Mia stretched in her desk, awaiting the bell to ring. It was only a few minutes until the weekend and she couldn't wait to just relax. Maybe spend some time at the park if she was able to. She gave an impatient groan, looking to the clock to see how much longer. Still a few more minutes. The wait was always a grueling one.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a quick cough from behind, "Heeeyyy. Mmmiiiaaaaa…" the girl behind her whispered.
Mia turned around to face her classmate. The girl was Mabel, one of the most popular kids in school thanks to her warm heart and the fact that she breathes charisma. It was her best trait that complimented her twin and his somewhat antisocial personality. She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose as she replied, "Heya, Mabel. How's it goin'?"
"What're you doin' this weekend?" she hissed out, failing to be quiet.
She gave a shrug. "I really have no idea. I'm thinking either the park or brushing up on my physics. It's our last school year, gotta really start working on that career plan. But, I'm guessing you want to hang out?"
"Weeeellll, maybe." Her face displayed a guilty smile. "I've got a cool party planned and everyone's invited. Everyone cool."
"So, everyone?" Mia gave a bit of a chuckle.
"Well, you know!" She smiled her weird, little smile.
"Ok, I'll bite. What time you gonna have it?"
"Oh! 6 tomorrow. At night!"
"Oh, good. I'll have time to get some homework out of the way." She looked up at the clock as the bell rang. She smiled at the relief of being free from the building. "Wanna grab Dipper and we can talk on our way home?"
"Sure!" She got up to leave. She was out the door before she stopped in a dead halt. She turned around to see Mia holding the backpack that was left deserted in the now empty seat, "Heh...did it again!" With her backpack, she left for real.
"Meet you out front!" Mia called before taking her time. She took a stop by her locker, trading in some books for her homework that she didn't want to do; her backpack was already heavy enough. Lugging the thing over her shoulders, she headed out to meet with the twins. She strolled out the door and scanned around for Mabel and Dipper.
Her gaze was caught by something in the distance. Some...thing. It was watching her. Staring at her. She felt its presence, as if it was right next to her. All she could feel were eyes, not maliciousness or a sense of darkness. Whatever it was disappeared behind a group of students that passed in front of it.
She stood there for a good moment before her attention was drawn away. "Miiiiaaaa! Over here!" Her gaze snapped to the girl. Mia turned back to the spot where that feeling was. Nothing was there anymore. She gave up on her observation and joined Mabel and Dipper. "What caught your eye? You were staring off there for a minute."
Mia turned back once more, just a glance. "I'm not really sure. Just a really odd feeling for a moment."
"Hah! We know a lot about odd feelings, don't we?" Dipper asked, glancing to his knowing sister.
"We sure do! Come on, let's go!" Mabel spun on her heels and started skipping away.
Mia wished she had the energy that girl had. Before following, she took one last glance. She had been on vacation with Dipper and Mabel up to Gravity Falls on more than one occasion, but that feeling was nothing like the weirdness there, yet somehow so familiar.
Mabel was chatting away about plans and events for the party with Dipper contributing every so often. Mia stared ahead of them, not particularly paying attention to what was going on. A mechanical pencil set between her teeth, turning it around and around again. That feeling still stuck with her. Remembering how it felt brought another shiver up her spine. It didn't feel right.
"Mia? You're awfully quiet. What's going on inside that noggin of yours?"
The pencil stopped as she came back to reality. "Uh, I'm not sure."
Dipper looked to Mabel, a thoughtful idea in his head. Pulling out a notebook and pencil, he said, "Earlier you said you had an odd feeling. Would you like to talk about it?"
Mia opened her mouth to poke fun at his notebook and the need to write every odd thing that occured, but she let it go with a heavy sigh. She supposed it would be better to let it out to the closest expert that wasn't eight hours away. "I'm not terribly sure. It was almost like the feeling you suddenly get when you feel like you're being watched. Like… a presence. That's a good way of putting it. Except it was stronger, much stronger. And in my mind I keep picturing this black shadow and it's nothing like what's happened at Gravity Falls."
"That's a bit strange." Mabel's tone held some concern, looking to her brother for any ideas.
"Hmmmm." Dipper thought for a moment after writing all of it down. "Sounds like…Wish I had Grunkle Ford's journals right now, but it sounds like a... ghost?"
"Maybe you can call him when we get home?" Mabel offered. "He could probably give you more insight."
Mia mused to herself, "I hope it was just a one time thing."
"We don't need Grunkle Ford! We've got this! It may be a one time thing. Or a school wide occurrence. We'll have to keep an eye on everyone!"
"You want me to contact you guys if it comes up again?"
"That'd be great! Keep us posted on anything that happens!" It wasn't too long before the three of them split off with their goodbyes with promises to meet up tomorrow night.
Mia unlocked the door and headed inside. She already knew her parents wouldn't be home. It was a comforting thought. However, she figured her brother might be home. If so, she may as well say hi.
His door was closed, as usual, and didn't give any sign if he was home just from that. Using her knuckles, she gave a few quick taps on the door. A voice from inside made her smile, "That you, Mia?"
"It's me. Can I come in?" Before getting any answer, she heard the sound of a book shutting and since shuffling around of items, some very noisy items.
"Yeah, come on in."
Mia did just that and sat on his bed right next to him. "You're home a little early."
"I wanted to get some stuff done before dad gets home. You should probably do the same."
"I'm aware. I plan on it." She looked down at the backpack she had set on the ground. "I got my report card on Monday. Got an A in my math and science classes, but a B in everything else." She paused. "Then a C in business."
Mark felt her nervousness just from looking at her. "He's not going to be happy when he sees that. I figure you're not going to give it to him."
"No, not really. Doesn't stop him from seeing it online, though. And you know what he's going to say when he does."
"And you know better to just not give a shit what he says. Just because he wants you to follow in his footsteps doesn't make him right. He already gave up on me a couple years ago. Except I kinda do my own business anyway."
Mark was older than her by three years at 21. When she was younger, she would see how their dad treated him for the longest time, but never putting up with what was thrown at him, at least not that she could tell. Mia always looked up to him and they had a tight relationship that no one could break, not even their father. The only reason he still lived with them was because he was able to keep up on the rent their father charged him.
"Why can't he just leave us alone? He knows we're not going to conform to his ideals of a perfect family."
"Because mom puts up with it and does whatever she can to keep him off our backs." Mark looked over at the time on his clock. "You better start doing whatever you needed to do while we still have peace."
"Right." She gave him a weak smile before picking up her pack and heading to her room. She took out her keys and opened her door before shutting it behind her. Mark insisted that she get an actual lock on her door. He was paranoid, but for good reasons. Her weekend homework was always done by the end of Friday night. She hated to procrastinate and hated even more when things are left unfinished.
She shoved her pencil in her mouth to keep it busy while she opened her business book to where they left off. This was her normal routine; she started with her least favorite subject so she could work her way up to what she loved. The math parts of business were the best part, but that was all their was to offer. Mia reached to her earbuds and plugged them into her phone, turning on some music. Her favorite study music was chillstep, the perfect mix of calm and serenity. Everything her life is not.
Mia was into her writing homework when she heard the front door shut with a good amount of force behind it, not enough to be considered a slam. This gave Mia a start, pulling her out of her trance. She took a moment to be in the moment. Her dad was home, it was only a matter of time before he would target her about something.
It wasn't until she was done with all her work that she felt her stomach growl, asking to be fed. She hesitated, trying to listen to see where her dad was. She didn't hear any noise from the kitchen. Hopefully, he was just in his office. Taking the chance, she made her way into the hallway and to the kitchen.
Opening the fridge didn't yield much food. Her mom always cooked, but only what he wanted, which was making everyone sick because they couldn't try anything new. He was especially strict with Mia. Whenever Mark went out, he'd usually bring home fast food or something for her. Except she couldn't wait right now.
She grabbed a bag of salad. The noise would prompt her dad, but she took the risk, and it was the quickest thing to eat. She pulled out some other ingredients and, like clockwork, she heard the door to his office open and shut. "I was wondering when you would come out from hiding." Her dad's voice cut through her. His tone was sharp and authoritative, just as a manager's should be.
"I was getting my homework done early before the end of the day. You know how I hate procrastinating." Time and time again she would have to defend herself with the same answers to his same questions. She couldn't think to why. Perhaps he's trying to catch her in a nonexistent lie. She paid no mind to him while she began to fix herself a bowl.
"How are your grades?" This confirmed it, he checked them.
Mia glanced at him a moment. "I would say my grades are fine."
Her dad narrowed his eyes at her. "Your business management is a C, Mia. A C!"
"The classes that are important to me are A's."
He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Mia, I know you're smart, but you're wasting that energy on things that don't matter. The world doesn't need scientists or mathematicians! That's why you're taking this business class! You need to go into management."
"No, I'm not wasting my time. I'm doing what I want."
"You only think you're doing what you want."
This always confused her, the fact that he really believed this. "How can you say that? Have you ever listened to yourself, much less me? Why do you have to insist you know what I want?"
His dark eyes softened. "Mia, you're almost out of high school. This is the peak of your life. I let you stay in school so you can educate yourself while most kids have jobs at 16. Your brother is such a disappointment and a bad influence on you. I don't want you to follow his path and end up like him."
Once she was finished, she put everything she didn't need back in the fridge. When she went to grab her bowl, he grabbed her wrist. "I expect better out of you." His tone was almost threatening which worried her. He let her hand go, hoping she'd think about what he said. Mia quickly took her food and locked herself in her room.
Mia set her glasses in her case before laying down and getting comfortable. The rest of the night had been uneventful, and she was grateful for it. As she stared at the Sonic cup sitting on her desk, the feeling from earlier tried to creep its way in her head, but she managed to push it out of her mind just as she did with her parents' bickering and arguments. She moved on her side and snuggled up into her pillow before going to sleep.
She was hit with a dream that night. A dark shadow tried to say something, beckoning her closer. She couldn't make out any solid shapes save for an eye right in the middle, but its eye showed no malevolence towards her. It seemed only to want to say something, unable to get anything out before she woke up.
Mia woke up with the memory clear in her head. She was able to question it more when her sleepy feelings went away. She sat up, replaying the voice over and over again, trying to figure out what it was this thing was saying. She reached for her glasses case and stared at in thought for several moments. She wasn't sure what to really think of it at all.
She took notice of her phone in the corner of her eye. She gave a sigh and grabbed it, texting Dipper what she dreamt of. Whether it was important or not, she may as well humor Dipper and tell him anyway.
In which, Dipper was quick to reply, "That's a development. Hopefully it's being honest. Right now, I'd say try to listen to it tonight?"
"Can do, captain!" Dipper simply replied with a smiley face. She set her phone down and got dressed. She felt like going for a walk, enjoying the crisp morning air. This was something her father at least agreed with. A businesswoman needs to stay fit and healthy.
She locked her door and stopped by Mark's. She knocked and spoke, "Hey, wanna go for a walk?"
His groggy voice came through the door. "Yeah, sure. Give me five."
With that, she waited out on the porch for him. Mark came out, pushing his lighter brown bedhead back to where it looked halfway decent. "I don't see how you can be such a morning person."
"I know you like our morning walks. Gets you out of the house." They both headed out down the neighborhood.
As soon as they were far enough, Mark pulled out a cigarette and lit it. He took a few puffs from it before exhaling the smoke. Mia wasn't against his smoking. It wasn't healthy, but it's kinda how he coped. She just hated the smell.
"Dad would kick you out in a heartbeat if he caught you smoking."
He flicked some of the ash onto the ground. "That's if he catches me. I hide my stash well enough. It's been four years and he still hasn't found it."
Mia gave a lighthearted giggle. "Oh, man. Dad was right, you are a bad influence on me."
Mark tried to give a laugh but ended up choking on the smoke and ended up hacking out a couple coughs. "I'm still surprised he says that. He's such a joke."
With a few moments of silence, Mia decided to change the subject. "I'm heading over to Mabel and Dipper's tonight for a party."
"She hosting another 'cool kids' party?"
"You know it. Tonight at 6 if you want to join. You know she won't mind."
"I probably will. More reason for me to get out of the house. Just gotta make a couple calls first." The cherry of the cigarette reached the filter to which he promptly threw to the ground and stepped on it to put it out further. "What are you gonna do until then?"
"Probably look up science and math videos on youtube. Learning new stuff."
Mark laughed and shook his head. "You are such a fucking nerd, Mia." She joined in on his laughter. After a hearty laugh, he smiled at her softly. "You're going to go places with that big brain of yours, kid." He poked her in the head to make his point. "I know you're not going to disappoint me."
This made Mia swell up with appreciation and pride. "No, I won't."
Mia looked to the clock, it was a little after 3. Figuring she's had enough learning for one day, she flopped down on her bed, ready for a nap. Before she forgot, she quickly set her alarm for an hour later so she would have plenty of time for Mabel's party later on.
Her eyes wearily opened into a massive scape of pale, shifting colors. Mia felt her feet touch a flat surface invisible to her eyes. Most notably of all, she felt that presence again. Calm yet foreboding just as the last time. It was an odd feeling, being aware in a dream. She never had a lucid dream before.
She spun around as she heard her name being called out, though very muffled. The voice called to her once more. This time she was able to pinpoint the source. It was coming from a shadow in the distance. She hesitantly took a step back as it beckoned once more. "Who… What are you?"
She had to strain her ears to hear what it said next: "A friend."
Mia's instincts were telling her to back off. It was unusual and foreign to her. The words Dipper had said earlier prodded her mind suddenly, egging her forward with curiosity. With a calming breath, she forced herself to stride towards the shadow. It seems to wait for her patiently. How Mia could feel that, she was unsure. The figure was soon in front of her, proving to be much larger than herself.
She finally got a closer look at it: a swirling mass of shadow and galaxy-like colors moved about the void. However, she didn't expect a single, slitted eye to open up right in the middle. Void of color except for white. "Hello, Mia!" The voice was so very clear now that she was right next to it. Her brow scrunched in confusion. The voice was much more high pitched than she would have expected from this kind of… creature? I suppose that's a way to put it for now.
"Uh… Hello…" The word cautiously left her mouth, unsure of whether she should have said anything or not.
"Call me a friend. I want to help you out. And in return, I want some help from you later on." The voice seemed friendly enough, almost too friendly from the stories that Dipper recounted to her.
She wasn't ignorant. This sounded a lot like how a demon makes their deals. She watched too many horror movies to know that was a bad idea. "Help? With my life? And what exactly do you want from me?"
"Weeelll, that's a story for another day. Just watch and listen for me. I don't want anything you wouldn't. But now, it's time to get up." As soon as he said that, her alarm went off.
She bolted up with a confused start. She quickly came to her surroundings, though still groggy from sleep. A quick swipe shut her alarm off and she went to her contacts. She put the phone to her ear and waited as the phone rang.
Answering almost within a heartbeat, Dipper came through,"What's up?"
"Had a lucid dream, Dipper. That shadowy thing was there again." Mia gave a loud yawn, still trying to kill the sleepiness.
"Oh! Tell me all about it!"
"I was in this weird pale scape of… nothing. I heard a muffled voice calling my name, which was the shadow thing. I saw it and got closer. I thought it was just a shadow, but nope. It had an eye. One single eye. Then he said he wanted to help me in return for my help later on. Didn't talk much before my alarm woke me up, but the thing had a really high pitched voice. It was so…. Unexpected."
"Hmm. Sounds like a typical void dream. In the Mind Scape, connecting our worlds and...nevermind. Sounds like a typical ghost or demon. Either way it can't do anything without your cooperation and agreement. So whatever it truly wants, don't agree to anything until you know what that is. Sometimes a ghost can actually be nice, or misunderstood. A demon never is, they're only there for themselves. Be careful, and don't let it steal your soul away."
"Makes enough sense." She took a glance at the clock. "You mind if I head over now?"
"Sure!" His excitement pulled a warm smile across her face. "We could use some help. Mabel and I have gone and overthought everything...again."
"Sure. Let me get ready and I'll see you in five." She didn't wait for him to reply before she bounded up out of bed and got dressed. She made sure to lock her door before she made her way downstairs and towards the door.
"Where do you think you're going, Mia?" His voice made her stop dead in her tracks. This could either go bad or worse.
"I'm going to Mabel and Dipper's."
Her dad got up from his seat and went over to her, almost blocking the door from her. "Do you think you deserve to go to their house?"
"Yeah, they're my friends."
"You may think they're your friends. But what do they contribute to you?" Before she could answer, he spoke again. "Nothing! Those two kids are only adding to your toxic behavior. You should be staying here and studying for your future."
"Jack. She's still a teenager," her mother interjected. "Let her go and have fun." Her mother's usual tired and hopeless gaze held firm against his own.
He gave a bit of a growl, "Fine. But we will talk about this later." He went back to his seat, letting Mia leave.
Mia sighed when she shut the door behind her, heart pounding in her chest. Before waiting for her father to change his mind, she took off down the street to their house. She panted heavily, out of breath when she got to their door. Mia took a deep breath before pressing the doorbell.
Dipper opened the door in a few moments, "Hey! Come on, there's stuff to be done!" He took her by the arm, leading her through the house to where Mabel was setting up.
"Hi, Mia! We kinda went a little overboard with the work, especially since our parents aren't home."
"Sure, I can help you guys. Wish I could've brought Mark, but I think he's out right now."
"That's all right. I think we'll be able to manage with the three of us."
Time went by pretty fast with them working and having fun. The three of them managed to finish most of it by the time people started showing up, Mark being the first.
Mark looked around the house, an unlit cigarette in his mouth. "This looks good, guys. You certainly outdid yourselves." He held his hand up for Mabel
Mabel completed the high five with vigor. "Thanks, Mark!"
Mia took quick observation of her brother next to the two twins. The fact that her brother was taller than Dipper - reaching at about 6'4" while Dipper was 5'10" - always gave her some sense of astonishment. Even their own father wasn't as tall as Mark. She broke herself out of her thoughts and followed Mabel to the kitchen to start setting out the food and drinks.
It wasn't but a few minutes before Mabel spoke up, "What's on your mind? You haven't made an effort to chew on anything." She took a momentary pause to hop up on the counter and grab some stuff from the top shelves. Mia gave a quick twitch and snatched up a toothpick from the container on top of the stove. "Is it about the thing in your dream?"
Grinding the piece of thin wood between her molars, she gave a hollow groan. "I really wish it were. Dad's getting worse, especially after seeing my grades. With this being our last year, he's getting more adamant about my future." Mia opened the freezer door and began to take out the bags of ice that they bought for the soda cooler. "Maybe it's time to kick my ass into gear and up that business grade just to keep him off my case. Time I stop being a rebellious teen and kiss up."
Mabel put a supportive hand on her friend's shoulder. "I know how much you hate having to say that. It's a hard fact to swallow, but that may be the best idea for now. Who knows, it may lead you to a better future than you may think."
Mia just shrugged, unsure of what to really say. Finally, she settled with, "I guess we can only find out, right?"
"That's the spirit, Mia!" The twin gave her a wide smile to which she returned a more gentle one. It really did pay to be an optimist at times, although she wasn't sure if it was Mabel's energy rubbing off on her after the few years she knew her.
The party was a hit as expected. Quite a few of their classmates showed up to hang out, unwind, and have fun. Others did not show, mostly because of their strict rule of no alcohol in the house. Regardless of being high school students, Mabel always found a way to keep the entertainment going one way or another. Mia enjoyed it mostly because it distracted her mind and gave her time to relax and enjoy the simple fact that she had a home away from home.
After the party died down and all the guests left, Mia didn't much like the idea of returning home so late and invoking the wrath of her dad. Deciding it was best to stay, she crashed on the couch as it was the last place she was at and didn't feel like moving. She was perfectly content with her decision.
The scenario was just like the nap before. She woke up in her dream, the same plane as before. Her eyes glanced back and forth, looking for that shadow again. Of course, he appeared after a few moments, much closer this time. Almost right next to her. He appeared much smaller this time, reaching her height.
"Hello, again."
"Hello. What are you doing here? Why are you coming to me?"
"Well, because you're the exact kind of personality I like, and the genius to boot! Can't beat that combo."
"Personality and genius? What could I possibly offer you?"
He gave a swift and sharp laugh. "They always say that. I'm sort of stuck here right now. But I won't make you do anything yet! Right now, I do want you to be in a better situation, so I'm offering my help. And then you can make a decision to help me or not."
"They ask that for a reason, mostly clarification. Thanks, but no thanks. I don't need help. I can handle my situation just fine."
"Really? Are you sure about that? I want to get the three of you away from that. Your mom is trying, but what can she do? Your brother has something going on, but will that get you out and away? You, however, are a genius. I've already seen it. You give them the greatest hope of getting out. Don't you owe it to them to do your best? And really, I'm not asking for a deal yet. I know you have no reason to trust me."
"Then what can you do? You're only a cycloptic shadow. I don't need you becoming a strain on my life, especially during my sleep. I already get enough stress while I'm awake."
"Yeah, I noticed. I'm more than meets the...eye!" He laughed at his own stupid joke. At least that's what she thought. "Here, ask me something, anything! Within reason."
"Oh, fucking Christ… Umm… What do you know about math and the sciences?"
"More than you do! I'm positive of that, too! Being not alive lets me be very old!" Extremely complex mathematical formulas swirled around them. "I know so many things! Things that I could teach you, too."
"You could teach me…?" She actually considered it for a moment before she shook her head out of it. She hesitantly answered, "No… Uh… I can't accept that."
"Oh, please, even I didn't believe that one. You have no reason to trust me, but ask your friend Dipper. I can't do anything to you unless you let me."
"I suppose that's true." She gave a weak groan, holding her arm. "It's so tempting, but I can't. I can't be tricked into something, especially from something I don't even know."
"Trick? It's not a trick! All I am doing is offering my help and hoping for some help in return later! I'm not forcing you to do anything!"
She was about to ask something but thought to keep it to herself. "You know what, all right. I cave. It's hard enough to try to pass up an opportunity like this." She looked around at all the formulas before glancing to him again. "But don't you think I'm going to let my guard down."
"That's the spirit! Hey, I'd love to stay and chat more, but we'll have to talk more later! Bye!"
She woke up to Dipper shaking her awake. The sun was shining through the window on her. Thank god the curtains were shut. "Huh, what? Oh, hey, Dipper. Is it morning already?"
"Good morning. Did you have any more dreams?" She moved for him as he sat down, already having his notebook out. Once he was sat down, she put her legs across his lap.
She gave a loud yawn accompanied by a satisfying stretch. "Yeah, let me tell you about it." She took a few minutes to explain everything that she could remember.
"Fascinating! Since you're here, it means whatever it is has targeted you and isn't a localized phenomenon only at your house. Ghosts usually stay in one spot. Demon? Hm… could be any number of things. Maybe an ancestor? Or ancestral curse! Oooohhhh that'd be neat."
"You're awfully excited about my possible doom." She gave a quick chuckle before giving a momentary thought. "Then why does he want to help? I would rule out curse"
"And you didn't make any deals… I'm not sure. Some sort of protector… But he wants something unknown out of you." He paused in thought, the end of his pen tight between his teeth. His expression turned to that of worry, almost as if a thought popped into his head. "I'll... have to do some more research. I don't know."
There were quiet footsteps down the hall as Mark stepped around the corner. His hair was a mess and his clothes were put on lazily. "Morning," he half-muttered before grabbing the cigarette pack he left on the table. He huffed out a sharp "Shit!" when he discovered his pack was empty.
"I'm guessing you ran out." Mia lifted her legs to let Dipper out of his willing imprisonment.
"Bingo," he sighed before chucking the pack in the trash. Thankfully he didn't have to worry about the twin's parents were away. They said the kids were able to take care of themselves and left them more than enough money to help with food and whatever else they may need.
"Well," Dipper continued his conversation with Mia, "I may have a few theories on your visitor. I hate to say it, but take the offer to help with your studies. As long as you don't say anything that could insight a deal. It can't force you to do anything without it."
"I suppose that may be best." Mia finally decided to stand up and get her joints moving.
"If there's anything else, let me know. You've got my number."
"Will do. We should probably head home on that note."
"And stop by the gas station, please," Mark interjected, giving his hair a ruffle and comb of his fingers to make himself pass as a decent human being.
Just a little story I wanted to write. I may upload more, depending if this gets any interest. I'm really into this story and hope to share more of it.
