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

by Birch, Matthew

  "Oh, guess who's fucking alive" Chloe splutters at him. Literally, her saliva rests on his face, but he does nothing to remove it. He only grates his teeth together. As if thinking about what to do in this situation. My guess is that if he can shoot me, then he can do it again...

  "Just go and fucking die" Chloe steps forward, egging him on. All the while, I am pinned up against a tree like a fucking worthless rotten apple. "Shut the fuck up" William glares daggers of death at her. Stepping forward to meet her, he goes to press his pistol against her forehead. Chloe, being too quick for him, pushes his hand up with lightning-fast reflexes. On instinctive reaction, William pulls the trigger, sending lead into the sky where it will fall back down into this wasteland. Taking the opportunity, she jabs him hard and fast in the gut! William retreats to safety, his face wincing in pain. Smirking, the female warrior starts dashing forward before he can use the gun again. She hooks him around the face, something I remember Patrick teaching her. Good old boxing there for you. William's tooth comes loose and soars through the air. To finish it off, he stumbles back, dropping the pistol - leaving him defenceless.

  "Go on! Beat his ass!" I cheer her on. Chloe looks at me, giving me a nod of appreciation. William growls, bringing our attention back to him. Advancing forward he throws a sloppy punch, easily dodged by Chloe who then tackles him to the ground.

  "YEAH, GET HIM CHLOE!" I shout at the top of my lungs. In response, she gives one last hard punch at William who doesn't flail about like a fish, as I was expecting anyway. He takes the punch well. Chloe leaps off him, leaving William panting for breath from the fight. Rolling over, spitting blood, and closing his eyes. I see him embrace finally standing up for himself. Ha-ha, funny, because he is on the floor in pain where he belongs.

  "I'll deal with you in a minute," She says, turning away and leaving him lying in the dirt. Chloe turns, facing me. Her smirk instantly changes, conforming to her customary emotional smile she always has when she sees me. I notice the champion like look she has on her face. No doubt she must be proud.

  "Seriously, stop saving my life" I call out as she gets near. Shrugging her shoulders, she replies, "Must be a natural thing to save my damsel in distress" She says shrewdly. Deciding to play along, I add more banter to the mix. "Oh no, I'm cold and need a coat! Only if someone would give one to me" I act my part, making my voice high pitched and dragging a hand across my face as if imitating a real damsel in distress. Chloe laughs, actually giving me a wink as well! "Are you sure you don't want more than that?"

  Okay, yeah the adrenaline has definitely got to her head! Our banter and her flirting are cut short when a devilish growl booms its way towards us. Chloe stiffens, shifting gradually to see what I am already gawking at - a monster on all fours like a dog. Red gloop and slobber overflow from its hanging mouth. It looks disconnected like someone had purposely broken it. The damage done seems akin to what a shotgun blast might have done. Putting two and two together, I am guessing this is one of the monsters that Patrick was fighting. But there's something else there as well, sticking out from the side of its skull? Looks like a hatchet.

  Anyway, I don't know where it came from, or how it stayed so hidden. Its approach was smartly planned out. Because it isn't red or black or both, it's all kinds of shades of green and brown from hiding and lying low. Camouflaging itself in the earth, it changes. I am honestly impressed by this one. It's adapted its skin colour to the environment. I mean, I knew they had intelligence but this is just too far. The monster nears us, causing Chloe to congeal even further.

  "It's fine. Run" I whisper. But she does not move, instead, she looks at the gun William dropped, then back at the monster, back at the gun, and finally at William because he picks up the gun and aims at the monster.

  "Look over here you big ugly bastard!" He screams. His hands steady, his aim just right. He pulls the trigger, hitting the monster's shoulder. It yelps gently, twisting ignorantly to face him. William doesn't face us, he says nothing. Only walks backwards while taking another shot.

  "Fuck it, we're leaving" Chloe turns, rushing over to me while William is cornered. It keeps moving, taking every bullet William puts in him. Backed up against a tree, William stands there with his eyes the widest I've ever seen them. Standing on its hind-legs, the monster breathes heavily, its slobber falling gracefully onto William who just watches it. Accepting his inevitable end...

  Chloe boosts me up, and we are back on the road. Taking one last look back, we see the monster wraps its hand around his head. Entrapping his skull and lifting him up so they are eye level. He begins to flail like a fish. But I don't laugh, nor do I feel accomplished in seeing him suffer. I see a man who came to terms with the world too late, now he is being punished for it. William finishes it off with a war-cry, slamming his fist into its head.

  "FUCK, YOU!"

  His skull is crushed, killing him instantly. With no regard for his body, the monster chucks him aside and focuses, on us.

  "Shit..." I whisper...

  "I guess William redeemed himself..." Chloe whispers back, already picking up the pace and hobbling us away as far as we can get.

  Footsteps thunder across the road, like a storm the monster sprints at full speed!

  "OH SHIT!" Chloe screeches. Because when we next look back, it was already there. Its speed is so expeditious we didn't see it coming. Her shrill voice echoes through the air as it smacks her hard, sending her plummeting down the road.

  "CHLOE!" I scream after her, reaching out pointlessly. My heart drops when I see her roll across the road, unmoving. Seething through my teeth, I hop on one leg until I have fully turned around.

  The monster stares down at me. I'd swear it was smug. "Well, what are you waiting for?" I ask. The monster huffs, leaning down to get closer to me, then, its head perks up. It sniffs for some reason. The roar of a car engine nears us-

  With all my might, I leap out the way-

  Rolling across the ground as a deafening roar splits the air-

  A disgusting, loud crack pops out from the monster as its hit dead on by a car at full speed-

  It is sent flying, before gliding across the ground.

  Looking up, I see the car window roll down and Ed's head pops out. "You're welcome mate!" He yells, grinning. "You crazy piece of... Doesn’t matter," I say, half because I am annoyed, half because I have never been happier to see him. The door opens on the other side, allowing me to see Maya who gets out and runs over to me.

  "How are you?" She asks. My pained grunt when she helps lift me up tells her everything. Ed gets out as well, running over to Chloe's limp body. As Maya helps me back to the car, I stare and stare at the lifeless body. I hope she is okay. Please get up. Don't be dead.

  Chloe coughs-

  And gets up, telling Ed she is fine even though I can tell she clearly isn't but-

  She's alive...

  Maya helps me in the back while Ed does the same on the opposite side with Chloe. Alice sits in the middle, meekly greeting us. Everyone is in the car now except Maya who treads wearily towards the monster. Ed leans out the window, confused as to what she's doing. Maya holds up a single finger to shush him. Kneeling down, I can just about make out her reaching for something. Seconds later, she springs back up and dashes back the car. Something's in her hand? Flinging open the car door, Maya hops in, a hatchet in her hand with initials M.V inscribed into the hilt of it. The two survivors up front share a happy glance for the other before they strap themselves in. Maya takes the wheel and steps hard on the pedal, driving us away from this hell hole. The first thing I say is what is needed. "William is dead. Died distracting that monster"

  "Good riddance," Ed says, uncaring. Maya hums in agreement.

  "By the way, thank you," Chloe says, holding her shoulder.

  "Yeah, thanks, guys," I say, forgetting they just saved our life's. How did I forget to be considerate for a moment there? All this mess is making my head spin all over the place unless it's the blood loss...

 
"Anyone who's not in this car is dead," Maya says, stating the obvious without a hint of remorse. I know she's not even acting the tough girl act now. She is saying it with a deadpanned tone because that is what needs to be said. There is nothing we can do.

  All the Officers died in the forest. God knows what happened to Ben. Patrick died trying to save Linda. Speaking of Linda, she was already dead anyway. Cody? Who knows what happened to him. Being gagged and tied up in the lounge wasn't really in his favour. I can only imagine he's dead as well.

  Eventually, we get to the bridge that will lead us south. Maya coming to a stop just before then and saying we'll have to walk from here. While everyone leaves the car, I just sit here in the back. Wandering if it is really worth me leaving?

  Chapter 41 - Hope Runs Out

  Marcus

  *Tap tap*

  *Tap tap*

  *Full on knocking*

  Whoever it is must be getting annoyed with my persistence at this point. I continue to ignore it; my mind is already made up. What is the point in causing them more trouble than I already have? All I am doing is putting them in danger by being so useless. If William never shot me, we wouldn't be in this situation. The knocking perseveres; then, silence.

  The car door is ripped open.

  "Marcus, stop stropping and get out" Chloe demands, literally reaching in and trying to tug me out like I am some child?!

  "Get off me woman!" I yell, shoving her away. I hate myself seconds later. The look on her face doesn't lie. She's deeply hurt. Though, I stick my nose the other way. I suppose you could say I am giving her the cold shoulder. I just don't think I can carry on any further. I almost got her killed. When that monster hit her, she could've died...

  "Please, we can get you help-" "Chloe, I am gonna die. You know that. I keep losing blood and even if we solved that. There's a bullet rotting away inside me..."

  Chloe yields her head, not looking at me and avoiding my uncivil gaze. "Please..." She quietly insists.

  "Fighting the truth only hurts more darling" Reaching out, I grab the car door and go to shut it when a blistered hand stops me in my tracks. Ed narrows his eyes; his almighty gaze glares down on me. His intervention is unneeded, but here we go anyway. I give him a glare. His childish face is filled with such a serious look, it almost scares me. I have never seen him so out of character. I think Ed has finally had enough of my shit even though it should be the other way around! He holds the door open, and he doesn't even struggle against me.

  "Let go" I mutter, trying my best to pull it back, except it just ends up being ripped away from my grasp anyway. Fucker almost pulling me out the car in the process! "Get out Marcus" He actually looks disappointed more than anything...

  "No"

  "Remember what you told me about not giving up and fighting till the end?"

  Damn... He's good.

  I'd be a straight up hypocrite to give up now. Then again, I guess he is ignoring one important rule, to let go or lose it all. Sometimes you have to know when it's best to let go of one thing when it benefits everything else. He needs that lesson right now but no one is willing to give me up even though they all know I am NOT going to make it. How can I get that into their thick skulls? Like before, Chloe helps me out the car as gently as she can. I feel wobbly on my feet, my bullet wounded leg feeling numb. Like all the nerves just gave up and quit. "Maya's ahead of us at the moment. She's scouting out the other side of the bridge with Alice.

  "Don't take too long" Ed says, rushing off towards the slope that leads down to the free-flowing river. It takes some time and difficulty, but I power through. Getting down the slope was actually the easy part. I just sat down and used it as a slide. Getting dirty is the least of my worries. Getting across the river was easy because it's all flat and hardly deep at all. Barely up to my ankle. It's wide, but nothing I can't handle, especially with my sweetheart Chloe supporting me the entire time. That slope up was the most embarrassing thing ever though. Not gonna think about that one. At least everyone got a much-needed laugh out of it.

  One step ahead of us, Maya pulls up a police car to my side. She leans out the side, smiling indifferently. "So, I found this bad boy," She says while patting the outside of her door with a smug look. I observe the fresh police car, almost like it's been untouched since the apocalypse began. Ed and Chloe help me into the front passenger seat. While I get the seatbelt on, Ed and Maya debate who should drive. Eventually, they decide on Ed since she got to drive last time. So, Maya climbs in the back with Alice and Chloe. Once we're all in, Ed hits the pedal as hard as he can and we thunder south.

  The ranger station, the northern resort, and the people who died tonight are nothing more than a distant memory.

  Chapter 42 - Goodbye

  Ed

  "Stop"

  "What?"

  "Stop at the gas station"

  "Why?"

  "DO IT ED" Marcus screams at me! I bounce in my seat as we come to a screeching halt at the abandoned gas station. Everyone just looks at Marcus, puzzled and slightly upset from being thrown from their seats!

  "What the fuck was that about!" Twisting myself around, I come face to face with Marcus. My look of steel is destroyed by his look of sadness? He just, shakes his head? Bites his already chewed to death lips, and while looking out the rear view window, Marcus mumbles. "Sorry Alice, could you duck down for a moment"

  Alice complies, ducking down as best she can from the middle seat. Chloe and Maya exchange a worried glance, before also turning back themselves. I raise an eyebrow, unsure of what he is talking about.

  "Listen closely..." We hear the faraway screams, roars, and shrieking. Moving like an army, the monsters are hot on our tail. Moving in our direction as fast as starving cheetahs, they stop at nothing in their pursuit of us. Panicking, I go straight back to the steering wheel and-

  "Ed, stop-"

  "No, we can make it!"

  "Ed. They will catch up"

  "Then we fight!"

  "Then we die"

  I scramble for my words now, trying to find some sort of answer. A way out of this! Anything! I don't care what!

  Marcus undoes his seat belt so he can turn and look at everyone easier. His face crumples up into a ball of serious stone. "We don't have much time so I want you all to listen to me," He says, eyeing us all up, but me especially. That look he sends me is on a whole other level. In a way, I feel he is talking to me directly. I hold my breath; I don't think I can face the truth. I know exactly what he is going to say. Everyone knows exactly what is about to happen. The worst part is that no one protests either. I wish someone would take my side here. Because I know what he is about to say. I just know it. He will say-

  "Roll under that truck and stay there until the coast is clear. Don't follow the road. Keep in the fields" Marcus is sharp to the point as he gestures to the huge truck to the side of us, its close, and barely a few steps away from the car. "I will drive as far as I can, you all got that?" He finishes his masterminded plan where he-

  He-

  "No, I won't let you-"

  I blink, and I miss his open hand swing my way. I flinch, and the next thing I feel is a stinging sensation on my right cheek. Gasping, I go wide-eyed while facing the man who'd just had the nerve to slap me. His eyes sink into his skull as a deathly glare is sent my way. "You don't ever listen to me, do you?" Marcus whispers.

  The roars get closer.

  "Remember what I told you, about letting go"

  "But Marcus, I-"

  "Remember what I told you!" He yells, his patience wearing thin. I nod meekly, giving in weakly. "There is another way-" I say with desperation for an alternative! No one backs me up though. Not even Maya...