Hey, guys! Haven't made a story in a while so I might be a little rusty, bare with me
All the characters except Megan belong to Alex Hirsch!
The low hum of the car echoed around me, dulled by the beat that was playing in my ear drums. My tired eyes were glazed over, looking, but not registering, the landscape that was flying past her down the dirt road.
It's probably been at least ten miles since the car had seen any sign of civilization. All there was to look at were tall pine trees that surrounded the vehicle. I only lived about five hours from the little town of Gravity Falls, but even that amount of time was taxing. Still, it was nice to get away from the city, full of obnoxious noises and unidentifiable smells.
In a way, I was lucky. The ability to stay in a summer home wasn't a commodity among other 18-year-olds. However, being the oldest in a foster home had its perks. Her foster mother's sister, who insisted on Aunt Lucille, had a home in a little town that she offered up to me. Since I decided a leap year and had nothing better to do, the offer was attractive. I still had no idea what my future held, immediate or otherwise. That's why I needed to slow down and take my time. As nice as my foster parents were, they needed all the help they could get, to which I provided. I wouldn't have left if I didn't think they could handle themselves for at least the summer.
"Megan, dear," Aunt Lucille started, causing the girl to pull out her earbuds and look over with a gentle smile. "Are you sure you'll be fine up here, all alone? I know we'll be together the first few nights, but...after that." Her concern was heartwarming, welcomed by the girl.
"Of course Aunt Lucille, I have no doubt I'll be fine. Besides, if anything goes wrong I have you and Fran on speed dial. You're only a number away." I reassured, smiling and leaning back in my seat. She nodded, finding the reply satisfactory, before smiling over at me.
"I just know you're going to love Gravity falls, hun. I used to live there in my teens with my family, and there were so many things to do." She continued on ranting about her childhood home, causing me to chuckle as I listened to familiar scenarios that had been told to me multiple times over the last 5 hours. I had no idea what to expect from the little town, but I definitely had a list of what needed to happen while I was there. Maybe I could find a job? Who knew.
It wasn't long before a sign that was a tourist's dream past by me, catching my eye. "Welcome to Gravity Falls" was plastered across the wooden board, or at least, that's what I gathered since half the sign was destroyed. How recent was that? I shook the thought from my mind as I looked forward, drawing in a breath and relaxing as my eyes returned to the sky, lined with tall trees. Some houses passed by, as well as off roads that most likely lead to more housing began appearing, before we reached the main town.
"Oh, it hasn't changed a bit. I haven't been here in years." Lucille said with a delighted smile. That always confused me, why did she keep the house, then? I never thought to ask her, it wasn't exactly my business. Besides, it gave me this opportunity, so I wasn't complaining. There was a definite charm to this town, and I knew why tourists would love to come here. And yet, there was this unwavering feeling of mystery that loomed in the air. It was almost ominous. I dismissed it the second we drove past the main town and towards a house, beautiful, old and dusty, that couldn't be anyone else's house except Lucille's. The color, a soft lavender, was her signature on the property. Ornate patterns lined the porch as well as the shudders, and it almost made you laugh as you thought of living in this house for two and a half months.
As soon as I stepped out of the car there was an immediate feeling of wonder for the world around me. The woods surrounded the house, and the calming sound of birds was enchanting. The air smelled clean and void of pollution. Sometimes I thought I belonged to the country rather than the city, but I've lived in Portland as long as I can remember. Meeting my aunt at the back of the vehicle, I help unload my belongings for the long stay I am going to have. We begin loading it inside, and everything feels right. I had never seen it before, but the interior felt so familiar and comforting. I always go that feeling from Lucille, she was just that kind of person.
When everything was inside, I let out a long yawn, glancing down at my phone and reading the numbers. 3:30 covered a picture of my family and me, making me smile. I looked up to see Aunt Lucille smiling at me, leaning against the counter. She had smile lines along her cheeks, and wrinkle that appeared every time her wide smile appeared. She was confident in her skin, and it showed. Aging in elegance, I envied her and hope I had similar luck.
"What's up?" I asked, cocking a brow and smiling. She laughed softly and shook her head, looking back at the bags.
"Oh, nothing. You, though, have to go explore while it's still daylight. Like I always say-"
"It's never a bad time to start an adventure." I rolled my eyes, finishing her sentence and laughing. "I'm okay with staying and helping unpack, Aunt Lucille." She pursed her lips mockingly, trying to hide the smile that was sliding across her lips.
"Well, I'm not! Go out and find yourself an adventure. In fact, a good place to start is just down the road and on your first right a few blocks. No more than a five-minute walk." She winked, grabbing a bag and carrying it upstairs. Unable to protest, I laugh and walk out the door. "Dinner will be at 7!" She called out from the top of the stairs as I closed the door.
Lucille and Fran, my foster mother, were so much alike in so many ways. The only difference was that Fran was so much more content with a normal life, but Lucille jumped at the chance of anything strange or unique happening. I was the same way, discontent with living a boring life. Another reason I took this opportunity, Lucille told me about all the weird things that happened to her and her friends as kids. I hung onto every word she says, even now, though I'm sure she was just fibbing to entertain a thirteen-year-old.
I couldn't get over this unique surrounding. The sound of the birds, the dirt trail, the tall tree that could protect me from the hot summer sun. I had stripped off my sweater back at the house, in a white tank top that was tucked into black shorts that were speckled with small, colorful flowers. I brushed my hair behind my ear, the color akin to espresso beans. Freckles plastered along my skin showed my Irish heritage since my hair failed to do so. I wasn't much to look at, but I wouldn't consider myself atrocious. Either way, that didn't matter here. There wasn't anyone with pretentious thoughts to accuse me of being weird or uncool because I chose to be who I was. Still, I'd be lying if I said the comments didn't hurt at all.
My thoughts were cut off by a rustling in the leaves beside me, catching my curiosity. I didn't often see wildlife, but I assumed it was nothing more than a squirrel. Still, my steps slowed as I looked to the right, eyeing the leaves as I leaned in. The rustle stopped as I did so, but for a brief second, I could've sworn that the was a faint yellow light within the bush. I took a slow step forward before-
"Aww… Dipper are you serious?!" I heard a girl's voice call out, followed by a boy's laughter. "And my favorite sweater too!" My eyes peeled away from the bush to look down the path and see my supposed destination just around the trees. I looked back to the bush, but any suspicious light that may or may not have been there had disappeared. I shook my head of the ridiculous thought and continued down the path to the...the…
"Mystery Hack?" I asked myself as the wooden house came into view. A scoff ripped out of me, deciphering it as "mystery shack", but finding "hack" much funnier. I walk up to the building as see the owners of the voices I heard. They looked exactly alike, but appearance gave away their differences. They must've been at least been my age, at least, they appeared to be. The female twin has mud splattered on her audacious pink sweater, adding brown to the yellow star with a rainbow flying out of it. The other twin was laughing, mud on his own face until he saw my presence, immediately stopping his fit. His eyes widened as he scanned me, a range of emotions crossing his face. The sister also looked over, sharing a similar expression. It happened in a matter of seconds before the girl smiled a wide, toothy grin.
"I can't believe it! I never-" she was cut off by an elbow in her gut, and the boy looking over at her briefly. I was taken off guard but laughed nonetheless. They were weird but, they seemed like fun.
"Hey, I'm Megan, I just moved here. My aunt told me to check this place out?" The expression on the girl's face shifted briefly before returning to the toothy grin, nodding.
"Yeah, totally! I'm Mabel and this is my brother, Dipper." She smiled, and the boy beside her offered a similar expression.
"Welcome to the Mystery Shack." He said.
There you have it! The beginnings of a story! Please favorite a leave a review, I love hearing what you think!
