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

by Birch, Matthew

  Ed

  Don't look at her.

  Don't look at the sway of her hips.

  Don't look at her ass.

  Don't look.

  Don't think.

  Don't want.

  I look-

  DON’T LOOK.

  Scrunching my eyes closed, I curse myself before praying I can actually fall asleep tonight. I'm too stirred up now...

  Wait, do I have my machete? Leaning up for a moment in the brief amount of light I have, I see my machete on the other side of the room. Screw it; I am going to rely on my luck for tonight. Something I haven't done in a while.

  This day has been... Something to remember.

  Chapter 23 - Plan A

  Maya

  Star fishing on the Queen sized bed; I let out a satisfied groan as all my muscles pop happily. Going limp, I snuggle myself into the crisp clean duvet covers. Burying my face in the stacked, plush pillows, I smile to myself. I haven't slept this well for a long time. Smelling brand new and fully made, not to mention untouched, it was like someone had come along and prepared this bed especially for me. I know it was probably like this before the family become another fallen victim to the creatures, but who cares? You got to enjoy the little things in life now.

  I stifle a yawn, wanting to fall asleep all over again. The sun blazes in through the window on the other side of the room. The beige curtains proving themselves to be useless. Irritated, I toss over onto my other side, hoping to avoid the harsh glare so I can drift into my once blissful slumber once more.

  Though, said peacefulness never comes. After a few minutes of trying to will myself back asleep, I give up, flopping onto my back and facing the chandelier on the ceiling. This place is really high class. Not even my cabin was this close to good looking. Unless the family lived here as a permanent residence, I'm not sure. Rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, I finally put some effort into sitting up. I want a lazy day, but I know I'm not going to get one. I should probably check on Ed. Lazily, I half-heartedly slip out of bed and tip-toe towards the door.

  Please be asleep. Please be asleep. Please be asleep.

  Upon getting half-way down the stairs, I feast my eyes upon the cute, young man wrapped up like a cocoon on the sofa. He snores gently, his arm hanging over the side and brushing against the coffee table. A smile breaks my face more than it should. Judging by the fact we're both alive, and the cabin is perfectly intact, I can tell we have had no problems with any monsters. So, what to do now? I would scout about outside, but I really can't be bothered. I want a lazy day. I know everything out there is trying to kill me for some selfish reason, but today is my day and I am going to treat it like a holiday. I am the leader of my own life now. No Patrick, no fear, no rules.

  First stop is definitely the bathroom. Pondering my way into the majestic looking upstairs bathroom, a cold chill runs up the balls of my feet and though my body when I touch the chilly, expensive dark blue tiled floor. Not a crack, dent or crease, it’s perfectly clean. I've never felt like royalty. Then again, I've never really had the luxury of a sweet way of life. I've always been working hard, even through some... Dangerous, circumstances.

  Taking my place shyly in front of the large mirror above the sink, I take a quick glance at myself. I've changed so much over a week. To put it simply, I look disgusting. Greasy hair, dirty face, manky body and ugh, that smell?! I'm not one for vanity, but right now I need a self-confidence check.

  You can't be that bad looking, he kissed you last night.

  No, it was the heat of the moment. He probably wasn't thinking right because of blood loss anyway. Nothing holds back the memories that jab away at my mind. It was only yesterday, and it was so brief, yet the short thrill is drawn out in my mind, a part of me over exaggerating it on purpose.

  Looking like you are, I bet he'd still take you anytime! Consider that.

  I blush at myself for no other reason than the intrusive, unspoken thoughts in my head. Brushing them away, I focus on my appearance and not on the man downstairs. Problem one of the apocalypse is maintaining looks and appearances. These circumstances will backhand you round the face if you say otherwise. Frowning, I take a strand of my matte black hair and twiddle it between my thumbs. It is too long for my liking. Cascading down the full length of my back, my hair is quickly becoming a nuisance. I bet it will soon enough become a burden if I don't sort it out now. Tying it up is a pain and brushing it isn't always an option. So any alternatives are out the window. There are too many other things to worry about in this new unwanted life of mine. Tearing the doors open on a nearby cupboard, I search my way through its contents, pushing them left and right until I find what's hidden at the back. It’s a pair of scissors. It's inevitable that I'd find some, what family doesn't have them? After taking them into my hand, I wave them about in front of the mirror with a disgruntled look on my face. Weighing out my options, I really wonder if I should do this. If I do this, then I'm thinking short, maybe shoulder length.

  No, how about...

  * * *

  I admire my handy work in the mirror. I cut my hair into a nice bob style haircut that actually suits me fairly well if I may so say so myself. I'm sorry; I have to give myself a rare smile. I won't lie; it's quite a rough cut. I'm no hairdresser. I wouldn't expect it to look perfect but hey, it's a start.

  Placing the scissors down on the side of the bathroom sink, I look around at the mess I've made. Pouting, I realise I'm now covered from head to toe in my hair without a proper way to clean myself. I really did not think this through. Only the ranger station has a water supply that is constantly monitored and kept under heavy surveillance. So the only shower I'm gonna get is there. Everywhere else is as dry as a desert. Brushing off my cut hair only goes so far, my next option is a change of clothes. The wife must have something I can 'borrow'. Doesn't need to be anything flashy, just something that is comfortable and easy to move around in when a monster tries to kill you.

  Searching the main bedroom, I find one long wardrobe built into the wall. At least seventy percent of it is the wife's, while the other thirty percent is the husband. It’s typical really. Sadly, the wife's section was never touched or emptied after her death. I guess the husband couldn't bring himself to do it. Either that or this place went to hell before he could get close.

  Keeping it logical, I go for sportswear: gray jogging bottoms and another tank top, this time a dark crimson colour. I'm starting to see a pattern of what the wife liked. She had a highly biased preference for dark shades of red. After a quick twirl in the mirror, I admire the fact I am thinking responsibly, nothing baggy or tight, something easy to move in when in a conflict.

  Which reminds me, Ed's going to need new clothes, great. Sighing, I throw myself on the bed. I think its best I just stay here. At least Ed and I won't have to interact for a little bit longer.

  Ed

  Great, she could have at least left me some clothes. Placing my hand on the smooth wooden banister, I muster up my courage before walking up the stairs step by step as leisurely as I can to steer clear of making a single sound. If she's asleep then this will make my job so much easier.

  Please be asleep. Please be asleep. Please be asleep.

  Getting to the landing and taking a turn, I march my way down the thin hallway before reaching the main bedroom. Taking a breath, I place my thumb against the slightly open door. Blandly, I squeak it open. I catch a yelp, and I instantly thump the door shut. Eyes wide, I stare down at the floor, mind blank. I didn't see anything. I don't know what she was doing. Is she okay? This is terrible, why did yesterday have to happen?

  "W-what do you want?" She asks meekly, footsteps pitter-patter the floor on the other side. "Doesn't matter, y-you can come in?" She says in a way that doesn't sound like she wants me here. I don't blame her. Opening the door, we come face to face.

  "What do you think?" Speaking fast, she flushes, looking away from me. Staring her down, I ogle at whatever she's done. "So, new haircut then huh?" I keep m
yself calm, casually and politely pushing my way past her towards the huge wardrobe that is built into the wall. I see she's already taken her fair share. Now I will take mine. That army man had better-left something in here I can fit into.

  "Yeah... The long hair was getting a bit much you know..." Maya gently trots across the room behind me before flopping onto the bed. I look back, smirking. "Making yourself a little too much at home are ya?" I playfully ridicule her. I wave my hand up and down, gesturing to what she's wearing. "You're trying to be them now I see"

  Maya glares at me, though it's difficult to take her seriously after yesterday. So I just give her the signature eye roll before proceeding to search the wardrobe. "Well... Might as well make the most of it, besides..." She trails off for some reason, and naturally, I turn to face her. There's already a tinge of pink on her face, and I'm guessing by how she refrains from drifting her view across my body that I'm the reason why. Smiling, she holds her hand out flatly, pointing at everything this home has to offer the living. "Take your pick," she says.

  "Yes, I will" I reply, and dig in greedily, searching thoroughly through the wardrobe until I pick out a full piece suit. Maya scoffs behind me, and I twist my neck to see her sitting with her elbows propping her up, legs crossed and hanging over the edge of the white bed teasingly. Too bad those jogging bottoms hide the gold underneath. "You can't be serious?" She asks with a sceptical look.

  "Fine" I grunt, throwing the suit back grudgingly. After a few more minutes of searching and not so awkward conversation, everything feels fine. Like, nothing ever happened between us. Keeping it real, I just go for a loose, boot cut faded black pair of jeans. I finish it off with an un-creased, stylish white shirt from the suit set to piss Maya off anyway. After a small confrontation, we both agree that neither of us really have much of a taste in fashion. After a small laugh, we both sit on the bed, not a clue in the world of what to do.

  "It's all gone..." She suddenly murmurs. For the first time, I hear actual fear in her tone. Yes, she sounded panicked, maybe even freaking out yesterday at some points. But through everything that's happened. I don't believe she was ever once scared. Always ready to throw herself into the fire if it meant saving another. Her balls are probably bigger than mine, metaphorically speaking that is. A look of fright holds onto her face, and I find myself wondering what the hell she is talking about. She is staring in a certain direction? Peering fearfully towards the window, I get the hint that whatever she is talking about is outside.

  "All of it," She says again behind me as I approach the curtain covered windows. With one swoop, I pull them apart, revealing an overview of the fairly medium sized town. On the far side, right by the lake where I and Marcus would've been staying for the week, the smouldering remains of the forest give off its last breaths of warmth in the shape of dying, black smoke that soars high into the cloudy blue sky before disappearing altogether.

  "The forest was burning all night. There's not much left, you could walk right over it and straight towards the ranger station" Maya takes a step beside me, squeezing in to take in the view as well. "You can't even see the ranger station," I say, but I am met with a curious, "Yeah, but it's kinda paved a fast track path hasn't it?"

  I shrug my shoulders before closing the curtains. "Okay, well all fun and games aside. What's the plan?" I ask, moving onto the bigger question that leaves us both stumped. We stand there, trying to figure out a way to get through this. We throw ideas back and forth, but we can only find a way to counter either each other's plans or our own. Nothing is going to work, and we haven't really got the resources or will to execute them anyway. I can barely maintain a decent walking speed, plus I feel like the dead right now. I need rest. Maya's basically drained of energy as well. Food and water, we have none. We both lost everything we had during the harsh escape yesterday. This house may be untouched, but contents of that variety will be spoiled. So, we come to two conclusions.

  Plan A is simple, we hold out for a single day. The most we can survive without water is two days, and this is day one of no water. It's gonna be hard and cruel to ourselves, but we are going to have to stick it through. Water would be the priority when the time comes. So food isn't a problem, we can survive without food longer than water. If no one comes to rescue us, which is the main point we're hoping to not run into the deep end with, then we move onto the last ditch plan.

  Plan B is complex as there really is no planned way of doing it, but in summary - we make a run for it, get as far as we can.

  We both take a seat on the bed once more, both of us sitting there, brain dead and tired. How do we pass the time?

  You know this is the perfect opportunity to-

  "Isawacheckersboardownstairs"

  Maya raises an eyebrow at me.

  Mentally, I slap myself. "I saw a game of checkers if you're interested," I ask nicely, hoping to steer us away from the worst. Yesterday was a mistake, she was feeling down, making her vulnerable and I took advantage of that. It's horrible of me to do something so wrong. We seem to be getting along, which is surprising. I half-expected her to let out a full blown rage at me for what transpired between us. Never mind, we are getting along well.

  “I wish our phones still worked... I still unconsciously check for mine!” She chuckles to herself.

  Maybe things will turn out better than I expected?

  Chapter 24 - Broken Persona

  Ed

  Like the sneaky little bastard I am, I play my cards right, operating the board with total control. Maya has no idea that I have been setting her up for defeat right from the beginning. There is nothing she can do to avert her fate. Victory is within my grasp and I am going to take it from her. Though, she brushes some of her fringe from her eyes and gives me an unimpressed look. "You think you out-smarted me, don't you?"

  My resolve is tested when she proceeds to dominate the board. In a single move, all my plans are annihilated, leaving me just as defenceless as she was.

  I gasp, sitting back in my chair while offering her a look of doubt, confusion and eventual realization. She cheekily smirks, shaking her head indifferently. I know exactly what she's done. Having exposed her targets early on, she manipulated my mind, therefore tricking me into taking pieces that would give her better play later on. Smart girl, she might have me this time. I have to think quickly as now; I am clearly losing the game. My options are limited; every move could be another trap. Our eyes meet, and the fierce passion of checkers passes between us. This game has been intense, turning us into bitter rivals that deck it out until the very end.

  Even now, I find her so alluring. After everything she's done for me, after everything that happened yesterday and now this. She's mysterious, and I want to know more. As I play my turn, I can't help but let the words slip my grasp. "Why are you distant with people sometimes?"

  Maya looks at the choice I made and shakes her head in disapproval as she takes another piece of mine. I frown. This game is not going well for me now. Her triumphant smile tells me everything I need to know. "Well, I naturally keep distance" she states the obvious but it's not the answer I wanted. Not really explaining anything does nothing but leave me wanting more of an explanation. Cold, distant, and hateful, to snogging me on the sofa after saving my life several times! It's been a week, what changed?

  "Why?" I make sure to keep half my mind focused on the game at least. Maybe that's why I am losing; half my mind is full of her. Although, I think it's obvious that I am thinking of one, more than the other at this point.

  "Why are you so persistent?" Maya does that sweet little smug look she always does. Gods, I can't even find that frustrating look annoying anymore. Shrugging my shoulders, I agree, because I am persistent and she will tell me. Maya goes to play her turn and thinks carefully. Taking her time, I notice she's thinking about the question instead of the game.

  "Well, when you get close to someone. You begin to open up and show them a side no one else sees. Sometimes this person you get close to will
see a side of you that only you know. It's both a great and horrible thing. To trust and love someone so much to that point where your bond is unbreakable. Except, it leaves you vulnerable..." Maya explains, finally taking her turn. I observe her move. "You bitch" I mutter under my breath. She giggles, having taken the turn that wins her the game. "Vulnerable, just like you" she laughs and I realise what she means. Why did I ever make that move? Now I have completely lost and looked like a fool after all my bragging. Can't win everything right? Winning this game of learning about Maya is something I will win instead.