The instant Randel landed in the liquid, he gasped, eyes squinted shut.
He could feel something start to eat away at the faith that he had just got back, but he took in a deep breath, calming himself as he kept Ringo at the front of his mind.
At this rate, he would last.
The liquid that was now halfway up his stomach wasn't cold as he expected it to be. It was warm, and it didn't feel any different than water.
He could still feel his legs, and he could feel a solid ground beneath him.
That proved that his earlier suspicions were right.
Underneath the liquid, the grass and all the plant life were still there.
For a moment, Randel waited, hoping that the liquid just didn't just cover him as he was, like it had with the mountains and the submarine.
Eventually, he opened his eyes, mind still entirely focused on the task ahead and Ringo.
His arms were hanging at his sides, his hands underneath the liquid. However, Randel didn't care about that at the moment.
Still, curious, he lifted his right arm up, pulling his hand out of the liquid with some effort.
He could still feel it, but the black goo stayed on it, some of it dripping down as if it was syrup.
It wasn't growing on him, and that was what Randel had been hoping for.
Full of colour, Randel put his arm back down and started to walk forward, gaze focused on the creature in the distance all the while.
Once he got to the bottom of the hill, the liquid was up to his chest, but Randel didn't take note of it.
He closed his eyes, fighting against the draining feeling as he thought about all the times he and Ringo had shared together, good and bad.
He didn't need to look where he was going.
He could sense its presence, as if it was telepathically guiding him.
The sound of the waves crashing was the only sound that Randel could hear, and, as much as he hated to admit it, he knew that it would be the only sound in Pepperland from now on.
He stopped when he heard a small chuckle, its source now right in front of him.
Slowly, Randel opened his eyes and glared up at the creature, and it tilted its head as it crossed its arms.
"I am impressed, Randel."
Randel did not respond, only squinting his eyes in response.
Still thinking about Ringo, he opened his mouth.
"Before you ask... no."
The words left his mouth coldly, his distorted voice not showing any remnant of weakness or kindness.
The creature, who was hovering an inch above the liquid, smiled.
"Well then... why are you trying so hard to avoid your fate then?"
Randel clenched his teeth.
"Why didn't you let this stuff take over that bandstand then?" He asked in the same cold voice.
"Oh, I just wanted to see how long it would be before you jumped off of it yourself. And, well... I thought that you were just going to accept it, but here you are, fighting against it as you stand here before me. Say..."
It grinned, showing off its sharp teeth.
"Why did you come all the way here?"
Randel opened his eyes fully and continued to glare at it, still keeping Ringo at the front of his thoughts as the draining feeling grew just a little.
"If I'm going to go out... I'm going to make sure I give you a talk."
He grunted.
"A talk that'll show you that I'm more than just your plaything."
The creature smiled again, staring down at Randel with a curious look.
"Well, go on."
"But one thing first."
Randel stepped closer to the creature, staring into its grey eyes as he let his tears fall uselessly down his face, not even caring how it would react.
"Show me what you truly are."
His tone slipped from cold to anger.
"Now."
The creature slowly squinted its eyes, still taring down at Randel, who stared right back.
Slowly, a ray of darkness stretched out from the black sun on its tie and wrapped around its body until Randel couldn't see it.
Silently, the large black mass of darkness in front of him shrunk down.
Afterwards, the darkness dissipated, revealing the creature's true form to Randel.
Randel glared into the creature's black eyes, lowering his head down in order to do so, not paying attention to the rest of its dark grey body.
"So then," the creature started.
"What did you want to tell me?"
YOU ARE READING
A Tragic Creation 3: At Pepperland's End
FanfictionJust a month after Pepperland was saved from the creature that had attached itself to him, Randel feels like nothing could go wrong now. With Ringo by his side, he feels like his life is finally back to normal. However, the very creature that had al...
