22 Short Stories from Gravity Falls

Story 9: The Old Lady on Parpan Place

"Dipper, are you crazy? She just said she was gonna buy a lot of them!" argued Mabel.

"But...didn't the precious babies part freak you out just a little bit?" said Dipper.

"Well...maybe she's just a doll collector. Kind of like how some people are with stamps or rocks. And besides, what other choice do we have? Remember what Grunkle Stan told us?" said Mabel.

"If we can't sell even a single one, we'll have to work in the gift shop for the rest of the summer to help him pay it off. Yes, I know! But come on!" said Dipper.

"Dipper," said Mabel "Would you rather be outside, fighting with a monster? Or inside, fighting with a broom?"

"Uh...okay fine!" he said, "But at the first sight of trouble, we bail! Even if we have to ditch the bobbles."

Mabel nodded her head. The two then turned around to face the lady.

"You got yourself a deal woman!" said Mabel. "That'll be fifteen bucks plus tax! No refunds!"

"Splendid," she said "Though I did leave my wallet inside. How about you both come in for a cup of tea and cookies while I go fetch it?"

Major red flags were going off in Dipper's head. But at the same time, he didn't want to spend the rest of the summer working in the Mystery Shack when he still had to find out who the author of the journals was! And besides, what could be so bad about an old lady who was willing to take a few creepy Stan bobbleheads off their hands.

As the two walked inside, they were met with many, many, MANY dolls. As far as the eye could see.

"Wow, you have so many dolls here," said Mabel.

"Indeed, I do dear. I do enjoy collecting them all," she said.

"Oh really?" questioned Mabel. "Do you have the Darbie dolls?"

"Of course. Even the limited-edition ones and all the Ben dolls that go with her."

"How about British Girl dolls?"

"Got them all too!"

"My not so Little Ponies?"

"From both versions of the show!"

"Cauliflower kids?"

"Them too!"

Each time Mabel named a doll type or brand, the lady would reply with a yes. And to Mabel's shock, she'd see those dolls sitting on a shelf. She even saw some dolls that weren't even sold in America.

"Wow...you really do like dolls," said Dipper.

"Collecting them all is my hobby. But alas, once you have every single type of doll in the world, you start running out of more to collect," said the lady.

"Well, there always will be more dolls in the future. Kind of like how there always will be more weird flavored jellybeans," said Mabel.

"I guess. But none until the fall as far as I know of. Now, you two wait here while I go get my wallet. Tea's ready for you on the coffee table," said the lady as she walked away.

"Oh good," said Mabel, "I haven't eaten anything since this morning and if I don't get any sugar in my system soon, I'm gonna be half the Mabel I am now."

The twins got comfy onto a couch covered in dolls. At that moment, the two looked at a shelf at the end of the room. There on it were several dolls Mabel had in her room, a talking Stan doll and even Bear-O. But what struck them the most was that in the middle, lay the most realistic life-sized Gideon doll they'd both ever seen.