Broken

Chapter 4

"Can't trust men these days," Ada mumbled under her breath as she pushed out the Shack door. It slammed behind her, setting off a loud bang, the echo resonating into the night. 

Ada stormed away from the scene as fast as her legs could take her. She was originally walking at a quick pace but it evolved into a full on sprint. She was determined to distance herself from Ford. Ford, the person who broke the brittle foundation of their friendship in the space of five minutes. Ford, the paranoid old man who doubled as a stalker. Who knows what was down in that basement, anyway? Whatever it was, Ada knew it wasn't any machine to bio electrically encrypt your thoughts. She didn't want to find out what Ford had concocted in his basement. 

She just wanted to get away from him. 

The long and winding road leading up to the Mystery Shack ended and Ada could finally see town. Despite the numerous streetlamps lighting every other section of the sidewalk, she couldn't help but be intimidated by the overcast darkness. But she couldn't let her fears of the dark hinder her, there were bigger fish to fry. As Ada made her way across the street and onto the dark sidewalk, the nearby streetlamps comforting her, she realized that she still needed a place to stay until morning. There had to be at least one public place to stay in Gravity Falls. Her eyes scanned the streets, finding nothing more than closed shops ready to open with the sun rising and permanently closed establishments, forgotten by time and by the people. This place was sleepier than she had first thought. 

After turning for what seemed like the fourth corner since she had begun her journey, Ada finally found a place to stay. It was a motel at the very edge of town, defined with a vibrant red sign that boasted free wi-fi and hot breakfast. Desperate to get out of the cold, she hurried inside. The motel keeper checked her in almost too quickly, handing her a motel key before she could even get a proper greeting out. 

Her room seemed homey enough. Sure, there was mildew on the floor and evidence of water damage on the ceiling and felt uninviting, but the bed was comfortable enough for Ada to make up for lost sleeping time. It squeaked underneath her weight when she crashed onto it. Though the bed in the Shack was by comparison much more comfortable than the one she was laying on, sleep claimed her without a fight. 

Her eyes opened unceremoniously, ending a restless, dreamless night. Her eyelids were so heavy the weight alone could close them back on their own. She rolled over to check the time. 8 AM. She fell back and groaned. Ada was dead tired, a weight she could feel saturate her and physically confine her to the bed. Only one thought occupied her mind, and it was strong enough to will her from her state of tiredness. 

I need to shower. 

The shower was short yet refreshing. It was the first shower she had taken in a couple weeks, and she was all the more glad to have taken it. She felt slightly more awake, and the weight that she had been feeling minutes before was alleviated. 

That was when she heard the crash. 

Startled, Ada hurried out of the bathroom and to the window to look outside. The cause of the crash was all too apparent- a large, tree-like monster that left a footprint in the parking lot. A rush of panic and fear spurs Ada in a race to throw her clothes on and rush outside. All the other occupants of the motel had joined her, apparently. The scene was noisy, with everyone screaming and rushing to get to safety. The monster's foot had completely demolished the side of the complex opposite to Ada's and she knew that it was coming for her side next. 

Her instincts told her to make a beeline for the exit and get into the clear, away from the motel. However, the foot of the beast was blocking that exit. The screaming of the occupants in the noise and confusion was obviously upsetting the monster. His enormous foot came toward the side of the building that Ada had been staying in. A scream of pure fear ripped from Ada's throat and all she could think to do was run. But the same fears inspiring her to run kept her firmly in place and she couldn't move.