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

by Birch, Matthew

  Now I'm running, my lungs burning, heart’s racing. Leg aches, blood pumping-

  I feel it slithering down my leg-

  I abandon my rucksack and gun. I move faster now. Over a car-

  Cut off at the corner of the road. I panic, making a mad sprint across the street. I stop- It hurts- I can't, keep going-

  No.

  Through an alleyway and into the back garden of one of the cabins, I search frantically for an escape, creatures hot on my tail behind me. Sprinters, fast-moving creatures, they catch up and throw themselves at me! One unlucky bastard dives head first into a wall, killing itself in its madness. If I hadn't moved, I'd have been pile-driven through a brick wall! Rolling to the side, I dodge another sprinter who leaps at me, scaring me shitless. "FUCK!" Vaulting a fence and climbing another, I find I have skipped around the block and come out the other side of the road where I hear her assault rifle.

  She's still here. She's somewhere. She's-

  She's already dead.

  Maya is being surrounded. Having tried escaping along the road didn't work out for her. Creatures home in like missiles. She runs out of ammo, literally chucking her weapon like a spear at one of the creatures before Maya retreats to her pistol, taking only seven shots before running out of ammo. Her aim is worse than I remember, she kinda taught me so I should know. Is she just as panicked as I am? She can't even think straight when she tries reloading. Dropping the magazine, she is left freaking out as she looks around for a way out...

  She sees me.

  Our eyes meet.

  But we are cut off.

  "MAYA!"

  "ED!"

  I cut, push, and shove my way through the crowd with ease. I was lucky enough to get through. Now, how do we get out? We stand back to back-

  "What do we do?!"

  "We fight!"

  Blood sprays onto the floor each time Maya expertly slices at the creature's necks. Each one taking that little bit more effort as her arms tire. The horde keeps on coming and coming and coming. Like there's no end to them. Maya shrieks, a sound I have never heard her make before. Spinning on my heel, I see her fighting for life in sloppy hand to hand combat with one of the sprinters who'd tried catching me. I reach out, hoping to save her-

  I'm pulled back, a creature getting a hold of me. Instinctive reflexes take over as I no longer think, I just do it. Shoving the creature away, I hurtle towards her!

  Maya

  One creature grasps at my jacket, seizing me tightly until it can just about gain a hold on my upper arm.

  Maya

  One chop later, and its arm hangs loosely from my arm. Cringing, I am obliged to pull it off me, its clawed fingers having already dug deep into the material, tearing the fabric and leaving blood seeping through five little holes. Wincing, I continue my charge!

  MAYA

  Wrapping a hand around her waist, I yank her back from certain death-

  She curses, taken by surprise-

  Barrelling to the side-

  "Get behind the car!"

  Now scrambling-

  "NO, LOOK OUT!"

  Maya pushes past me, sinking her hatchet deep onto the deformed skull of the creature that grabbed me before. Humming, I make note of the creature. It's difficult to tell, in fact, it's barely there, but what was once the dude I made a bet with is nothing more than a creature now. What an unusual time to get my money?

  Breathing heavily, Maya struggles to pull the hatchet free from a creature she didn't even kill, I see Maya can't do it. There's no time either. Its warpath continues and for the first time, I use my hands to get the dirty work done, having to wrestle the creature away from her. Maya yells, reaching for her treasured hatchet which is now a fair distance from us. This may be the only chance we have. Restraining her, I wrap my arms around her waist and tug her back behind a nearby bus. Flailing and smacking away at me, she’s begging me to let her retrieve it. She can't leave it behind. She says she can't because she promised she'd keep it for him.

  It's too late.

  We're giving up precious time that goes to waste. Unwrapping her but keeping her closer still, close enough to tell her she'll die otherwise. Telling her, if she goes after it, she will lose her life and then there would have been no point in the first place. And, for the first time, I see her falter in my arms. Weakening, going soft instead of strong. Maya actually, gives up? Her face saddening and there is this twinkle of regret in her eyes. "I'm sorry-" I whisper before pulling us up and without saying anything more, retreating onto the bus and running to the back where we burst open the back door. Sprinting until we fatigue, our legs growing weaker until exhaustion, a run becomes a jog which turns into a fast-paced walk until we find ourselves locked in at an intersection. Creatures are on all sides. The only escape route is a single corner shop. Smashing the door open at the corner shop I know we have already looted, we rummage our way through until we reach the backdoor to the storage area. We stop, panting lifelessly. This whole plan has gone to a place I’d rather not think about. That’s how bad this has gotten.

  "Ed, Maya!" Albeit, it was barely audible, Patrick's fear-stricken voice calls out for us. We say nothing. Staring regretfully at one another and nodding plainly, we know there is nothing we can do. So, we utilize our spare, but few minutes of safety to catch our breath. Maya places a hand on her rapidly beating heart as she refuses to calm down. "I- I lost it-" She stutters, cracks appearing all over her big girl act. Her head spins towards me, "We need to go, Ed" Maya's hushed voice echoes through the back room. My nostrils burn and my breath is warm as I gather the words in my mouth. "N-not yet-"

  The entrance to the store entrance creaks open.

  "We need to go" More demanding, Maya is the one to grab me this time as she drags me inside the storage compartment of the building. We close and lock the door behind us, leaving one of the only decent light sources out of commission. I try talking her down as we wade through the dark, hoping to get her to stop and think. Maya continues shifting her way through the emptied storage room, nothing left but stacks of shelves that are lined in rows. Many of them are brushing against the ceiling. Cardboard boxes litter the floor, taking up most of the space.

  Practically collapsing on the floor at the back by the fire exit, we finally reach our peak. Maya's chest heaves and her face is hot. Scattered breaths are the only sounds in the dark warehouse. "Y-you, kinda hurt my waist you... idiot" Seething through her teeth, she shoots a glare my way while holding her side. I nod, offering her a small apology. It was the heat of the moment, it was either: roughly pull her to safety or watch her die. If I'm not allowed to make that choice, then I'll let her decide next time she's in an ultimatum. "Besides, I had it all under control" She sighs, throwing her head back against the wall. She glances up at the ceiling and says something under her breath.

  Snickering slightly, "W-what?" My expression of innocence only annoys her more. "I was fine Ed, seriously" Eyes closed, she starts taking properly regulated breaths as her breathing falls under control. My case, however, has already been rested, I know she wasn't fine. For the first time, it is my turn to be smug. "I am not so sure about that" Smirking triumphantly, I offer her two thumbs down. I would have said more but right now, Nah. I can't. I’m too tired.

  "What's the plan?" Maya changes the subject to what is much more important right now. I shake my head and silence befalls us. We are trapped.

  Her weight shifts beside me - she's at my side now, pressed against me as she pulls the rest of the jacket apart to inspect my wound. "Your arm-" She frowns, looking at me wearily. "You need a bandage right now" Ugh, there she goes again, far too serious for me to take seriously. "It's not that bad" I fight back because it's not actually that bad. Just a mere flesh wound, is all. "It's not even that deep Maya, come on. I'll be fine"

  Maya's brows tighten, her face creasing in dismay. "Come on, be serious for once in your life" Maya pokes my five little wounds on my right arm. "FUCK off Maya!" I raise my voice through my win
cing. She takes her chance to be smug. "Damn, what happened to you?" She says, hand brushing against my lower leg. A small puddle of blood dripping out from the cuff of my jeans gave me away. Biting my lip, I hurry her hand away from me. "Seriously, I'll be fine" Maya rolls her eyes at my words. With a final poke at my arm, Maya collapses next to me, resting her head on my shoulder.

  "We're alive..." She whispers.

  "Yeah..." I whisper back.

  Then, a loud screech echoes through the building and the door we closed is crashed open in a single blow...

  The screaming that follows is not that of any creature we know. Now, the table has turned. The playing field has changed, because the creatures are gone, and the monsters are here.

  Chapter 20 - Hercules IV

  Ed

  "I really don't think I can keep going-"

  "Just be quiet!" Removing her hand from my waist, Maya pushes me back against the hard brick wall, a barely audible grunt falls from my lips as my sore spine receives all the impact. We stare each other down in the cramped alleyway. Wiping a bloody hand across her forehead, Maya dirties her appearance that little bit more. We're a mess right now, the difference between us being that I'm bleeding out through my wounds. Her blood is not her own. My blood is on her hands. It's slow though, the blood flow, my arm has calmed down, having numbed itself. It's my leg that never quite ceased the blood flow. Blinking and sighing to herself, Maya whispers through a pout, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to, it's just-"

  "No, it's okay. I get it" I give her a crooked grin, cocking my head and saying, "I know I'm pretty messed up right now, but I'll survive" Opening my arms, I accompany the words with a gesture to all of me. All of what's left of me anyway.

  I sigh, letting my arms drop after a few seconds out of frailty. I'm so tired; all I want is to fall asleep. We've been running and running to no avail. Constantly tracked down and hunted. This is the only chance we've had so far to stop, rest and talk. The entire time; I've been telling her to let me go. I'm dragging her down and I will inevitably get her killed. I'm useless.

  "I promise you" I force out the lies when I see she's not convinced. It's difficult to maintain a sensitive tone of deceit. Maya's face gladdens for a moment before crumbling. "Swear on your life?" She makes me take the promise one step further. "I swear on my life" I hate myself. This is so petty now, having to resort to this childish ‘swearing on one’s own life’ to convince another. She looks at me with a shaky smile of hope that dims instantaneously. Trying to spread some light on our situation isn't working as intended anymore, we both feel like we are constantly lying to ourselves and each other. Dodging my gaze, she mutters barely above her breath, "Don't make a promise you can't keep" My heart sinks deep into my chest as we enter another uneasy silence, my mind racing for the answer to all of this.

  Despite all the brain work, I retreat back to square one. "But, you can still run-" I don't know why I still try to persist. She won't give up. I gave up. Why won't she?

  "Ed, just stop" Maya breathes dismally, seeing her so defeated leaves me feeling even worse about myself. Before I can argue anymore, she's wrapped her arm around me again. Scrunching up her face, she peers down at the mud below our feet. "Come on now..." She talks to herself. I frown, having to watch a broken person whisper themselves words of encouragement isn't particularly charming. From one defeatist to another, it's exceeding depressing.

  A raucous, moist slam echoes throughout the alleyway. There are two ear popping cracks, making us flinch while looking backwards simultaneously. We see one monster had leapt from the rooftops and dived into the muddy ground. Its lower body is mangled and fragmented. Now a disturbing creep show as it crawls towards us at an alarming speed. It's gurgled screeching alerts other monsters who had been hunting us. Seconds later, they all start dropping like bombers from the sky.

  We barely make our move before we get blocked off. Smarter monsters begin scaling the walls, whilst it's a slower method of trapping us; it at least leaves them unimpaired. Maya seethes through her teeth, "Great"

  Falling forward, I let out a shout as Maya starts hollering at me to make a run for it. Regaining my composure after her robust push, I contend with the pain. Running, staggering, falling, hitting the wall-

  Gasping for breath, I take a moment to balance myself when I feel something heavy pound the floor behind me. Arching my neck, I look back at the madness. Maya takes terribly aimed shots at the monsters, though her luck peaks when she hits one between the eyes, killing it and almost squashing me in the process.

  "WHY DID YOU STOP?" She screams! Sprinting towards me and wrapping her arms around me, she starts dragging me forwards. "Maya-" I gasp under my breath as light-headedness creeps over me, making me feel faint and sleepy. Shadowing me and pulling me into the dizzying darkness. I stumble, I fall and I hit the brick wall. Maya squeals, but even that becomes muffled as I begin to daze out.

  I try to tell her to leave me and never come back. But even now, I feel myself being dragged through the mud, all the way down the alleyway until my dark vision is replaced with a blinding light from the fading sun. I hear the confused Maya gasp the words, "Smoke signal?"

  Before I can question her, I suddenly feel fine? Everything’s okay now. I come back to life and feel like nothing ever happened to me. Leaning up; shaking my head and holding my temples with my hands. My injuries feel non-existent and all the exhaustion just slides away like I had been doing nothing all day. Standing on my own, I watch blankly as the entire infestation of monsters sprint past me. Even the crawlers circle round me. The monsters that were hot on our tail are caught up in the deadly conflict that is creature vs. monster. I can barely see, everything is a blur because it's happening so fast. I can make out the violent acts of torture. Any creatures that were able to get as far as they could are now rounded up by the monsters, being encircled and forced to fight to the death as they are killed and eaten mercilessly. The creature’s population begins to die out as the monsters reign supreme. Taking the opportunity, Maya rushes us along the sidewalk while what basically is genocide to their kind takes place around us.

  "Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god" Maya repeats and repeats, unable to contain her panicking. I should comfort her. I take one breath.

  Vile liquids work their way up my body, stabbing its way through my throat and unwantedly bursting out of my mouth! This is the worst time to be sick... Oh god, it's so wet... All the stomach fluids spill from my lips...

  Once again, I waver and I am caught in her stable hands. Maya belches, but nevertheless puts all her might into heaving me up with all her strength. My senses are a mess now, each one combining with one another. Maya's breaths, the screeching and the death are all I can hear. My mouth is dry and wet at the same time. Disgusting tastes swash around my mouth due to the sick. A burning lingers in my oesophagus and throat. Wrinkling my nose, I try my best to avoid the revolting smell. It only drives me to want to bend over and let my insides out all over again-

  "Up!" Maya breathes in my ear as we take a turn towards a single, empty looking cabin on the side of town. It's not much, but the clean, brand new looking cabin looks like a mountain climb away to me. It looks untouched, probably because we are on the other side of town at this point.

  Hmm, my face feels deathly cold? Strange, it feels like little stones are piercing my skin.

  Oh, I get it. Sighing outwardly, I know I've just tripped over. I feel her hands grip tight under my armpits. "Up you fucking-" She doesn't finish, her words are replaced with a loud grunt as she exasperates all her breath while dead lifting me off the ground.

  "Maya, stop" I utter lowly, hoping to get her to realise I'm dragging her down, quite literally and metaphorically now. I'm going to get her killed. But she never gives up on me, she keeps going, Maya fights on till the end. Despite all her doubts, she got us through hell as the war behind us begins to fade, becoming a disturbing memory of our past. We make it up the steps, up the cobbled path and towards the two-story cabin. Reaching
the front porch, Maya sets me down against the side of the door where I slowly slump downwards. Looking out over the street, I see the war has ended, and its last battle is being fought as the monsters show that they are the victors.