Forest of Riddles (Reverse Falls, S1)

MI: Part Eight

"Allows me to touch ghosts."

"So . . . you're forgetting one thing."

A light flashed, the ground disappeared, and suddenly Dipper was floating in a swirling mass of white fog.

He had indeed forgotten that, since his amulet allowed him to touch ghosts, ghosts could touch him back. The ghost was nowhere to be seen, and now Dipper was in some bottomless room that was covered in mist.

Did the mirror have no limit to endless rooms?

"You think you're so clever, don't you?" the ghost's voice chided, echoing.

Dipper crossed his arms, his cape flowing around him. "Yes, I am, thank you for noticing," he said smoothly.

Silence.

Then the ghost slowly materialized from the mist, floating in front of Dipper.

Dipper raised an eyebrow.

"Humans can't get in this mirror," the ghost suddenly said, peering at Dipper's amulet. "Unless . . . they have your amulet."

The ghost reached for the amulet.

"Get away," Dipper snapped, swatting the ghost's hand away.

"How did you get in here?" the ghost asked.

"Why do you want to know?"

The ghost scowled and folded his arms. "You Gleefuls never cooperate."

"You said you were eight, right?" Dipper surveyed the ghost. "You certainly act like your age."

The ghost's scowl deepened.

Then his arms dropped to his sides and he floated a little further away. "Welcome to the Mirror Fog," the ghost said, making a face.

"Mirror Fog," Dipper repeated.

The ghost snapped his fingers. Immediately the fog formed a vague shape of a person - Mabel.

"Mabel!" Dipper cried, lunging for the fog.

As soon as his fingers touched Mabel, her fog form disappeared into the mist and reformed over by the ghost.

"Can't touch these people," the ghost informed, looking pleased with himself. "I control Mirror Fog. Any ghost who's trapped in a mirror can."

"What is this?" Dipper couldn't feel the ground at all - he spread his hands out, watching the mist swirl around them.

The ghost rolled his eyes. "It's how I see out of the mirror, genius. Whoever is holding the mirror, I turn into that person. And they appear somewhere in front of me." He gestured vaguely to the fog.

"This has been a nice lesson on ghost fog and mirror dynamics and all, but I need to get back to Wendy." Dipper glanced around. "Where's the door?"

The ghost snickered. "You can't get out of here unless I get you out. I finally caught a Gleeful." He smirked. "Took long enough."

"So I'm stuck?!" Dipper shouted. "I have things to do and places to be and -"

"- nowhere to go," the ghost finished.

Dipper looked at the ghost in horror. Then he lunged forwards. "You little monster -"

He grabbed the ghost's shoulders and wrestled him down through the mist. "Get me out of here or I swear you'll regret it!" he yelled.

"You Gleefuls are impossible!" the ghost shouted back, trying to break free of Dipper's grasp. "Why is it that whenever I have a Gleeful trapped, they always manage to FIGHT?"