The Caverns of Carnage

July 2, 1993

“Lorraine, look out!” Pietro Hernandez grabbed Lorraine Henderson’s arm and pulled her to a stop.

She gasped, startled.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” Pietro told her. “You were about to step in that mud puddle.”

Lorraine glanced down at the murky pool of water inches from her feet. “Thanks, . I didn’t even notice it.”

The two of them stood in the middle of a cemetery where Bruno Henderson, Lorraine’s brother, had just been buried.

The funeral was over. Almost everyone had left.

Hazy fog drifted through the trees and slithered around the headstones like smoke. A drop of water splashed onto ’s head, and he glanced up.

Thick gray clouds veiled the sky. The rain had stopped for a moment. But the ground was a swamp, and moisture trickled from the trees.

“I feel like I’m in a horrible nightmare,” Lorraine stated, “I still can’t believe Bruno is dead.”

Crushed between a giant Ferris wheel.

His head – sliced off. His legs splayed out, squirming and twitching each time the cars of the giant wheel passed over his broken, lifeless body.

Pietro sighed with glee. He would never forget that sight.

“So many terrible things have happened ever since my family decided to build an amusement park here,” Lorraine said. “My grandfather was killed. Then those kids who were helping with the construction went totally crazy and smashed each other to death with bricks. That accident with the scaffolding that killed all those painters. Now Bruno is dead and I can’t help wondering what’s going to happen next!”

More than years ago, Lorraine’s great-grandfather Ezra Henderson had come up with the idea of Scream Park – an enormous amusement park to be built near Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles.

She’s so trusting and naive, Pietro thought disdainfully. She has no idea I was responsible for Bruno’s hideous death. She thinks I’m her friend.

As they passed a parked car, Pietro’s smile suddenly froze.

That face reflected in the car window.

Exposed flesh. Deep scars at the corner of his eye-holes and mouth that looked as if they’d been gouged with a knife.

Pietro gasped.

Had Lorraine seen it? Had she seen the burnt half of his face?

Did he have to kill her now?

“Lorraine, I’ll go home by myself, thanks.”

“Have a nice evening, Pietro.”

“Bye.”

Once she was out of sight, Pietro hastened towards the entrance to his cavern.

The opening to his lair loomed out from the mist. Pietro burst through the door and marched towards the Blood Orb. The source of the entirety of his power.

It was perched on a small stone stand next to the banks of the lake of blood.

It was a round glassy crimson orb, with deep scratches and archaic markings, with what appeared to be red smoke swirling inside.

He gripped the Orb in his hand and lowered himself into the lake of blood. It burned when it hit the exposed flesh. But he ignored the pain. Pain was a small price to pay for immortality.

Gradually, he felt his skin begin to tighten. The scars and the flesh smoothed out. The flesh sank back behind, to reveal the youthful skin of a teenager.

He took a deep breath. He opened his eyes. The Blood Orb had worked its power again. As he lay in the lake, he pictured the night of the massacre.

Dozens of kids – laughing, joking, singing – had congregated in the area where the park was to be built. All of them wore work shirts and jeans and boots.

And all held onto wheelbarrows of bricks.

Ezra Henderson, Lorraine’s great-grandfather had hired them, at ten dollars a day, to place bricks lining the wall of the theme park.

The crew began placing the bricks.

And then creams and cries and horror broke out.

Somebody threw a brick. The rectangular clay cube whizzed as it swept through the air… and landed on another boy’s head.

Blood gushed like a fountain from the boy’s ragged skull.

Another brick flew through the air. Then another, and another.

The kids shrieked in a murderous frenzy as they pelted each other to death.

Blood and chunks of flesh flew through the air, spattering the walls, the ground, the faces and arms of everybody in the vicinity.

As Pietro recalled the scene of horror, a smile of triumph ran across his face.

As he got out of the lake, he heard a shuffling sound coming from the entrance. Pietro looked up in shock. A girl sauntered into the cavern.

“Alicia! You nearly scared me!” Pietro called out angrily.

“You, scared? Please.” Alicia responded back.

Alicia Hickman was the only person whom Pietro Bradley had shared the secret of the Blood Orb with. The secret to immortality.

“So what’s the plan? Any ideas to get rid of the Hendersons once and for all?” she asked.

“It’s all Ezra Parkinson’s fault. He was the one who convinced me to split up when we were in the cave. This cave.” Pietro looked scornfully at the lake.

“It’s his fault I’ve killed so many people.”

“Uh-huh.”

“So any plans for tonight? We should go out to dinner.” Alicia suggested eagerly. “I heard of this one restaurant in-”

“Sorry, Alicia. I don’t have time.” Pietro interrupted. “I need to get to work.”

Alicia smiled sadly.

“I see.”

* * *

“Please, Lorraine,” implored Jared Warren, her dead brother’s best friend. “All I want is a job. Couldn’t you ask your dad for me?” They stood outside Lorraine’s father’s caravan, which was parked on a road near the hills.

“Why don’t you ask me yourself?” a voice demanded.

“Dad!” Lorraine cried.

Sidestepping Jared, she sped across the road to her father, Jason Henderson.

“I was telling Lorraine I’m good with machines and stuff. I can run the Ferris wheel and anything else, just as good as Bruno.”

“Oh, too bad,” Henderson replied. “I’ve already hired a replacement for Bruno. Pietro Hernandez. Do you know him?”

“No. How about some other job?” Jared suggested quickly. “I could sell tickets, maybe, or run an ice-cream stand. Anything!”

Mr. Henderson kept shaking his head. “All the jobs are filled right now. I have a waiting list. Perhaps next summer.”

“But that’s ages away!” Jared blurted out.

“I’m sorry, truly.”

Jared strode fiercely across the trail.

Jason Henderson! He thought. Says he’s so sorry, but he can’t do a thing for me. Can’t even find me a job selling ice-cream cones!

Jared’s anger boiled up inside him until he could hardly see straight. He wanted to hit something. To bash something to pieces.

In a rage, he raised his arm back and propelled the rock through the air as hard as he could.

A high-pitched screech of pain split the air.

The screech spiraled up through the empty park.Jared shut his eyes.

What did I hit? A child?

His eyes snapped open.

At the end of the path stood a sign; “The Animal Preserve.”

The rock rested at the base of a tree just within the fence. On one of the tree branches sat a tiny squirrel monkey. A trickle of bright red blood ran down one side of its face, matting down the fur. Its eyes were shining with fear, as if it anticipated another rock to come hurtling at it any second.

A monkey, Jared thought. Not a kid. Still, he felt bad. He hadn’t meant to hit it. He hadn’t meant to hit anything.

As Jared moved closer to the edge of the preserve to get a better look, a tall, beefy man wearing a navy-blue Scream Park uniform galloped from an adjoining path. Two more uniformed men ran behind him.

“Hey, you!” the man yelled furiously. As he drew closer, Jared saw the words: ‘Oliver Smith, Preserve Manager,’ on his name tag. “Did you throw that rock? Get away from there!”

Before Jared could say a word, Oliver darted up and shoved him roughly away from the edge of the preserve.

Jared stumbled back. He held his hand up, palms up.

“Hey, man, I’m sorry!” he shouted to Oliver. “I didn’t mean to hit him. It was an accident!”

“Tell that to Mr. Henderson!” Oliver’s dark gray eyes were hot with anger. He gave Jared another shove.

“Hey!” Jared’s own temper flared. “I said I was sorry!”

Oliver waved to his two workers, who stepped forward.

“Get this thug out of the park,” he ordered.

“You can’t do that!” Jared cried.

“Oh yes I can.” Oliver gave him an frigid smile. “I’m giving you a two-man guide out of here!”

Oliver’s men seized both of Jared’s arms.

“Don’t bother,” he told the preserve manager. “I can’t get out of this ridiculous park fast enough!”

He glared at Oliver, then shook off the worker’s hand and strode away.

From a curve in the path, Pietro Hernandez watched as Jared hustled towards the park exit. Oliver’s men stayed a few feet behind them, making sure he really left.

Pietro stepped out and began to follow. As he passed Oliver he gave the preserve manager a cordial smile. “Hey, Mr. Oliver, how’s it going?”

Oliver nodded briefly, then turned towards the monkey preserve.

Pietro chuckled to himself as he hurried along.

He wasn’t surprised to see Oliver kick Jared out. The preserve manager liked always had to be on top and in control.

Jared Warren is different kettle of fish, Pietro thought. And I might be able to use that temper of his to help me destroy some more people. And maybe cause some trouble for the Hendersons.

Pietro picked up his pace to a jog. “Jared!” he called “Hey, Jared, wait up a second!”

Jared stopped and turned around, frowning when he saw who had called his name. “What do you want?” he demanded.

“Oliver,” Pietro replied. “I saw what happened back at the preserve.”

Jared scowled. “So what? You want to make something of it?”

“No!” Pietro widened his eyes in mock surprise. “Are you kidding? I’m on your side. Oliver is a mega jerk.”

Jared’s scowl deepened. “I should go back and–”

“I’ve got a better idea,” Pietro said quickly. “A much better idea.”

“What’s better than punching his lights out?” Jared demanded.

“Scaring him,” Pietro answered. “And I mean really scaring him–so bad he’ll cry for his mommy.”

“So what’s your plan?

“Come on. I’ll show you.” Pietro took off down the sidewalk, which wound around the border of Scream Park. Jared followed. Like a mouse snuffling at a trap, Pietro thought.

If only I could get him to go for the bait.

The sidewalk slanted steeply upward, leading them to the summit of a hill. From there, they could look down on the trees and hills of Hollywood Hills, and Scream Park’s wild animal preserve.

“See that cliff over there?” Pietro asked. “That cliff juts out over the bear enclosure. And every night at nine-thirty, like clockwork, Oliver goes up there and drops meat down to feed the bears. Those bears are starving, too. They’re waiting down there with their jaws open!”

“Okay, I get the picture. So what’s your idea?” Jared inquired again, staring at the cliff.

“The park opens tomorrow,” Pietro told him. “There will be a few people around tonight, checking things out, but not many. So you come here tonight.”

He lowered his voice. “Then, you sneak up on Oliver, surprise him from behind. Get it? You let him think you’re going to push him off that cliff – straight into the bears’ jaws!”

“But I’m not supposed to be here. What if I get caught?”

“You won’t,” Pietro assured him. “I’ll make sure one gate is unlocked and I’ll show you the service road that runs behind the park. You can use it without being spotted. Anyway, if someone does see you, just say you’re part of a work crew, checking the grounds.”

Jared glanced at Pietro and then back at the cliff.

“What do you say?” Pietro asked. “Will you do it?”

* * *

Jared let his eyes wander along the winding trail. The full moon cast spooky shadows over the ground. And the night breeze made weird rustling noises in the bushes.

Jared’s heart thumped as he crept cautiously up the trail. He narrowed his eyes and peered down the path. All he could see was fog and shadows.

The wind picked up, noisily blustering the leaves on the bushes. Jared tensed with every creak and rustle. It’s not too late to turn back, he thought. He picked up his pace and hurried up the hill until he saw the waist-high rail running along the edge of the cliff.

No sign of Oliver.

Jared checked his watch. 9:27 PM. If Pietro Hernandez was right, Oliver ought to come up the other path any minute now.

The wait didn’t last long.

He nearly gasped audibly as a rattling, clanking noise broke the silence of the park. Faint and remote at first, it grew nearer and louder. Soon Jared could hear the footsteps and the shrill sound of someone whistling through their teeth.

The rattling noise and the footsteps stopped abruptly, but the whistling continued. Jared cautiously peered out from the top of a bush.

Oliver stood near the rail, whistling as he pulled on a pair of plastic gloves. Two large metal buckets sat on the ground beside him.

With the gloves on, he reached into one of the buckets and pulled out a huge slab of raw meat. The gristle and fat ran through it like thick veins, glistening pale in the moonlight. Dark crimson juice seeped from Oliver’s plastic-covered fingers and dripped onto the tops of his boots. He didn’t stop whistling.

Probably eats the stuff himself, Jared thought. And then his skin prickled as a deep rumbling sound echoed up from the base of the cliff.

The black bears, hungry for their dinner.

Jared strode quickly across the clearing until he was only a couple of feet behind the preserve manager. He watched Oliver bend over the bucket again.

“Hey, Oliver!” Jared’s voice rang out loudly. “Having a little snack?”

Oliver straightened up with a twitch. The startled expression turned to rage when he saw Jared standing between the trees.

“What do you think you’re doing here?” he demanded.

“You threw me out of the park today, remember?” Jared replied. “You shouldn’t have done that.”

Oliver’s lip curled scornfully. “Get lost, kid, or I’ll throw you out again. And this time, I’ll make sure you’re never allowed back in.”

Jared smiled icily and stepped closer to Oliver. “I thought I’d help you feed the bears.”

“Get lost,” Oliver repeated.

At the bottom of the cliff, the low growls grew louder. More urgent.

“They want fresh meat. Not that stinking stuff!” Jared called.

He took another step towards Oliver.

Jared grinned. “So what I thought I’d do is give them a meal they’ll never forget—you!”

Oliver stood his ground. But his eye twitched.

He’s getting nervous now, Jared thought. Good. Make him think I’m really going to throw him off that cliff.

Down below, the bears growled.

Jared heard a sound behind him. He turned around and frowned. A cloud of smoke drifted along the ground toward him.

A fire? Jared wondered. No. He couldn’t smell anything burning. Besides, this smoke was a weird color… a deep red.”

The smoke thickened until it blocked out the trees behind it. It twisted and writhed as if it were alive, churning along the ground and billowing into the sky.

Jared was about to leave when a sound stopped him. He turned around.

In front of him, Oliver dropped the two slabs of meat to the ground. His face had gone slack. His eyes glazed over, vacant. He climbed onto the railing.

“Wrong way, Oliver!” Jared shouted.

Oliver kept moving.

“Hey!” Jared cried. “Oliver! What’s the matter with you, man? You’re going to…” He broke off and dove towards Oliver.

Too late.

Oliver swung himself over the railing… and over the edge of the cliff.

“No!” Jared wailed. He scrambled to his feet and peered down the cliff. “Nooo!”

The cracking of bones breaking against rocks rose up through the billowing red smoke.

A brief silence followed.

Then a bear snarled. A savage growl.

Jared dropped to his knees and covered his ears.

But he couldn’t block it out. Beneath the snarling, he could hear the sickening, wet sound of flesh being torn from bones as the bears tore into their dinner.

The night had grown silent again.

The growls and snarls from below had halted. Jared rose shakily from his feet. As he did, he glanced over the edge of the cliff.

“No!” he groaned. “Oh, man!”

In the moonlight, the rocks at the bottom of the cliff glistened with what looked like thick, dark paint.

It’s not paint, Jared thought. It’s blood.

Oliver’s blood. Spattered all over the rocks.

And Oliver’s body, or what was left of it. It didn’t look human anymore. The flesh was torn and deformed, like hunks of raw, bloody meat.

One eye goggled sightlessly towards the moon.

Jared’s stomach heaved.

He bent over, braced his hands against his thighs, and vomited in the dirt.

Wave after wave of nausea hit him, until his muscles ached, and nothing remained in his stomach.

He got up and attempted to walk. He left the cliff and started walking back down the path.

How did it happen? He never laid a finger on Oliver. Jared couldn’t stop thinking about it. Couldn’t stop seeing that glazed look in Oliver’s eyes. The way he had turned and thrown himself over the cliff to his death.