Small town living wasn't fun for anyone. To make it worse, rural areas, mass amounts of trees covering the land that ruined the decent reception that could be had from the internet and cable. Sure, for some people it was all they knew. They preferred it. The adjustment from city living to country life took a toll on you for many reasons. You've never had a childhood home to begin with. To make up for that, you found home within the cities you moved to and the people residing there. Your guardian found a new job in Gravity Falls, Oregon. Leaving your H/T to have a clean slate once again. Social media provided an excellent way for you to keep in touch with your old friends but it was never the same.
The energy you shared between them was different now. The life you were experiencing with them was over, all you could do was watch them continue living their lives on your phone screen via the images and videos they shared. It always looked like so much fun. Drifting apart and losing friends was a natural part of growing up, right? Communication was cut off entirely when it came to certain people. Despite your best efforts there was nothing you could do. It was time to let go again.
You had never heard of such a place. "Gravity Falls." they said to you. The rest of the evening was spent with them boasting about how wonderful the place is, how much you'll love it, how good the people are. How could they know when you've never been there? You never hated the idea of moving to a new state. You never completely loved it either. At this point your natural response was to drown out the noise and take it in stride, day by day. "The school district is amazing, Y/N." Your guardian was practically glowing with delight. "I'm sure it is." You responded without much thought.
You would be leaving within a couple of days. Sounds like you have some time, not really, you know you'll be spending all your days in preparation for the move. You wanted to plan a last outing with your friends, but your schedule has now been replaced with moving and packing. It would be easier to send a text to the group chat and try to video call each other later but finding suitable times for everyone was going to be hard. You could see Delmi, your guardian, checking their phone under the table.
"Delmi, why didn't you tell me you were looking for a new job?" You placed your fork down gently beside your plate. Delmi looked up at you and smiled at you warmly, as they always did. "You know how I am, Y/N." Delmi slipped their phone back into the pocket of their pants. "I don't like to share good news until it's official. This position was a stretch." Delmi continued to eat their food as normal. You stared down at your almost full plate of food, barely touched. "Is this a good idea?" It was a question of doubt. It could have been intended for your own head, but here it was, out in the real world now.
Delmi continued to chew. You could feel their eyes scanning you all over. You didn't want to meet their gaze in fear your words were taken in offense. "I didn't mean anything bad." You said quietly in hopes of a smooth recovery. "I know, Y/N." Delmi always understood you even when you were absolutely sure they didn't. For as long as you could remember it has always been you two. When you were a child, Delmi would remind you it was you and them traveling the world together. Going on adventures. Delmi told you it was something no one could ever take away from you.
Although everywhere you lived was a two bedroom space, Delmi was wrong for saying it was just you two. You grew up with loneliness. Delmi was a single unit who traveled often for work. You found yourself having to take on the role of responsibilities at a young age reserved for innocence and play. It could have been this early taste of freedom that spoiled any opportunity of a wild child to spring.
You always had your group of friends but you were never one to stay out all night at a party, as if Delmi would let you stay out past curfew anyways. Sleepovers were an experience you never got to enjoy as well. Delmi never felt comfortable letting someone else watch over you. Your hobbies were the only sense of control you had in your life as an individual. Even then they were hobbies Delmi approved of.
But in the end they were yours. They defined you. You had all sorts of questions bouncing around in your mind. Why Oregon? Is the pay worth it? Am I going to be able to finish my education at one school? You decided to wait, to sleep on it. Delmi continued to talk to you in positive ways about Gravity Falls. You gave them the time to discuss it freely without interruption. You couldn't believe how much they had to actually say, it was a little shocking to see so much excitement for such a sudden and life changing decision.
You helped Delmi clear the table and put away the dirty dishes from dinner that night. You noticed their movements were almost airy while talking about the new transition. The last time you saw Delmi this excited was that December trip to New York that ended with almost being hit by a speeding cab.
"I found another place to give us free boxes." Delmi said over the clinking glass of the cups she set in the sink. "I'm picking them up tomorrow." Tomorrow. There wasn't going to be a minute spent without dedication to Oregon. "Oh. Do you need me to come with?" You were leaning against your counter, looking towards Delmi while they turned the sink faucet on. "No, I got it. I want you to sleep in while you can."
"That busy, huh?" Delmi shrugged at your question and continued to soak the dishes. "We don't have much time, Y/N." Delmi walked over to you and cupped your face gently. "This will be good for us. Great for you. It could be our forever home." Their thumbs gently rubbed circles into your cheeks. Delmi's gentle touched caused you to smile. What they said could be right.
It could be the missing piece of the puzzle you've both been looking for. Delmi leaned forward to plant a gentle kiss on your forehead. "You should head to bed, Y/N." Delmi turned away from you. The smell of their signature fragrance surrounded you as they walked by. Belladonna and blood orange. You could hear the sound of their laptop keys clicking away within the living room.
"Workaholic." you thought as you walked out of the kitchen, making your way to your bedroom. Delmi was sitting on the couch with the laptop sitting on their lap. You were walking behind the couch when you peered over to look at the screen. "NORTHWEST FINANCE" across the top of the screen in dark purple letters. Weird. Delmi must be finishing loose ends for the move. Although you would have hoped everything would be settled before they dragged you into this.
You felt the need to tip toe the rest of the way to your bedroom. Your hand gently grasped the doorknob and turned it slowly. A gentle push moved the light door open with ease. Your body slipped inside as you pressed the rest of your body weight against the door to shut it. Your hand was still turned on the knob so the latch wouldn't click when it shut.
When you let go of the knob you let out a harsh sigh. It felt like something you weren't supposed to see. You paced around your bedroom for a few minutes with your thoughts racing wildly inside your head. "None of it is making any sense." You plopped down onto your bed. The familiar squeak of your old bed frame brought you unexplained comfort. But maybe it was time for a new one after all this.
Your cotton sheets in your favorite color felt cool against your skin. Maybe Delmi wanted you to sleep in tomorrow because they knew you would have trouble sleeping tonight, change was difficult for you no matter how big or small. So you thought. As soon as your head hit the pillow your eyes shut slowly without control. It could have been the stress of personal overflowing emotions taking control over your body, you were out like an extinguished candle.
The next morning you woke up well rested to the sound of the front door swinging open. It must have hit the wall to cause that much noise. You sat up in bed, not realizing you fell asleep in your regular clothes without a cover as well. You tapped on your pocket for the familiar feeling of your phone. It was there. You stuck two fingers in your pocket to pull it out.
Your thumb pressed against the power button to illuminate the screen. Almost dead. It was 11:30 AM. No notifications. Wifi connected? Great. You pressed the button again so the screen would darken once more. You grabbed the charger cord dangling from the side of your bed, you stuck the plug into the port and tossed your phone onto your bed without care. You heard the sounds of Delmi struggling which prompted your feet to hit the ground.
You opened your bedroom door to see their hands full, dragging boxes inside of your tiny apartment. Delmi looked up at you with a small frown. "Did I wake you?" their hands let go of the box they were dragging, it softly tumbled over on their feet. You playfully rolled your eyes at them for being such a softie. "No, my alarm went off." The white lie was needed to avoid their immense worry and care. You bent down to pick up the box and started dragging it further inside.
"I thought I told you to sleep in?" Delmi grabbed two bags in front of the door and trailed behind you into the kitchen. "Well, you did. I just figured it would be easier to get out of town if you had my help." Delmi placed the bags onto the counter and shot you a strange look. They placed a palm over your forehead then the back of their hand on your cheek. "Who are you and what have you done to Y/N?" You waved your hand in front of your face to shoo Delmi away, who was still giving you looks.
"If this could really be our soil to grow our roots then I'm ready to go as soon as possible." Delmi chuckled with delight at your approach to this. "Alright then." Their hand patted your shoulder firmly, they used it to push you in front of them to direct you towards the work you'll be doing all day. It hit you out of nowhere. You would be packing and cleaning the entire place today.
You and Delmi took the time to wrap up the glass objects and ornaments around your house with newspaper and bubble wrap. Taking the photos off the wall to reveal nothing but damaged paint, drywall, and various nail holes was giving you a sense of sadness that this somewhat broken home tried its best to function by filling spaces others would see.
Both of your rooms were small, the entire space you lived in was nothing to scoff at. It could all be packed up within a day if you powered through it without a break or two. Delmi wanted this time to serve as bonding with you. They tried to pry into your personal life, school life, and social media as slyly as they could but you saw right through it. You started to wonder how Delmi was as a child. You were treated well by them, but it would be a lie to say they weren't overbearing and nosy. It was all laced with good intentions.
Packing up the entire place took a few hours into the late morning of the early AM's. You both sat down on the ground, back to back, surrounded by the boxes in the now stripped living room. "How long is the flight again?" You looked over to Delmi who was staring down at their phone. "Overnight, at least. We should be in Oregon by morning." You could feel the sting of exhaustion in your eyes already.
It was time for sleep. You and Delmi said goodnight and headed to your separate bedrooms, everything was removed besides your mattresses. You slumped down against the used cushion and stared at the ceiling. Tomorrow you will be on a flight. You will most likely never have a reason to return to this town again. You adjusted your body into your favorite sleeping position and drifted off a few minutes later. Your body wasn't fully asleep but you were already in the beginning of a dream.
Your apartment door was slightly ajar, the porch lights to surrounding apartments were off, leaving the entire complex dark. "Delmi?" You called out before placing your hand on the door. No one answered. The door slowly pushed open front the pressure of your fingertips. It opened completely without your influence. You still had your fingers in the air. "Hello?" You called out again, your voice echoed all around you like it would if you yelled into an empty room.
You took a slow step inside of your apartment. Each step forward was heavier and more difficult than before. You almost raised your voice again but a sound stopped you. A ringing. A bell. It sounded far away from you yet it twinged in your ear as if it was runt directly beside you. Despite every inch of your body refusing to move, something about the bell pulled you forward without a choice.
The darkness outside of your apartment didn't compare to the pitch black you were being pulled into within the walls you've grown to call home. Ringing grew louder in your eardrums. It no longer sounded like a singular bell. It was multiple being rung with haste. You covered your ears and tried to fall down to your knees but something was forcing you to stand and keep going.
All you could see was darkness. You felt nothing. Your body felt like it was being stung by thousands of little needles being stuck in every nerve of your body. The bells stopped. The stinging stopped. You fell to your side with your arm outstretched, your palm wide open. A small golden bell, one that world be adorned on the tip of a jesters hat, rolled towards your hand. Your shaky index finger went to rub your fingertip against the metal instrument. You almost touched it. You saw the light, light over-pouring your entire bedroom.
You sat up in your bed. The blinds to your bedroom window were pulled up to expose all possible sunlight. You could feel the hairs rising on your arms, looking down, you noticed you're covered in goosebumps. Did you open the blinds before you went to bed? You didn't remember. Maybe it was Delmi? It wouldn't make much sense, you weren't known to be a light sleeper.
Brakes squeaking outside caught your attention. You jumped out of bed to look down your bedroom window. There was Delmi pulling into the parking lot in a moving truck. Delmi was planning to rent the truck and hire some movers today. It was time to pack up your night bag and prepare for the drive to the airport.
You were sure they would be heading upstairs any moment so you didn't bother to go outside to greet them. You pulled your blinds down for privacy so you could get dressed into fresh clean clothes. Delmi must have ran up the stairs, they were already unlocking the apartment door. "You ready, Kiddo?" They called out for you with a chuckle at the end. Delmi seemed happier than usual today, maybe that was because the flight was tonight and you could both kiss this town goodbye. "Almost!" you hollered back.
After you were dressed in your favorite outfit, You met Delmi outside of your room. They were carrying their night-bags and gladly took yours from your hand. You and Delmi made your way out of the apartment. They flashed you a smile as they stuck the key into the front door lock twice, just to make sure it was secure. Perfectionist.
You both made your way down the stairs into the barely occupied parking lot. You got into their car, sitting down in the passenger's seat while they placed the bags in the backseat. Delmi wanted to kill time before the flight by revisiting your loved places all around town. It was bittersweet. When you first moved here you didn't appreciate any of it. You grew to love it, it became your norm, and now you were saying goodbye.
Delmi wasn't like you. You grew attached to things more frequently. If it was people, places, objects, or animals, your heart was open to everything and anything thrown your way. They always called you an old soul who appreciated things more than anyone else your age.
You stared at the window, your memories flashing through your head of the buildings you've been inside and hung around with friends. There haven't been many but you spent a few holidays in this town. The people were good, even if you didn't spend much time socializing outside of classmates at school.
Delmi only seemed attached to you. You were sure when arriving in Oregon, Delmi would have long forgotten about this place. It was going to take time for you to forget everything. Everyone. The drive to the airport was vocally silent but your head was loud. Your inner monologue was screaming questions at you, ones you couldn't answer yet.
You closed your eyes and tried to focus on the cold air blowing out of the air conditioner in front of you. It was hitting you directly on your nose and slowly spreading across your cheeks. The temperature hurt a little. The vibrations from the window you were resting on must have calmed you to sleep before you knew it.
Delmi softly shook you by your shoulder to wake you up. You were at the airport. Delmi got out of the car and grabbed a few bags from the backseat. Your body was feeling unusually groggy. You opened the passenger door and slid out casually, taking one of the bags Delmi handed to you.
The airport wasn't too busy this time of year. Summer was over and school was back in session. Going through the airport check-points didn't make you uncomfortable anymore, it was more annoying you had to go through this again. Standing around to be patted down so they could find absolutely nothing on you. Strangers sorting through your neatly packed items to find the special shampoo and conditioner you use. It was almost over.
You both sat down in uncomfortable leather seats in waiting area after finishing the process. You rested your head on Delmi's shoulder. They flipped through a magazine published a few years ago about some minor celebrities and scandals that were never proven true. You heard a faint noise but brushed it off as a car horn or general traffic of people and machinery. Yet it happened again, same pitch, same distance. Could it be . . . a bell? You listened closer.
The speaker overhead was a bit grainy but the words were able to be made out.
"Next flight, Oregon."