Cannibalistic (Book Two of A Bloodline's Saga)

Circle Pits, Walls of Death and More Moshing

Salting my wound

And repeat it again

Light the candle on my chest

Let the candle melt and hurt the skin

Bunuhdiri

Day three of the slam metal festival and I can tell you right now my body feels like absolutely trash, but I'm keen to get it done with the help of drugs one last time.

Rolling over to get a drink of water, I'm about to head back to sleep when the alarm goes off and Liam's groaning at me to turn it off and come back to bed.

"Come on Liam, time to get up." I croak out of my still dry throat, the day already hot and knowing it's going to be a scorcher the more I ponder on it with my hand wiping away the sweat already making its way down the side of my temple.

So lathering myself up as well as Liam up in sunscreen, we hit the road after having our annual pick me up to get us going.

With the campsite packed up and left as if we weren't there, I say a silent goodbye to the surreal area nature has to offer for us and watch the place become small in the review mirror.

Rushing through the line and buying some more merch then storing it in the merch tent, we head to the stage and wait for not only the drugs to kick in but the band to come on.

"Come ooon hurry up! I just want to hear what these guys are like!" Liam complains in annoyance when the suspense becomes too much for him.

"I know does anyone know who those guys are?" I question with a scrunched up face as I scan the equally confused faces of my mates around me.

"Alright so that's a no, I guess we just have to wait and see." and as soon as I say that the band comes walking on and the crowd go wild.

"Hey everyone we're Apoptosis Gutrectomy and this is our song Putrefaction!" Julianus Fadhil announces over the hysterical crowd, the band playing a few more songs I didn't get the names of before they are calling up the next gig to come on stage.

"So did everyone enjoy those f***s!" Marc Thomae yells and the crowd goes wild once again.

"Good because you're about to have your mind's f*****g blown. We are Bleeding Heaven and this, is, EIGHT, KIIIINGSSS!" he growls into the mic and the band instantly starts.

"f**k these cunts can put on a show!" Mitch shouts over the crowd, those listening agreeing while the others are too busy losing their s**t.

The song is over quicker than I thought and discover that after a few more it's time for Arthropodal Humanicide to come on, another band I don't know yet Amelia and Blair do.

"Well this is going to be interesting then." I giggle when we decide to stay for one more set then head off for more speed.

"You don't say, I can sit back and watch them go nuts now." Noah laughs whilst the band come out and announce that they'll be starting off with a song called Necrotic Visceral Loxoscelic Bite, Amelia and Blair screaming their f*****g lungs out as soon as the instruments start and they're belting out the lyrics word for word.

Laughing when the two look at each other and grab a hold of one another in some way as they scream the lyrics in each other's faces, the people around laugh and comments that they must be diehard fans of this band with random people joining in and agreeing as well.

Yahooing and carrying on with the new friends we've made in the set of Arthropodal Humanicide, the next band Blistering Defilement is next to walk on stage and it's time for Liam and Dalton to have their time to shine.

Making more friends during the song Skinned Masterpiece, we jam out to a few others before witnessing the band stumble off the stage from the heat and exhaustion of playing such a heavy set.

Hoping the sun goes down soon, another band rocks the stage under the name of Asphyxiate, the breakdowns sounding as tasty as ever, their songs Blood Feast Ripping Putrescent and Sickening Canvas of the Dead sticking with me throughout the whole set up until the second last band of two yet again is welcomed on stage and that's when it kicks in.

I don't think I want to go home just yet as much as I miss it at the same time. Like I love the party and moshing scene, it's something I have never had to experience until now and I f*****g now thrive for it.

On the other hand I probably won't be able to go out so far next time, but I'm sure gigs outside of town are okay as long as I make it back safe and sound like I will tonight.

"HOW'S IT f*****g GOING GUYS?" Robb Clark from Bludgeoned Beyond Reason roars into the mic, the crowd once again losing their s**t and making sure to throw some love towards Bludgeoned's other member's direction Brad Wroe.

"We both are Bludgeoned Beyond Reason and this is Forced Ingestion of Putrid Flesh! Go cunts!" he yells into the mic and the crowd is moving, circle pits all over and in motion along with mosh pits spread out amongst the ever growing crowd.

Once their magical and majestic is set is over, I announce that they have a special place with Bill the Butcher as being one of the best acts tonight.

"Their song they opened with, f*****g killer and will be forever stuck in my head." I go on about it when we head off for a joint and dab of you guessed it, speed.

"I agree, I also want to know if anyone is keen to stay at mine when we get back? My parents won't be home for the night because of some work convention thing but they said we are more than welcome to use that as our recovering base for when we get back tonight if it's too late? Of course we can drop you back Ida because I'm sure your parents will be worried sick, but the offer stands for the rest of you." Blair offers with a beaming smile whilst passing the joint over to me.

"Thanks Blair." I half-smile when everyone's done agreeing and setting the plan in stone for themselves.

"I can come back with you if you want?" Liam suggests after it's just the two of us hanging in the back of the group heading towards the stage again and finishing off the joints.

"If you want I mean it's up to my Mum and Dad." I grin as the words come out and see Liam squirm a little. 

"I'm sure they'll love me." he grins back then the last band for the night comes on stage.

Shouting their name at the crowd, we welcome Astarot with open arms when they open with Human Kebab. 

Screaming through their whole set up until we're demanding an encore, they finish with Kinder Fucker and I'm wishing the night will never end.

"Come on Ida, it's time to go now." Liam chuckles once we've bought all of the merch we need and are currently heading for our loaded up cars, our entire three day camping trip cram packed into three cars and once again I'm wishing we were unloading it.

"Can't we stay for at least one more night?" I pout when Dalton's car doors close simultaneously.

"No because then you won't hear the end of it from your parents." Dalton chuckles as he starts the engine, Liam offering him a dab before taking off and spending most of the way talking until sleep finally calls for me. 

Grabbing my phone after jolting myself awake then dialling Mum's number when I remember that I was meant to call her once we left, I wait for a few seconds until hearing the line pick up.

"Hey sweetheart you on your way home now?"

"Yeah Mum but if we are late I don't expect you to wait up for me."

"I know sweetheart but I'll at least keep the door unlocked for you in case you do. If not please just ring me and tell me that you are staying at a friend's house, I can't risk having the house-"

"All good Mum I know, I'll let you know as soon as we're in town."

"Thank you darling, well your father and I love you heaps and we hope to see you soon."

"Love you too and no worries."

With that all being said the phone call ends and I'm able to relax knowing that Mum and Dad have knowledge of my whereabouts in some way.

"Would you mind if I slept for a bit?" I murmur to Liam who's currently conversing with Ankara about the next spot to pull over and swap drivers at.

"Go for it, you can use my lap if you want." he offers while unclipping his belt and using his new band hoodie for me to sleep on.

                                                                                                   *

Pulling over with commotion about the cars f*****g up arouses me from my sleep, all of them trying to be quiet for my sake only it's not working very well when we're all wanting to go home and there's something wrong with the cars.

"I only just got this serviced a week ago!" Dalton shouts after being informed that I'm awake, Ankara apologising for being so loud but I brush it off as nothing.

"We all have to pull over and see how we're going to get back home now!" he carries on as he turns the car off and kicks open the door, the others pulling up behind and doing the same thing.

Congregating in the middle of the open stretch of road in the middle of a thick area of forest, we try and suss out what our next plan of action is and decide to let our parents know first what's going on instead of trying to get the cars to make it to the next petrol station.

"I don't know what's going on, there should still be enough petrol in the tanks considering they were full when we got to the campsite and have only driven f**k all, I don't understand!" Noah goes on when someone asks what's going on.

"It's the same with mine and Mitch's car as well." Dalton adds in and we're now attempting to focus on ringing our parents, get to the bottom of how the f**k we went through so much petrol, and how we also went through the spare petrol tanks in the boot of their cars.

"Either something happened to our petrol tanks when we were doing our bush bashing from the campsite to the festival, or we have chewed through it a lot quicker than we expected." Beau sums up after a lot of talking and murmuring about there being no signal to reach anyone.

"f**k, I honestly feel like we're in some type of f****d up horror movie! We're in the middle of f*****g nowhere, our cars are f****d and we have no signal! It's only a matter of time before some psycho who lives in these woods comes and finds us and uses our bodies as blow up s*x dolls!" Esther shouts then storms off into the dark woods to cool off with Beau running after her.

"Let them go, they won't go far." Amelia sighs whilst Liam goes to see where they're heading off to.

"Are you sure, I mean these types of places you actually never know what's out there." he explains with folded arms and raised eyebrows as he flicks his glance to the fading couple then Amelia a few times until landing on me with a small half-smile.

"Sorry, I just don't want anything bad happening to them." he confesses once it's just us two in our own little group away from the others sitting on the bonnets of their cars discussing our next move.

"It's fine we better go and see what they're getting heated over now." I sigh as their voices begin to echo throughout the trees.

"So what, we camp out here until we find a way to get signal or someone finds us?" Blair sums up when Liam and I join the others.

"Pretty much, I'm sorry Ida but we are trying everything we can to get you ba-"

"It's alright Ankara, we have until around two to start worrying considering that's when I said I'd let them know what's going on." I intervene with a small half-smile and observe as the group visibly relax.

"It's not much time but it's enough I guess to set up camp as well as find signal." Liam sighs after we all disperse to do our task of quickly setting up camp in the thick of the trees a meter or so away from the tree line.

Once it's set up and the fire's going to keep us warm, we all talk about the festival to get our minds off of things, yet Liam seems to be quiet for the first time in ages.

Maybe he's coming down pretty hard like the rest of us and can't seem to bring himself to talk, so leaning in and asking if he wants to go to bed due to him looking like he could use it, he agrees before announcing our departure.

Tripping over and dodging trees to get to our tent we unzip it and climb in, the night air damp and frostbite whether but I'm surprised my limbs are still a normal colour.

"You okay?" I question when he still doesn't say anything and the silence seems to become too much for me, clearly.

"Nothing just tired and worried about you and your parents, they're never going to let you out again after this." he mumbles with his back to me, my hands reaching out to stroke his tense back and feel him instantly jolt at the contact.

"Can you at least share the burden with me tomorrow? We need sleep and I'm sure the others will be out now searching for a signal." I assure him in a small voice as I wait for him to come rolling over into my arms. 

"Alright fine, but if you are grounded or whatever I'll happily take the blame." he goes on and for some reason a chuckle sounds in the back of my throat.

"I can't blame you for something that wasn't your fault." I explain with a kiss to the tip of his nose and move my body closer to his.

"I know but sti-"

"How about we try and forget it?" I cut across him while my lips go for the spot on his neck that usually tells him I'm ready.

"I don't know how I'm going to be but I can try." he sighs after running a hand down his face to wake himself up.

"Hey, you get a gold star in my books for trying if you ask me." I grin cockily before earning a laugh from him for the first time in ages it seems.

                                                                                              *

"Ida what're you doing?" Liam questions when he feels me fumbling around for my phone in the dark, Liam half-asleep meaning he's almost in dreamland and I need to be a bit quieter if I want him to stay asleep.

"Just texting Mum and also sending her a message on f*******: in hopes of getting it through to her before we find any sort of signal." I murmur as my fingers type away, pausing then reading it and adding more until copying it and pasting it on Messenger.

"Alright done." I confirm after five or so minutes of making sure everything is well explained, my anxiety rising high when I can imagine my parents tearing my ass up for not being more careful, yet I can't help the fact that we went through so much petrol even though we brought enough with us to last us an extra day.

"Good now come back to bed and worry about it later, I'm sure the others will be looking for signal as you said." he groans whilst I go to get up and help my friends find signal as well.

"Sorry I just have a really bad feeling about something, like I can't place my finger on it and I can't sleep because of it." I confess as I'm rolled onto my side and spooned, Liam stiffening for a split second then relaxing when I move my hand to soothe him.

"Don't worry about it it's probably me just being paranoid." I chuckle nervously though all I can think of still is Mum and Dad and how worried they're going to be about me.

"Mkay well get some sleep now, we have an early start tomorrow if we're going to be trying to get home and contact our parents along the way." he commands sleepily yet for some reason I think back to when we were all trying to get a hold of our parents and how Liam only stood there watching.

Does he even have any considering he hasn't once mentioned them and no one has ever been to his house, but then again we've only known him for like six months!

Finally giving in to the calls of sleep, my heavy eyes rejoice when they're finally able to close, my brain cracking the shits due to the anxiety and stress it still has to carry though I couldn't care less.

I'm f*****g tired and the last thing I want to do right now is worry about something I can't help, regardless if I'm still punished or not.