Dark Days (BillxDipper)

XXIV

AN: Full credit to the artist~~

     I sit up straight in my bed. Gasping for air, tears and sweat streaming down my face, my hair plastered to my head and my shirt completely soaked. Mabel was standing at my side, her eyes wide and tear stained. "Dipper's awake!"Mabel shouts. Wendy comes running into my room and wraps her arms around my sweaty neck, she's shaking a little. I'm confused and my head is pounding but I weakly return the hug. "What's-" I try to talk but am wracked with painful coughs instead. I wheeze for air for a second before my lungs finally expand and suck in air, making my head light. Mabel hands me a glass of water and Wendy sits next to me on the bed. Mabel gently wraps her arms around me and just cries. I hug her back, handing my glass to Wendy. I let some tears fall from my eyes as well and I just focus on breathing and the the way Mabel's hug feels. Wendy wraps an arm around my back and rests her head on my shoulder. I know I saw a memory of my previous life, the day I defeated Bill. 

     I hesitantly pull away from the hugs and I wipe my eyes, grabbing the water back from Wendy, chugging it. "What happened?" I try again, my voice is hoarse but I manage. "You've been out for three days Dipper" Wendy says and I just stare at her, unbelieving. "We found you passed out in the woods bro-bro. We carried you back to the shack. Stan left to go join Ford right before we summoned Bill and we couldn't get a hold of either of them and we didn't know what to do! I thought you were going to die or something" Mabel sobs. I'm not going to die this time... not yet anyway.... 

     Wait... "Bill!" I gasp out, twisting my head, searching my room for the demon but he's nowhere to be seen. "Where's Bill?!" I ask. Mabel just shakes her head, wiping her eyes. "He left, the spell had a time limit he said, and an hour after you ran off, he vanished" Mabel shrugs. "Do you remember anything Dipper?" Wendy asks gently and I shudder at the memory. But regardless I tell them everything I saw, everything I experienced. I told them about what I did 700 years ago, how I defeated Bill. Everything Bill told me was true.

     By the end of it Mabel just hugs me again and cries some more while Wendy is shocked and just gapes at me. I rub Mabel's back, trying to calm her. "So what happens now?" Wendy asks. and Mabel quiets down at the question, also wanting to know. "Now?... Now, I hold up my end of the deal and hopefully life goes on like normal. I don't know what Bill wants or what his goal was here, but I think it's almost over... finally" I say, trying to lift their spirits... and mine. I'm not sure what Bill meant by wanting personal time, but I'm sure it's nothing good and I'm determined not to let on that my life may be ending soon. I'm determined to enjoy what little time I may have left with everyone and try to pretend like I'll still be alive after Bill calls on me for 'personal time'. 

     "I haven't eaten in three days..." I realize. As if on cue, my stomach growls. "All of a sudden I'm in a good mood, I feel light almost and I'm not sure why after the horror I just lived through... for a second time... "Can we go get something to eat guys?" I ask a little shyly. Wendy manages a smile and Mabel tries to pull herself from her worry and agrees. The two have to help me up because I feel very weak and my legs shake under my weight. I don't even care about how gross I probably look or smell, and we leave without me showering. 

     Wendy pulls up at Lazy Susan's diner and I order practically the whole menu. I ignore all the crazy looks I get when the food arrives and I scarf it down, my hunger is feral and I can't seem to control myself. Thankfully Wendy and Mabel don't seem to care and act as if it's normal, talking casually with each other as I shovel food into my mouth. "Careful Dipper, no one is going to take it from you" Wendy says with a small smile. "Yeah if you don't slow down you'll choke. Or worse... you'll eat it so fast you won't even taste it!" Mabel says exasperated. I try to listen to them but am only able to slow down so much. I basically inhale everything, but Mabel of course was right. I barely tasted it I ate so fast.

     An hour later all the food is gone and I'm exhausted, even though I was asleep for three days, I really could go for a nap, preferably one without nightmares and Bill. Honestly I feel like he won't bother me until he's ready for me to hold up my end of the deal, and I'm okay with that. I apologize to Wendy for the food bill, I hadn't thought about the fact that someone actually had to pay for some reason but Wendy just shrugged it off. "Just glad to see you eat something, and just alive man, don't sweat it" She said and gave me a hug before she drove Mabel and I back to the mystery shack and I went straight to the couch and fell asleep with a full stomach and a calm mind.