"Passwords"
"Passwords"
"Passwords"
The distressed boy was staring blankly at the newly found computer. He was at the end of the rope. A whole day of simply typing letters into the damned computer wasn't enough. A night without sleep wasn't enough either. And Mabel did nothing to help Dipper.
Dipper's face was covered in the red light that was escaping the computer screen. The red light meant he was wrong. It meant that he didn't find out anything new. It meant that he made no progress whatsoever. And it was all on his face. The boy tried again:
"Mabel. Is. Useless." Of course he didn't expect it to work, but it did, however, help him calm down a little. His eyes were getting heavier and his eyelids began to tremble, keeping them up seeming like too much of a strain. Then he yawned and rubbed his eyes under which dark circles were already forming.
"Oh Man…"
Just a little more. The boy thought. All I need is a few more tries and I'm gonna get there. One step closer to finding the author of the journals.
"Too many failed entries"
"Huh?"
The words echoed in his mind like thunder. He opened his eyes all the way, still trying to process the words spoken to him by the computer. And then the computer spoke again, clearly displaying the words on the screen:
"Initiate data erase in… 5 minutes"
A clock suddenly appeared on the screen. Dipper had only five minutes to guess the right password, otherwise, all of the information that had been stocked in that computer, his only lead, would be destroyed.
"No"
"No No No No" He grabbed the device, his hands shaking, still not believing that he had failed once again to get closer to the answer to all of his questions about the journals. He shook his head, still not correctly processing everything that was happening around him
"I'm gonna lose everything?!"
He grabbed his head with his hands. He was desperate. He didn't know what to do.
"I only have one more try?!"
I would do anything! Anything! I'm so close. This can't be happening. If only there was a way I could just…
Suddenly, the air got colder, Dipper instantly knowing something had changed. He felt a presence. Something familiar. The room itself lost all color. He sat up and looked around to see what was happening. However, he was interrupted by a loud boom from behind. And then, there he was. Bill Cypher. In a meditational position, just floating around. He opened his eye and got in front of Dipper, who was still dumbfounded at the sudden appearance of his enemy.
"Well, Well, Well. Someone's looking desperate." Said the demon, floating around with his usual know-it-all voice. He was looking down on Dipper like always.
Now, Dipper's emotions turned from fear and panic to rage and insecurity. The boy yelled at Bill, not moving one step closer.
"I thought I told you to leave me alone!"
"I can help you, kid. You just need to hear out my demands." Bill answered immediately, his speech to persuade the boy already prepared. His voice came out like singing, not an ounce of doubt hiding in it. He knew exactly what he wanted and how to get it.
The clock on the computer was still moving, time passing faster and faster. The dread could be seen on the boy's face, his eyes glued on the terrifying number on the screen. He growled and gave in. He needed the password. Desperately.
"What crazy thing do you want anyway?" He was waving his hands around, thinking of the weirdest, most dangerous things Bill might be asking of him.
"To eat my soul? To rip out my teeth? Are you gonna replace my eyes with baby heads or something?!"
"Geez kid, relax! " Bill didn't expect Dipper to be so defensive or so creative. But he did find it interesting.
"All I want is a puppet!" The demon chose his words perfectly, expecting no real reaction from the boy. And he was right.
Dipper became confused.
"A puppet? What are you playing at?" He squinted his eyes at the demon whose intentions weren't clear enough for him to understand. If Dipper knew one thing for sure about Bill, it was that he always had something up his sleeve.
"Everyone loves puppets!" Bill's voice was playful, waving his hands like he had no hidden intentions. "And it looks to me like you've got a surplus."
The pile of puppets from behind Bill suddenly lit up. Dipper's eyes fell on the mountain of socks with eyes.
Is it that easy? Is this all he wants? But Mabel spent a lot of time on them…
"I don't know, man. Mabel worked really hard on these."
"Seems to me one little puppet is a small price to learn all the secrets of the universe." His voice echoed in Dipper's mind. He rose his arms in the air and showed an image of the galaxy. Stars, asteroids and astral objects just floating around.
Bill got closer to the boy, unlocking gazes with him. He was staring at the ground, arms behind his back as if he didn't feel comfortable telling Dipper the harsh truth:
"Besides, what's your sister done to you lately? How many times have you sacrificed for her? And when does she ever return the favor?"
Dipper instantly remembered all the times he asked Mabel for help and she just behaved like she didn't hear him. Like he was invisible. Like he didn't matter. It was Dippers turn to look at the ground, accepting Bill's words as the truth.
He glanced at Mabel, who was outside, still planning her puppet show, and then glanced at the computer, which showed the amount of time till the loss of all data. 30 seconds. Dipper had to chose in less than 30 seconds.
"Tick-Tock, kid." The demon rose his hand, a bright shade of blue covering his arm, forming a glowing flame. However, no heat could be felt around it.
"Ugh, just one puppet?" His eyes were still glued to the screen. Seconds passing one by one, never stopping or slowing down.
This is my only chance. I can't lose this. I've worked too hard to get here. Just this time. Just one time.
"Fine." The boy's words came out as a stutter, but Bill needed nothing more.
He grabbed Bill's hand. 1 shake. 2 shakes. That's all there was to it. One moment of silence passed before Dipper finally broke the quiet.
"So, what puppet are you gonna pick anyway?"
"Hmm…Let's see." Bill put on an innocent mask and decided to play with the boy one last time.
"Eenie Meenie Minie~ … " Shivers ran down Dipper's back as he saw Bill's eye go red, his voice becoming coarse as he said:
"YOU!"