steveguyhi1243

[steveguyhi1243]

Summer Triangle Chapter 13

“Fiddleford really didn’t want anyone but me finding this,” Grunkle Ford sighed, “Each line is in a different code. First atbash, then Caesar. It keeps switching. It’s going to take me a long time to crack this.”

“What about the journal?” Dipper asked.

“Oh, that. Yes. Give me a moment!”

Grunkle Ford pulled the journal from its resting place at the end of the table and slid it across the wood to Dipper. Dipper carefully reached out and held the journal in his hand. A five-fingered gold handprint covered the front with a large “four” written in the center with black ink. It smelled vaguely of chemicals. 

“What’s with the smell?” Dipper asked.

Grunkle Ford chuckled, “Fiddleford and I invented an adhesive back in the seventies. Only one solution in the world can undo it, and he knew that I had it. A little bit of chemistry was all we needed.”

“Why would he seal up his own journal?”

“He probably sealed it when he felt himself getting sick. This was the research he had promised me.”

Dipper opened the cover of the book and took a look at the aged yellow pages. Frantic scribbles filled the front pages, mostly mathematical equations. The words “weirdness magnetism” appeared time and time again.

“It looked like he was trying to come up with a new theorem for our law of weirdness magnetism. Nothing he wrote on that page made sense to me. I think he started using the memory gun again. I should have kept a closer eye on it. You can tell that his mind was starting to go.”

Further into the book, diagrams and descriptions similar to those in journal three filled the pages. He skimmed the first few sections, finding pages on vampire bats that were actual vampires, sentient trees that would swat any anyone that dared to cut them down, and even a section on the behavior of gnomes during solar eclipses .

Dipper soaked up the knowledge like a sponge. The words crawled off of the pages and into his brain. Not even the off-putting chemical odor could keep him from soaking in McGucket’s observations. It pulled back the curtain on Gravity Falls even further, exposing small bits of weirdness that had slipped under the radar during their first visit. 

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Summer Triangle Chapter 12

Breakfast took up the rest of the morning. Dipper lost himself in the calming ambience and the savory taste of breakfast, forgetting for a moment about the previous night’s discovery. Cicadas began to chirp once again as the temperature rose. The chill of the cloudy morning was quickly replaced by heat from the incoming sun, bringing back the summer glare that he had become familiar with. 

Dipper then took a quick journey to the shower house to freshen up. By the time he returned, Soos and Mabel had already vanished, off into the woods for a day’s worth of adventure. He found Wendy with a bucket of soapy water washing the dishes from the day. 

“There you are,” Wendy said, “Soos and Mabel left. They said they’d meet us back here before we leave for Lookout Point around five.”

“Awesome. You need any help with the dishes?”

“When I’m done with this bucket, can you take it down by the bluffs and dump it out?”

“Sure. Yeah. Of course.”

Dipper quickly rushed back to his tent to put away his toiletries. By the time he returned, Wendy was putting away the last of the morning’s dishes.

The bucket of dishwater was heavier than he expected it to be. With a heavy grunt, he swung the sloshing water over his shoulder and sauntered towards the fence overlooking the bluffs. He tried to ignore the pieces of half-eaten food floating around in the water mixing with the wet leaves that had fallen from the trees above. Instead, he focused on the lake, the hypnotic, sinusoidal motions of the waves calming him while taking a breath of the crisp morning air. 

Small bits of mud slid down the bluff’s shore as Dipper dumped the water away. Small bubbles of soap mixed with the sediment and accelerated the miniature landslide. Rocks, sand, and dirt mixed together and tumbled down to the shoreline in a small line. The flow stopped when it hit the rocky coast. The dirty water pooled behind a large chunk of a boulder and was soon absorbed by the porous deposits beneath. 

He rubbed the inside of the bucket with a wet leaf before returning it to Wendy. Dipper almost lost his balance while stepping on a stone, the ground beneath his feet rumbling as it tumbled out of the way.

“Hey, dude?” Wendy asked from a distance, “You feeling that?” 

The ground continued to shake even as Dipper stepped off of the stone. Like the floor beneath a stereo, light vibrations rattled the campsite, hardly registering over the crackling of the campfire. 

“Earthquake?” Dipper asked.

West coast residents were no strangers to earthquakes. Dipper had been through his fair share. Most, like the one rattling the campsite, were nothing more than a few light vibrations, hardly managing to tip over a lawn chair. Every hundred years or so, they would be hit with a stronger quake, damaging buildings and bringing the city to a standstill. 

The shaking stopped once Dipper reached the campsite. The pair stopped for a moment, standing still and waiting for an aftershock. Every now and then, a stronger quake would follow a small one. He counted for ten seconds. Then twenty. Then thirty.

“I think that was it,” Wendy said, “Just a light one.”

Dipper nervously turned to the lake, “Hopefully. The beach is the last place you want to be for something like that.” 

“Eh. I’ve camped in worse. If it was bad, they’d tell us to leave.”

“That’s true.”

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Summer Triangle Chapter 11

Wendy checked the safety of her shotgun again and made sure to point it away from the group, leaving the barrel aimed out the door instead. Anyone who tried to give them a hard time would have to get through her first.

“What happened to your shirt?” Mabel asked, pointing her flashlight at the tear in the fabric, “Do you get hungry and chew on your shirts, too?”

“No…I just got caught on the fence on the way in. No big deal.”

“No big deal? This is a sweater emergency! Don’t worry. When we get home, I’ll patch it up!”

Mabel reached into her pocket and pulled out a small piece of fabric tape, slapping it onto the tear and patting it gently, “But for now, this will do.”

“You sew?” Wendy asked, “That makes so much sense for you.”

“Of course! How else am I going to keep my sweaters healthy? They’re like my children! I can’t let anything happen to them.”

“I’ve been meaning to learn how to do that. I can give someone stitches, but that’s about it.”

“I got those once. I felt like a doll.”

“They’re not fun. Sewing sweaters sounds a lot better.”

“I’ve never done flannel before. But now I can try!”

Wendy, usually apprehensive about whom she allowed to mess with her flannel collection, smiled in agreement with Mabel. How could she say no to those glowing eyes? Through everything that they had been through, Mabel always came out with a smile. Wendy couldn’t help but feel the warm energy radiating from her. Her presence was one that had been sorely missed. The world needed more people like Mabel Pines. Maybe then it wouldn’t be so depressing. 

“Hey, we’ve got something!” Dipper shouted with excitement, “Bring your lights!”

A small set of cement stairs extended downward from the hole in the floor. Wendy flashed her light a second time to make sure that her eyes weren’t deceiving her. 

“It’s like, a secret room or something, dudes!” Soos said, “You don’t see those anymore.”

“Alright, guys,” Wendy said, “Stand back. You know the drill.”

Mabel pumped her fist in the air, “Are you finally gonna get to shoot something?”

“I hope I don’t have to.”

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Summer Triangle Chapter 10

The roof of the tent sagged down with the weight of the morning dew. Dipper shot upwards with the touch of something cold on his ankle, heart racing whilst he scrambled through the light of dusk to find his lantern. 

A dark figure sat in front of the tent’s door. With only a zipper and a thin layer of fabric separating the two, Dipper found his lantern and wielded it like a weapon. The fogginess of sleep faded away as his heart thumped violently against his chest, bringing blood to every extremity and pushing adrenaline through his veins with each pulsation.

The creature wore Mabel’s sweater. For a moment, he wondered if it was a trick, some ploy by Mabel to get him out of bed and out of the tent. It wouldn’t be the first time she had tried something like that.

“Mabel?!” Dipper asked.

There was no response. 

Suddenly, Dipper was back in the bunker six long years ago, standing with Wendy as the pair faced the shapeshifter. He still remembered the sickening pallor that had consumed her face. It was the only time in Dipper’s memory that Wendy had shown genuine fear. For months after their return to Piedmont, Dipper and Mabel checked their backs, wondering if a shapeshifter had followed them home. It took years to feel safe without using their shapeshifter tests –which consisted of safewords and pupil checks– and go back to normal life.

“I’ve been waiting for you!” the creature spat, sitting upright while keeping Mabel’s face away from his, “Six years! And I finally have my revenge!”

“Get back!” Dipper shouted, “I’ll freeze you again!”

The creature stopped in its tracks as it stood up and began unzipping the tent. Dipper closed his eyes and braced for impact, listening as the creature sprung off of its feet and lunged at him.

Cold hands grabbed his neck. He waited for the shapeshifter’s claws to rip him apart as he drowned in his own blood.

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Summer Triangle Chapter 9

We were sailing along, on Moonlight Bay!

We could hear the voices ringing, they seemed to say.

You have stolen my heart, now don’t go ‘way! 

As we sang love's sweet old song on Moonlight Bay.

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Summer Triangle Chapter 8

“It’s always so lively in the summer,” Wendy sighed with a smile, “Soos and I will go first. You guys know how to board a kayak?”

Dipper and Mabel shook their heads. Aside from the occasional fishing trip with Grunkle Stan, they had never been in a boat before, let alone launched one themselves. 

“Nope,” Dipper said, “Is it hard?”

“Nah,” Wendy replied, “As long as you’re steady on your feet and don’t mind getting a little water in your shoes, you’ll be fine. I’ll show you.”

Wendy brought the group over to the dock and spoke to a man sitting in a small wooden shack beside it. After some time, she was handed a small box of what appeared to be worms, and given a wave before being sent on her way. 

“Soos, you go first,” Wendy said, “You’ve done this before. Show them how it’s done.”

Soos gave Wendy a salute, “Yes, ma’am!”

The yellow kayak was positioned at an angle along the shoreline. Soos removed the oar from the inside and set it on the ground as he pushed the kayak halfway out. The rear of the craft remained on the shore. Only then did Soos pick up the oar and hastily step into the seat, water splashing along the side of the kayak as he did so. 

Once inside, Soos used the oar to push the kayak out into the water, leaning from side to side as it tilted with each movement. Small ripples formed in the water in Soos’s wake. They traveled outward before fading, the minuscule crests of their waves catching the sunlight and creating a bright glimmer. 

“I’ll push you guys out,” Wendy said, “You just get to the kayak, okay?”

Mabel slugged Dipper on the shoulder, “First one there gets the front!” 

Before Dipper could move, Mabel was already running. She had forgotten that Dipper was the one carrying the kayak. He waited for a moment, watching as she arrived at the shore and raised her first in triumph, only to turn around in defeat once she realized there was nothing for her to board. 

“Dipper…” Mabel said, “You have the kayak, don’t you?”

Dipper nodded, “I was waiting for you to figure it out.”

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Summer Triangle Chapter 7

Ever wanted to see Dipper, Mabel, Wendy, and Soos try to navigate a camping trip? Or, at the very least, wondered how many things went wrong along the way? It's a fun idea. Someone should write about it.

“I’m guessing Mabel told you about the trip?” Wendy asked, sipping from a woodpecker coffee mug.

Dipper nodded, “Yep. Just wasted half an hour trying to pack up her sweaters. Never again.”

“Sounds like Mabel. Some things never change.”

“...they say there’s gold in the rivers down there,” Grunkle Stan remarked, “You’d better bring some back. If you’re nice, maybe you’ll get to keep some.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Dipper trailed off.

“The kid’s not doing your dirty work, Stanley,” Grunkle Ford laughed, “Let him enjoy the outdoors. Nothing better for the inquisitive mind than a few days surrounded by nature’s beauty.”

Grunkle Stan rolled his eyes, “Great. He’s gonna become a nerd, too.” 

Breakfast was interrupted by the tumbling of a large object down the stairs. Dipper ran to the staircase, leaving his food on the table as Mabel’s angry shouts filled the room. A pile of multicolored sweaters soon came into view.

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Summer Triangle Chapter 6 is out!

HEY. FUNNY SEEING ME, ISN'T IT?

NEVER LIKED THIRD PERSON. DIDN'T FEEL PERSONAL ENOUGH.

NIGHTMARES ARE BORING. REALITY IS SO MUCH WORSE!

Yroo Xrksvi Girzmtov

[steveguyhi1243]

Summer Triangle Chapter 5 is out!

Pacifica Northwest finds a strange book in her closet. Oh, yeah, and her parents still suck.

-

Pacifica recognized the poem, with her father having a collection of Robert Frost’s work in the basement. There was only one nerd that would leave something like that. 

Dipper Pines.

She set the book down and prepared to go to bed, taking a picture of it with her phone before turning around and closing the closet door. The next day would be a blur of boring interviews. If she wanted a chance to stay awake, she would have to get some sleep, whether she wanted to or not. 

Pacifica had no memory of walking to her bed. Instead, she was rudely awoken by the chiming of her alarm clock, the metal bells jingling like opulent wind chimes. Her legs ached and strands of hair covered her face. Had mother or father seen her that way, they would have sent her off to boarding school. 

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Summer Triangle Chapter 4 is out!

Ever wanted to see Stanley and Stanford Pines tipsy after a funeral? Neither did I. But then I wrote it and thought it was cool.

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subscribing to a fic isn’t enough I need the author to blast a bat signal into the night sky whenever they update

[steveguyhi1243]

Summer Triangle

A tidbit of a fic I'm working on. Been a long time since I've used this site. Maybe it'll help.

Summary:

A funeral. A reunion. A summer romance?

Oh, and another mystery. It wouldn’t be Gravity Falls without one.

It only took six years to get back. Everything’s just like the twins left it, right?

Surely there’s NOTHING wrong. Just don’t look the townspeople in the eye. Something’s been up with them lately.

Excerpt from Chapter 1:

McGucket was dead. 

Hands warm against the leather of the steering wheel, Dipper Pines stared at the road ahead, taking deep breaths through his nose as the first symptoms of road fatigue set in. His eyelids grew heavy while the yellow lines of the interstate rhythmically flew past his vision.

The rose-gold of the early morning sun had given way to the vibrant blue of midday. White Alders and Redwoods had faded to pine trees with each additional mile north. No longer burdened by urban ambience, skyscrapers turned into convenience stores, littering the afforested roads like breadcrumbs down a wooden trail. A small pine-shaped air freshener mounted to the dashboard gave the truck a minty feel, reminding Dipper of the serenity of an early-morning thunderstorm, fresh rainwater drenching the leaves. 

A pink-sweatered figure sat curled up in a ball in the passenger seat. Locks of curly brown hair hastily tamed by a black hair tie enveloped their face, soft breaths blowing the strands briefly out of place before gravity brought them back down. The neon cover of a scrapbook rested within Mabel’s hands, clutched tightly against her chest just as a child would a stuffed animal. 

The front cover of the scrapbook faced Dipper. In glittery gold, the words “SUMMER MEMORIES” were etched out in Mabel’s handwriting. Only one picture had been added, sitting just inside the front cover. Draped in blue caps and gowns, Dipper and Mabel stood with their arms around each other, diplomas in hand as they gave a thumbs up to the camera. Mom had taken the picture. Dipper remembered her grinning ear to ear as she pulled out her phone and fumbled with the buttons until finding the camera. Dad, meanwhile, stood just out of frame, awkwardly waiting for mom to release them so he could get his own pictures. The smell of his shoe shiner and the warmth of his maroon button-up persisted even as the photo failed to capture him. 

Dipper wrestled with the black cup holder to his right. Something tumbled to the ground whilst he freed his water bottle. It probably wasn’t anything important. He had been meaning to fix it, but had been too busy with the million other repairs to worry about it. A finicky cup holder was nothing when the transmission gave out. 

Cold water rushed down his throat and brought him temporary relief from his weariness. Sooner or later he would have to stop. Dipper caught sight of an exit advertising a gas station some three miles away. Turning on his blinker, Dipper quickly checked his right mirror and blind spot before quickly switching into the rightmost lane, narrowly making the exit as it crept up on him.

The sharp jolt of the truck as he turned disturbed Mabel from her slumber. She let out something between a grunt and a snore before jolting upright and pulling her hair out of her face. From the backseat, Waddles squealed, quickly crawling from the backseat to the passenger side.

“What was that about?” Mabel asked, voice deepened by her nap, “Is it national my-brother-can’t-make-right-turns-day already?”

“No,” Dipper replied, “I’m taking a stop to stretch my legs.”

“But we’re so close!”

“A five-minute stop won’t do too much. We’re making good time. It’s been nine hours, Mabel. I’m getting tired.”

“Let me drive! I wanna get there!”

“Mom told me not to let you. Remember?”

Mabel rolled her eyes, “Come on, Dipper! It was one time! Don’t be such a fartface.”

“You ran over dad’s foot, Mabel.”

“Pfft. Please. He was fine!”

“He was on crutches for a month.”

“It’s a heartwarming story about a man fighting through an injury. You’re so negative!”

“Spin it however you want. You’re not driving.”

“Hey, I got my license!”

“And we still don’t know how.”

Dipper turned the truck into a parking lot, the large sign in front of the parking lot boasting gas prices beneath two dollars per gallon. The fuel gauge along the dashboard rested comfortably between E and F. He took note of the gas station’s name, planning on swinging by on the way back.

He put the car in park and gently opened the door. Warm summer air wrapped around him like a hug and pulled him out into the parking lot. Dipper’s arm brushed against the arm of his suit that hung in the backseat. The black satin acted as an insulator, covering part of the back window to keep the sun from turning the truck into an oven. Mabel’s similarly drab dress covered the rightmost window, leaving just enough space for Dipper to check his blindspots, and nothing more. 

Waddles oinked with excitement as Mabel removed him from the back of the car and him in her arms. 

“Just looking at that is depressing,” Dipper remarked, eyes on the funeral attire as he locked the car, “I wish we were coming back for a better reason.”

Mabel, usually quick with an optimistic remark, remained silent, breaking away from Dipper while he walked into the men’s room.

He cupped his hands beneath a sink and splashed cold water on his face. The bathroom had the musk that one would expect at a gas station, Dipper making sure to breathe through his mouth to keep the stench from burning into his psyche forever. 

A small part of missed stubble appeared on the sides of his face as the water darkened them. Dipper muttered to himself, vowing to find a way to fix it before they arrived. He would have to look his best for the following day’s plans. 

Once he felt awake, Dipper left the bathroom, covering his hand with his sleeve to keep the residual contaminants from reaching his skin. Dipper knew what went on in gas-station bathrooms. The last thing he wanted was to spend his summer curled up in bed with a barf bowl at his side. 

He caught sight of Mabel at the cash register buying a piece of pepperoni pizza along with a bottle of Coca-Cola. It wasn’t any Pitt-Cola, but he figured beggars couldn’t be choosers. The cashier shot her a quizzical glance as he noticed Waddles poking his head out of Mabel’s sweater. 

Mable handed the cashier a handful of bills and happily turned around, taking a bite of her food before noticing Dipper. 

“Dipper!” Mabel said, “This place is awesome! I got a scratch-off ticket!”

Sure enough, she reached into her sparkly, cat-shaped purse and pulled out an Oregon lottery ticket, having already scratched the numbers off and left the residue coating the side of a penny. 

“You didn’t win anything,” Dipper remarked.

“Duh,” Mabel said, still grinning from ear to ear, “The scratching is the best part! It’s better than money. It’s the journey, Dipper. Not the destination!”

“I’m…not sure I agree with you on that.”

“Whatever. Dope.”

“I’ll race you back to the car?”

“Oh, you’re on!”

Dipper had taken to the occasional jog in the morning when he felt like it. It was an easy way to wake himself up during the summer mornings without school weighing on his mind. He had yet to know if he had made any progress. A little sprint to the car would be a good test of his endurance.

“Alright,” Mabel said, “Waddles, you be the judge.”

Waddles wiggled out of Mabel’s sweater and onto the pavement. Mabel waited until he had reached the truck to begin the countdown.

She took the starting position. Dipper did the same.

“On three!” Mabel said, “One…Two…Three!”

The duo took off from the front door of the gas station. Dipper dug his feet into the ground, pushing himself forward as he placed one hand on the woolen lumberjack’s cap on his head, keeping it from flying away. 

Mabel quickly gained ground. Dipper maintained a comfortable lead for only a few seconds. Powered by sugar and the rejuvenation of a roadside nap, she had far more energy.

Dipper wouldn’t go down without a fight. He dug deep and forced his feet to move faster, struggling to catch his breath as he leapt over a curb and reached towards the car door. Mabel’s footsteps pounded the pavement just seconds behind.

“You’re gonna have to try harder than that!” Dipper exclaimed, throwing himself onto the truck’s red exterior.

Mabel let out a fake pout, “Fine. You win. Now open the door. I want to eat my pizza.”

Waddles hopped back into the backseat while Dipper and Mabel took up the driver’s and passenger seats respectively. 

“I’m gonna call Grunkle Stan and let him know we’re almost there,” Dipper said, pulling out his phone, “You good with waiting a few seconds?”

Mabel nodded.

Her phone lit up with text messages and other notifications as the screen lit up. Dipper, meanwhile, only had a notification from the Duolingo Owl, admonishing him for missing a day of his Polish lessons. 

Teaching Grunkle Stan to operate a phone had been a difficult process. It had taken the patience of a saint to show him how to answer a call. Ford had been even worse. He insisted that cell phones were ugly and that landlines were the way to go. 

Four rings escaped the phone before Stan’s gravely voice picked up. 

“Hey, kid,” Grunkle Stan said, “What do you need? It’d better not be money.”

“Good afternoon to you too,” Dipper sighed, “Mabel and I are about to get back on the interstate. We should be at the shack in about an hour.”

“Wait, you’re driving?!”

“Yes. I told you.”

“I thought you were messing with me. Like when I told you I had a twin brother.”

“You DO have a twin brother.” 

“Whatever. Hey, if you’re driving, do you think you'd be able to do a small favor for me? I’ve got some pugs that…uh…necesitan llegar a Oaxaca. If you know what I mean.”

“I’m not smuggling pugs across the border for you, Grunkle Stan.”

“Fine. Have it your way. And hey, don’t park in my parking spot!”

“I won’t.”

“Good.”

A moment of silence followed. Dipper opened his mouth to say goodbye, only to be cut off by Stan at the last minute. 

“So…uh…how are you kids holding up? You know, with McGucket and all.”

“We’re doing alright,” Dipper replied, “At least he’s not in pain anymore. What about you and Ford?”

“I barely knew the guy. Ford’s been quiet. He hasn’t said much about him.”

“Keep an eye on him until we get there, okay?”

“I don’t think I need to. He’s been in his lab watching Family Ties for the last hour. First time I’ve seen him do something other than work. It’s weird, Dipper. Scientists aren’t supposed to relax.”

“Yeah. Sure…”

“Whatever. I’ll see you kids soon. Sorta sucks that you’re coming all this way for a funeral.”

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

“Alright. If the guy at the toll booth tries to rip you off, floor it and break through the fence. They don’t have cameras up here.”

“They’re not ripping us off, Grunkle Stan. They’re collecting our tolls to fund the roads.”

“Like I said. They’re ripping you off.”

“See you in an hour.”

“Yeah, yeah.” 

Dipper placed his phone back on the dashboard and placed his hand on the shifter. The engine roared to life with the turn of the keys. 

Within minutes, they were back on the interstate, the speedometer steadily creeping up to seventy as the open road stretched out for miles ahead. Large hills with valleys at their bases flowed around the countryside like waves on an ocean. Small towns lined the bases of forests. Smoke rose from grills, children played in yards, and birds rested atop powerlines, unaware of how close it had all come to destruction. 

Dipper still had nightmares about Weirdmageddon. They had become less frequent as the years passed. Little by little, the rose-colored fuzz surrounding his memories of Gravity Falls had faded. Each time he thought of the mystery shack, he saw Bill rising from the ground and opening the blood-red sky. He woke up some nights in a cold sweat, rushing down the hall as his mind told him that Mabel had been taken, breathing a sigh of relief once he found her sound asleep in her bed. 

On the other hand, there was a certain beauty in returning to a childhood wonder after yeast apart. Nightmares could only warp so much of his perception. Sometimes, on a particularly lonely night, he would flip through Mabel’s scrapbook and fondly reflect on that fateful summer. So many smiles, so wide that not even the darkest of days could turn them. There was a glimmer in his eyes that he had spent years chasing. An elusive emotion unicorn, it always felt just out of reach. A part of him wondered if returning to the Falls would bring that glimmer back and drive the nightmares back into limbo where they belonged. 

Six years had passed since the bus had taken that winding path. Dipper swerved left and right as the road swayed, paying close attention to the bright yellow hazard signs scattered along the grassy railingings. Puffy cumulus clouds rose overhead and briefly obscured the sun, only to surprise Dipper with a flash of blinding sunlight once it passed. He reached for the visor overhead and positioned it just above his forehead. 

“Go away, clouds!” Mabel scorned, opening the passenger window and raising her fist into the air, “I want the sun! It’s summer!”

In a few short seconds, her hair had been frizzled by the wind, strands running every which way across her head. It looked like she had just been electrocuted. 

Mabel let out a cough and spat out a wad of hair, “Bleh. Wind is stupid too.”

Dipper chuckled, “Another reason why I’m the one driving.”

Through the rearview mirror, Dipper caught sight of Mabel turning around in her seat, eyes directed towards the funeral attire resting in the back of the truck. 

“Dipper?” Mabel asked, the childlike lilt in her voice gone, “Is it normal that I feel sad?”

Dipped nodded, “Of course it is. We knew McGucket better than most people did. It’s been a few years since we’ve seen him, sure, but he was our friend. You never really forget someone like that.”

“But I also feel happy. We get to see Grunkle Stan again! And Grunkle Ford! And the Mystery Shack! And Wendy, and Soos, and Lazy Susan, and Candy and Grenda-”

“Mabel. Take a breath.”

“Sorry. I don’t know what to feel. I don’t want to be happy, because McGucket died. You’re not supposed to be happy when someone dies. But I also don’t want to be sad, because then I can’t enjoy our trip.”

Mabel rolled back into her seat and buried her head inside of her sweater, “Not even Sweatertown can help me.”

“You don’t need to go to Sweatertown,” Dipper said, clearing his throat, “This whole thing is new to us. We’ve never really dealt with it before.”

“What about Skitts?”

“He died when we were nine. We hardly knew what was going on.”

“What about mom and dad?”

“They’re not dead, Mabel.”

“No…but sometimes it feels like they are.”

“What?”

Mable reached forward and pulled the graduation photo out of her scrapbook, “We don’t have a single picture with both mom and dad in it. Doesn’t that make you sad? It used to be so much nicer when we were younger.”

“But they’re not dead, Mabel. Things changed. They didn’t love each other anymore.”

“I just don’t get it.”

“Stuff like that is hard for everyone. This summer will be a nice break, you know?” 

“I guess.”

“You’re allowed to be sad about McGucket. But you’re also allowed to be happy. You can feel two things at once.”

Dipper made a mental note of that comment, planning to write it down later if he ended up needing it.

“It’s not like you’re happy that he died,” Dipper continued, “We’re going to go to the funeral tomorrow and pay our respects. All things considered, he lived a pretty good life. Seventy-five is right around the life expectancy.” 

“Grunkle Stan and Grunkle Ford are old too.”

“I mean, yeah, but not as old as McGucket.”

“Didn’t Grunkle Ford and Old Man McGucket go to college together?”

“I-I mean, yeah. But Grunkle Ford wasn’t shooting himself in the face with a memory gun.” 

“But they’re both old. Won’t we have to worry about them too one day?” 

Dipper paused. He had never considered the Grunkles’ age before. They had been old for as long as Dipper had known them. Sure, they were eligible for senior discounts, but they were tough. Nothing would take them down. If a dimension-eating demon couldn’t get to them, a seventy-fifth birthday was nothing. 

“Are you kidding?” Dipper asked with a smile, “They’re tough as nails. Remember when Grunkle Stan fought off zombies with his bare hands? Or when Ford survived thirty years in a nightmare dimension? Nothing can take them down.”

Mable emerged from her sweater with a smile on her face, “That’s true. They’re tough.”

“And now we get to see them again. In twenty minutes, we’ll be pulling back up to Gravity Falls, and we’ll be right where we belong. Back in our home away from home.”

Those last words left Dipper’s mouth with a grin. For the first time in years, he felt true excitement, the allure of Gravity Falls pulling him closer as the highway gave way to dirt roads. The nightmares, for a moment, felt like a distant memory, taking note of the road signs as they drew closer. A large green sign mounted on a wooden post told Dipper everything that he needed to know. 

Gravity Falls: 10 Miles. 

“This place feel familiar yet?” Dipper asked.

“Sorta,” Mabel replied, “The trees look taller.”

“They probably are. It’s been six years.”

Waddles crawled into the front seat and wiggled onto Mabel’s lap. Mabel picked the pig up and held him towards the window.

“What about that, Waddles?” Mabel asked, “Happy to be back home?”

A gleeful squeal came as a reply.

“I’m not leaving without filling this scrapbook,” Mabel said, leg bouncing with each passing mile, “I bought film, Dipper. FILM! It’s going to be AMAZING!” 

Dipper certainly hoped so. Summer afternoons cooped up in his room waiting for something to happen had grown boring. Gravity Falls was a place of adventure, mystery, and thrill. For better or for worse, there was never a dull moment within its borders, feasting on the confusion and bewilderment of its residents. Knowing that Bill was gone made the nightmares seem more distant. They were safe. Weirdmageddon was over. 

For six summers, Dipper had devoted all of his time and energy to rekindling that spark of life. Something was different about Gravity Falls. The colors were brighter, the people were nicer, and the smiles were wider. It was one of the only mysteries he had left to solve. With a semester away at school just around the corner, their visit to the Falls provided Dipper one last chance to live the summer he wanted.

He had the benefit of hindsight. No more hopelessly pining over older women, or summoning video game characters to fight his battles. Dipper had three months to maximize his summer fun. With six additional years of life experience, a driver’s license, and a healthy dose of anxiety medication, nothing would stop him. Nightmares included. 

“You’re smiling, Dipper,” Mabel chuckled, “You thinking of anyone? Maybe the lumberjack that gave you that dopey hat?”

Dipper turned his head as the tails of Wendy’s old hat brushed against his head. She had given it to him as a parting gift during their last summer, a summer that Dipper had almost ruined with his hopeless infatuation. It had taken almost three months to get over her.

“No, I’m not,” Dipper finally said, “I’m over her, Mabel. I think I’m going to take a break from romance this summer.”

“A break? Pfft,” Mable scoffed, “I can finally work on my matchmaking again! Don’t think I won’t be trying to find you a special someone.”

“I don’t know, Mabel. I wasted so much of last summer trying to get with Wendy. I think it’s time I focus on something else. We both know how that turned out for me.”

“So, you get rejected once and pine over a girl for a whole summer? Big whoop. Come on. You’ve gotta let me try. Do you think the Big Dipper’s ever alone in the sky? No! It’s got all its other constellation friends! We’re gonna find you a special little constellation!”

Mabel, in the midst of her silliness, would occasionally let a phrase slip from her mouth that would leave the likes of Kipling and Twain speechless. That was one of those moments. Dipper didn’t anticipate there being another one for the rest of the summer. 

There was no stopping Mabel when she put her mind to something. Dipper decided that the best option was to try and direct her attention elsewhere. 

“I was thinking about asking Grunkle Stan if we could go to Lazy Susan’s diner for dinner tonight,” Dipper suggested, “What do you think?”

Mabel grabbed his shoulder with excitement, causing the wheel to shift slightly in Dipper’s hand, “Yes! Please!”

Dipper spun the wheel back and got the truck back on track. The tries kicked up dirt from their brief time off of the road. Taking a deep breath through his nose, Dipper regained his focus and continued along the path. 

“Sorry!” Mabel said, “Road hazard.”

“Clearly. I’ll take that as a yes, then?” Dipper asked.

“Duh!”

“Good.”

The dirt roads became increasingly dilapidated as the truck rolled along the path. Decorated road signs soon became rusty chunks of metal nailed to rotting wooden poles. Woodpeckers poked their red crests out of little notches within the wood.

“Yep, it’s really starting to look like Gravity Falls,” Dipper remarked,

“You can tell by the lack of infrastructure.”

“It’s just rustic!” Mabel said, “It’s part of the charm.”

“Is that what you tell yourself?”

Soon, the truck took a turn down a familiar avenue, past the main street of the town. It remained almost completely unchanged. Aside from a few areas of overgrown shrubbery or missing trees, it looked exactly like Dipper remembered. The same log-cabin-style buildings lined the streets in a single line. Asphalt softened the truck’s drive. Dipper squinted his eyes as they drove, wondering if he would catch any familiar faces. 

Then he saw it.

In the distance, over a forest of pine trees, was the ever-familiar Gravity Falls water tower. To outsiders it was unremarkable. A large metal tank was surrounded by four wooden supports, towering some hundred feet off of the ground. The city name was etched onto the metal with black ink. It watched over the city like a sleeping giant, ready to leap into action should Gravity Falls need it.

Mabel was bursting at the seams with excitement. Her smile spread wide enough that Dipper could see it in the rearview mirror. He turned down a side road past the city’s park, approaching a tree-shaded road. 

Dipper, for a moment, felt twelve years old again. The pine trees loomed over him just like they had six years ago. The dirt path leading up the hills and valleys was just as he remembered them. Footprints ran haphazardly back and forth. Dipper wondered if they were his. 

The Mystery Shack appeared just beyond a clearing, with its “h” still missing. Three cars sat in the parking lot. A red truck that Dipper recognized as Wendy’s, an old convertible that practically had Grunkle Stan’s name on it, and a particularly dated Chevrolet that he assumed was Grunkle Ford’s. Dipper’s sleek black truck was set to join the lineup. 

Customers strolled out of the shack’s front door. Dipper thought that they were leaving as a group, until he saw a pair of arms shooing them out. A shadowed figure behind a murky glass pane flipped the open sign around and closed the shack for the day.

Dipper turned down the radio as he approached the front. He had yet to spot any faces outside the shack, although he anticipated their appearance.

Waddles knew where he was. He began to let out short squeals as he spun around on Mabel’s lap. Small thumps escaped the car’s door as the pig’s hooves pounded on it in an attempt to escape.

“Are you ready for this?” Dipper asked, sliding into a nearby parking spot and watching as the early afternoon sun lit up the Mystery Shack like a stage light. 

Mabel didn’t respond, instead throwing open the door, grabbing Waddles on the way out, and sprinting out of the car before Dipper had a chance to get in another word. 

Dipper chuckled, “I’ll take that as a yes.”

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