Carnage

by Sandra R Neeley

  <<<<<<<>>>>>>>

  “What now, Troy? I don’t have time for your daily bitch session today,” Enthrall grouched at Destroy.

  “You should pay more attention to my suggestions. They are not bitch sessions, I just think you could do a better job than you do,” Destroy told Enthrall.

  “Yes, I am aware,” Enthrall answered in a bored tone, “What do you want this time, Troy?”

  “Forget it. I was going to do you a favor and tell you that one of your males has stolen a human female. But you don’t appreciate me. So never mind,” Destroy told him haughtily, his chin in the air.

  Enthrall wasted no time ghosting to where Destroy stood. He knew the male hated it, and it would throw him off his confident attitude, so he did it more than he should, but this time it was more than that. Humans were forbidden in their community. It was rule number one. No fucking humans.

  “Bullshit!” Enthrall snapped just inches from Destroy’s face, his fangs on full display. Enthrall was the leader of Whispers — the community where they all resided. He was their leader, their judge and their jury. They all lived by his rules because he kept them all safe. He managed to secure for them all they needed and kept a glamour in place to keep their community from being stumbled upon by accident. He was also hell on wheels when pissed off, but he was fair. They feared him. They respected him. He was by far the oldest of the creatures that had sought refuge at Whispers. There were those who were more ‘nature’ than creature, those that they called the Ancients, but they’d just always been there, as opposed to having sought refuge. There was no way of calculating their ages. They just existed, coming and going as they pleased. But of those who chose to be a part of Whispers, they recognized Enthrall as their leader. It had actually been his own refuge before he started welcoming others in, and then the community started to grow.

  Destroy took a step back, “Get out of my face, Vampire!” he hissed threateningly, his voice low and deadly.

  Enthrall took a step toward Destroy, putting himself right back where he was in relation to Destroy before he’d stepped back.

  “Do not come into my home, pretend to deliver some bit of new information, then think you can walk away without finishing your story. And if you use that threatening tone with me again, you will have no doubt that you’ve made a mistake, Troy,” Enthrall said in a deceptively calm voice, with emphasis on Troy.

  “My name is Destroy. Not Troy,” Destroy said.

  “I know exactly who the fuck you are. Now tell me why you disturb my peace this day with your stories of a stolen female.”

  Destroy had thought to bring this new piece of information to Enthrall, maybe score some points with him. He personally hated Enthrall and all he represented. Destroy believed that he should be their leader. But there was a problem with that: Destroy was young, as far as Goyles went. Had he been human, he’d have been called an upstart; he was full of piss and vinegar. Nothing but attitude, resenting any form of authority. Destroy liked the finer things in life and hated living in the swamps, but the few times he’d left to strike out on his own, Enthrall had had to go rescue him, which just added to his resentment of the Vampire. And Destroy was full of testosterone, always watching the females in the community. He needed an outlet for his own needs and resented any male who had his own female. And even more resented any female who had no male and would have nothing to do with him. But it was his own damn fault. You did not just decide you should be respected and get it. It had to be earned. That was the part Destroy didn’t get. He thought because he was a Goyle, the others should respect him. They didn’t; his attitude grated on most. In truth he wasn’t a bad male, just irritating as all get out in his arrogance. So Enthrall tried to be patient with him, give him time to come into his own and possibly gain some respect. Enthrall knew well that Destroy wanted to be the leader of Whispers. What Destroy didn’t understand was that being leader also meant being protector, and sometimes when needed, provider among other things. Maybe one day Destroy could grow into a worthy male. But today wasn’t that day.

  “Speak. NOW!” Enthrall barked.

  Realizing that this meeting wasn’t going as planned, Destroy decided he’d better come clean, “I saw him down at the freshwater stream. He was washing out a female’s clothes. He even took care to clean her shoes. Then he went back to his place. I followed, waited outside, listening, watching.”

  “Of course you did,” Enthrall drawled at him.

  “He has no right to have a female! And besides, she’s human. So that means that he can’t keep her. Right?” Destroy demanded.

  And therein was the whole truth of his visit to Enthrall that day. Destroy resented that another may have his own female and he was doing whatever he could to ruin it.

  “How do you know for sure that she is human?” Enthrall asked.

  “Because I waited until he left again, like he was going hunting, and then I snuck in. There she was, a little human all wrapped up in his sheets, sleeping. Human just as sure as you please.”

  “Are you sure?” Enthralled pressed.

  “Absolutely!” Destroy insisted.

  “Who brought her here? Whose home was she in?” Enthrall demanded.

  The slow, sinister smile that crept across Destroy’s face told Enthrall which male it was before he said it.

  “Carnage. Carnage stole a human female and brought her here. Against your rules. And now she’s sleeping in his bed,” he finished as he smiled sardonically.

  “Fuck!” Enthrall mumbled as he dragged a hand down his face. He hated confronting Carnage. Carnage was dangerous. He was unpredictable and volatile. But he was also a very good male. He was the reason the Goyle population had broken apart and scattered. He’d taken out his King, his Sovereign, as they’d called him, when he began to abuse his own people. The Gargoyles had borne their Sovereign’s orders in silence, carrying out his decrees, so that he received payment in exchange for their services. But at some point, his lack of character had begun to place his Gargoyles in questionable circumstances, and when asked to slaughter humans and force others into slavery, Carnage had snapped. They’d battled, and Carnage had been the victor. He was a male of high morals, and all he really wanted now was to be left alone and live out his life in peace. If anyone fucked with him, he handled it swiftly. Rarely had Enthrall had to confront him. He knew what the rules were. Enthrall had made sure that he knew and understood what the consequences were when he’d first asked for sanctuary.

  Carnage respected Enthrall, and Enthrall respected Carnage. They had an understanding. But if he’d truly taken a human for his own and brought her to Whispers, then Enthrall had a huge problem.

  Enthrall turned and started out of his house, headed toward the shanty that Carnage called home.

  He’d not gone far before he realized that Destroy was right behind him.

  “Go away, Destroy,” Enthrall said.

  “I’m making sure all the rules are followed. You can’t make rules for all of us and not make Carnage follow them, too,” Destroy retorted.

  Enthrall stopped in his tracks, turning on his heel to regard Destroy up close and personal. He tilted his head slightly, looking at him curiously, “What are you insinuating, Troy?”

  “My name is Destroy! Why do you insist on calling me Troy?” Destroy yelled.

  Enthrall smiled at him, “Because you love it so, Troy.”

  Destroy snarled, and Enthrall laughed, “Go away, I have man’s business to tend to. The petty jealousy of little boys does not have a place here.”

  While Destroy stood in place seething, Enthrall ghosted from the front of his own home to the small shanty in the woods near the edge of the clear stream where Carnage lived.

  The first thing he noticed when he arrived was that Carnage was not there. He approached the opening in the tarps and pulled one edge back. When he did, the sunlight fell across the dirt floor of the covered space and onto the mattress where a female did indeed sleep. Enthrall sighed. He’d still be
en holding out hope that Destroy had been trying to start trouble, and there would not be a human female there when he arrived. Naturally, he had no such luck.

  He approached the mattress. “Female. You must wake.”

  She did not respond. He knew she was alive; he could hear her heartbeat, her breath.

  Enthrall leaned over and gently touched her shoulder, “Female, you must wake,” he said a little louder.

  Carolena began to stir.

  Again, “Please wake, miss. I must speak with you.”

  She opened her eyes and looked around, momentarily startled. Then she remembered she was in the Gargoyle’s home.

  Enthrall waited patiently while she regained her bearings. When her eyes finally fell on him, she pulled back, scooting away from him across the mattress, holding the sheet up in front of her.

  Enthrall hurried to reassure her, “All is well. You are safe here. Do not fear me. I’ve come to see how you came to be here.”

  She just stared at him, her eyes wide. Then he realized — his eyes glowed in the dark. And while it was daylight out, he was in the shaded interior of Carnage’s shanty, so he had no doubt that his eyes were somewhat alight.

  He blinked and sighed again. He wanted to kick Carnage’s ass for bringing her here, putting him in this position, and everyone in their community at risk.

  He decided to try to be polite for now. There was no reason for her to know that her fate was sealed. She’d have to be terminated. He could not allow her to leave here. Every supernatural being in Whispers depended on him for their safety in this sanctuary, and he could not risk them over one inconsequential human female.

  He smiled, trying for sincerity, after all it wasn’t her fault, “Let us begin again. I am Enthrall. I rule over Whispers. I was told that you’d been brought here, and I came to see if the rumor was true. I can see that it is. Here you are,” he smiled again.

  She forced a small smile back at him, “Hello. I’m Carolena.”

  “Hello, Carolena. Would you tell me how you came to be here?” Enthrall asked.

  She lifted a hand, indicating the front of the tarps, “He, the, well, I don’t know his name. But he saved me. And then he brought me here.” She looked around the small space, not wanting to believe that she’d been left alone with a male she didn’t know.

  “What did he look like?” Enthralled asked.

  “Umm,” she hesitated. It was clear this male wasn’t human either. But she wasn’t sure she should talk about her Goyle, regardless.

  “He was tall, grey eyes, bald,” now she was really stretching it, trying not to mention his skin or his horns.

  “Ah, you must mean Carnage,” Enthrall told her.

  “Carnage?” she asked, shocked. “His name is Carnage? Wonderful, just perfect. Saved by a nightmare named Carnage,” she mumbled quietly to herself.

  Enthrall smiled, genuinely. He was impressed that the human had not lost her wits altogether, her sarcasm was well intact.

  “Does your grey-eyed, bald savior also have dark grey skin and pointed horns?” Enthrall asked in all seriousness.

  Carolena nodded, “He does,” she answered truthfully.

  “And are his horns curled half way up in a complete loop before ending in a point?” he further inquired.

  “Yes,” she answered.

  “Then, he is indeed Carnage.”

  She said nothing, just watched this new male named Enthrall.

  “Please, if you would be so kind, rise and accompany me to my home. We must decide what to do with you, and it’s much safer in my home than it is here.”

  “It is?” Carolena asked.

  “Yes, Carolena, it is. Carnage, while well intentioned, is very volatile and unpredictable. If you stay here, I cannot guarantee your safety. Please come with me; we’ll return to my home and get you situated there until I can find a way to resolve all this. You can tell me what Carnage saved you from. Then you can have a proper meal and bath. We’ll proceed from there.”

  “So you think that I should just get up and go with you despite not knowing who you are or if you’re telling me the truth. How do I know you’re not lying to me?”

  Enthrall smiled at her; she had spunk — he liked it. He had no patience for wilting flowers of a female. “You do not know that I am not lying to you. But, neither did you know if Carnage would eat you, or feed you, and you came here with him.”

  “That’s not entirely true, he saved me. If he wanted to hurt me, he would not have saved me,” she retorted.

  “And that, my dear Carolena, is not entirely true. Perhaps he planned to make a dinner of you, and that is why he saved you.”

  She sat where she was, looking at Enthrall.

  He pressed the uncertainty he’d created, “Perhaps he’s out now looking for firewood to cook you over.”

  “He is not!” she insisted.

  He smiled again; this one was not stupid. He sighed and gently shoved his hands into the pockets of his slacks, shrugging, “No, he is not. But, the truth remains. You should not be here. Your skin is covered with insect bites, you’re asleep on a mattress on the ground inside a bunch of tarps strung together with ropes. This is no place for you. Come. Let’s get you settled in my home. We’ll talk. I promise not to hurt you this day, and I have no doubt that Carnage will come for you the moment he realizes that you are no longer here.”

  She looked down at her arms where she had not realized that she was constantly scratching at the mosquito bites that now lined them on every inch of exposed skin. She made her decision, “Very well, I’ll come with you.”

  She stood and stepped off the mattress. Enthrall moved back to allow her access to her clothing. She reached for it and realized it was wet.

  “Oh, my pants are wet!” she exclaimed.

  Enthrall shook his head, this was going to be tougher than he’d thought. Carnage had already started taking care of this female. He’d brought her here, washed her clothes, and put her to sleep in his bed.

  “It’s all well, Carolena. I will find you something more to wear at my home. Come, let us go before Carnage comes back. He does so have a horrible temper.”

  She peeked over her shoulder at the opening in the tarps, “Really?”

  “Yes, really,” Enthrall answered as he approached her.

  She took a step back, and he responded, “Come now, I’ve already promised not to harm you this day. I must touch you to take you back home.”

  He placed his arm about her waist, and before she could pull away, he said, “Hold tight. We’ll be there in a moment.”

  “What are you?” she asked on a whisper as he tightened his grip on her waist.

  He smiled charmingly down at her and said as though it was no big deal, “Vampire.”

  Her eyes got huge, and just as she would have pulled away, the ground fell out from beneath her, and she had the sensation of swirling through the darkness with cool wind breezing past her at the same time she felt she was falling.

  Suddenly she was standing in a living room, very formal Victorian furniture set about, and Enthrall was stepping back from her. “Welcome to my home, Carolena,” he said as he let her go.

  Chapter 4

  Carnage returned to his sleeping space, happy. Anxious to cook the rabbit he’d caught for his female. His Carolena, she’d said her name was. It was a beautiful name, as was she. He was very pleased with his female. And that did surprise him. He’d not ever wanted one before. Oh, he’d been intimate with several over the years, but one of his own never interested him. They were a lot of trouble and distraction. And he didn’t need either. But things were different now, and this one made him feel strange. Pleasantly strange, but still strange. He’d been drawn to her the moment he saw her. He decided not to ponder it any longer; she was his — that was all. He’d decided, and he liked taking care of her.

  He pulled back the tarp and stepped into his shanty. His eyes jumping to where she was sleeping on his mattress and his breath left him. A sense of d
read filled him and his suddenly numb fingers dropped the rabbit as he stalked closer to where he’d left her sleeping in his bed. He snatched up the sheet, shaking it out as though she could be hiding in it. She was not there. His heart lurched, his adrenaline pumped, his lips pulled back in a snarl. Did she leave him? Did she run away? He hurried to the table, took the oil lamp in hand and swung it low to the ground to get a better look at her tracks. NO! She did not leave him; she was taken! There next to her tiny footprint was another set of larger prints. Ones that he readily recognized. Ones that belonged to Enthrall. He let out a roar that caused most of the wildlife near his home to scatter and immediately go silent. He was going for Enthrall; he was going to get his female back. And if Enthrall had hurt her, he’d destroy Enthrall just as he’d destroyed his own Sovereign. He stomped out of his shanty, roaring and snarling with every step he took. Enthrall was going to regret coming into his home and stealing his female — if Enthrall survived.

  <<<<<<<>>>>>>>

  No sooner had Enthrall steadied Carolena on her feet in his living room than his front door opened, and Destroy stomped through it. “You see? I told you! You said I was just jealous, but I was not! I was protecting us.”

  Enthrall placed his hands on his hips, looking down at his own shoes, shaking his head. Sometimes he wished he was alone. With no one else. No community, no other supernaturals, no jealous as fuck, self-serving Gargoyle to have to deal with. “I didn’t hear a knock, Troy,” Enthrall said, slowly turning and raising his eyes to Destroy.

  Destroy, realizing he’d just stormed right into Enthrall’s home, stuttered his progress a bit, “Yeah, well, sorry. I was excited to see your response and meet the female.” Then, not being a stupid Gargoyle, he walked back over to the front door, rapped his knuckles against it, and smiled sheepishly at Enthrall.