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

by Birch, Matthew

  Okay, anyway, smashed throat and the little girl. Did she do it? Yes, yes she did. Looking back at the little girl, I say, "Nice work. I'll take it from h-here" my voice breaks as I keep looking at the little girl. She fought by herself. All alone and out here, no family and probably was desperate and scared. I can imagine it all now. It scares me the more I stare at her. Visualizing how afraid and panicked she must've been. It only makes me feel terrible about myself.

  She put up a fight through. The creature couldn't eat her due to its throat. But it did tear her up enough that it killed her...

  "My turn" I turn and come face to face with the creature. Ah, I left it a bit long. It's right there.

  Watching me-

  Decay really setting in now, you can see it in the face of the horrors in front of me. "Nice to meet you-" I shove the knife right up into what is left of its throat and cutting the nerves that keep it moving. The body goes limp but the head stays active. It falls-

  Perfectly timed, I rip the knife back out before I lose it-

  One swift kill and the creature is no more. "I'm Ed" Is the last thing I say before I smash my boot down onto its skull.

  Marcus

  "How're you doing?"

  "Terribly”

  I hadn't had a cigarette for a few days now and it's killing me. I need it. Keeps me calm and kills the stress.

  "You alright there buddy?" Maya looks down at my feet curiously. My left foot keeps repeatedly tapping the floor. Almost worse than Cody's eye twitch. Maya raises an eyebrow at me. "I know you've gone cold turkey a bit. It'll get worse before it gets better. I know you can do it though" Maya knocks my arm gently. I stare at her. Her words are in the right place but everything else she does isn't. Her body language is difficult, so non-active. Her face is blank as she speaks to me. Sometimes she doesn't even blink.

  "Thanks. But if you do find a cig, lemme' know" "Sure," Maya says before going inside the ranger station. I know she won't. I've already asked her three times before and I am pretty sure she is just throwing the fags away even though I am confident she has a drinking problem.

  If I scratch her back, she could at least repay the favour.

  Looking out over the car park, I look at all the glorious construction projects Cody accomplished. Cody has done one heck of a job building this place up. With all the materials we've been bringing him, he has basically fortified the ranger station. He's placed two cars at one entrance to the car park. You have to climb over them to get out. Little huts have been built for anyone on guard duty. A small shelter has been built as well by the stairs. Chairs, table, and basic makeshift beds, all covered by a huge tent cover, one long and wide white blanket that is held up by metal poles that he drilled into the damn ground. We ran out of room in the ranger station so some tents were set up in that little shelter as well. We take turns with who sleeps there though. Patrick likes it fair. Even he sleeps out here sometimes. Never Linda though. She was able to recover. Not enough to go back out here and help out. She's making progress at least, walking around without help, with only a tiny shred of pain in her movements. Assuming she does nothing more than what she is already doing. Anything more than a fairly slow-paced walk brings all the pain back in one shot so she has no choice but to take it easy.

  All three officers are on guard duty at the moment. Cody is in the little shed he built, his own little area full of tools and more to do what he does best, protect us and make our lives better. On the other side of the car park is a poorly organised storage area. Materials and more are flung there for Cody to go through. Chloe is there to help him as Patrick planned. Chloe goes out on missions with Maya sometimes. Kinda like me, we are both all-rounder’s, doing a little bit of everything as we learn from those who had occupations that help our tiny itty bitty community here at the ranger station.

  "Are you alright?" Williams springs out of nowhere?! I almost attack him... He just stands there, looking blankly at me. "Could you let me go?" he asks jokily. My grip on his neck loosens gradually. "Can you not?" I say, ignoring his annoyed, stupid looking face. "Sorry, I assumed you would have heard the door. Are you alright though?"

  "Yeah, I’m fine" I reply. I don't care about him. He does nothing. Always has some bullshit excuse to get out of doing anything. No one else sees it but I do. Ed does as well but he likes the guy. Says he's a good guy. Nah, he's a lazy guy.

  "Hey, Marcus!" Ben calls out to me from the entrance. "I could use some help!" He shouts again. A black bag with what could be our next meal hides away from my view. While the three officers, Cody and William light up with surprise at what had been hunted today. I notice that he is not there. Ed is not with him. Where is Ed?

  Where the fuck is Ed?

  Ed

  I kept on walking downstream. I assume the river could only lead to the lake. Which would take me back to the ranger station? I hope anyway. This area is vast and I could end up anywhere. It took me some time to find the first sign of civilization. A crashed car, straight over the edge of the sloping sides of this canyon. Two dead bodies smashed and blended up like food went into the side of the canyon; both people went straight through the windscreen. Now a clobbered mess of expired human meat and bone, organs being made the feasting place of maggots and flies alike. From the tire marks, they were driving extremely fast. Trying to escape like everyone else during the hectic first day, I know many tried the same method of taking off full speed towards the bridge. Unsurprisingly, most of them suffered the same fate.

  I was smart enough to stay with Marcus. He knew better than to get in the first car he saw and make a break for it. I bet we would've ended up in a similar situation - dead. Interestingly enough, no one here ever checked the news, at least not until it was too late. All we got was a single emergency message signal, and that died out soon enough as well.

  In the distance, I see the faint outlines of the once large bridge, except it's plummeted into the ground. "What the hell" slips from my mouth. I had the knowledge the bridge collapsed but no one ever told me why. Though, I don't think anyone knew the cause in the first place.

  Inspecting the scene, I take note of all that I see. Cars all around it and the debris of the collapse still blocks up most of the stream but isn't enough to cause blockage luckily. On the opposite side of the bridge, I see what a barricade once was. Two police cars behind it big blocks of heavy duty concrete, no doubt the Officers stationed there are dead. But from the way things were arranged, I can tell they were prepared for a threat from the south... Were there people who had already seen the devastation, and gradually moved up north for safety? I suppose that in turn brought the creatures with them. I can only assume the capitol is no more. Getting back to my main focus, I see a clear path back up, meaning I must be at the very edge of the resort. If I went the other way I would be travelling south towards the next town. It would take at least two days by walking...

  Could I?

  Should I?

  Marcus

  His name flashes in my mind and I know in my heart I would never forgive myself if I left him behind. He's like a brother...

  Marcus

  "Why did I have to go?" Maya complains beside me. From the moment Ben explained what had happened in the brief upset between him and Ed, I had already gathered all I needed and went out to find that damn idiot! Prancing off alone in the woods now is he? I swear to God if that fool is dead, I'll-

  I don't know.

  Ben said Ed was being irrational. I know Ed is better than that. He must have a decent reason.

  "Hello?" Maya pesters. "Look, Patrick made that choice, not me. So if you want to complain like a little bitch to anyone. Do it to him" I flip her off before speeding up my pace. We'd been going back forth for a while now. Sparring each other with words.

  Maya had already been out on a mission once today, she wasn't in the mood for another. "Come on Marcus, can't your big ears listen to reason?" Maya smoulders not too far behind me. Ignoring her, I carry on alongside Ben who shies away from
the increased chance of conflict. "He made the choice to abandon Ben, Marcus-" "I don't care" She deserved to be cut off. I'd never leave Ed. Never.

  "I swear to god if he's dead I am going to laugh"

  I stop.

  I turn.

  Maya's not even smirking. She realises what she said and immediately puts on a face of regret. She blinks, eyes flickering as the sentence that runs over and over in her mind makes her realise even more the gravity of her situation is a dire one.

  "I-"

  "Forget it" I muster the words in a gruff voice; I am seriously so done with her bitching. Not long ago, she and Ed were getting along during their training sessions together. Now, I think all it really was - was a training session. After it finished, and they stopped training together, Maya passed Ed onto Patrick who then taught him everything he could about guns.

  "What do we do if he's dead?" She finally says after a few minutes.

  I say nothing.

  I am not quite willing to face a harsh reality. Let me live in my bubble, for now, Maya, I need all the hope I can get. Maya grunts behind me, she's getting really fed up with being ignored now. It's nothing personal, even though it is.

  "Will you say something Marcus?"

  "Will you shut the fuck up?"

  "Make me"

  Spinning around, I go straight for a hard punch which she was lucky enough to dodge by leaning back to avoid the knuckle that will break her jaw for being such an uncaring, selfish bitch! I don't care. Why should I? The voices that fight against my better judgement quieten down. My good side is gone.

  "Marcus!"

  SMACK

  Maya breathes deeply as she takes two steps back, a wobble in her steps. She's in total shock, watching me withdraw my fist to my side.

  Within seconds, the reality kicks in and she is already reaching for her hatchet and my eyes go wide.

  I see where this is going.

  I reach for my father's fish gutting tool.

  We advance on the other.

  "CAN BOTH OF YOU STOP IT!" Ben steps between us, pushing us apart angrily. "I don't know how much longer I can put up with you people. All I try to do is keep a smile on everyone's face in this god awful world and you do nothing but ruin it!"

  Maya and I freeze up like statues. I've never seen Ben like this before...

  This dead world – this new life, it's changing us. We barely get food and water. There are hardly any sources of entertainment or ways to pass the time and none of us gets along. We must band together to survive. Easier said than done I think. Ben steps aside, looking between us. "Okay. Let's keep moving" Ben huffs, walking away.

  "Try this again and next time, you might not be so fortunate" my words are sharp and to the point. Maya flinches slightly. "If there is a next time..." I barely hear her mutter under her breath.

  As we walk in utter silence, I glance at Maya's face. I socked her hard at the temple on the left side of her skull; a painful looking bruise takes its place. She ignores it, keeping a straight face. Poker facing the pain isn't gonna get her anywhere.

  Unfortunately, there's nothing any of us can do either, at least for the moment.

  My own pit of regret begins digging up inside me as the fighter toughs it out beside me. It's gonna leave one hell of a mark. I almost want to apologise, too bad for her she had it coming with the way she was acting.

  Now the reason we’re out here-

  Ed is fine.

  I'm sure he is.

  Chapter 17 - Hot and Cold

  Ed

  Officer Miller, Watson and Davis all watch me blankly. I wave at them as I approach the ranger station. Miller whispers something to Watson who then reaches for the radio on his belt. Davis shakes his head, turning to walk back to his patrol route. Dread falls over me as I finally get near enough to see both Officers still watching me closely. With a leap, I climb on top of the boot of the car before hopping off the other end. Standing beside the Officers now, I say, "What did I miss?"

  A door slams open and the impact of it echoes through the air until it reaches my ears. Patrick is hot on my tail, comically stomping his way towards me and wrapping a hand around the cuff of my shirt. I make no noise and no reaction. I'm guessing Ben got back before I did and told everyone about what happened. I bet he made me look like such a villain as well.

  "What were you thinking?!" Patrick seethes through his teeth lowly. Not even shouting at me now? He's on a whole new level of pissed off. Wrapping my hand around his enclosed fist, I coo him off me. Pushing him away gently and playing it coolly before he explodes. "I'm sorry for running off like I did, it’s just Ben and me were-" I have to think for a moment. My stalling only wastes my chances of escaping the deep, dark pit I am digging myself into. Patrick's dark brown eyes glare into my blue ones. "We just had a disagreement, is all" I half-grin, hoping he understands but the reasoning is a little, poor.

  Patrick says nothing else though, which is throwing me out of my safe zone. I was expecting a fierce shouting, he had me tense as I was ready for whatever came my way. Instead, Patrick steps back, shrugging his shoulders and playing the guilt card. "Well, Marcus, Maya and Ben went out looking for you... If they don't come back, their loss is on you"

  That bastard...

  I clench my fists and bolt forward to no avail. The very look of the slowly bearding man has me frozen in my tracks. I could never stand up to him, never ever in my life time.

  Patrick grunts knowingly, he's thinking exactly what I am thinking. With the wave of his hand, he leaves the Officers with one final command. "Ed's mess up deserves a penalty. He is to receive no food rations tonight"

  "You can’t do that!" I suddenly yell. This is unfair and cruel!

  "It's justifiable in my eyes" Patrick sneers at me from over his shoulder. He continues walking towards the front of the ranger station where Linda stands with a gun in her hands, a flare gun to be exact upon further inspection. She willingly hands it to Patrick who loads a round into it and holds the nozzle of the weapon high in the air.

  "Wait, is he-"

  He pulls the trigger, sending a line of red smoke hurling into the sky.

  When the initial shock clears, and the smoke around him evaporates. I am left with another snide comment from him. "Once again, if anything now happens to the rest of us. It's on you" Patrick turns, taking Linda's arm and helping her inside.

  “That asshole, he can't be serious?!" I find myself turning to the Officers. Surely they can't agree with this! Miller is the first person to answer me. "They had a plan idiot. If you happen to get back before they did, Patrick would shoot a flare to signal them"

  Watson jumps in. "Yeah, they had it all planned out. Nothing happened last time, why should it be any different this time?"

  Davis calls across the yard, "We've got a problem coming our way!"

  I don't even need to turn. I see it with my own eyes. A horde is coming.

  * * *

  Marcus

  Standing tall with a look of victory, I hold my conviction in the hopes that Ed is alive. Maya pouts, lazily turning on her heel. "Ugh... We walked all this way for nothing" She mutters, annoyed. "At least he's okay" Ben's eyes squeeze shut as a sigh of contempt escapes from his mouth. I couldn't care less about Maya's frustration or Ben's guilt (only if Ed had died, he had already started to blame himself for not going after him) because Ed is alive. My day is complete. Going back to my bed after this and getting an early night. Now that sounds perfect.