The Legend of the Pepperoni Sandwich - Part Two: The Dark One

The following story is completely fictionalized. Any similarity to real life people or circumstances is purely coincidental. Except for the true parts.

The Dark One rushed through the woods as branches scraped heavily against the doors of the massive red truck. The rain slid off the leaves in heavy drops and pounded on the roof, like warning drums sounding his approach. The grin on his face grew wide and evil; his pale fingers clutched the wheel in anticipation. All forms of plant and animal life were maliciously destroyed under the four giant wheels as he tore through the brush.

The truck burst through the trees and slid loudly as it hit the pavement. The rain was much heavier out in the open and it was almost impossible to see anything. The man accelerated anyway, his destination even closer. Headlights in the opposite lane flew by the windows in colorful blurs.

Neon lights showing the logo of a local convenience store were barely visible in the downpour. His hands shook with excitement as the truck slowed down. He parked and jumped out of the truck, landing softly on both feet.

There were a few scratches on the side of the truck from branches whipping violently against it. Touching his finger to his mouth, he whispered inaudible words and traced the white lines which vanished under the tip of his finger. He laughed and walked towards the entrance.
The water slowly came off of him and collected on the floor, creating a small pool that expanded until he was completely dry. He looked around the brightly lit store, searching the air for an energy he once knew well. The Old Man was close. Years of searching were nearing their end �" the fool had finally let his guard down long enough for the Dark One to find him.

But why would he allow this? He was always more careful than that. These were questions that would surely be answered soon. His eyes throbbed as the blood pumped to his head. He would have a headache soon but that didn't matter now. The Old Man's smell lingered in the air and he was close, ever so close.

The Dark One walked near a display of grapefruit and stopped abruptly, his body stock-still as the sniffed the air. There!!

The Old Man was waiting for the Dark One. He’d known of this moment for so long, yet now it seemed all too soon. His servant was standing by the door with a butcher's knife in his hand, ready for the attack, but the Old Man knew that even with his enormous bulk, he would be no match for this enemy. The Old Man's eyes were sad. So it has come to this he thought. He lowered his head, with the knowledge of what would come next.

The doors to the employee's bathroom flung open. A dark fog crept in, announcing the Dark One's presence. The servant lunged, knife in hand into the smoky darkness and was easily cast aside. The Dark One's laughter echoed into the stalls, creating ripples in the puddles of urine on the floor.

"Ha ha ha! You would send a mortal against a God?" The Dark One walked in, eyes black and empty, his massive grin exposing sickly sharp teeth. The Old Man looked at him, knowing that his time had ended, but his life no longer mattered. All that mattered was the girl. She was already on the path, whether she knew it or not. He would have to leave the rest up to fate.

The Dark One extended his arms in an obscene gesture of affection.

"Hello Old Man."

"Hello, Gary."

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Becky stared at the map the butcher had drawn out for her, trying to keep it dry as water dripped from the sides of her umbrella. This makes no sense she thought. She had followed the directions to the letter, yet she was still lost.

As soon as you leave, head straight for ten minutes and you will find the path - it was vague to say the least. She had no idea if he’d meant ten minutes of walking, jogging, or driving, and she wasn't completely sure she'd notice a path even if she was on it.

She had left the store shortly before and was having second thoughts on her decision. The umbrella she had stolen proved to be very helpful as the rain had begun a solid downpour. She still couldn't believe how beautiful it was. The golden handle was ornately decorated and had finger indents which seemed made for her hand. The light, golden fabric sparkled as it blocked all the water from touching her.

The chill of the rain had yet to affect her which she was sure would happen soon. Becky unfolded the map again to see if there were any familiar landmarks and almost dropped it in the water out of fright. The picture seemed to have changed!

No Way! she thought. The map showed a smiling man with black smoke coming off. This had been there before, but the man now seemed to have changed locations. The goat had also moved to the middle of some trees.

"I know that wasn't there before." she said to herself. She was spooked, but she knew it was most likely just faulty memory. Pictures don't just change. Her stomach growled loudly. I could have easily just gone to a diner, she realized. But the butcher’s words rang through her head - "...if you're looking for a pepperoni sandwich, I know where you can find the best in the world." Her stomach had done the thinking for her. "...best in the world...best in the world..." His words rang out like a dead echo in her head. She needed to end this day with the best pepperoni sandwich in the world, otherwise it would be just another dissatisfying day. Then a thought dawned on her.

How did he know I wanted a pepperoni sandwich? I only asked him for a half pound of pepperoni? Things weren't adding up. The rain was even heavier now, and she'd had enough of the mystery.

Becky started to turn when a powerful gust of wind pushed her in the opposite direction. Becky tried to stop, but the umbrella she was holding onto was pulling her away. Why isn't this umbrella turning inside out? Her shoes were sliding in the mud. If she let go of the umbrella, she would fall right into the mud and be caught unprotected in the rainfall.

"Oh no!!" she cried. She was heading right into the trees. She was sure she would fall fall once the umbrella hit the branches, but they moved out of the way.

"Oh my god!" Becky stared at the umbrella and noticed something odd. The rain was falling against the umbrella. Aside from her shoes, she was almost completely dry. The wind seemed to be blowing against it as well, yet she was still being pulled forward. The umbrella was moving independently, and dragging her along with it. What is this? What is happening?!

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Gary hopped into his truck angry and frustrated. So the Chosen One is looking for it too! The Old Man had been almost useless towards the end. Gary had tried to absorb the last thoughts of the Old Man, but this had proved futile. He hadn’t been strong enough to fully pierce the Old Man’s mind, but he was able to come away with something. A name - Becky.

Gary was very disappointed. He was hoping to find joy in the Old Man’s death, but the fool had taken even that away from him. No matter. He would find the girl. He would search for her and end her life. And then he would take the prize for himself.

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Becky woke to the sound of an animal. A branch had slapped her hard in the forehead and she had fallen unconscious. The golden umbrella that had come to life and dragged her into the middle of the woods was sitting folded next to her. The rain had stopped. She was resting on dry ground, the sun shining brightly above the trees.

Something shifted behind her and she jumped, startled. A white goat was caught in a thicket of vines and was trying to get free. Becky stood up and slowly approached the animal, careful not to make any sudden movements that would scare it further.

The goat eyed her cautiously, its pointed horns ready in case of any danger. Becky crouched down and slowly stroked the animal, showing it she was friendly. The goat stood still as Becky reached down and loosened the vines. As soon as it was free, the goat flung back and began running back and forth.

"Well, you aren't so bad." Becky said, enjoying this small bit of normalcy to what had turned out to be a crazy day.

"You're not so bad yourself, Miss," replied the goat.

Becky screamed loudly before she fainted.

Author's Note

I wrote this about 10 years ago, same as the last part. I couldn't find the third part. I touched this one up a bit but I kept the first part the same as it was before because I wanted to have something to compare my current writing with.