A/N: Based on this post hirilelfwraith. tumblr. com / post/ 99460324625

Any other teacher would have been angry to see one of their pupils drawing in a sketchbook instead of working in class. Emma Sanders was only happy. This was an art class after all, and not only had little Acacia Pines already finished her given task, she really had talent. Why should Emma stop her? It would be as stupid as a math teacher trying to stop children from solving equations.

As the bell rang and the classroom filled with noise, Ms. Sanders smiled and waved goodbye to the kids. The teacher glanced at her schedule where the next hour was free, and then slumped tiredly into her chair. She loved working with children, but it could be quite exhausting. Letting her mind drift she shifted her gaze around the classroom before catching the sight of an object lying on the floor. The woman blinked and stood up ignoring the protest of her feet as she recognized the sketchbook. Acacia must have lost it in the commotion. Ms. Sanders shook her head and picked up the book dusting it off. Poor girl would certainly miss it. The art teacher furrowed her brow trying to remember where Acacia's next class was but kept drawing a blank. Ah, no matter. She'll find it.

Holding the sketchbook in one hand Emma stepped to the door but paused. She probably shouldn't, but she was curious. Acacia rarely showed her drawings, and the teacher couldn't help but wonder what was in the book. The girl was just so talented! Besides who could it hurt to have a sneak peek? And no one needed to know about it.

Feeling slightly guilty, Ms. Sanders sat at her table, and opened the sketchbook.

The drawings were amazing for a ten-year-old. Emma studied the sketch of a forest creek and a deer drinking from it. Another page was filled with flowers and butterflies. On the next was a jagged mountain in the middle of the forest, then a crooked building with "Mystery Shack" written on it. An old man standing in the boat and proudly holding up a fish. A man and a woman hugging each other that Emma recognized as Mr. and Mrs. Pines. Three kids – Acacia and her siblings – around a birthday cake…

Ms. Sanders smiled understandably proud of her best pupil. Clearly she could be a great artist one day! She thumbed through more pages – several crystals with multicolored lights coming from them, a gnome hiding under the mushroom, some strange cross between unicorn and leprechaun (she honestly had no idea if that thing was even real).

As the art teacher turned more pages, she could see the drawings improving, becoming more detailed, but worryingly darker at the same time. There was a picture of several disembodied hands, mermaid skeleton, a jar of what looked like eyes, some monstrous creatures she couldn't even name…

Ms. Sanders paused and shook her head. Some kids liked creepy things. Emma herself liked drawing monsters as a child. Of course, the things in the sketchbook could very well be real, and not just imagination, but there were so many ways Acacia could have found out about them – TV and Internet came to mind first.

Her uncertain worries thus allayed, Emma resumed her study of the book, but the next drawing caused her concern to skyrocket.

A dark figure with disturbingly sharp teeth and yellow eyes was depicted there. The figure was floating over the summoning circle, and Emma didn't need to be a genius to recognize a demon. With a shudder she turned the page – and dropped the sketchbook in shock.

The same grinning demonic figure was there, but now it was shaking Acacia's hand engulfed in blue fire. Worse still, there were two other figures she had no trouble recognizing as Willow and Henry, who were splattered with red. The teacher could only stare at the picture in horror. Was it really what little Acacia was dreaming about? Making a deal with the demon, murdering her siblings?! How could such sweet little girl wish for something so horrible? Hastily she turned the page, not noticing the empty jar with the picture of strawberry and the word "Jam" scribbled on it.

The next drawing was hardly better – that same demonic entity was holding little Henry by his shirt while Willow tried desperately to run away.

Another drawing – the woman she recognized as Mabel Pines, only with yellow eyes and too many sharp teeth shown in a disturbing grin, her shadow belonging to that same winged demon.

The last picture – a half-finished sketch of the shadow demon (again!) – and the teacher snapped the book closed, wishing she never gave in to her curiosity.

Breathing heavily she took the sketchbook in her shaking hands and hid it into the drawer, locking it. Her mind raced trying in vain to understand what caused such horrible fantasies. She had to inform the parents and hope they could help little Acacia.

"Where is it, where is it, where is it?!" Acacia Pines frantically ruffled through her backpack. Not finding the sketchbook she dropped to her hands and knees looking under the desks and chairs. "Where is it?!"

"What happened?" Henry asked as his sister crawled on the floor.

"Did you lose something?" Willow piped up joining the search.

"My- OUCH! Ow, ow, ow!" her eyes filling with tears, Acacia pressed a hand to her head and glared angrily at the edge of the desk. Why did it have to be so hard? Stupid desk. "My sketchbook. It was there, and now it isn't!"

"I'm sorry to hear it," the teacher said crouching nearby and looking under the desk too. "But I don't see anything. When did you see the book the last time?"

"The art class," the girl realized and clambered up. "Thanks, Mr. Robinson! C'mon, guys!"

The teacher barely had the time to get out the way as the trio bolted out the classroom.

"Ms. Sanders! Ms. Sanders!" Emma flinched at the loud voice calling her name and turned to the redheaded trio barreling through the door.

"Hello again," she said trying to pretend nothing was wrong.

"Ms. Sanders! I lost my sketchbook!"

The teacher cringed slightly but kept her voice level, "I'm sorry, but I haven't seen it. You can look around if you want."

The children had immediately scattered around the classroom as Emma tried to squash her guilt. She hated lying, but the book was the evidence. She couldn't give it away, not now.

"It's not here," Acacia said in a small voice looking crestfallen. "But where?!"

"Maybe someone's already found it," Hank suggested.

"Let's call uncle Dipper!" Willow yelled. "He'll help!"

Acacia brightened immediately. "You're right! Let's go! Bye, Ms. Sanders!"

Huddled together behind the school building, the Pines triplets pooled their resources – a pack of M&M's, a chocolate bar, and a half-eaten pack of cookies. Acacia tore out a page from her notebook quickly sketching a summoning circle. Hank pricked his thumb with a pin smearing a drop of blood on the page while Willow chanted the spell.

Shadows poured out of thin air but cleared quickly revealing the demonic figure floating above the circle.

"Uncle Dipper! Help!" Acacia begged. "I lost my sketchbook!"

Dipper reached to ruffle her hair reassuringly, "Don't worry, little one. We'll find it."

Smiling already because her uncle could do anything, Acacia showed him the sweets, "Is it enough? We can get more!"

"Nah, it's alright. I'll say it's enough to get you back home too."

Shaking his hand covered in blue fire, Acacia cheerfully said, "Deal!"

Dipper snapped his fingers teleporting the sketchbook right into her hands, shoved the snacks into his pockets and transported the kids and himself back home.

Emma slowly slid down the wall, watching the sheet of paper with the summoning circle drawn on it catch on fire and burn to ashes in seconds. A few minutes later she shakily stood up approaching the place where she had just witnessed her pupils make a deal with the demon but nothing was left there to remind of the deed. Like a dream. An awful, awful dream.

Twitching slightly, Emma turned around heading home. She would call in sick tomorrow. After that – a parent-teacher conference. Immediately.