Carcass 1.1.2

Jay could say he was used to the beatings he received.

What always happened was Jackson would take Jay to the park every Friday of the week, rough him up with his friends, get a few humorless laughs, and then leave him here to make it back to his apartment by himself. Most of the time they left him in such a bad condition that he slept in the bushes over the weekend, unable to move.

He had grown accustomed to the pace, complacent in the reality of what happened. In a twisted way, he deserved it. His father had done something terrible to dozens of families. The son pays for the crimes of the father. Jay had heard that numerous times.

Jackson soon dragged Jay into a part of the park he had never been to before. A small body of water, covered in the shade of towering trees, sat motionless. The faint noise of crickets and bugs floated around aimlessly. There was a small pier that crawled out over the water.

The bigger boy grabbed Jay’s hair and pulled him over the smooth liquid surface. Jay could see both their reflections.

Jay looked as if thin skin had been stretched over protruding bones. His cheeks were sunken and dark circles framed his eyes. Jackson was hale and healthy, had strong features and a radiant cruel smile.

The young man increased his struggle, fiercely urging and stammering for Jackson to let go. He seemed as if he was on the edge of a full-blown panic. A cold sweat broke out on his brow and his heart raced like a beast of burden.

Memories flashed through his mind. His mother flung him into the water of the docks, telling him to find his father, how she pushed him back in whenever he struggled onto the rusted ladder, how she only quit when his brother had begged her to have mercy. How cold the waters had been. The trash and oil that floated upon the surface. The depths that held unspeakable monstrosities.

What had once been a source of joy for Jay turned into a rend in his psyche. Jay could feel himself growing angrier by the second, his need to get away compelling him to claw and scratch Jackson’s bare arm. The boy yelped out a curse and hurled Jay into the water.

Jay was airborne, flying through the short distance between the wooden pier and the water before plunging into the depths with a paralyzing shock. His mind screamed at him to move and swim to the surface, but the fear had taken hold of him utterly, and he was unable to think or act rationally.

The dark liquid closed over his head, covering him in shadows. His lungs yearned for air, burning with fire. He could barely hear the jeers and laughter of his bullies overhead. The suffocating weight of the pond pressed down on him. He had once known how to swim, but that portion of his mind had been locked away under chains made of fear.

A small part of him whispered to just let go. Be done with the life that had knocked him down repeatedly. It would be easy, to sink to the bottom, and join his father in a watery grave. He owed nothing to those still alive. His mother would go on, uncaring about what happened to him. His brother would remain in the hospital till the court-ordained payments ran out. Jackson and his friends would go on living and would forget about this in a few years. He saw a seagull free in the open sky, unhindered by the constraints of the world.

His slowing heart experienced a jolt of indignation.

Jackson would go on living? Him? The boy who had tormented Jay for years? For the first time in his life, Jay felt unadulterated fury. A sense of bitterness swelled in his chest.

“I don’t deserve this. I have done nothing wrong except be born. Why should I deal with this? I shouldn’t! Jackson should be the one drowning under the water! I should be the one standing above him!” Jay screamed internally as he realized the injustice that he had endured throughout his life.

And then something unnatural happened.

Jay’s body spasmed, his skin roiled with heat and blood spurted from his pores, mingling with the murky water. The liquid turned to steam the instant it left his body, bubbles erupted forth and created a small pillar of froth on the surface. His muscles bulged and rippled as his body twisted and contorted in a way that defied human anatomy.

His skin stretched and distorted, warping into a scaly texture that oozed and bled. Thick, oily fluids leaked from the pores, creating a slick and disgusting film across his skin. The scales that covered his body were ragged and rough, cutting into his flesh with each new movement.

Jay’s face splintered and deformed, his teeth elongating into razor-sharp fangs that dripped with toxic saliva. His eyes were now slitted, glowing with a fierce and hungry amber light that betrayed his predatory nature.

As the transformation continued, his body grew and stretched, until he towered over everything in his vicinity. His body grew until his bulk took up the entirety of the small pond, his coiled body caused a small floor of water to escape its cratered confines. His serpentine form was gigantic and muscular, with powerful strikes that crushed wood with ease. The skin, was a noxious polluted green and gray, with iridescent scales that shimmered in the sunlight.

In a moment Jay was no longer the quivering boy who had suffered under the cruel hand of Jackson, he had turned into something greater, something more. Where he had been small, covered behind his layers of clothing, he was now replaced by a monstrous beast that slithered and writhed with an unsettling grace.

Jay looked down at the humans that had made his life hell for years and saw red. An overwhelming urge to inflict a fraction of the pain they had caused him drove him to last out. Jay saw red, his mind filled with thoughts of revenge and the sweet satisfaction that he knew would come with it.

Jay imagined the joy would be like coming back home to his mother already asleep, multiplied by hundreds. His fang-filled maw crept open in a human-like grin that did not belong to a reptilian nightmare.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

The four teenagers screamed and attempted to flee. Years of warnings about violent beasts invading the city caused them to swiftly retreat into the trees, hollering for help. Jay moved with instinct, plunging downward with horrifying speed, and engulfed Tim within his jaws.

A crunch echoed through the surroundings and the screaming of the young man cut off instantly. Blood dripped down a scaley chin and a strangely savory flavor exploded on Jay’s serpentine tongue. Amber eyes flared in pleasure and his body hummed with excitement. He swallowed with a resounding gulp. A stray foot flew off into the bushes.

The moment was gone too soon. Jay slipped out of the former pond and raced to his next tormentor turned victim. George, someone who had taken particular attention to poor every drink upon his body, was next. He struck down and bisected the teenager. His lower half collapsed to the ground mid-sprint, blood and guts slid over the verdant green grass.

Jay made sure to savor the bite, chewing slowly and deliberately, letting the taste of a satisfying meal wash over him. The tenderness, the way it melted in his mouth, was a revelation. He had never tasted anything so delicious before.

Something yelled at him in the back of his mind that what he was doing was wrong. Inhumane. Cannibalistic. Jay didn’t care. These weren’t humans. These were animals that had served on top of the food chain for far too long. Jay was done being the prey.

For the first time in Jay’s life, he saw Alexander’s face filled with something other than indifference. He pleaded for his life. He was less tasty than the others but still filled a gaping hole in Jay’s stomach. He felt like he hadn’t eaten for years and was now only starting to gather back his strength.

His serpentine form pulverized a knocked-down tree, sending leaves and splinters in every direction. He was in awe of himself. His body felt immense. He felt like he could take on the world and then shoot for the stars.

A sudden wave of fatigue crashed over him. He felt his form weaken and lose a bit of strength. He felt a flash of fear but reminded himself to hurry. A rational part of his mind warned of potential capes that would react to the appearance of a giant monster in the middle of Central Park. Such things were handled with extreme prejudice.

Jackson wasn’t hard to find. The teenager had caught his navy blue blazer on an outstretched branch and was too panicked to slip it off. Jay could feel his body breaking down until there was nothing more than his bare naked body surrounded by heaps of steaming blood. Waves of heat radiated off of Jay’s skin, causing a gust of wind to escape outwards once his human form was revealed. He wiped a hand across his reddened face, and flakes of viscera fell to the ground.

“A time limit? Or is it because I’m not used to my power?” Jay muttered to himself as walked closer to Jackson.

“Jay? What the fuck…” Jackson had stopped struggling and was instead staring at Jay with wide eyes.

“You…you fucking Cracked?” An intensity entered the tormentor’s voice. Jay looked down at his bloody hands.

“I suppose I did,” Jay said with a steady voice. He felt unnaturally serene. He should have been freaking out at what had just happened. His attempted murder, the subsequent murder of his attempted murderers, and the fact that he had just transformed into a titanic serpent.

The reality was he had just Cracked and gained superpowers. Something millions of people dreamed of had just happened to him. Statistics showed that one in every one thousand Cracked.

Jay also wished to have superpowers. It would have been the fastest way to catapult him into a position of respect and authority, a guaranteed way to make people look at him with more than just disdain.

People Cracked and then went on to be superheroes, saving the city from the beast waves and stopping rampaging supervillains. A student at his school had recently Cracked and then been swept up by Central Patheon to be trained at their academy.

“Of course, of fucking course little Jay Cracks and I don’t. My sister Cracks and I don’t. Everyone Cracks but me! It isn’t fucking fair!” Jackson screamed at Jay, his face red and stained with tears. Jay cocked his head. The eerie motion made Jackson take an involuntary step backward. His feet tangled in the underbrush and he slipped down. Jay took a step closer.

“I’m warning you, Jay. Central will be here soon. My sister is on the team. She’ll kill you!” The teenager warned, his tone quivered and shook.

“That doesn’t make sense, Jackson,” Jay moved closer, “My thoughts are coming faster than they have in years and I’m questioning why she would kill me, even if I killed you. I spent countless nights pouring over documents about superpowered. You know what most of them say?” Jay leaned over the prone form of Jackson. He felt a smug satisfaction seeing the bully in the position he had been in not long ago.

“You’re quiet, Jackson, I’m going to need you to speak up.” Jay stomped down onto an outstretched hand. Both foot and palm went a foot downwards. The mortal flesh cleaved straight off Jackson’s bone. Jay lifted his bare feet and saw the pulverized flesh underneath. Jackson screamed gutturally.

“That’s better. What they say, Jackson is that one powered, no matter how useless they are perceived, is worth hundreds of lives. You just saw me, the power I wielded in those brief moments. I can tell I’ve only scratched the surface of my abilities. Do you really think Central would alienate me just because of a few accidents?” This wasn’t just Jay speaking any longer. There was a beast, something that Jay had confided away for fear of his sanity and safety. His transformation had forced the two to merge.

“So what, you’ve read some Powered Manifesto and believe you’re worth more than anyone else?” Jackson challenged.

“No, but I know I’m worth more than you,” Jay said. His features twisted in a hideous grin. It filled with him a primal satisfaction to see Jackson in this state. It had only ever come to life in his dreams, and now it was true in reality.

Jay’s ear twitched. The sound of a siren and an evacuation notice spread across the park, warning the populace of danger. The capes would be here soon. He doubted they’d sit back and watch him murder civilians, even if they would want him to join their team. He felt utter confidence, which was something he hadn’t experienced in years.

Jackson started to laugh, a deranged giggle that set Jay’s nerves on edge.

“I’m warning you Jay, one last fucking time! I don’t suppose you would know who my sister is,” the laughing increased in intensity, “Stardust! Help, Stardust!” Jackson screamed out for his sister and Jay felt his blood run cold. All previous plans about joining Central were thrown out of the window. With the moment spoiled, Jay raised his clenched fists and smashed downwards. A second before impact he felt an overwhelming sense of unease and threw himself to the side. A bright purple beam of light exploded from the right, searing through tree trunks and leaving decimation in its path.

Jay forced himself to his feet. The heat that enveloped his body wilted the nearby shrubbery. He dusted himself off and examined the woman who stepped out of the foliage.

A lady with violet-hued hair and faintly shimmering skin asked. Her hair sparkled under the sunlight, glowing motes of dust drifting through the air around her. Her locks were styled in loose waves that cascaded around her shoulders, framing her dark complexion in an ethereal glow.

Her cheekbones were high and prominent, her nose elegantly pointed. Thick and full lips were painted a deep red, like the color of wine, which matched the intensity of her hair.

Stardust.

A beloved superhero with a penchant for starring in movies and designer magazines. A top-level cape with enough power to defeat a beast wave on her lonesome. And apparently the sister of Jay’s long-time oppressor.