To the Nights in the Hold of Stone (BillDip)

Laced Fingers in the Emptiness(22)

The walls aren't sound proof. I can't tell how much time has passed but I could feel it.

Ford had locked me into the little room, plunging me into complete darkness, but I could hear the raised voices of both my Grunkles as they fought though I couldn't make out what about.

I was in the middle of a self hate party when a voice I never expected to hear again filled my head with a shout. It shot a pick of pain through my brain but I could have cried in relief anyways from hearing him. More so when Bill insisted he'd come for me. He was coming to get me. To top it all off, like I haven't been on the worst emotional rollercoaster of my life, he called me by my name. It echoed through my thoughts in a way that made my lungs tighten and my heart pound harder.

I had been so distracted that it was too late by the time the next sound pierced through the closed door. Screaming.

So much screaming. Suddenly I couldn't hear Bill anymore, only the cries from somewhere across the hall and I could guess who they were. It was Wendy. It had to be her, fuck what are they doing to her? My head pounds hard with a headache threatening to smash my skull.

Light flooded across the floor, if the door squeaked when it opened it was drowned out by another gut wrenching scream this time much louder. I flinched away from the footsteps that came closer as the door closed again. Sudden light filled the small room, Mabel stood in the center of it right in front of me with her hand still reaching up on the cord connected to the small light above her. "Dipper?" She asked, and my vision spun a little under the new light, maybe I'd been sitting here in the dark longer than I thought. Her hair was messy, knotted in waves over her shoulders like she'd been wearing it up all day and just tried to take it out of a pony tale.

I flinched as another scream echoed through the small space. Mabel flinched too, her eyes flicking up to the door worriedly. She stepped carefully closer to the chair, crouching down in front of me and tentatively touched my knee.

I didn't want her here. I don't want her to touch me, not after everything that's happened. I'd rather sit in the dark and talk to Bill till he could bring down the weirdness field and come for me. Her hand on my knee was as heavy as a brick, and that look of pity in her eyes dug holes in my skin. "Dipper?" She asked again.

She was asking, as if I wasn't sitting right here, as if she wasn't fucking touching me.

Another much more broken cry came through the walls, "What is he doing to her?" I asked hoarsely.

I could think clearly again and felt more comfortable in my own body, which was a small relief, at least I don't have to worry anymore about being impaired by the drugs.

Mabel's face fell a little as I avoided her question, "What he has too." She said and it sounded like she was repeating it.

"Mabel," I pleaded, "this isn't right, you have to know that. He's hurting her, please help us." I hated the words as they spilled from my mouth. But I hated the muffled sobbing more.

"I can't." She whispered this time, tears quickly filling her eyes, "I can't." She repeated, again looking at the door, "we need to get you back. I have to trust what he's trying to do."

I jerked forwards, as far as the restraints and the back of the chair would let me, "You have me, I'm right here! Mabel, it's us! He's hurting Wendy!"

She pushed back, squeezing her eyes closed and shaking her head, "I know! I know" tears fell freely, "but you made a deal with Bill and he still has you because of it, we are just trying to save you both!"

She wasn't listening, of course she wasn't, and she wouldn't. I feel back against the chair. She wouldn't listen.

"Dipper." She cried, "I just want my brother back."