The exercise:
The prompt today: carnage.
Oh man, that totally made me think of Don Karnage for the first time in forever.
Anyway. The actual inspiration for this one came from our new mattress arriving today - the mess we made unwrapping that thing could only be described as carnage.
Okay, I suppose other words would have worked. But that one seemed best!
I should shut up and get to my writing now.
Mine:
Those who knew him best knew him as Karl 'Carnage' Williams and had learned quickly to steer clear of him when he was in one of his moods. The man practically vibrated with violence at the best of times, but when anger made his blood run wild and hot there was no escaping.
On those regular occasions, the end of the night would find his hands splattered with the red remains of his victims and a sinister, satisfied smile on his lips. None were spared. Not even a single survivor was left to warn the others.
When 'Carnage' started killing, no mosquito was left alive.
5 comments:
Was the mattress hard to unpack, or were you just having fun with it then? The last time I bought a mattress I bought the bed with it, and the guys who delivered it all unpacked for me and took the rubbish away, so it was quite a painless operation :)
I enjoyed your little story, especially the denouement with the mosquitos, though I'm getting better at guessing what your twist ending is going to be!
Carnage
The wedding reception was being held in the Batcave; after Batman had finally been killed by the Joker (because even superheroes can find arthritis a problem) and Robin had been mailed (in nine separate parcels) back to the Orphanage he'd come from, the supervillains had bought it and started using it as a function hall. The guests were mingling reluctantly, holding delicate crystal glasses filled with champagne and eyeing the canapès with distaste. Conversation was barely above a whisper, and everyone kept sneaking glances at the doors, waiting for the bride and groom to enter.
"I can't believe it," said Dr. Septopus, his voice breathy and quiet. Sylvestra nodded sympathetically.
"I know," she whispered. "Who'd have thought he would marry Mis Carnage?"
"Why, is the pressing question!"
"Perhaps, she's pregnant?" Sylvestra's whisper was a little too loud, and a susurrus spread across the floor of the batcave as all the guests pondered this horrible possibility.
"Dear Gods in Heavena and Demons in Hell," whispered Dr. Septopus after several moments where his beak clacked away, unable to speak. "Surely he's sterile? He sterilises anyone unfortunate enough to get caught in his green flashes."
"Surely she's sterile! She's Miss Carnage, she's the singlest biggest cause of mob death in the United States, there's no way something like her could reproduce!"
"...Then we're back to why on earth they've got married, aren't we?"
Sylvestra nodded. "And why we agreed to come to Green's wedding in the first place."
"Are you considering a diabolical plot?"
"Are you?"
In the great blackness a star spun. It was an old star, and had exhausted its interior. Now the outer layers began to fall inward, spinning. As they fell they spun faster and faster. The outer layers fell down into the interior, and material was added to the old fusion layers. The spinning increased. The star began to glow strange colors never seen before in its light. WHOMP! The noise was terrific, although there were no beings nearby with ears to hear it. The explosion filled the star's old system with a brilliant light, brighter than anything it had produced in life. All the star's material and that of its planetary system blew outwards, into empty space. A small husk was left, to spin alone in a newly empty space.
--------
And eventually some of that dust spun into a star, and planets, and life began on one of the planets, and there were ... dragons! :) Actually, it's the new beginning to my novel. I couldn't think of something about carnage, so I cheated.
Greg - it was a bit of an adventure. There were at least three layers of protection, plus about ten pounds of tape to get through.
That was a great piece. Loved the bit about Robin :)
Morganna - well, regardless of whether or not you cheated, it's beautifully written :)
Carnage
Wilma flinched when she saw that George had made his infamous raw beet salad for one of the courses for lunch. I wished he’d of tol’ me, she grumbled to herself. I just set the table with white linens and by the time everybody’s finished with salad, the tablecloth and the napkins are so splattered with that red juice and stained with dropped pieces of beets, looks like somebody’s been fighting a war in the dining room, carnage everywhere.
But there wasn’t a thing she could do about it now. It was five minutes to noon, and the guests were already coming in from the terrace.
Well, they’re surgeons, after all, she reasoned. Guess all that red on white will make them feel at home.
Brunnhilde - haha, excellent final line. And I know all too well the perils of bloody beets :)
Post a Comment