CHAPTER ONE... THE DEAL THAT WENT AWRY
(After a few weeks rest I'm back... With new inspiration and a new story. BEWARE: This is BY FAR the darkest thing I've ever written on this site. Without further ado... On with the show!)
"Don't forget to put your seatbelt on" warned Pacifica Northwest, as Dipper Pines stepped into the expensive limo "and PLEASE don't eat anything in the car... I'll be enough trouble with my parents as it is if they discover this little charade, when they find any crumbs in the back."
Dipper grumbled a little, as he was so intent on studying the three journals he'd forgotten to have any breakfast that morning. He had in haste swiped a cookie from the jar on the way out, and was just about to have a nibble.
But, Pacifica was right... It was a big enough risk she was taking as it was, deciding to go out for a final drive with him the day before Dipper and his sister headed back to Piedmont, California. She had somehow escaped their vigilance today, and had bribed a chauffer to take her and her new boyfriend out for a scenic ride to the lake.
With all the chaos of the last few weeks, and considering their early mutual hatred, mainly over her bullying of Mabel, it was amazing how the two of them had come together. It was most probably a case of 'opposites attract', because for all their differences and constant bickering, they'd been pretty much inseparable since the whole Northwest ghost fiasco. Plus, they DID enjoy their little sass contests.
It was a lovely day... The sun was shining, the birds were singing... And Mabel was off somewhere with Grenda and Candy. Dipper had no idea where they were headed to, but considering his sister had taken a pair of binoculars with her, and mentioned something about 'spying on hot boys' he feared the worst. "I hope that men's changing room at the swimming pool is secure" he thought.
He did love his sibling, but he was starting to get a bit sick of her singing songs about him and Pacifica (or Paz, as she called the rich girl) in a tree, and taking covert photos of the couple whenever she visited the shack. He'd even caught a glimpse of her scrapbook the other day... And she'd already allocated fifty pages for his potential marriage, kids, etc. FIFTY PAGES. "The girl is insane." He mumbled at the time. But he wouldn't have her any other way. She truly was queen of glitter, sweaters... And shippers.
Regardless, it was nice to get away from her, and his relatives Stan and Stanley (who, after initial resentment, were now getting along like a house on fire) for a little while. A bit of fresh air, in lovely surroundings, with the girl who he was having his first real relationship with. He glanced over at her in the front passenger seat, with a cheesy look on his face. BAD move.
"Dipper, are you feeling alright? You're looking very weird" said Pacifica, with an eyebrow raised "At least" she added with a smirk "Even weirder than usual". The pre-teen immediately returned to staring out of the window... He should have remembered, the blonde heiress did not go in for all that corny nonsense. He would have to be smooth, sophisticated around her... And DEFINITELY no overcomplicated lists.
" Anyway, we're here now... Maybe some fresh air will clear your head" Pacifica announced as their ride came to a stop. Adjusting his cap and undoing his seatbelt, Dipper stepped outside, and noticed they were on top of a cliff overlooking the water, with marvellous views all around. While the younger Mystery Twin was admiring the scenery, Pacifica paid the driver the money he was promised, and told him to come back and pick them up that evening. And off he departed, to spend some nice 'quality time' at the local betting shop.
The Northwest girl turned her attention to Dipper, who was trying to see as far over the shore as he could. "DAMN, I wish I'd got to those binoculars before Mabel" he silently cursed "I bet you can spot things from miles away". Pacifica smiled at her boyfriends enthusiasm... But she was pretty stoked, too. She NEVER got to go out like this normally, it wouldn't have fit anywhere on her parents's heavily regimented schedule. There comes a time when you've had enough fancy dinners and gala premieres, and you just want to enjoy the simple things in life... And they didn't come much more simple than the nerd she'd inexplicably developed a fondness for.
She joined him about a metre from the edge of the cliff, and gave him a playful little nudge in the side. "What's the matter, have you seen another Gobblewonker?" she mockingly asked. Over the course of the last few weeks, Dipper had told her all about his odd summer, from the strange creatures they'd battled, the portals to other dimensions they'd opened and even let her take a peek at the journals he'd kept close to him like children. At first, she was a bit dismissive of all these strange claims, but when he got to the part about the Society Of The Blind Eye she realised the reason why she didn't recall witnessing any of this chicanery... Because all evidence was no doubt wiped from her memory banks. At that point, she was MUCH more open to the possibility of the unknown.
"N...no" came the rather strained response from Dipper. "I was just thinking... How far I'm going to be away from you soon. Hundreds of miles, by my calculations... And I probably won't be back until next summer at the earliest." Pacifica frowned at the thought. He WOULD have to put a dampener on things with his constant negativity.
"Look, I know it's going to be hard, but you've got your sister" (though, living with her would drive me crazy, the blonde thought). "And I'll try and call you via Skype if I have the chance, on a secure line of course". She was hinting at the fact that her parents ran their manor like a fortress... With cameras anywhere, and monitoring all of her incoming and outgoing calls. It was a minor miracle she'd managed to slip away undetected that day. Or, had she? Pacifica had no idea. If they were willing to let a mansion full of 'the most important people in the world' burn to death just to save face, she wouldn't put it past them to stick a tracking device under the skin of their daughter.
She banished such depressing thoughts from her head... She was begining to get as bad as Dipper when it came to being a downer. "Hey, cheer up'" she said with a touch more optimism "We've still got all day today... And, I got some of my servants to make us a picnic. Only the finest foods for our palate. Just wait right there... I'll go get the hamper." She blew him a kiss, before going back to the place where they'd been dropped off.
Dipper shook his head in exasparation. What was on the menu, he wondered... Smoked Salmon? Caviar Sandwiches? She REALLY didn't have to go to so much trouble. He would have been more than happy for his Grunkle to make him a packed lunch. But, if it made her happy to spoil him, then he guessed he could tolerate some rich people's cuisine for once. He just hoped it was better than the pretentious crap they served at the Northwest party. He wasn't sure, but he was up half the night afterwards with a nasty case of diarrhea. He stared out across the lake at a single yacht, trying to expunge his memory of that horrible, messy ordeal, munching on his cookie...
"Hello, Pine Tree!"
GAH! What was that? It sounded like Pacifica, but... it was like her voice was digitised. Dipper spun round to see his girlfriend... But, as he could tell instantly, it WASN'T his girlfriend. The manic grin... The yellow eyes... The fork sticking out of her arm... It had to be...
"BILL!" Dipper roared loudly, grinding his teeth like a mad man. He dropped his cookie.
"Actually, I kind of like the name Billciphica, but you can call me whatever you like... As long as I get what I want!" The possessed girl grinned at him through unblinking pupils.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" shouted Dipper.
"That's what I always like about you Pine Tree, always straight to the point!" Billciphica grabbed the fork embedded in their arm and twisted it, making Dipper wince.
"WHERE IS PACIFICA?!" Dipper was really getting agitated now.
"I don't know... Probably floating around here somewhere..." Billciphica said rather unsympathetically, before returning to the fork "Ah, that feels good. Pain is so funny, isn't it? I've missed this feeling!" Blood was starting to get all over Pacifica's nice, clean summer dress.
Dipper looked up to the sky, hoping he could spot something... But it was all in vain. He wasn't the kid from The Sixth Sense, and he had no way of contacting a ghost. Though it went against every instinct in his body right now, he would have to stay calm and play ball now with the Dorito Demon if he ever wanted to see his girlfriend again.
"Now, down to business" said Billciphica, licking their lips. "It's turns out Llama's father was very upset with her for her insubordination during the little shindig at the Northwest place the other week. In fact, stark raving mad might be a more accurate description. He gave her a final ultimatum: (And at this point, Billciphica did an amazing impression of Preston Northwest's booming voice) "Either you straighten up and fly right girl, or there will be SERIOUS consequences, consequences so dire I can't even begin to describe them to you."
"Now, at any other point in history this threat probably would have worked... But you HAD to give her courage and hope, didn't you? Plus, your little ghost hunting escapade with her gave her the ability to resist the bell which had kept her in control for so long. No wonder her parents were forced to take more drastic measures. In fact... Come to think of it... This is kind of all YOUR fault, Pine Tree!" Billciphica shook their head " If it hadn't been for your interfering, the Northwests would still have their perfect little obedient daughter, and they wouldn't have had to summon me..."
"What do you mean, SUMMON you?!" Dipper was starting to feel more and more nauseous, and this time it wasn't because of any posh food.
"Well, it's not just Five Pointed Star that knows how to get my attention" said Billciphica, smiling evilly "Most of the other bad guys do. Anyhow, when I arrived, me and Mr Northwest had a bit of a chat, and we came to a deal. I take over his daughter for as long as it takes for their reputation to be restored, and in return..." Billciphica covered their mouth and sniggered "Oh, THAT bit isn't important. Don't worry about THAT now."
"Anyway, exposition OVER, Pine Tree. I've come today to make YOU a deal you can't refuse. Much as I like the Northwests, and this body I'm in at the moment feels comfortable, spacious and full of places I can stick pointy things, I'd be willing to give her up... For a small price." Billciphica rubbed their hands.
"ANYTHING! PLEASE! JUST NAME IT!" Dipper knew, from experience, that any 'deal' with Bill always carried with it more string than a yarn factory full of kittens. At this point however, he was SO desperate, he was willing to do anything to get his girlfriend back.
Billciphica let out an evil leer "I KNEW you'd see sense, Pine Tree. I always said... Out of you and Shooting Star, you were the smart one. If only you hadn't let her separate us. We could have ruled the world toge..."
"JUST TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT!" Dipper was absolutely frantic now.
"Okay, okay Pine Tree. Relax. Here's what I'll require for the safe return of One Rich Girlfriend: All three journals. Signed, sealed, delivered. And yes... I do know you found the other two... Remember, I'm ALWAYS watching. And another thing I'm sure of: You take them EVERYWHERE with you. I've even seen you reading them, while you've been sitting on that strange seat with the hole, doing your..."
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Dipper would have been mortified at any other time by the thought of a supernatural entity spying on him in the bathroom... But, right now, he had more important things on his mind. Namely, the fact that he didn't have the journals on him.
He could have kicked himself. The ONE time... The ONE time he went anywhere without them, was when he perhaps needed them the most.
He should have said "No" when Pacifica told him not to bring his 'geeky books' with him on their trip because she wanted to 'talk' to him for a change, without the distraction.
But now, it was too late.
He just hoped the heiress wouldn't have to pay for his mistake.
"Er, Billc... Paci... Whatever... I'm afraid I've got some bad news..." Dipper started his sentence, but he could feel his throat drying up even as he was speaking.
Billciphica, so very sure that they had Dipper over a barrel, suddenly stopped their celebrations. "WHAT?!"
"I'm afraid... I don't actually... Have the journals on me... I left them back at the shack..." That last part from Dipper barely came out as more than a squeak.
Almost instantaneously, Billciphica growled like an angry lion... And burst into an intense purple flame (It didn't seem to be burning anything nearby, though. And Pacifica's body remained thankfully untouched).
"YOU EXPECT ME TO BELIEVE THAT, PINE TREE?! I'VE WATCHED YOU NEARLY EVERY SINGLE DAY FOR THE LAST FEW WEEKS... AND YOU HAVEN'T LEFT THEM ALONE... NOT FOR ONE SECOND! YOU EVEN CUDDLE THEM IN YOUR SLEEP! YOU'VE GOT THEM STASHED HERE SOMEWHERE... I CAN FEEL IT! ONE LAST CHANCE TO HAND THEM OVER... OR I REALLY START TO GET NASTY!" Billciphica went to grab the handle of the fork. He totally meant it.
"AGGHH! "Dipper had truly hit panic mode, and was sweating buckets. "BILL... I PROMISE I'M NOT LYING TO YOU... JUST COME BACK WITH ME TO THE SHACK, AND I'LL..."
"NO!" Billciphica immediately put the dampeners on that suggestion "I KNOW YOU'RE GOT SOME CLEVER LITTLE SCHEME COOKED UP THERE WITH SHOOTING STAR TO GET ME OUT OF LLAMA! I WON'T FALL FOR YOUR CUNNING TRICKS AGAIN! SO, GIVE THEM TO ME NOW... OR I'LL BE FORCED TO DO SOMETHING I WON'T REGRET, BUT YOU ALMOST CERTAINLY WILL!" Billciphica's flame continued to burn like an inferno, but still with no warmth.
Dipper was almost beside himself with hysteria. "I SWEAR BILL, I'M NOT LYING... HONEST TO GOD... IF I COULD GIVE THEM TO YOU NOW, I WOULD. PLEASE..." He was practically on his hands and knees, begging Bill to let her go.
Almost as soon as it started, the flame extinguished itself... Leaving behind a very disappointed looking Billciphica. "Tut, tut, Pine Tree... And I had such high hopes for you" said Billciphica in a notably softer voice "I thought you were one of the more reasonable ones. Oh well, never mind. I'll find some other way of getting my hands on those journals. I'll be taking my leave now... Tell Northwest Senior I'm sorry I couldn't fulfill our deal... And such a shame... He had such a pretty daughter too..."
Dipper's initial delight at most of that announcement fizzled out with that last sentence. "What?!"
"Oh and one last thing before I go... Your 'God' means NOTHING to me!" Having said that Billciphica lurched forward... And jumped off the top of the cliff. Bill released the girl as soon as she started dropping, and, as her cries echoed down the canyon, he faded back into the dreamscape.
"PACIFICA" screamed Dipper. "NNOOOO!"