Monsters Within the Falls

Chapter 7

The rest of the day passed in contentment. With Wendy and Soos there, the Pines felt much more at ease. They played games and watched TV, not unlike any other day in the Mystery Shack. Ford came up and down from the basement, continuing to work on analyzing the water.

"It's a catalyst," he explained to Dipper, who was the only one who would listen. "It doesn't fundamentally change a person, it simply triggers a physical change based on personality."

"Are you saying that I was already a deer on the inside?" Dipper said, slightly offended.

"No, not exactly," Ford said, apparently oblivious to Dipper's discomfort, "It's more like your natural characteristics manifested themselves in something from nature.

"For example, Mabel loves having fun and being free-spirited. This came through in the characteristics of a mermaid, which creatures are free to explore the seas and rivers as they please. Stan is rough and resolute, so he became a creature of stone."

Dipper nodded in understanding. "And sphinxes are associated with knowledge and mystery. You know, like riddles and stuff."

"Exactly," Ford agreed. "So we know how the enchantment initially works. The trick now is finding out how to reverse it."

Soos walked through the kitchen where Dipper and Ford were talking. As he passed, Dipper noticed that he was drinking something out of a beaker.

"Soos! What are you doing?" Dipper shouted, starting towards him with his hooves clacking on the tile floor.

Soos turned and looked at him. "What?" he said, sounding confused. "I'm just drinking some water, dude."

Ford turned and saw the beaker in his hand. "That's the water from the Commutatus Fluvius! Where did you-?"

"It was just sitting on the counter. I thought it was a weirdly-shaped water bottle."

Dipper slapped his hand to his forehead. Ford got to his feet and started to growl softly. "Put it down, Soos, we can't let anyone-"

Soos backed up and tripped, and the beaker went flying. It clattered into the sink. "Whoops. Sorry, dude."

Ford rushed to the sink to pick up the bottle. "It's empty!" he said.

"It must have spilled down the sink," Dipper said fearfully.

"All the drains all lead to the water treatment plant. We might have just exposed the entire town!" Ford said, sounding frantic.

"Is it possible that the water will get diluted enough that it won't have any effects if it gets into the town's supply?" Dipper asked, hurrying over to Ford at the sink.

Ford ran a paw through his hair. "Possible, yes, but not likely. How are we going to explain this to the entire town?"

"Aw, I'm really sorry dudes. " Soos said again. Dipper and Ford glared at him.

------

Two days later, Dipper woke up in the middle of the night to a strange noise. He was nestled in his little bundle of blankets in the living room, with Mabel in her hamster ball beside him. He jolted awake, certain he had heard a disturbance. He looked around, but didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Then he heard it again, like a howl in the distance. His ears pricked up. Was there a wolf out there?

Instinctively, he wanted to hide. He wanted to run as far away from that sound as he could. He tried to convince himself that he was safe, reminding himself that nothing dangerous could get into the Shack, even if it wanted too. Still, that unnerving howl was getting closer....

He snuggled deeper into his blankets, and closer to Mabel. He tried to go back to sleep, but the slightest sound sent his heart racing. Eventually, despite his fear, he was so tired that his eyes began to droop.

Then he heard a noise at the door. His eyes snapped open. His keen ears twisted toward the sound, and he heard the door creak open. He lay as still as he could, his heart pounding so hard it hurt. A padded footstep. Another. Coming into the living room. He couldn't tell what it was, but it didn't sound like a human. Then he heard a low growl.

That sound sent a jolt through him and he jumped up, running instinctively away from the thing. But he hadn't even reached the doorway when it pounced, knocking him to the ground, its four legs spread over him to keep him from fleeing.

Dipper looked up in terror at the luminescent eyes of a wolf.

"Hey," said a friendly, familiar voice.

Dipper blinked, still too frightened to speak.

"Relax, Dip, I'm just playing with you." The wolf sat back on its haunches, allowing Dipper to scramble upright. As his eyes adjusted to the dim light, he saw that the wolf's fur was a fiery orange, and it wore a green plaid shirt.

"W-Wendy?" Dipper asked, his voice shaking.

She grinned. Even though she now had a long snout and pointed ears, Dipper recognized that smile.

"Wendy, you scared me to death!" He shouted angrily at her, a hand held to his chest.

"Sorry, man. I thought it was funny." She shrugged. "I wanted to show you. Pretty cool, right?" She stood up on her hind legs and turned a circle. Her plumed red tail swished across Dipper's face. She faced him again and put her paws on her hips. "I'm like you now!"

"L-like me. Right," Dipper said, privately thinking about how wolves hunted deer. He looked up at her.

She must have seen his expression pretty clearly, because her face softened from its look of hard triumph into something more worried.

"Oh gosh, sorry, Dipper. I really scared you, huh?" She said softly.

Dipper looked down and didn't answer. She sat down next to him and put one paw on his back. "I promise I won't hurt you, Dip. You're like my best friend! I was just excited that I changed too."

"Excited?" Dipper said incredulously. "I was terrified. I still don't like it!" He rubbed one of his fuzzy ears. "Mabel was calling me 'Deerper' earlier today."

Wendy laughed. "That's clever. You should call her 'Mermabel'." Dipper didn't look at her. She tilted her head to one side, and when she caught his eye again, she said, "Look, it's gonna be okay. We're going to figure this out together, alright?"

Dipper nodded. He finally felt calm again.