"C'mon, Dipper! Get a move on!"
*WHEEZE!* "…coming…I'm coming…"
Dipper Pines breathed incredibly heavy as he nipped at his crush's heels. Wendy Corduroy paused for a brief moment, as she flashed a confident grin at her admirer as he lagged behind slightly.
"Going too fast for ya, buddy?"
The exhausted twelve year old stopped and bent down, placing his hands on his knees as he took in gasp after gasp of fresh air. He raised his head to see his sweetheart looking down at him as the seaside air blew her long, gorgeous red hair back in an almost-majestic manner. The sunlight shining down from above them only added to the gleam found in Wendy's emerald-colored eyes.
"No…no way…Wendy…" Dipper fibbed, trying his best not to openly humiliate himself. "I'm just – the sand – the sand's just bogging me down a bit…"
Seeing that her friend was coming along nicely, Wendy returned her sights to the spectacle before them.
"Okay, then."
Taking charge, the ginger threw her arm forward and pointed ahead, "Let's check this bad-boy out!"
The day had begun with an uninteresting yawn. Dipper and Wendy had become incredibly bored at their shared summer-time job of working at the Mystery Shack tourist trap. As what would often happen in such cases, the partners in crime would slack off from their duties, preferring to goof-off by playing practical jokes and light-hearted pranks amongst the Pines household.
Unfortunately, things were taken a step too far on this particular day, leaving the duo with a Gift Shop of accidentally-damaged souvenirs and collectibles. In an effort to avoid Stan's wrath and have the heat on them die down a bit, Wendy suggested to her cohort that the best course of action would be to take the rest of the afternoon and play hooky.
When Dipper asked where they would go to hide out, Wendy quickly suggested an impromptu trip to a local beach on the Oregon coast. The young detective found himself somewhat surprised by her answer.
"But, why the beach, Wendy?"
"Dude, because it's like a bajillion degrees out!" Wendy explained. "It's the perfect place to cool off, seeing how we can't go back to the pool. And besides, it's the last thing your Uncle would think of to look for us."
"Why do you say that?"
"Think about it for a sec, Dipper. Old people hate the beach! When was the last time you've seen anyone over sixty hanging out there?"
Finding himself unable to counter her claim, Dipper simply shrugged and went along with the high-schooler's plan. In an effort to beat the heat, he left his dark navy blue vest on Wendy's desk as the two snuck out to the back door and onto her trusty red bicycle for a speedy getaway.
Before they went on their journey, Wendy had made a pit-stop at her house for supplies as well as an outfit change of her own. Dipper patiently waited outside, standing guard in front of her bike as he stared out into the green distance, letting his mind wander aimlessly.
A few minutes later, the sound of a door slamming made Dipper spin around. His jaw instantly fell at the sight before him.
Wendy stepped down the staircase of the Corduroy household with a small plaid backpack slung over her left shoulder. Her flannel shirt had been replaced with a plain white tank top showing off her naturally pale-freckled flesh. In lieu of her super-tight blue jeans, Wendy sported a pair of short-cut daisy dukes. Her now-bare feet were in green flip-flops instead of her trademark mud stained boots. The teenager's fluffy trapper hat had been left inside of the cabin.
With her long crimson hair tried back in a massive ponytail, Wendy gave the star-struck boy a confused glare as she adjusted the black-tinted sunglasses mounted on top her crown.
"Um, Dipper?" She asked with concern. "You still with me, here?"
"Huh?!" Dipper awoke from his stupor, as the angelic voice stemming from the almost-serene figure calling out to him. "Oh! Sorry about that. It's just – it's just the heat getting to me, is all…"
"Ah…" Wendy pulled the knapsack across her side and opened the first pocket. She picked out a can of Pitt-Cola and tossed at her co-workers. Dipper flinched and threw out his hands, fumbling the half-frozen beverage until he was finally able to clutch it.
"Bah! Cold-cold-cold!"
"Heheh! That should cool you off until we get down there." Wendy could only laugh at her buddy's frantic mannerisms. As Dipper started to nosily slurp his drink, the fifteen-year-old kept her eyebrow raised as he continued to steal glances at her in between sips. For some reason, it reminded her of the expression that Dipper would give when she dressed in that skimpy red one-piece as they served as lifeguards together.
Wendy hopped on her bike and patted the empty space between the handlebars, "Well, let's get a move on, kiddo! Time's a-wastin'"
Dipper nodded and followed along with Wendy's orders. Finishing his drink, Dipper placed the empty can on the ground, and clutched the bars behind him as the lumberjack princess began to peddle towards their destination. She clicked her tongue and shook her head at her buddy's actions.
"Dude, don't litter in front of my house…"
Dipper looked over his shoulder to see Wendy giving him a sly smile. His face turned red with embarrassment as he returned the favor.
"Oh, um…I'll pick it up when we get back…"
As promised, Wendy arrived at a nearby beach within a half-hour's time. In spite of its semi-secluded area, the coast had its fair share of small groupings and families, but it was quiet enough to travel through without being noticed.
It was the perfect hideaway for two adolescent workers hoping to escape the long, flabby, and wrinkly arm of the law.
Dipper volunteered to hold Wendy's bag as she chained her bike to the nearest street light post. He took a second to scope out the new surroundings, watching as the sun began to lower itself towards the edge of the water in the vast distance.
"Wow!" The pre-teen marveled in the natural beauty all around him. "This place…is great!"
"Yep…" Wendy prided as she stopped at Dipper's side. "No pollution or trash to be found. Cool, clean crystal clear water all around. Little to no noise to draw attention or ruin our "chill-laxation." Couldn't have picked a better place."
Dipper turned his head towards Wendy, "It's kinda ironic if you think about it. This place is nearly perfect in every way, and yet, vacationers would rather spend their time in tourist traps like the Mystery Shack…"
Wendy nodded, "True, but look at it like this, Dip. It's sorta of a win-win situation. People like Stan win when they get hapless rubes to spend their dough at his shop, and we win by having a large chunk of this place all to ourselves."
"Hmm...Good point."
"Yeah, man." Wendy went on, "Could you imagine if this place was overrun with out of towners? It'd be ruined within a week! Sometimes, it's nice to keep certain things to us locals only."
"Us locals?"
Wendy spun towards her companion, already aware of his concern. The more time that they spent together, the more she was able to second-guess his neurotic anxieties (and hopefully mend them).
She beamed with a sense of reassurance, "Sure, Dip. When you're with me, you're whatever I say you are, and I say you're one of us."
As Wendy guessed, all trances of worry and unease had vanished with her pledge. With the air cleared, they walked in tandem off on the blistering sidewalk and into the milder sands. As they further went, Wendy noticed that Dipper was starting to lose pace. She looked downwards, noting something off with her younger pal.
"Hang on a sec!" The redhead sped in front of the wandering twelve year old. She pointed down towards the soft ground. "What's the deal with those?"
Baffled, Dipper followed Wendy's finger, seeing that she was highlighting his feet. "I…I don't get it, Wendy. What's wrong with my sneakers?"
"That's the thing, Dipper!" She exclaimed. "Dude, you can't – you can't wear sneakers at the beach. It's just – it's like an unspoken rule…"
"But …"
"You just don't do that…"
"…Wendy…"
She grabbed her backpack and rummaged through her belongings, "Here, look…" The girl took a moment more, pulling out an item and presenting it to him. "I have an extra pair of sandals. They might be a bit big on you, but they'll fit the bill nicely…"
"Wait, why do you have an extra set of shoes with you anyways?"
Wendy lifted her shoulders, "It sounds crazy, but every time I go to the beach, I lose my sandals for some reason or another…"
"Hold on. Every single time? Does someone steal them? Like a prank?"
She placed a hand on her hip, "I dunno, Dipper! I don't question every weird thing that happens to you, do I? Just trust me on this, alright, and take 'em?
Dipper chuckled at Wendy's over-exaggeration as he went to move past her, "No thanks, Wendy. I'm not really a sandal per – "
His sentence was cut off as Wendy blocked his path yet again. Her look of concern morphed into one of utter seriousness. Her dark green eyes grew thin and narrow. Her voice became cross as she pressed the shoes against his mid-section.
"Take them off, or I'll take them off for you…"
Dipper gulped loudly as he instantly recognized what was happening. The first time he had seen his crush undergo such a transformation was almost a month ago when he tried to talk his way out of winning her a stuffed creature of indeterminate species at the Mystery Fair.
Regardless of her reasoning, rather it be that the redhead was trying to prevent her buddy from making some sort of beach fashion snafu, or from standing out in the small crowd, when the light-hearted, sometimes goofy, and yet almost-flawlessly cool side of Wendy Corduroy disappeared, and this near-stranger appeared, only one thing was absolute:
She was not to be denied.
With a defeated sigh, Dipper took the black flip-flops at his chest and bent down to abide by Wendy's wishes, making the girl lean back and cross her arms victoriously…
"There you go…doesn't that feel much better?"
Throughout the course of the day, Wendy and Dipper enjoyed all the festivities that their private part of the beach had to offer. Using a blanket that Wendy took from home, the friends soaked in the rays of the sun (with Wendy taking extra care per her more sensitive skin) as the waves lapping in front of them provided a much needed breeze.
Once they were finally cooled off, the young adults enjoyed the small picnic Wendy stashed inside of her knapsack. With their energy replenished, they started to play under the now-setting sun. Jumping feet first in the waves, Dipper and Wendy got into a splashing fight, with their laughter soon filling the once-serene atmosphere. Due to his noodle arms, Dipper had to push extra hard in order to reach his extra-tall mate, while Wendy had to hold back to avoid accidentally drowning her much shorter chum.
After they retreated back towards their camp to dry off, Dipper started to focus his sights on a new activity. Little by little, the overly-intelligent child began to form small castles and buildings amid the surrounding sand. At first, Wendy helped by aiding in gathering large clumps of sand, but as the moments passed, became bored by the activity and when back to lounging on the beach with her shades drooped over her face.
It was only a few moments later when the ginger felt a warming sensation formed over her lanky body. She raised her head to see that Dipper was including her in his structure complex by mischievously burying her in the soft grains. Wendy paid him no heed, choosing to relax in her new entombment, until Dipper impishly threatened her exposed foot bottoms with a seagull's feather that he found nearby.
With that, the vixen rose from the trap, letting out a mighty Amazonian roar instead of the expected case of the giggles, making her former captor shriek in terror. She took a hold of the tiny quaking form before her and playfully body slammed him into the sands. They struggled and wrestled viciously, ending up in a laughing, tangled mess of one another.
*KRAK!*
Dipper's eyes focused on the sky as Wendy got up to grab another item from her bag of goodies. The sun seemed to disappear behind a gathering of grayish clouds.
"Wait…" He looked towards Wendy's direction, "Was that thunder – "
*BOP!*
"Oof!"
Wendy winced as the beach ball bounced off Dipper's forehead, landing in the lapsing tide nearby. He pinched his nose as the teenager hurried towards him, "Sorry about that, Dip. I didn't mean – I thought you were looking at – "
He blinked a few times to become unfazed, "Oh, it's okay. I'm okay. I just thought – " The boy glanced around. "Where did your ball go?"
She peeked over Dipper into the distance. "There!" The cashier pointed out that the multi-colored inflatable ball was being carried down the increasingly speeding tide. The pair quickly reclaimed their sandals and supplies and raced after the missing good as fast as they could.
"Almost there…"
As the sky grew dark, the remaining groups started to make their way home in fear of upcoming rain. As Wendy and Dipper ran past the sandy dunes at the beach's edge, their sights faltered from their original goal as they focused on a new discovery at hand.
"Whoa-ho-ho-a!"
"Nice! Never seen this guy before…"
They had accidentally discovered a sort of seaside cavern. The rocky extension stuck out of the earth like an open wound. A series of different water based greenery grew right outside of the entrance. A small stream, taken from the sea itself, flowed into the mouth of the cave. It served as a part between where the sand would become one with the jagged earth. Dipper walked over to one of the plants and examined it. It was a thick, white hollow reed that reminded him of a bamboo stick.
"How strange…"
Wendy joined in on the examination. "Dude, check this out!"
Dipper turned back to see Wendy on one knee a few feet away. He peered over her shoulder to see what she had spotted. There were thousands of straight lines imprinted on the sand beneath them.
"Weird," the small sleuth noted, "It's like something was scratching at the ground or…"
"Or," Wendy went to suggest, highlighting a new discovery a bit further down, "What if it's tracks?"
"Tracks?"
He followed Wendy's hand to see that the freshly-made prints started to change as they came close to the cave's edge. A flattened part separated the markings, continuing all the way inside of the mouth until the trail vanished upon the rough flooring.
"It's like something was dragged inside…"
"I wonder what could of – "
As if she secretly read his mind, Wendy hopped to her feet and patted him on the back.
"Well, let's go check it out!" She then headed towards the cave's entrance, making sure that her own footprints didn't ruin the tracings.
"Huh?" Dipper was stunned by her quick response. Granted, the thought crossed his mind, but this was way too sudden. They hadn't had time to prepare or plan for contingencies.
"Hang on a sec!" He called out, making Wendy stop in her tracks. "Don't you think we should take a minute or two to plan things out? After all, who knows what's waiting for us in there?"
Wendy twisted around with a devious smirk on her face. Before she even opened her mouth, the cunning youngster already knew exactly what to say to hit her protégé's buttons.
"What? You're not scared, are you?"
"Me?" Dipper's voice rose in pitch. "I'm not scared – I'm not afraid! I just think – "
"Well, I hope not…" Wendy played along. "After all, I thought you were very big on this whole "monster hunting" thing…"
"I am, but…"
"You're like the best at this stuff, aren't you, man?"
Dipper instantly turned red from the praise. He rubbed the back of his head as the uneasy-itchiness came back. "I mean, I wouldn't say I'm the best – "
"And I'm here with you anyways." Wendy continued. "We're like the dream team, buddy! Nothing can stop us when we put our minds together!"
"I know, I know…"
"And besides, how many times do we get the chance to have an adventure with just the two of us?
"Just…the two…of us?" Dipper repeated in a stutter.
Wendy's smile grew deeper as she knew her plan was working. Within seconds, Dipper Pines had turned a complete 180 before her eyes. She twirled back towards the cave and went back on her way.
"Well, now that's settled, let's get – "
"But, Wendy!
She spun back, somewhat annoyed by another interruption. "But what?!"
Dipper shrunk back a bit, extending a finger towards the sky. "It looks like it's gonna rain…"
Wendy saw that the overcast in the sky had grown a bit darker. Fortunately, the cool draft that came with it began to give some much relief from the overbearing summer heat. With his worry debunked, Wendy motioned for her fellow explorer to come closer.
"Dude, a little rain never hurt anyone…now, hop to it!"
Wendy and Dipper walked on each side of the stream as they followed it into the cave. Seeing that the sunlight was no longer following them inside, Wendy reached into her left short pocket and pulled out an old-fashion Zippo lighter. As she sparked a light to illuminate their path, the auburn-haired survivalist spotted two loose sticks spread across the floor.
Peeking over her shoulder to make sure Dipper was watching, Wendy wedged her right foot beneath the branches and launched them up into the air. The nimble lumberjill waited for the exact moment, to throw her free hand out and catch both in mid-air.
"…whoa…"
The teen could sense her friend's breath being taken away with such a standard trick. Still, it was kind of nice to have someone around who thought every little thing she did was the coolest. Wendy took the tops of the boughs and held them under the lighter's flame, until a small spark caught on each.
She passed a makeshift torch to Dipper and kept one for herself, "It may not be the best-looking, but it'll definitely do the trick here…" Her follower nodded along, accepting Wendy's gift and walking side by side with her down the path. Getting further away from the exit, the atmosphere became more muggy and humid, save for a bit of dew and condensation dripping from the stalagmites hanging from the ceiling. The pathway was completely devoid of noise, except for the slapping sound the two pairs of flip-flops made against the solid flooring. A few moments later, they were forced to stop once more as a new obstacle came to pass.
"What in the world?!"
"…huh…"
A few yards into the cavern, the team has come across a form of giant ravine. The tiny stream that ran pass their sandaled feet poured into the abyss, disappearing from both sights and sound. Wendy grew somewhat curious of the sight. Carefully tearing off a lower piece of her torch, she tossed it into the middle of the chasm, listening for when the wood hit the bottom.
…*THUNK!*…
The small sound echoed upwards a few seconds later, prompting both Dipper and Wendy to take a cautious step backwards.
"That's…" Dipper marveled. "That's pretty deep…"
"You're telling me, kiddo." Wendy agreed as she squint her eyes, "It's so dark, I can't see if anything's down there or not."
"So…" Dipper asked with a sigh of relief, "Does that mean our "adventure" at an end already?"
Wendy swiftly scanned the new area for an answer. Her face lit up as her discovered a close-by answer, "Hmm…maybe not. Look to your left…"
Along the left side of the gorge, a small footpath had been etched from the cave's walling. The razor-thin passage wrapped around the edge of the pit, leading to the opposite end of the grotto.
"I don't know…" Dipper doubted, tapping the side of his forehead in a rhythmic beat as he pondered all of the possibilities aloud, "I mean, it'll get us through, but what happens if we slip, or if the walkway falls as we cross over. We'll be stuck on the other side!"
He regained focus and lift up his head, "What do you think, Wendy?"
A voice echoed from the other end, "I think you're a bit too late, dude!"
"Wha – " Dipper's mouth dropped wide open as he spotted Wendy already on the bridleway. A fourth of the way though, the roguish young woman carefully moved step by step with her back firmly pressed against the jagged wall. She offered a wink and a tiny wave with her free hand with the other holding on to her torch tightly.
Dipper hurried as close to the edge as possible, "What are you doing?"
Wendy replied as she returned to her task, "What's it look like, Dipper? I'm going to the other end."
"But what if – "
"Dip, do you want to find out what that thing was or not?"
"Of course I do! It's just that…"
Wendy started to backpedal a bit. Once she was close enough to her friend, she offered him her empty hand.
"And you do trust me, right?"
He hesitated, staring at the opened palm before him. Part of him wanted to believe anything that came out of Wendy's mouth; if she said it was going to be alright, then, it was. However, the realistic, more practical side of him fought back, stating that despite his unconditional admiration for Wendy Corduroy, bad things could – and probably would happen, even under her watchful eye. In spite of her promises, she didn't control the universe, or in this case, the strange and unusual occurrences that happened when exploring the small mountain town.
In the end, Dipper simply couldn't deny the reassuring freckled face of his teenaged crush, and made his decision. He reached for Wendy's hand as he forced all of the apparent uneasiness from his core.
"I trust you…I'd trust you with anything…"
Wendy nodded as her grin deepened. She clutched his hand tightly, but much to his surprise, didn't yank him onto the slender platform. Instead, the lumberjack eased Dipper into position using a mother's touch.
"Steady…take it slow…"
"O-Okay…"
Wendy set Dipper against the stony wall, giving him step-by-step instructions to follow her progress:
"First things first: don't look down…"
Despite her directions, Dipper's curiosity got the best of him. He stole another look of the trench below and instantly began to suffer a sense of vertigo. He shut his eyes tight and prayed that the feelings of swaying and spinning would quickly fade.
"I – I looked down…"
"Dipper…" Wendy forced her annoyance back, not wanting to make matters worse. "Change of plans, then. Look at me, okay?"
Dipper looked up to meet her eye-to-eye.
"Okay, so now, focus on me, and do exactly as I do, all right?" Wendy pushed her body against the irregular border, keeping her torch-carrying arm at fair distance. "Press your back as much as you can. Now, look at my feet."
Both sets of eyes moved towards the green sandals slightly dangling over the ledge.
"Watch how I go inch-by-inch. I don't lift my feet; I gently slide them a little bit at a time. I don't go too much, so they don't slip out beneath me. You get me?"
"I get it – I get it…"
Before he knew it, Dipper found himself already halfway across the footpath. Wendy kept up the encouragement, seeing her buddy becoming more confident with every step.
"Keep it up, Dip! You're doing great! We're almost there!"
"We…are? We are! I can't believe it! We're actually doing it!"
"Yep…"
Despite his fast progress, Dipper couldn't help but still feel embarrassed by his earlier hesitation. While by no means afraid of heights (especially after his duel with the Waxed Sherlock Holmes), it was more of the sense of the unknown awaiting him below that played against his thoughts. He thought of how such a thing might seem childish to his super-athletic counterpart, whose daily aerial feats never failed to impress.
It was such negativity that blinded the precautious tween from seeing the pride and satisfaction Wendy gave off as she watched her charge conquer his panic and uncertainty with every inch gained.
All of a sudden, Dipper came to a stop. His face twisted tightly. Seeing this, Wendy paused, unsure of exactly what was happening. He pulled his head back, and involuntary lounged forward, prompting his not-so-secret love to cover his chest with her left hand.
"AAAH-CHOOOO!"
The tiny, yet powerful blast echoed the cavern. He let out a long sniffle as Wendy chuckled, "What-in-the-world was that?"
"What? No "gesundheit" or anything?"
"Kid, I don't think you need to tell a sneezing kitten "bless you…""
Dipper let out a tiny growl as he thought of his teasing twin sister, "I really wish Mabel didn't tell you that…"
"Oh, come on, Dipper!" Wendy chided. "It is kinda funny. And I mean, you do sound like one when you sneeze – "
"I do not! It's just that I'm – " His rant was interrupted as his nostrils were tickled for a second time. He let out another quiet, yet high-pitched squeeze that made his main squeeze cackle even more.
"You see! Tell me that doesn't just scream "kitty-cat" to you?"
"It's not like I'm doing it on purpose." Dipper wiped his nose with his hand. "It's just getting kinda damp in here, and it's messing with my allergies…"
"Ohh…" Wendy mocked in a lower tone, "Kitty's getting wet! And now, he's catching a cold! Poor lil' kitty!"
"Wendy! That's not – AHH! AHH! AH-CHOO!"
The third sneeze ricocheted from wall to wall as did the previous ones. However, the room didn't return to its quiet state afterwards. A loud rumbling grew from overhead. Dipper and Wendy could feel vibrations occurring against their backs and beneath their feet. Small pebbles and stones began to fell from the ceiling.
"W-What's happening?!" Dipper asked in alarm.
"Stay cool, okay?" Wendy ordered, her voice becoming a bit shaky. "Be as quiet as possible…"
As she finished her command, Wendy's face fell as the world began to play out in slow motion. The wall behind Dipper started to shatter. Within a split second, she saw the nuggets break formation, and fall towards the edge. She knew without a doubt, if they were to strike Dipper, he would instantly be plunged into the hole.
Without thinking, Wendy threw her torch into the abyss and lounged at her friend. Snagging him by the arm, the lumberjack princess took her admirer by the hand, and using a burst of hidden strength, hurled him towards the end of the chasm.
"WENDY?! What are you – WHHHOOOOAAA!"
Before Dipper knew what had happened, he had hit sturdy ground knees-first; his torch flew out of his hand. He cringed in pain, but at the end, he was safe and sound. Still caught off-guard, it wasn't until Dipper heard a feminine scream followed by the crunching of rolling boulders that he returned to reality.
"Oh, no! Oh, no! Oh, no!"
He rose to his feet and raced towards the cliff's end. Wendy no longer stood on the footpath they had been teetering on seconds before. The wall which they had used for partial support was now cracked and splintered, leaving behind massive chunks of rock missing.
Dipper dropped to his knees and stared into the dark void. He cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted out into the pitch black, desperate to hear anything from the girl who valiantly saved his life.
"WENDY?! WENDY?! CAN YOU HEAR ME?!"