Get It Through Your Head

Why Mabel is Usually in Charge

*Dippers Point of View then Fords then Dipper again

Oh man, oh man, oh man. I know we didn't do that in time. An hour to get up and down a mountain? Even with the grappling hook, a pitcher of Mabel juice, magical help, and these weird, flat, green eye-things Grunkle Stan stole from this guy named Herobrine, endie eyes or something, we probably still took an hour to get up there.

She made a deal. Something we'll all probably regret. Great Uncle Ford panicked the second we appeared and time resumed. We saved Grunkle Stan. But we might have made everything worse. I know I'm in trouble. This is probably why Stan leaves Mabel in charge instead of me.

He's stable again but he still won't wake up. It might take days to fully heal him. But we might not have time for that. Then a ringing sounds throughout the room. Great Uncle Ford pulls a mysterious cylinder out of his pocket. He recognizes it and moves his lips. I happened to have taken classes on lip reading and I know what he says. Either Hologram or Hello Grain. I'm betting on the first one.

He leaves the room and ducks into a bathroom. I can hear Bills voice but I can't tell what he's saying. Then I hear screams. My last summer floods back to me, hitting me like a brick.

Knifes. Fire. Water. Pain. Burning. Drowning. Chains. The table. The scars. Blood. Tears. Pleading. Begging. I can't take it.

I throw myself away from the door and land hard on the floor. I grab my head. They won't go away! All the memories swirl in my head. Mabels trying to help me but I'm not there. I'm lost in my own mind. I want to throw up but I can't. The floor is gone and I'm falling....

Pain, blood, misery. And at its center, Bill. All of our troubles can be traced to him in some way. We need to stop him. I shakily stand up and brush Mabel off just as Great Uncle Ford steps out of the bathroom, looking rather pale. I just have to fight the panic attack.

"We have to save her. They made another deal. He's hurting her. I think, I think he's going to kill her." He says shakily.

This is all my fault. Great Uncle Ford said not to let any of us outside and what do I do?

Take them outside.

Its all my fault! No. Its not. It's not my fault. Or Mabels. Or Victoria's. Or any of us. Is Bills fault.

"Great Uncle Ford, we need to get rid of Bill. For good. We need to find Victoria's Cipher Wheel. And we need to take him down" I declare.

Grunkle Stan isn't supposed to wake up for a while and Ford wont leave us alone somewhere so we all go back to the mystery Shack. Its starting to rain and the snow is being washed away leaving the roads a whole new kind of slick.

We didn't come in a car so we called a taxi. Toby Determined is driving it which isn't reassuring.

Somehow we get home in one piece. We all huddle under Mabels umbrella as Great Uncle Ford fumbles for his keys. He puts them in the door then freezes.

"Did you guys leave it unlocked?" He asks cautiously. I think back. I made sure it was locked as we left for that flower. I always do.

"No, we didn't." I say.

"Are you sure?" He demands. I nod. He takes his key out of the door and pulls the crossbow from behind the couch out. He puts up half his fingers on his left hand.

3

2

1

We burst into the gift shop. Its eerily silent. All the lights are out. I know I didn't turn them off.

A distant sound echoes throughout the house. It doesn't stop but gets louder. A faint light glows down the hall. Pressing against the walls we make our way to the den.