One boring noon of work for Dipper, Wendy, and Soos. Wendy is the clerk behind the cash register. Dipper was there to clean any kind of mess and restock whatever there was to restock. Soos honestly didn't know why he's there, but he felt like he needed to be there so he didn't get in trouble with his boss. They had one of Grunkle Stan's special work days, one where Wendy, Dipper, and Soos worked overtime and probably no overtime pay. Not one costumer came to the mystery shack which has the three even more frustrated. Wendy's phone died driving her closer to insanity. Dipper was already toward the limit. Soos just sitting there in his own little world. And with the absence of the heart of every party, Mabel out on her day off with her friends. The store was a ghost town.
Normally Wendy would ask Dipper to go to the roof or Soos would have come up with something to do. Nope while Mabel and her friends are hanging out somewhere the rest had to stay. According to Grunkle Stan who was in the other room watching TV, and practically monitored them. Suddenly the door opened and everyone in the store nearly jumped thinking it was a costumer. One thing better than a costumer, Mabel and her companions showed up. "Hey everybody!" Mabel said with a grand opening.
"Mabel!" Wendy, Dipper, and Soos replied being the most alive they had the whole day. "woah, this place looks like a little down today" Mabel noticed "well don't mind us just getting ready to catch some fire bugs" she said excitedly. Everybody was puzzled "fire bugs?" Dipper wondered out loud "don't you mean fireflies?" Wendy chuckled trying to correct Mabel "noooo firebugs" Mabel said to Wendy, Candy started to explain "fire bugs are like fire flies. But they are bigger, brighter, and more rare than ever!" "In the middle of the day?" Dipper asked them "yeah, why don't you guys just stay and hang out with us" Wendy insisted "sorry guys" she said regretfully "but we wont know for sure when the fire bugs will come out and they are like very very VERY rare, girls stay here i'll be right back"
Mabel entered the Employees only room, while she was getting the supplies her and her friends needed. Grenda stood by the door and Candy found a stool by the clerk counter. An awkward silence was in the room. "Soooooo" Soos breaking the silence "you guys are like catching fire bugs right?" "yes" Candy replied "haha I get it dude, because flys are like bugs" "nooo fire bugs are a different species" Grenda said to Soos. He thought about it for a bit "woah catching a fire bug, I could only imagine" Soos said going off into space about having a pet fire bug.
Mabel returned to the main room with three nets and a handful of jars. Again all the attention was toward her. "Okay we are ready to gooo!" "ah c'mon Mabel, you guys sure you can't stay? At least until works over?" Dipper said almost completely begging Mabel "look Dipper there's a full moon and thats when fire bugs get their brightest and heck if I'm wasting this one time opportunity!" Mabel said to Dipper. Dipper said nothing after that and although Mabel doesn't like snapping at anyone, she was determined to catch a creature of her own. "Welllll bye, i'll bring a fire bug back" Mabel said before the three left to go on a quest. "oh please do" Soos said when Mabel closed the door.
"Lucky Mabel gets to go out I'm so bored" Wendy said looking half asleep. "Yeah me to" Dipper said with his hands in his pockets. "uhh!" Wendy moaned with her head on the counter "this day is going on forever" she said speaking for everybody. Then they all heard a voice of an old cranky man trying to watch his shows "hey! keep down out there!"
Later that day Soos got a look as if he had a good idea "I got it!" Soos jumping from his chair "I know how to turn time forward" he said going to the wall clock with everybody's attention towards him. Soos picks up the clock and spins the knob on the back "there work is done" as Soos shows the other two. Wendy and Dipper laughed "that won't work Soos" Dipper said "at least you passed 10 minutes" Wendy said while Soos put the clock back with the original time. A sigh was heard from all the people in the room.
From noon to night they all sat there until work really was over. Relief was shared in the store Soos was sleeping on the couch, Wendy left the store to see if her friends want to still hang out, and Dipper followed her outside to clear his fatigue feeling. Wendy and Dipper were walking.
"Man I thought I was never getting out of that store" Dipper said to Wendy "I know right? I felt like i was becoming as old as your Grunkle Stan" she said. They both gave out a small laugh until Wendy's friends showed up "hey you wanna go and hang out with us?" Wendy asked. At the peek of saying yes he hadn't seen or heard from Mabel since lunch "uhhh n-no not tonight I'mmmm too exhausted," Dipper said with a fake yawn "I think I'm gonna head back to the shack" "well suite yourself" she said taking off, also seeing Robbies somewhat intimidating face in shotgun as they take off.
They went their separate ways Dipper was making his was to the Mystery Shack, rushing himself to the point of running. Dipper arrived at the Mystery Shack and asked his Grunkle Stan that had a soda in his hand "hey has Mabel stopped by here while I was gone? I haven't seen her all day" Grunkle Stan looked at him shocked "weren't you just with her? you two left after work didn't you" "no that was just me and Wendy that left a while ago" Dipper said sounding confused.
Grunkle Stan took a sip out of his soda then looked at the clock and outside the window and suddenly spat out his soda "Mabel hasn't been here all day?!" Dipper eyes widened "oh no" he thought to himself running toward the door "c'mon Grunkle Stan we've got to go look for her!" Grunkle Stan stared at him with a surprised look "umm I can't" he said seeing his favorite show come up. "why not?" the worried boy said in confusion "umm because" Stan said grabbing a tube " I'm glued to my chair" he said. Dipper gave him an annoyed look before he left the building. After Dipper exited the store Grunkle Stan grabbed the remote and changed the channel and grabbed his soda.
Dipper was frustrated that he had to go alone but that wasn't the case he was focused on where Mabel can possibly be. He rushed outside and was calling out her name through the town. He wasn't too worried Mabel was out all the time but he can tell when there's a situation that involves Mabel weather it was good or bad. Dipper also new Mabel can take care of herself, he can't help it Dipper always had his sisters back.
He passed by house to house until he was at the edge of the town and it was almost midnight. Dipper was more worried that something bad happened to her, Mabel never would have stayed out this late unless she was in danger, cornered and Mabel and her friends can't get out, or she was possessed by some sort of ghost. He put his hand around and shouted "mmmmmmmaaaaaaabbbbbbbbeeeeeeelllllll!" Dipper stood still for a moment. As he was getting ready to shout again he heard a girls voice "HElP!" he shot toward the direction of the voice.