a small smoking area which lies away from everything else. Staying on the forest edge, we move in the opposite direction of the small skirmish. Eventually getting us near enough to the road where two police cars are parked in a sideways formation. Skid marks evident on the road. The doors left hanging wide open and the colours atop it flashing without end.

  Blue, red, blue, red, blue, red...

  There is no siren though. More gunshots ring through the air, directing our attention back towards the lake. Several Officers take cover in several places, bobbing in and out from their hiding spots to take quick (but not precise) shots at the growing number of mad people. But it's not just the drunks or the lake man. There are more of them, pouring in through the trees to get a taste of what's going on. Each and every last one of them is being attracted by the noise. Marcus grabs me by my shoulder and tugs me back. My eyes go round as the Officers are quickly overrun. The Sheriff, though injured, calls for a retreat for the few who are left, all of them scrambling backwards in a hopeless effort to escape.

  "Ed!" Marcus whispers roughly, tugging me harder and shaking me from my daze. "They-" I whisper back. "I know. We can't stay on the main road. It's chaos. Follow me, we're taking... Uh, a shortcut" He says, but the look of shaken confidence on his face isn't so convincing...

  Chapter 2 - Do You Have What It Takes?

  Ed

  Coughing violently, I hold a hand on my chest. My lungs burning from what could be the fastest I have ever run in my life. If only I was this good back home on the annual sports day’s events my secondary school would host. Wiping the sweat off my face and laying the back of my head on the tree I sit against, I wonder why Marcus would ever think going through the country path would be a decent idea. The plan was to stay off the main road to avoid the panicked masses who are all heading in the same direction - the ranger station. The idea was simple. If we take the country path, not only will we be more hidden, but we'd also be away from all the mad people who want to see us dying without a care in the world. Yeah, didn't end well...

  The route we took seemed smart until we considered the fact hundreds of other people will have the same idea. Having abandoned the country path, we were forced off into the forest. We move deeper, past the empty, lifeless hunting grounds.

  I'd like to believe we're safe now. There's no way that anyone could have kept up with us. Mad or normal, no one is topping the incredible display of sprinting ability and stamina I possess.

  That was a lie. I feel like my lungs are about to explode!

  Marcus suddenly plops down beside me, leaning on the adjoining right side of the tree. He rests the same as me, both of us using this time out zone to recover to our fullest. He breathes heavily, taking a moment to collect his breath before gasping out the words with a wide grin on his face. "I have never felt so... Alive!" Adrenaline filled, Marcus only adds more to the crazy. We shouldn't be running for our lives. We shouldn't be in danger. Death shouldn't be knocking on my door and ruining this whole vacation! None of this is supposed to be a damn joy ride?!