Ouroboros
The teenage girl felt the cold steel of the knife press against her chest. She felt if slowly move across her neck making her whimper. The dark, silhouetted figure on top of her, slowly leaned his head down towards her neck and began to lap at the blood escaping from the cut. Tasting the copperish liquid enter his mouth made him inwardly grin.
“Please...don’t hurt me...” she begged. Her attacker raised his head, to where he could see the tears escaping her eyes. His white, sinister smile shown through the darkness. The attacker thrusted the knife through the girls ribcage, and entered her heart. Getting to his feet, the attacker headed to the kitchen knowing there was still work to be done....
Carver was beginning nod in and out of consciousness, he had stopped listening to Cheerilee speak about half-hour earlier. The young man kept shaking his head vigorously to trying to keep himself awake. Taking her eyes away from the chalkboard, she found on her students in the back shaking his head around. At this sight she sighed.
“Carver, what is a covalent bond?” she asked expecting him not to know the answer. The entire class’ attention turned to the boy in the back. Shaking himself back into reality, he looked around.
“I’m sorry what?” he asked giving a slight chuckle. Cheerilee rolled her magenta eyes unamused.
“What is a covalent bond?” She asked again. Carver inhaled deeply and exhaled shallowly.
“A covalent bond is when two atoms share their electrons, which helps them to stick together.” Cheerilee was quite surprised, she had not expected him to answer the question correctly.
“Okay, then what is the difference between adhesion and cohesion?”
“Adhesion is when a medium helps two different substances stick together, and cohesion is a process in which two same substances stick together, like water when you do a belly flop.” Cheerilee was astounded. She hadn’t even gone over those two yet, indeed Carver may have been a slacker, but he was smart. Cheerilee opened her mouth to say something but she was cut off by the dismissal bell.
‘Thank god!’ she thought, “Have a nice Fall Break, Ms. Cheerilee.” Carver said walking through the doorway.
“Carver, wait.” stopping abruptly he turned straight around making eye contact with the school teacher.
“Yes?”
“You’ve been more and more tired lately, is something wrong?” She asked.
“No not really, I’m an insomniac I have a hard time sleeping.” he answered with a straight face.
“But it’s never been a problem until now, what happened?”
“I’ve been taking sleeping pills, but I ran out and my mom is in the process of trying to get me some more.”
“Oh okay, you can go then.” Carver chuckled, and walked out of the classroom, then the building, before he made a sharp right turn heading for the school parking lot. The teen’s shoes clicked against the pavement.
“Hey shit stain!” A masculine voice boomed. Turning his head to the right he spotted Flash Sentry, a tall orange skinned, blue haired jock leaped of the railing and strutted towards the lone teen. Twilight along with her friend watched near the same railing.
“What?” Carver asked blandly, whipping his short lime green hair from his face.
“You know for a cool guy you sure are smart. Maybe even as smart as my girl Twilight over there,” Flash said turning and pointing to the purple skinned girl.
“You know a girl name Lyra was murdered last night. Maybe you had something to do with it, since you know, you two broke up not to long ago.” Carver got what he was hinting at, and he knew what he was up to.
“You know what jerk off why don’t you and your recording phone go and screw off, considering your hand is the only way you’ll get any action.” Flash balled his hands into fists. His actions where blinded by anger, swinging his arm towards the unsuspecting teen, nailing him on his left eye.
“Flash!” Carver stumbled backwards, falling onto his ass, pressing his hand against his left eye. Twilight and her group of her friends rushed over towards the scene, where Flash Sentry stood over the young man, anger still visible in his eyes.
“Why did yah do that?” the blonde country girl asked, looking at the jock.
“Because I know this little shit killed Lyra, but he won’t admit it.” He stated plainly. Rainbow reached her hand toward the wounded teen.
Angrily, Carver smacked her hand away, “I don’t need your pity.” he turned his back away, walked five feet, opened his car door, started the engine and drove away.
“Flash, Everyone is innocent until proven guilty” Flash jerked his head away from his girlfriend, “Tch don’t start spouting that justice bullshit, I know he did it and I’m going to prove it.”
“Hey honey, how was school?” his mother Ambersky asked.
“Oh well let’s see, I get these wierd looks, my ex-girlfriend that I am still not over was murdered, and this douchebag jock thinks I’m the on that murdered her, so yeah it was a freakin’ rainbow!” Ambersky lowered her head. After he had realized what said he decided to apologize.
“Mom I’m sorry, it’s just I’ve hardly gotten any sleep in two weeks and on wednesday I wake up to find on the town news that my girlfriends been murdered and her killer is still out their.”
Ambersky sniffed, looking toward her teenage son, with tears over flowing with tears. She practically through herself in his arms, like she was aching for the warmth of her sons body. “Oh Carver, my sweet Carver, don’t leave me.” Ambersky’s golden caramel hair draped onto his neck, exposing his nose to the sweet smell of green apple shampoo. Breathing in the sweet aroma made his mind melt.
Sighing, she pulled away, allowing him to stair into her shiny topaz eyes, “You look so much like your father. I miss him,” Ambersky’s voice shook.
“I know mom. But he’s in a better place now.”
“Who the hell is doing this?” the young rookie officer held his head in frustration, he violently launched his coffee cup at the wall, sending shards of plaster flying across the room.
After about twenty second his phone rang, “CCPD this is Officer Siren can I help you?”
“Oh, really? And who might that be?”
“Iron Carver?”
“So I understand that you and Lyra Heartstring had...a intimate relationship?” Siren asked gesturing with his hand at the word ‘intimate’.
“Yeah but not the ‘intimate’ your thinking of, I didn’t have sex with her. We had only been dating for a month. But last week, I ran out of m sleeping pills for my insomnia, and after a couple of days I began to get increasingly agitated, and she had things about her that bugged me and because of the lack of sleep I blew up on her and...after that we haven’t talked.” Carver paused, then lightly shrugged his shoulders.
“Then yesterday morning I wake up to find that someone violently murdered her.”
Tears made their way down his face, leaving a faint feeling of wetness in their wake. “It’s okay, son. We’ll find him and bring him down.” wiping the tears from his face, Carver stood up and shook the officers hand.
“I appreciate it officer. If you will let me, I want to help you bring down Lyra’s killer. Fall break is next week, and I want to help you bring that bastard down.”
“I admire your spunk kid, I-” another officer burst through the door and began to scream that another murder has been committed.
“Holy shit, this is one sick bastard...” Siren mumbled. All the officers stood in awe, at the sight in the living room. A girl named Bon Bon, was gagged, and hung upside, with the hilt of the blade shoved up her cunt. Carver felt something drip on his cheek, slowly he raised his head towards the ceiling.
“Ouroboros...” he muttered.
“What?” Siren asked. All Carver could do was point at the ceiling. There was a crude, bloody drawing of a dragon consuming is own tail.
“The Ouroboros, its the alchemic symbol for infinity. Some people believed that when someone dies they are reincarnated, and the cycle is to begin again, life-death, life-death and so on.”
“Yeah but...I don’t get it...why this symbol? And not a dagger, something that represents death like the the symbol of pluto the roman god of death.” Siren, walked around Bon Bon, studying her naked, cold, and exposed body. After an hour of searching, they returned to the police station, sitting in the break room trying to make heads or tails of the case.
“It’s astounding,” Siren began.
“Not on single piece of incriminating evidence, it’s like...he know’s what we look for, like he spends all day watching those police shows. It’s like he never leaves any incriminating evidence the only thing to be found is a the Ouroboros symbol drawn in blood near the victim.
But Lyra and Bon Bon where both teenage girls that could mean two things, one this is some smart ass rapist, or these are just complex, yet random murders.”
"I don't think he was a rapist, matter of fact, how did you find Lyra?" lowering the coffee cup from his lip, Siren thought back to that, he couldn't recall.
"I can't seem to remember and I was there this is bullshit------" The grey haired policemen stopped abruptly, his mind muddled and a plain expression plastered onto his face. "Siren?"
Ambersky sighed walking through the dark corridor of her house, fervently rubbing her sleepless eyes, strolling down the eerily silent hallway. A sudden creak in the floor bored caused her to jump, quickly jolting her head behind her, she could have sworn she saw something but dismissed it as paranoia. Turning back to her destination, a loud 'bang' rippled through the air.
Carver sighed pulling up into his driveway. Sleepily shutting off the car, the young man laid his head on the steering wheel drifting into his slumber, but he was jerked back into consciousness by an explosion that came only a few feet away.
"MOM!!!"
Carver bolted into the blazing inferno that use to be his house. Frantically searching the hot, burning rooms for his mother. The increasingly unstable house began to crumble, the rooms began to collapse in on itself. He dashed up stairs, jumping, and pushing off the walls to avoid towering walls of fire.
“Mom! Can you hear me?” Carver cried, coughing and gagging as the smoke filled his lungs, suffocating the teen.
“Er...” he heard a weak response. Carver whipped his head around, out of the corner of his eye he saw a hand weakly waving from a doorway.
“C-carver----” Ambersky croaked pulling herself through the burning doorway. Carver rushed over to his mom, reaching under her, and picking her up bridal style.
“Carver...l-leave...me” Carver shook his head furiously.
“No, your the only person I have left.” Carver pulled his mother close and planted a kiss on her forehead. Carver stumbled to get to his feet, the burning house collapsed around him. He began at a slow run, gradually picking up speed, running towards the closest window, straight through the fire.
“Mom cover your face!” Carver shouted dashing towards the torrent of flames, Ambersky did as she was asked, she used her arms eyes to cover her face. Carver’s vision began to start becoming blurry, but he persevered through firestorm. Passing through the flames, the intense heat charred and scorched his body. The young man cried out in pain but it only made him run faster, his mother whimpered in his arms as the flames burnt her body.
Carver screamed and leaped through the window, yanking his body to where he would land on the ground and break his mother’s fall.
Police sirens rang in the two’s eardrums. “My sweet Carver...I love you so much...” Amber choked out, caressing her son’s face.
“Carver! Amber! Can you hear me?!” a familiar voice called out, in between the cackling of the fire and the blare of the sirens. Officer Siren ran frantically from around the corner. Carver raised his and gave a weak wave. Siren ran over as Carver began to black out.
A faint beep echoed in his eardrums, it kept reminding him of the explosion, the thing that tried to claim his mother. The air mask clouded, he exhaled and inhaled, it pumped in pure oxygen trying to flush out the smoke and ash he had inhaled trying to save his mother. Gently turning his head to the right, he saw his mother’s amber colored skin, gleaming under the dim night lights of the hospital.
Carver attempted to sit up in his bed, but it faltered. Carver grunted and clutched his lower chest. The area was completely bandaged, along with his lower arm and wrist areas.
“Hey your awake,” Officer Siren casually strolled into the room. Taking the chair in between Carver and his mother.
“Is she....?” Carver trailed off staring at is mother’s still, breathing body.
“Yes your mother will be fine, she just needs some rest. Good thing you got back when you did, or else your mother would have died in that fire.” Carver eyes began to tear at the thought of losing the only person he had left.
“It’s seems that someone punctured your gas line and faulted your wiring to make in look like an accident, truth be told it was sloppier and it wasn’t as precise. Perhaps our perp is...nearing the end of his run.” Siren sat contemplating everything that has happened so far. This was starting to get personal.
Rainbow Dash zoomed through town on her motorcycle, the high speed wind made her hair flutter about in a hypnotizing pattern. She was supposed to meet Twilight and the other girls for something about an essay to write. Rainbow was too cool for that so she easily talked her way out of it, and decided to make her way towards the park. She had this special cliff, that she would sit near and watch the town and think about whatever she had to think about.
It wasn’t very far of a walk if you knew where to stop. Arriving at the top of the hill, Rainbow noticed that someone was sitting in her usual spot. He was mumbling something about ‘being a monster’ and ‘almost lost her’
‘Lost who?’ she wondered walking up to the person with headphones in his ears, and his arms wrapped around his knees.
“Hello?” the person removed his headphones and turned toward her. It was Carver.
“What do you want? Here to ridicule me and call me a murderer, like Flash and his friends?” Carver asked turning his head back to the city, placing his headphones back in his ears.
“No Carver. I don’t believe that. Rarity and Applejack may be starting to believe that, Twilight, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and I don’t believe it, we think your innocent.” Carver scoffed. Rainbow sat beside him and place her hand on his.
Carver wasn’t even phased by this, he knew what she was trying to accomplish, and he wasn’t going to fall for it!
“Carver I heard about what happened to you and your mother. I’m so sorry, is their anything we could possibly-----”
“I don’t need your damn pity!” Carver snapped.
“Its not pity Carver, I’m legitimately worried about you.”
“Bullshit!”
“I’m telling the truth!”
“Liar!”
“Why won’t you believe me?” Rainbow Dash began to sob. Tears slipped from in between her eyes, plummeting to the soil below.
“Because your all the same, pitying me because of my lack of friends and social skills. I’m not a people person. Lyra...pitied me, that’s the only reason we were together in the first place.”
Carver slumped his head further underneath his arms, “My mother is the only person I have left if I lost her I would be alone...with no one...”
Carvers music blared through his headphones exposing his music to the world, “Be with me...then you won’t have to be lonely.” Rainbow said in a soft, smooth voice, that drew Carvers head from it’s metaphorical shell.
Rainbow clutched his hand, making Carver flinch.
“What’s wrong?” Carver drew back his sweaters sleeve, exposing his burnt and bandaged hands and arms to Rainbow’s sight.
“Oh, I didn’t know, I’m so----” Carver cut her off with a gentle kiss. Capturing Rainbow’s thoughts and silencing her, in a sensual, passionate kiss.
Carver pulled his lips away and muttered, “I thought you were a girl of action Dashie.” the rainbow haired girl scoffed and playfully pushed him. Carver chuckled and smiled looking at his new girlfriend. His smile suddenly faded. About twenty feet away, stood a hooded figure, It stood there silent, then it turned away and walked off into the distance.
“I am perfectly capable of protecting my own daughter!” Rainbow Dash’s father cried. Officer Siren sat at the kitchen table, and Carver was chilling on the couch.
“Besides it’s him I should be worried about.” Dash’s father stated pointing towards Carver.
“How do I know that this kid won’t try to ‘hook up’ with my daughter under my own roof? Besides I’ve been hearing much talk that this kid is the murderer” He sat down next to the officer, and sifted his hands through his hair.
“Let me guess, courtesy of Flash Sentry news correct?” Dash’s dad nodded.
“Well, it’s a bunch of bullshit. There is a lack of evidence that can convict any one of any murders. Believe it or not this is one smart motherfucker.” Officer Siren stated taking a sip of his coffee.
“Mr. Dash I would not sleep with your daughter-----”
“Oh you wouldn’t?” Carver’s eyes shot. Rainbow Dash stood over him in a Imagine Dragons concert T-shirt and her Nyan Cat pajamas, and a stern look that seemed to be plastered on her face.
“Ah crap...” Carver sighed, shutting his eyes, then reopened them.
“Mr. Dash I would not sleep with your daughter, UNLESS I was engaged or married to her. Thank you for letting me finish this time Dashie.” Carver said, cockily laying his head back on the arm of the couch.
Siren chuckled and nodded his head, “Carver is your mom still in the hospital?” Carver opened his eyes and yawned, then looked towards the police officer.
“Yeah she should be getting released on Thursday. I’m just glad she’s alright, my moms the only person I have.”
“Ahem!”
“And Dashie! My mom and Dashie.” Carver corrected, giving a nonchalant smile to his new girlfriend. Dash gave a slight scoff.
Carver groaned, He frantically rubbed and rubbed. He crossed and uncrossed his legs several times. No matter how much he rubbed his arms he couldn’t get any warmer. The cover didn’t help whatsoever. Carver’s teeth began to chatter as the young man struggle to keep himself warm. Constantly sleeping fitfully trying to heat up his body.
“Jesus! If I didn’t know any better I’d think I was sleeping in a freezer,” Carver mumbled to himself. Carver sighed and wrapped himself into a cocoon with the covers, successfully sealing in the warmth Carver oh so craved. But his comfort was disrupted by the sound a door opening. Carver groaned as the sweet bliss of exhaustion left his mind. Slowly raising his head he saw a the same shadowy figure from this morning, creeping up the stairs, light as the air, on the cold Sunday night.
Carver silently got up from the couch, wearing on his pajamas and undershirt. Tiptoeing through the silent night, quietly pursuing the person that almost ruined his life. The assailant reached for Rainbow’s door knob, but was inexplicably tackled and knocked to the floor with a loud ‘thump’ by Carver. The hooded person grunted while wrestling Carver on the hallway floor. Carver went to shout, he was interrupted by a punch to jaw, causing his thoughts and reason to falter.
Letting out a loud grown, the hooded assailant shoved Carver off and practically jumped to his feet and bolted toward the hallway window. A loud crash echoed into the night, Carver stumbled to get back to his feet and bolted down stairs, quickly sleeping on his shoes and shouting: “Officer Siren wake up, the killer is here!”
Carver stumbled out the door in full on pursuit mode autumn leaves crunched under his feet. Running faster and faster, his breathing becoming increasingly rapid as he chased after the murderer. Skillfully weaving his way through the tight trees, it seemed he may have had some parkour training. Carver leapt, firmly grasped a tree limb and swung high, flying several feet before forcibly landing on the marauder’s shoulders.
Carver landed hard on the rocky ground, the sharp, jagged formations cut into his bandaged arms, shoulders, and legs. Carvers body was racked with pain, his body spasmed uncontrollably as he tried to stand. The masked marauder in front of him, jumped to his feet, while Carver struggled to get to his.
He charged at the wounded teenager, launching a flurry of kicks and punches, keeping Carver down and unable to defend himself. Carver caught his left fist with his right hand, ignoring the aching pain. The river in the canyon behind them, the white water waves violently roared, spraying the water onto white walls of rock.
Carver thrusted his left fist, narrowly missing only because of a slight tilt of the head. A mistake that cost him his life. He remembered falling, the ‘woosh’ and roar of the water, then nothing at all except a cry of ‘Carver’.
“Carver!” Rainbow, her father, and Officer Siren arrived in time to see the masked marauder kick Carver and send him flying over the side of the cliff. A towering light emerged from the darkness, shining and removing every speck that lacked hope and faith of every catching the killer that plagued Chambers Canyon.
“Hands on your head!” boomed a voice of the loud thump of the helicopters blade chopping the unresistant air. The killer raised his head, staring into the blinding light, other officers emerged from behind the trees. Guns pointed at him from every direction, eliminating his chance of escape.
“Hand on your head NOW!!!” He complied, bending down and letting his knees dig into the jagged rocks, pressing ever deeper into his flesh.
“Remove the hood,” the assailant slowly pulled down his hood, exposing the dulling red hair to the open air.
“My god....” Siren breathed and slowly approached the man.
“How could you? Garnet?” Siren asked moving ever so slowly, crunching rocks under his feat, scrapping each other, sharpening themselves for the next victim of their stinging, flesh piercing
“Answer me dammit!” Siren forcibly jabbed to pistol barrel against the back of Garnet’s head. Yet he remained silent, slowly he lifted his hand upward.
“Freeze!” Siren shouted UN-phasing Garnet.
Garnet snapped his fingers, Siren’s mind blanked, unconsciously squeezing the trigger, sending a nine millimeter capsule of lead and steel through his skull. Garnets dead body lurched forward falling onto the ground, thick blood leaked from the crevice, staining the rocks.
The black haired officer cradled his head in his hands, thinking about what he had done. He looked at his shaking hands, that was covered in figurative blood, after fifteen years spent in the force. Never once had he killed a man, until today. Tears leaked from his eyes, the young man couldn’t hold it in any more. He violently slammed his head onto the table and began to cry.
Carver’s seemingly lifeless body, floated onto the surface of the water. Gently floating and rocking on the gentle gyrations, of the foaming torrent of liquid underneath him. No birds chirped, insects ceased all sounds, the only audible sound was the winds and trickle of the river. Finally after hours of floating down the river it landed, on the shore. A dry patch of sand gently clasped the body in place.
A sudden jolt of movement wrecked Carver’s body, causing him to cough up a volatile combination of river water and stomach acid. Carver panted, getting the morbid taste from his mouth. He frantically heaved in fresh air, filling his empty lungs with life sustaining sustenance.
“Jesus....” he coughed more, emptying his stomach.
“Is that what almost dying is like?” Carver asked himself, picking himself of the ground. Making his way towards the forest, trudging through the sand and grass. Carver couldn’t count the lapse in time, he kept trudging and trudging aimlessly, trying to find the nearest highway. After a while dawn came, Carver struggled through the forest in a drunken like state.
Finally, he arrived at his asphalt savior, the highway. A weak smile appeared on his face. There was a sudden rush of sound, Carver collapsed, lying half-awake and half asleep on the cold street. The car turning the bend came to a screeching halt. Only stopping a mere feet from the fatigued stricken teenager.
“Oh my god Carver!” the female scurried from the car. She cradled his head in her arms, gently running her smooth fingers across he face.
“Vice-principal Luna?” Carver choked out.
“Yes, it’s me. Now let me help you.” Luna picked him and placed a soft kiss on his forehead.
Carver yawned, resting his head his car’s steering wheel, trying to get the sleep he had missed out on during fall break. Constantly trying to find out who was threatening the town, only to find out it was his father had faked his death, and went of a rampageous killing spree.
Vinyl Scratch’s head jolted up, she tried to scream but the duct tape covering her mouth made it almost impossible to make an audible cry. Vinyl struggled against the restraints that bound her in place. The thump of the heavy boots became louder and louder. He reached out, pulling up Vinyl’s tank-top. The helpless girl whimpered, trying her hardest to break free, but to no avail, she was still stuck.
A loud click echoed through the room, the assailant unsheathed his blade forcefully plunging the deadly steel into the girls lower abdomen, practically gutting the poor girl. Vinyl writhed and squirmed, she panted, tears streamed from her sunglass covered eyes. He stood back watching the blood and organs spill from her stomach. The air was permeated with the disgusting scent, which only made the mad man smile to himself more. He dipped his fingers into the blood and began painting his symbol, the Ouroboros, along with a message.
The bell rang furiously, telling everyone it was time for lunch. Carver strutted towards the cafeteria with his hands stuffed in his jean pockets and headphones hung from his ears blaring his musical preference. It seemed all eyes were on him, he didn’t like it. People staring at him, talking, gossiping. Silently, the usual warm smile she always had, Granny Smith filled his tray with the delicious food she always prepared.
Carver thanked her, turned away and began towards the empty table he usually sat at, alone. Carver shoved a spoon full of Mac-and-cheese into his mouth humming to the song he was currently listening to. Carver rhythmically tapped on the table, devouring the deadly combination of starch and dairy.
“Carver, why are you sitting here alone?” Carver looked up and found Rainbow Dash standing over him.
“I just didn’t think that your friends would want me to sit by you,” Carver said removing his headphones.
“Come sit with us,” Rainbow said motioning with her sky blue hand. Carver reluctantly followed her. Flash Sentry looked over his shoulder.
“Well, if it isn’t the son of the murderer.”
“I don’t need this.” Carver turned away, heading towards the cafeteria exit. Rainbow shot an angry look at Flash, glaring holes into the jock.
“Dammit Flash!” Rainbow shouted.
“What? I don’t want the guy near any of you girls!”
“Carver is not like that! He’s no murderer!”
“And how would you know?”
“Because he tried to protect me from his own father!”
Flash scoffed, leaning his chair back and propping his feet up on the lunch table.
“You’ve heard the old saying, ‘Like father, like son’, which means they’re both the same.” Rainbow, in a fit of rage, violently pushed Flash back onto the floor causing him to yelp and groan holding the back of his head.
“That would also mean you and your drug addict father are the same right?”
“We are not the same! I know better!” Flash shouted.
“Then why is Carver any different?”
Flash was dumbstruck, he couldn’t think of any legitimate reason, that would make Carver any different the rest of them. Nothing came to mind, nothing at all.
“Hey honey. How was school?” Amber asked, lazily flipping through the hotel’s T.V channels. The good thing living in a hotel, is the lack of having to clean up after yourself.
“Oh you know the same old same old, but now I’m known as the murderer’s son.” Carver informed her of everything that had happened over fall break. Amber’s eyes watered at the thought that she almost lost her only son. At that instance she pulled Carver into a bone crushing hug.
“My Carver, I love you so much,” Amber whimpered holding him in her arms.
“I love you too, mommy”
‘Mommy...he hasn’t called me that since he was ten...” Amber hugged him harder, feeling the warmth of her son, the sincere love that he emitted for her, made her feel...alive.