To be lost again

Bryan goes on the search for Carl and finds out exactly what Carl is looking for, only to find themselves in a difficult situation.

Bryan rushed through the recently repaired house. Large planks of wood, torn down from other rooms in the house, braced against the doorframe to hold up what little of the upstairs floor remained intact, enough to allow usage of the doorway again. Bryan continued the path he took 2 days ago with no interference from any Demons, until he arrived at the crumbled building in which he located Carl.

As he approached the end of an alleyway, he peered around the corner to see the building, still a ruin. As he peered around further, 3 Demons could be seen scampering around the floor near the building. This often indicated that the creatures were hunting something in hiding. Bryan, confused by their behaviour, noticed a nearby manhole without a cover. Assuming that Carl had escaped these Demons by climbing into the sewer, Bryan felt some relief.

Bryan begun to whisper softly, monologuing to himself.

"Okay then, ya big ugly b******s. I need to find some way to get passed you. Not even I've got it in me to let this little selfish prick, die."

He crept across the road, behind a garden wall, 2 buildings down from where he had first found Carl. He slowly crawled over the adjoining garden walls until he had reached the building, then crept to the car in front.

"You fuckers are really going for it, aren't you. You're definitely not strong enough to get through the floor with those things."

Bryan scanned his immediate area and swiped a stone from the floor that fit nicely in his palm. He held his breath and launched the stone passed the Demons. He heard it clatter to the floor but the Demons paid no mind to it.

"Well that was good. Well done, Bryan. Solid plan, there mate!"

As Bryan looked around from some kind of plan, he heard a scuffle of brick and stone behind him. He swung around to see Carl crouching on the pile of rubble. Bryan's face turned into a scowl as he angrily motioned his finger to sit next to him. Carl sowly crept towards him. As he got near, Bryan gripped him by the collar, his eyes filled with rage and his lips pursed as he struggled not to yell.

"You're a f*****g knobhead, you know that"

Bryan whispered angrily.

"I know, I'm really sorry but I wanted to save my wife, I almost got her out until those things came at me and she ran and fell down into the sewer. I'm worried she might be dead".

Bryan looked to the sewer that the Demons were clawing nearby.

"Well that's one thing we don't have to worry about now, isn't it."

"No, I'm not leaving her, I have to make sure she's okay"

Bryans furious stare lingered on Carl's face.

"F**k sake, fine."

The two stared at the Demons for a while, contemplating an idea. Bryan looked at Carl, his eyes lit up with excitement.

"You, sit, stay, shut up, not a peep, I'm going to go do something I've always wanted to do".

Bryan crept around the car, slowly stepping towards the creature, hunched down as low as possible, hidden in the darkness of the unlit street. He reached towards his lower back and pulled a flare from his belt. Standing about 20 feet from where the creatures were stabbing the floor, he whistled quietly. The Demons didn't react. He whistled slightly louder. Louder again. Louder once more until one of the creatures jarred its head to the the left. It slowly walked towards him, lightly clicking its claws along the floor.

Still invisible in the darkness, Bryan pointed the flare towards the demons face, lit the match and held it towards the fuse. The Demon unhinged it's jaw at the sight of Bryan and let out an intense screech that ripped the air apart, making the other two 2 demons flail around to see. Bryan lit the flare and it came zipping out of its container, directly into the beasts mouth. without hesitation, the 2 Demons scarpered towards the flared Demon and began to slash and gnaw at it, fiercely ripping apart its shelled skin and tearing down into the fleshy parts. The three shrieked, filling the sky with echoes of agony and delight.

Bryan lunged into the sewer, grabbing the ladder and tumbling down awkwardly before his feet landed at the bottom in a shallow river of excrement. A putrid smell permeated the air, a smell of everything that could once have been inside a person one thousand years ago, making Bryan gag. He shook his head and looked behind him, towards the beaten and bruised corpse of a woman. These weren't marks made by one of the beasts, they were too precise and controlled. They appeared to be bruises by something blunt. She had been beaten by someone. Carl clambered down the ladder, into the sewers and saw a woman's body.

"No, no not you, please don't let it be you".

Carl pressed the woman's head into his chest as he let out an anguished scream. Bryan rushed over and held his mouth closed until Carl swiped at him, pushing him away.

"No, f**k you, okay. If you hadn't taken me away or if you'd brought me back when you said you would have, she might

be okay! Now look at her, she's dead. You did this!"

Carl ran at Bryan, swinging Frantically. Bryan gripped Carl's arm, pulled it behind his back and placed his left hand on his forehead, pressing it into his chest

"Look, don't blame me for this, none of this is my fault, I'm just trying to help everyone, okay. I'm sorry about what's happened here, I truly am. I can't say anything that can make this better but don't take this out on me. I'm here to help you, so let me!"

Bryan lifted his grip on Carl, allowing him to stumble away. Carl's face, burning red, tears rolling off his cheek, splashing into the puddles of waste that lay beneath. Carl twisted around, ran toward the ladder and began to climb up, falling to his knees, his head slung towards his lap and screaming as he waited for the beasts to tear him apart. seconds had passed and Carl remained unharmed. as he looked up, all 3 of the demons lay pulverized, smashed into the ground. A loud repetetive thudding could be heard in the distance, growing louder and louder. Bryan poked his head out of the sewer and looked toward the sound before his eyes grew wide and he gasped in fright.