Chapter 25 - King of the Jungle
Lola
Sitting on a small, sturdy box, that is as empty as I feel right now, I rest the lukewarm ice pack against my distended, blistered cheek. My own father punched me, and I am still reaping the effects. The throbbing sensation is painful, though, it will never compare to how broken I feel inside. Packing up, the group that plans to go north eagerly prepare, even if the boat did leave earlier, we don’t want to take the chance of wasting time on something that might not work. At the very least, if we travel north, we have an escape along a longer but more secure route. The light at the end of our tunnel is further away, except, our light is guaranteed.
“You know, I’ve always wanted to be a scientist” Alice, questioningly hunkers down beside me on the floor, on leg bent and the other stretched out as she leans back on her arms, her eyes looking right at the military vessel that is boarded by those who did not join us.
“Why a scientist?” Blankly, I ask away, beginning the conversation. The throbbing in my jaw makes it difficult to speak, my gums are swollen and my teeth don’t feel the same way they once did.
“I want to properly learn all about this stupid parasite stuff one day. I want to help develop cures so good that no one ever suffers again!” Beaming like a glow worm in the darkness, Alice shoots a winning smile my way.
Faintly, I smile back, murmuring through my broken face even though I look mostly fine, “That’s cool, I believe in you!” Flashing a grin that doesn’t look forced as well as my facial structure allows - I reach out; palm and hand straight open for a glorious high five that she reciprocates in seconds!
“I am sure the next generation can take the lead” Maya, near us, laughs, looking in our direction while she hands Ed their shared rucksack.
“We’re basically in the same generation-” Alice frowns, then thinks of something better. “No, actually, you’re all old!”
Maya glowers, a smug look on her face, “At least I’m old enough to...” She stumbles, losing her ground as she didn’t think her playful argument through. Turning to Ed for backup, she panics, not sure what to say next! Shrugging his shoulders, Ed proves useless, and at the last minute, Maya says quicker than I swear I could hear!
“We can have children!”
Alice and I look at one another. “That’s cute?” I say, not entirely caring of this situation. I just want the pain to go away more than anything.
“Yeah, we could settle down, start a family-” Ed suddenly leaps in, really getting a piece of the action as his eyes glitter like the night sky we can no longer see. His enthusiasm takes her off guard, bless her heart; she has no idea what to say. “What would you like?”
“What do you mean what would I like?!” Maya punches his arm playfully, with a slight blush on her face as the couple play around.
“Boy or girl!” Ed replies, trying his best to make her look like the silly one. Alice and I stay right where we are; the two joking adults approach and the rest of our group who have packed up arrive as well, at the best moment!
“Same time?” Ed yells happily.
“Okay!” She bellows back, both of them facing one another with those same outlandish grins on their faces!
“Three”
“Two”
“One”
“BOY!” They shout, and the group finally catching on, realise what wondrous things are in the making. It’s so sweet, I feel a hope for us again, seeing that despite everything that has happened, their goals are so simple, to start a family, and live together till the day they die.
“Name?” Maya whispers.
“After the man who gave this life so that we could get this far?” Ed winks, no doubt he has made his choice. Alice giggles next to me before leaning over and whispering someone’s name in my ear. Marcus, the same man I have heard a lot about?
“You’ll name him Marcus!” Chloe, melting inside, leaps into Maya, hugging her close.
“Oh be quiet, we’re just playing around-” Maya, trying to restrain herself from laughing as much as we are, fights Chloe off childishly.
“Well, it doesn’t sound like that, does it, Ian?” Taking the vicious high ground, Zack intervenes, high toned and making his point before passing it off to Ian.
“I would say it does Zack!” Copying the same attitude and tone Zack had, both men play along!
I am beginning to feel human again. I think our group, through trial and error, found what we needed, each other from the people who are here. Joey would have loved this...
Or would he still fight for Callum, maybe, for as long as my Uncle was alive, then Callum would stay despite how toxic he was for the group...
“Well, you know it’s a work in progress down here!” Flustered, Maya rubs her hand over her clearly flat and mostly toned, or probably skinny from lack of food stomach for a joke. Visibly happy, Ed proudly wraps an arm around her and pulls her close with a bright smile on his immature face. For another moment, everyone feels normal as we celebrate the pregnancy of a baby who isn’t actually there but the joke has already been planted.
You know, I wonder what I will do. Where will life take me? I have nothing left, and I am sure as hell not going back to my insanity driven father. He’s broken, Joey’s dead, my mum is long gone, and Tommy...
Oh, Tommy...
“What should I do?” I ask the entire group...
All watching me, they all return to their thoughts for a second. Saddening, I have to say again before I crack, “When we escape... Where do I go?” The thoughts of an orphanage terrify me...
“We’ll be your family,” Ed says, thoughtfully, maybe not certain. “Yeah, we can be one big family!” Boasting, Ed throws his arms around, trying to get everyone into one big huddle! Alice and I bounce up, going to Chloe and Zack’s side as quickly as we can! No one has anything left, so when we escape, we’ll stay together, until the end of our days.
A gentle rumbling shudders through the earth we walk on.
Escaping the huddled group, I fall back, spinning around to face... Him...
We were the leaders of the forest, but he, is the undisputed King, of the jungle...
The devil himself...
Epilogue
“I must say, it is odd, meeting the last of you, against the last of me...” The Carnage, with all his strength, is so scarily unbelievable, to the bulking body and the disturbing form the group are all too used to. To the towering height, he imposes on them all. They look at a monster that could topple a building, and at last, they realise why they were wrong to doubt Danvius’s abilities. That god-like man was fighting the devil, and being god-like isn’t enough to defeat what lurks below. The Carnage, speaks so fluently as if they are communicating with another person. Taken by surprise, and then disturbed with shock, the group propel back, retreating as far and as wide as the eye can see. Darting into cover, preparing weapons, and fearing the worst as the enemy draws near.
A flare is fired, one that Ed has been holding onto, an agreement with Robert had been kept, and the last thing they ever agreed upon was to be there for each other regardless of their separations. Now, the boat is alive, the military vessel is emptied, the last of the survivors prepare as they make their final stand.
“Young girl, why don’t you run?” The Carnage, squatting down, pokes his motorbike sized fingers at Lola who had slipped over in the chaos. She lies in the dirt, eyes wide as the Carnage prods her playfully. “Humans are funny things, aren’t they, little girl?” Standing back up, the Carnage feasts his eyes on his surroundings, watching as everyone comes together. Like Danvius, the Carnage builds his audience. The entire time, Lola just watches from below, benevolently trying to scramble away without trying to arouse suspicion.
Taking a deep breath, the Carnage’s lungs expands, fattening its body before exhaling a storm-
At last, he looks down again, at all the humans who hide in different spots and locations. He does hide a smile, wondering possibly what they can do that the milita
ry and the god-like Danvius couldn’t. But, he is not foolish, nor is he cocky, he is aware of his diminishing life; they could harm him just as much as his previous enemies did and he’d be defenceless to stop it... But they don’t need to know that.
“I am the Carnage; I was created, moulded, and developed by the Organisation originally as a cure for all diseases. I imagine, somewhere along the way, I mutated, and thus I was born. Presently, after escaping, whilst I was young, I was so furious, I had my vendetta, they birthed me without a purpose, and I wanted nothing more than to kill every last human. I imagine that you all met my children, the creatures and monsters who spread and plagued you all” Like a presenter; he waves his hands around at the chaos he’s caused. “Well, now, you’ll also notice there are hardly any of my children left...” His voice becomes a mumble as if he is annoyed by something.
The surviving group below, beginning to feel safe, come out from their hiding, being gathered in a loose formation, each person wanting to know what the Carnage is. The false sense of safety he gives them is alluring, and it surely works. He knows this, but he continues his story, like the villain who has trapped the hero, he tells his entire plan. Though his plan is dying with him, and all he wants is the best for everyone.
“Many of my children spent their time learning from humans on how best to kill them, though, those of my children who consumed too much, and then each other, got too strong, and tried to fight for their own independence from me. Some broke away from my hivemind, and I lost all control, so in the time you’ve spent getting here, I have been travelling all over the island, killing and retaking every last spore I spread. Having expanded my children too hastily left me incomplete; however, it does not take one long to regain lost strength. What you see before you, is what you get...” The Carnage, tired, having spoken too much, is left genuinely winded. Like an old man, he holds his monstrous hands over the beating part of his crimson, melted flesh. His whole body is rippled with wounds that can no longer heal...
“He’s really dying...” Ed whispers to Lola once she could get far enough to rush back to safety.
Seeing this, the Carnage smiles, before dropping down onto the ground with a thundering thump! Causing every last survivor to be thrown off their feet as if they were on a trampoline! Sitting cross-legged, the Carnage pleasantly continues, pleased that not one person had tried to hurt him.
“I am, an amalgamation of human kinds own worst creation... I contain everything that is not only evil but wrong with the world. I am you, and you are me. But, I have grown old, and while my life expectancy might as well resemble that of a fly, I do not any longer wish to harm humans. I offer you the chance to leave like I did for the soldiers who fought back, as I had also done for Danvius who survived my wrath. I am now the last of my kind, as you killed the last of my children the other day at your little hideout. I always knew you were there; I just wanted to speak to you all when everyone was at their most vulnerable. Now, I offer you a way out, a chance to escape...” The Carnage trails his finger in the dirt, making a small circle around himself before playfully glancing between all the survivors and smiling like he is truly doing the right thing despite looking like something that comes right out of your bloody nightmares.
“Do you mean it?” Ed calls out, waving his hand, being the first human to stand up, not against him, but more with him.
The Carnage slowly nods his weary, ageing head. They had never seen it before, how age affects the Carnage. His body, not as grimy, not as crawly, he seems slow, like the effects of age truly is a burden to him.
“Yes, I offer human-kind a chance to survive. I suppose, if I really had the desire, I could very easily cross and infect the oceans before turning on the world. Mankind would fall to my wrath, but I do not care for it” The Carnage replies simply to Ed.
Nodding, Ed does not avert his gaze. “And why is that, may I ask?” Being polite, Ed doesn’t get cocky; he plays it safe, not wanting to risk anything.
“Human have beliefs that they are their own worst weapon, and I feel am I a product of that philosophy. Much like human nature, I was originally created from some cells, to be specific, a little tube of white blood cells that were gifted with the uncanny disorder of being immune to anything and everything. The Organisation wanted a way to escape the infection of disease, but all they did, was feed me. Kept on, developing me, testing me, then one day, I grew, and I was created. I never wanted to exist, but here I am. To answer your question in short little human, I feel your species are destined for so much more, and I have met my match before...” The Carnage, staying in his circle on the ground, yawns tiredly. “My cells are swift in their process, I will not live long. As a living parasite that happened to gain sentience, I can spread as a hivemind and infect the planet. It’s all pointless though, the ends would be the same. I would have destroyed a species that could accomplish so much more. I will die soon, through the process of old age, like every other living being, immortality is just a fly in the wind...”
Stretching, the Carnage takes a moment to relax. The whole group nervously, but slowly beginning to understand, realising there is no final fight. They can survive.
“I would rather spend my final days learning from humans as you are my predecessors,” The Carnage remarks, a grin forming on his face as he kindly points at everyone.
The whole group of survivors is shocked into oblivion.
“You are all very unique to have made it this far. In the beginning, I was so young, so angry, now so calm, so old...” Remembering the past, the Carnage disturbingly looks like he has lived a fulfilling life? “I do not want to start a war with the world. I have already proven I am superior, but mankind will not die by my hand, for I shall not fulfil a prophecy that has been long in the making...”
“You’re so, smart?” Graham from the rabbit foot survivor’s group speaks out.
The Carnage nods. “Is that a compliment, or are you scared that another species is just as capable as you are, little human?” The Carnage makes fun of Graham and pretty much the rest of humanity in a bone-chilling statement.
“I imagine you have already been told, that there are soldiers in the north. They think I don’t know, but that is where you need to go next... You may even become celebrities for your achievements, and hopefully will be gifted with a prosperous life! I wish you the best of luck, my parents!” Rising up, the Carnage at last in one swift movement turns away and begins walking off with a booming thunder with every footstep he takes. It’s a wonder he sneaked up on them in the first place!
“YOU KILLED EVERYONE I LOVED!”
The Carnage does not listen, and continues to stroll away, further and further.
“YOU HAVE KILLED SO MANY PEOPLE, WHY SHOULD WE BE THE UNLUCKY ONES!” It’s Callum, it’s fucking Callum, and he breaks free, running after the Carnage in a distraught rage. The entire group runs after him, fearing he’ll do the worst!
“YOU ARE A MURDERER, AND YOU WILL BE BROUGHT TO JUSTICE LIKE ANYONE ELSE!” Callum screams his deranged thoughts before finally being retained by Robert and Ed who hold him back, grabbing all the weapons they can off him before he does something stupid. Without any weapons, the struggling Callum is useless, his verbal accusations and insults being the only tool he has left other than the little voice in his head that guides him to kill the Carnage, despite having no such way of doing so.
Laughing, the Carnage finally turns, looking back at their group. “Your system cannot hold me! The Organisation tried and failed as you have seen!” the Carnage presents himself in all his glory!
“YOU’RE OLD; WE MIGHT AS WELL PUT YOU OUT OF YOUR MISERY NOW!” Callum screams through his dribbled tears...
The Carnage shakes his head. “I plan to live long enough to speak to the world someday, to peacefully tell humanity what I have told you. Everyone deserves to know the truth” At last, the Carnage turns for the final time, beginning his stroll beyond anew.
In the heat of the moment, Callum, with all the st
rength he has left, roars crazily as he elbows Ed’s stomach before smashing his face in with his fist. Knocked back, Ed is replaced by Robert who goes to put the gun on Callum, only to be expertly stopped, disarmed and knocked back. Callum, pissed, vengeful, wanting the justice he wants, lashes out, smashing his foot down on Ed’s chest, crushing him, before sending several bullets into the tank like Chris, halting him, but not penetrating his armour. Lastly, Ed is left nearly out for the count when Callum sends one last fist into his face, takes his machete and flare gun-
Callum leaps up, only to be met by Graham, the biggest human there is, bigger than Chris. Graham goes to get his hands dirty. He won’t be so close to freedom, and have it be taken from him!
Graham blasts into Callum-
Only to heave when the machete that slices, twists, and guts him, leaves him holding his sprawling stomach in agony as he hits the floor. Like a madman, Callum holds up the flare in one hand while using the handgun to keep everyone else back, and with the single pull of the trigger, the flare is-
The Carnage Trilogy (Book 2): Humanities Contingency [You Will Lose Yourself] Page 14
