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

by Birch, Matthew

  "I guess I left myself defenceless. My checker shields were down" Laugh with her Eddy boy. Play it casually and swoop in for the knowledge. Maya's shrill, but gentle laugh dies down and she stares at me with the same statue like eyes I know and love. The caramel swimming pool twinkles as she watches me. She isn't showing strength and I know her well enough to know she never backs down. She is laughing with me and being a little open, just like yesterday. It's now or never.

  "I'm sorry about yesterday..."

  Maya tenses up, immediately moving her piercing, stone cold eyes in my direction. Her very look stabs away at me. Inside me, guilt begins eating me up. Shifting uncomfortably, I try my best to keep my cool but I know it's slipping. "We can't just avoid what happened, I took advantage of you and-"

  "Wait, what?" Maya's eyes glint at me as her brows snapped together. Utter confusion litters her features, leaving me just as confused as she is. "What?" I ask, taken aback by her response to an explanation I didn't even finish. Maya leans forward, blinking twice before gazing down at the checker's board. "Tell me what you thought of yesterday..." She says lowly.

  I feel myself start to sweat. "Um, it was nice-"

  "No, tell me how you see it. Like, what do you make of it?" Maya shoots her head back up at me, her pupils flared, face hardening as she talks.

  I feel my heart begin to speed up. "You weren't in the right mood I guess... I took advantage of you when you were feeling down. We should never have done that..." Now I can't even face her. I just can't. I'm a horrible person...

  "Ed... You fucking idiot-" She pauses. I look back at her. She licks her extremely dry lips and continues. "I kissed you first for one. Plus, you did nothing wrong. We both chose to do it"

  My fractured spirit lifts a tiny bit, even though her words don't do much to convince me. "Then tell me why you've been acting so shifty about what happened. I know you regret it" My voice takes a cold turn, I don't mean it but it happens. Maya dulls slightly, slouching in her chair. "I do not regret it. It just wasn't the smartest thing to do. Like I said, we can't get close. It'll only make thing more difficult for the both of us"

  "I don't understand..."

  "I want to tell you something" Maya sounds like she is giving me a choice; feels more like a demand. Eagerly, she sits up straighter, trying her best to force a smile which becomes an obvious lour, "I do not blame you for what you did. I reacted in a poor way, I'm sorry. Let's just leave it in the past, okay?"

  Releasing the breath I had been holding, I breathe the words, "Okay. Now tell me what you wanted to say, or was that it?"

  "I am sorry for the way I treated you-" her demeanour is brand new. She’s tender in her voice, gentle with her words. Sweet with the body language that isn't so locked up and awkward like I am used to. I am guessing she refers to when we first met. How much we opposed each other. "I originally assumed you were a coward. You were so childlike and would be dead by like, you know, the end of the week" I feel a pang of pain from her brutally honest words. Maya's cheerful expression keeps me hooked on her line though. She reels me in a little more. "Yesterday, you technically saved my life. You might not think much of it, but when we were out in the street. I froze up, got reckless. If you never pulled me back, I'd be dead" Maya's pupils flare, her eyes flickering with the memories of what I can only guess is us. "Ed, think. It's been over a week, and here you are. Look at everything you've learnt, what you've become" She's not wrong. I think deep, and realise I have learnt so much in such a short amount of time. I'm a survivor, not a coward. I am strong, not weak. I saved her life, fought for my own skin and survived. I am alive. Disregarding the terrible death trap we are in at the moment. You know what? Maybe I am just lucky. Maya gleams at me, "I respect you more now than I ever have before" A familiar rosy pink paints her cheeks and nose.

  Smiling weakly, I thank her for her words. A part of me can't believe it. Something in my heart speaks above the self-doubt. It's pride, something I haven't felt in a long time. "Don't let it get to your head though..." Laughing, Maya points at my leg and arm. It takes me a moment to realise it, then I laugh too. I'm not perfect, so I really can't let it get to my head. We go silent for a moment before Maya hastily says, "Promise me you won't tell anyone about what happened with us"

  "Why would I?"

  Maya nods, thinking to herself for a second. "And... I put on an outward appearance, something that I tend to show the world. Everyone has layers that cover up who they really are. I'm being open to you, but don't expect me to be like this around everyone else. Personally, I'm quite introverted" She shies away, flicking her fringe out of her eyes again. I understand a little better now. The tough, cold girl act is real, but it's is mostly nothing more than a persona. She's strong and fun, not just some powerful walking dull human. She's not perfect, but she's compassionate at least. Like the rest of us, she's lost people. Maya's still hurting deep down and that's not going to change.

  We're here for each other. I know that now.

  Maya stands up, "We've still got some time to kill, want another game?" She asks and the fire of competition kicks back in. "You bet I do" I smile, already wanting another go at showing her who the real checkers champion is. Maya rolls her eyes, bending down and kissing my cheek before softly saying next to my ear. "I'll be back in a few"

  Shivers roll down my spine. I twitch slightly. I hear her cover up a laugh as she slyly walks away. Now she's just playing me. What a-

  You know what; she doesn’t deserve to be talked about so disrespectfully. I acknowledge her challenge, and I will find some way to get back at her in time.

  While Maya handles whatever it is she's doing. I get back to setting up the checkers board. Soon enough, we're going to have to face the storm because plan A won't last forever.

  But for now, we're enjoying the calm that is her broken persona.

  Chapter 25 - Each Other

  Maya

  Boredom settled in, leaving the two of us lazing around without anything to do. Exhausted, and without the will to lift a muscle, we lounged about most of the day. Having spent everything we could have done to entertain us, me and Ed quickly burned our way through several games that ended all too soon. Our fierce competitive nature died out eventually, and that's where we are now. With the night sky looming over us, we light the last few candles we have left, bundling them together on the table. We wrap up warm as the cold fights its way in. Tranquillity eerily set itself in around us a long time ago. I hate to admit it, but when we just stopped conversing due to lack of things to say. We noticed how silent the outside world has been. Like all the life in the world had died.

  Sighing, I pull the brown fur blanket up to the bridge of my nose. My eyes droop down; I stare at my toes that poke out at the other end of the blanket. I twiddle them around, giving a show of how bored I really am. Not just that, but I'm so hungry. My stomachs killing me, I feel light-headed and I don't think I'd ever admitted this to myself...

  I'm feeling hopeless.

  Fluttering his eyelids, Ed struggles to stay awake on the adjoining sofa. He perks up, and then falls back down. He's trying hard to stay with me, though I'm not sure if he's feeling the way he is due to tiredness or any of the other various reasons. It could be infection, dehydration, starvation, blood loss. You name it, he could have it. I want to ask if he's okay, that's all I want to do but it would get me nowhere. It is just another pointless question in this pointless world. No one has come to find us, leaving us isolated. What are we supposed to do? Is anyone else even alive...?

  We could be all that's left.

  Solemnly shaking my head, I disregard the negative thoughts and focus on Ed once more. Breathing heavily, the pale-faced man slumps to the side somewhat, groaning, he starts shifting weakly onto his left side so he is directly facing the flickering flames.

  We haven't got long now. Plan A is a dying cause. Plan B is our only option and I haven't got a clue of how we're going to go about it. We couldn't walk back. Fighting our way through is
n't an option. Is there anything to even fight? It’s so, empty out there. We could get a car. But, the risk involved is too dangerous. We get the engine going and steamroll through town; we'll have every monster for a mile hot on our tail. Or at least, that is the idea. We make a sound and then they decide to show up. When the silence is deathly, even the slightest sounds shine through. They could be anywhere, lurking in shadows, laying out traps, or they could be right underneath the very windows we look out of in the slim hopes of seeing a familiar face.

  Marcus, Chloe, Ben...

  Someone, anyone! I don't think I can do this.

  "Ed?" Mustering the single word is a strain on my energy. His eyes tiredly move towards me, and he nods in response. "We should get some sleep... When sunset comes, we make our move whether we like it or not"

  Ed just turns to his other side, ignoring me. Has he given up? My heart drops and breaks, and I feel myself already slipping that little bit closer to giving up altogether as well. Might as well, what else is there to live for anyway? I look at Ed. "Hey..." I say quietly. Ed is unresponsive. Narrowing my eyes, I mournfully push the blankets off me, leaving my place in the armchair deliberately. "Hey?" I whisper, stepping beside him and kneeling down, I place a careful hand on his good side. Gently, I shake his shoulder. He stirs but makes no other action. Sulking, I close my eyes and take a breather.

  "Please don't leave me alone..." Useless, I have never felt so useless. This is how it feels? To be completely worthless and alone makes me feel like nothing matters anymore. Death might even be a better option than the life we have to live now. How much longer can I bear the misfortune of living?

  "Ed..." I try one last time, my voice fading out as I give up.

  I'm afraid. Dying is something I never thought I'd be scared of. Yet, here I am. I hate the very idea of slipping into the darkness without making any sort of impact on this world. I have no reason to die. If I die, I want to have done something worthwhile you know? If not for me, then I want to for someone else. Except, right now, I want to live. I want to go back to the life I lived, it's already better than this one no matter how gloomy my shitty life got in the distant past. Blinking, I already feel myself having to fight back letting out precious water. I can't be weak. I need to stay strong.

  Standing up, I wrap my arms around myself and look around the pitch black. All we have are these candles, and they won't last forever. They are all we have. After them, it's the machete and each other. A single weapon and two people who are dying, both mentally and physically.

  I mean, if it was a gun with two bullets then the conclusion to all this could be so-

  Wait, isn’t there that handgun in the drawer-

  MAYA NO!

  I can't believe you'd think that.

  Below me, Ed twists and turns until he falls on his side that's facing me. I raise an eyebrow, a muddled look on my face when he opens the bed cover he stole from upstairs. He had moved to the other side of the sofa, creating enough room for someone else to fit in with him. Arms open and welcoming me in, I see exactly what he's doing. A small, much-needed smile works its way onto my face. I say nothing, simply curtseying down to his height, and squeezing in with him. He wraps his arms around me, pulling me close. I bundle up against his chest, cuddling into him.

  All we have left is each other.

  Sunrise comes and we have to try.

  Sunrise comes and we fight to survive or die...

  Chapter 26 - Plan B

  Maya

  A head full of fog leaves me slipping from his arms and yelping on the floor upon waking. Rubbing my tired, baggy eyes, I brush the fuzzy dark dots in my vision aside to focus on the daylight breaking through the windows. It's morning, and the sun is high in warning of how little time we have left. Time is of the essence, and we're running out of it. Light-headed, and despite the lack of food, my stomach churns with spite; I feel horribly sick. Giving it all I've got, I push myself the extra mile, scouting around the enclosed cabin that has become our home the past two days. The memories we made here will last a lifetime.

  As I pass by the front window, something peculiar catches my dusky eyes. All the chaos has vanished? Grabbing the machete by its hilt off a nearby windowsill, I immediately make my turn for the door. I'm not sure if it is curiosity or worry that encourages me to go out there. Taking a deep breath, I freeze and think this over. But the oddness of the situation forces my mind to be made up. Twisting the doorknob and throwing the door ajar, I step outside. Fresh air sucker punches me, cooling my face refreshingly. I take it all in, observing the town. Sticking my arm out from under the porch, I take the moment to let myself start enjoying the sunshine on my pale skin. Having been shut away with a pit of dread for the past two days leave you feeling drained mentally. Having to constantly stay on guard for not only your life but others as well has me dead inside. All the fear in the world no longer matters. I feel like I've seen it all, and I tread down the cobbled path towards the street below, I realise I no longer care what the world has to throw at me anymore.

  After the initial battle, the variety of monsters had left the feeble, wild creatures in a scramble for their lives. Despite their heavy numbers, poor intelligence and feral like nature drove them into the corner. Being rounded up like cattle, they were brought to the slaughter. Ed and I walked right through it, and even now I can't bring myself to believe all this had happened not long ago, yet this whole street is seemingly, and creepily, untouched to its very core. Of course, other than the general debris, and the original mayhem from the first outbreak, the ruinous town has no trace of what caused its eventual demise in the first place and the idea of it all makes me wonder if this is a dream.

  I pinch myself to be sure, and the pain I inflict on my own body notifies me that I am alive and living in this moment of utter silence and confusion. The stench of the dead, decaying creatures and monsters alike still lingers like a rain cloud across the street, especially where the huge heaping pile of corpses was created to be feasted upon like a free buffet. The creation of the disgusting food pile is just as non-existent as the rest. Crimson red and sickly black stains dirty the road in splatters. No corpses, no flesh meat or bones. It's like someone cleaned the entire street, but couldn't remove the stains. Kinda like washing a white shirt with a chocolate smudge. Or spilling red wine on your white dress, I’d know a thing or two about that. Well, at least I remember fun times like that when my life wasn’t in danger at every turn.

  Taking a turn at the top of the street, I venture dangerously far. It's a risk, and I know that. But I am all too eager to see why it is we are alone. No friends or foes, just Ed and I. The more I search, the less I find. Coming to a stop, I take a breather. I feel weak and diminished, and already the presence of sleep seeps its way back into me, wanting to pull me into another restless slumber of painful nightmares. Shaking it off, I continue to push further. I can't give up. This whole strange phenomenon has me lost, and I want answers.

  Is an answer really what I need?

  Do I deserve an answer I won't get?

  This-

  This is an opportunity to make our escape. I don't care if there is a trap lying in wait, or this is all some elaborate scheme by an overly intelligent monster. The garbage truck I've paid my eyes on paints me a picture of a clean escape with a huge, tank-like vehicle. We'd steamroll our way through town exactly like we said would be the worst thing to do. No, Ed, this is it, our chance to survive.

  * * *

  When Ed finally comes to, he jumps in surprise, having a mini freak out as he scurries around the vehicle helplessly. Flailing in his seat before glaring my way furiously. "What the- WHAT WERE YOU THINIKING MAYA?!" He instantly yells in my direction. I send a glance his way, "What?" I ask with a wide smile on my face.

  Ed tugs at his seatbelt, before slouching in his seat and looking out the window tiredly. "How in the world..." He murmurs. I nod to myself, taking note of his confusion. As we drive, I explain the situation to him, telling him about the
strange disappearance of the monsters and creatures alike. It's like nothing happened. He doesn't believe me at first, but he sees it for himself as we drive. The whole town is empty. Bewildered, the freaked out Ed yawns, rubbing his eyes before staring at me.