Uncle lou lived in a weird town called gravity falls somewhere in Canada. My parents decided to ship me off for a few months to live with him. They said it was because he was an artist and he would teach me, but I knew it was just their way of getting rid of me.
I was more upset than excited, but my parents bought me a digital camera to take photos while there.
I had to take a bus to get there, and it was a long ride. I fell asleep on a old ladies shoulder who I later discovered was asleep the whole time with her eyes open... Creepy.
Gravity falls was very small and basically in the middle of nowhere. Didn't help that uncle louis lived in a beached boat. The boat was very mossy at the bottom and there was cracks here and there but It also looked very expensive. It was maybe even four floors up. I didn't ask uncle Lou about it though when I got there because he honestly looked like the type of man who would steal.
Uncle Lou was tall and lean with high cheekbones and dark curly hair. He was like my favorite actor Benedict cumberpatch but less ovary explosion inducing . He looked like a stereotypical villain, really. He was pale and stayed in the dark all the time.
"(y/n), come in" I had been starring at him without realizing. His ugly thin fingers gently reached behind my head and led me in like a child. His voice was velvet like my idol's. It was hypnotic. He wore a black trench coat and work suit pants. Uncle louis had a son too, but I never heard much about him. Actually, it was the first time I had ever met him- or seen him.
The interior was decorated in furs and leather. It looked like a millionaires home. Benji, uncle Lou's son, was leaning against the kitchen counter. The boat's kitchen was very small but I guess it was perfect if only two people lived there. Benji was tall too, with thick long curly hair that was pulled into a ponytail. He was handsome but scary, but I'd never admit it.
I smiled at both of them. "thank you for taking care of me for the next month" I said politely, taking glances at both of them. Lou made a crooked goosebumps inducing smile.
"pleasure to have you, (y/n)." Uncle lou said in return, and suddenly became stiff and his expression became businesslike. My dad warned me about uncle Lou and his bipolar problem. Apparently uncle Lou would be graceful and happy one moment and savage or cold the next. I guess he was cold.
"it's six, father" Ben murmured, keeping his eyes on me. I held my breath as uncle Lou came very close to me and leaned his face so close that I could feel his breath on my nose. It smelt oddly like iron. Or maybe uncle Lou worked on engines behind the house?
"yes" he straightened himself and somehow had my bags in his hands. I guess I was distracted? He tossed my bags to the ground and I was just relieved that My camera was in my small traveling bag. He reached into a breast pocket in his coat and produced a twenty dollar bill which he held between two very slender fingers. "I must apologies, (y/n). You see, Benjamin and I eat a special sort of diet that is sort of... Raw." his crooked smile returned. I felt his cold fingers touch mine as he slid the twenty into my hand. "you're going to have to eat elsewhere" and with that Uncle Louis spun on heels- his coat tail hitting my stomach, and rushed out.
"eat where?!" I shouted after him, but stayed put. I looked to Benji who shrugged me off and followed his father. I ran my fingers through my hair in annoyance before opening the door an slamming it as I left.
Uncle Lou's place was in the middle of nowhere itself anyways! The forest was all around me and I was forced to follow a small path. Thankfully, ten minutes into walking I did find somewhere. A building. A rather big man with a question mark painted on his shirt was attempting to nail clothes to a pole for some odd reason.
I pulled out my camera and took a photo of the sign above the store. "The mystery shack" I read it out flatly, making my way towards the question mark man.
"excuse me?" I said, stopping a meter away, as I wasn't too fond of standing close to strangers. The big man turned and smiled with his teeth. The man sort of reminded me of a mouse or something.
"Yo" he said, pointing a finger at me. "how can I help you" I found his voice to sound funny, but I wasn't one to judge.
"do you know where a diner is close by?" I asked, sliding my camera into my bag. "like- walking distance?" I added.
"no way, are you new?" the man said. I noticed that his expression never changed- his voice sounded surprised but his face was still contently happy.
"visiting my uncle" I nodded, slightly annoyed that he was taking this long to answer my question.
"oh" he sort of just starred at me. For a good five minutes actually, I was quite scared to speak. I mean, he was like three times my size.
"so?"
"so what?" he still smiled. I rolled my eyes and decided I'd go in the building and ask someone else. As I entered, I noticed some really weird things. I saw a money skeleton glued to a fish's tail- and the glue was very visible- and also a gorilla suit with under where on it.
A counter was beside the door and nobody but a boy around my age sat behind it. He was reading some book with a golden hand on the cover with a three written on it.
I waited a while before I slammed my hand on the counter. The boy jumped and threw the book to his feet like he was trying to hide the fact that he was reading it. Maybe it was porn or something. He starred at me stunned.
"Is there anyone sane in the building I could talk to?" I spoke to him like I was speaking to a four year old, obviously joking but he didn't even get angry or respond. His face was a little red tho, maybe it was porn.
"nope" a voice chimed.
"gyaaah!" I jumped to the side. A girl around my age was sitting on the floor with a pig. I questioned how I missed her.
"I'm Mabel!" the girl said, pointing at her sweater which in fact had her name stitched on it. I made a peace sign with my fingers, as that had become a habit of mine to say hello that way.
"can you help me, Mabel?" I asked, kneeling on the floor Infront of her. She smiled wide and her smile was filled with braces. She was very pretty though, if you'd like the innocent type. Me on the other hand, I was dressed in torn skinny jeans and a torn black dress overtop with a spider skeleton print on it.
"Sure! And excuse my brother" she stood up and let her pig run off. "he is shy with cool girls". I blushed, as most didn't refer to me as cool.
"I'm (y/n). Can you show me where the diner is... Any diner- hopefully close by" I added, brushing my hand against my bag's hem.
"Dippingsauce!" she shouted at the boy, leaning over the counter and slapping the back of his head. The boy fell off the chair and ran around and in front of the counter, snapping into it.
"how can I help you, I'm mystery shack, welcome to dipper- err I'm dipper and ... Yeah..." he spoke so fast but I still laughed and stuck out my hand.
"I'm (y/n). Can you two help me or not" I replied. The boy named dipper wiped his hand on his vest before shaking my hand firmly, but I could still feel the sweat.
"yeah-sure-yeah" dipper said quickly. He nodded his head quickly. I crossed my arms.
"I'm starving and I'm supposed to go to a diner- I'll buy you two something if you can take me there" I pulled out a twenty, waving it in one hand.
The two took me to a diner maybe five minutes away. They borrowed the store's golf Cart. Mabel and dipper had explained their situation to me without me even asking. They told me about their uncle stan, soos, and a bit about gravity falls. I also found out they were twins and were also 17. The diner was pretty much empty of customers except for a ginger girl sitting across from a goth looking boy, and an old man at the other end of the small building. A lady with only one eye open was baking something in the back, the smell of apple pie filled the diner. Mabel took my elbow in her hand and led me up to the counter.
"three apple pies!" Mabel had somehow pulled the twenty from my fingers.
"well hello kids!" the lady's funny voice chimed, bringing the fresh pie to the counter. She squatted at the flies that landed on it as it hit the counter. "what's happening with your uncle?" she politely said, slicing the pie. It smelt delicious and looked it too.
"still running the shop" dipper replied, reaching for two plates. The waitress handed Mabel the change of five dollars and slid it in my pocket.
"ah, well I'll be sure to stop by some time" she smiled widely at dipper. I couldn't help but stare at her closed eye. She wasn't too skilled in makeup either, and I wear pretty heavy eyeliner.
We headed for the booth behind the ginger girl and goth guy. I noticed dipper stiffen and his hands shake as we got closer- so I took the plates from him, trying to produce an understanding smile that he returned with a thank you smile.
"Dipper! Mabel! Who's that?" the orange haired girl chimed, as she grabbed dipper's hand and pulled him beside her in the booth. I looked over at Mabel but she was just smiling widely as usual. The orange haired girl looked like a lumberjack and was very pretty though. A natural pretty too.
"uh- that-that-that is (y/n) " dipper stuttered, gesturing at me. The goth boy glared at me before his expression softened moments later. He wasn't too attractive. Tall, slim, black hoodie, and greasy black hair. I wondered why such a pretty girl would hang out with him, but than again this was Canada. In Canada, people with completely different personalities can become friends.
"hey (y/n), sit down" she waved her hand down in a weird way and leaned back. She reminded me of the druggies at my old school, she talked like one anyways. Very "go with the flow" type.
I sat next to the goth boy, as Mabel stole the seat beside dipper and the ginger.
"I'm Wendy" she introduced herself, nodding at me the way a druggy would... Yeah.. I think she might be on something. Than again, it seemed like everyone here was on something.
"(y/n)" you said again, just because you didn't know what to say.
"what brings you to gravity falls" the gothic boy muttered. His voice was deep and rough and I could smell his rancid breath despite sitting at the edge of the booth's seat as far from him as I could but still being polite.
"my uncle is an artist, and he's supposed to be teaching me this summer." I replied casually and simply. I used to have a habit of telling people my life story when I was younger, but grew out of it when I got older.
" wow! Didn't know gravity falls had one of those!" Mabel chimed, pie spilling from her lips. "where's he live?"
"on a beach, I don't think there is a street name. He lives in a beached boat?" I suggested, trying to see if they understood where I was talking about.
"geez, that place? Your uncle is one scary dude!"wendy said, laughing. Mabel and dipper seemed to exchange looks at one another.
"scary?" I asked, looking at dipper.
"a lot of people go missing when they walk in the woods near your uncles house" Dipper explained.
"yeah!" Wendy started laughing. "I remember this one time-"
"isn't that Ben?" The goth boy muttered, pointing at the window he sat next to. He was right. Just outside the window waiting at the edge of the forest was Ben dressed in black jeans and a silk black button up with a long black trench coat Like his dad. He was glaring straight at me and I felt my back sink into the chair, scared. Scared? Was I scared of my cousin?
"I guess I should go" I said, slowly pulling myself up from the booth. I guess my voice must have given off a frightening vibe because suddenly Dipper was sliding out of the booth too- his sister than taking his seat.
"where you goin dipper?" Mabel tilted her head to the side. Wendy had continued with her story, telling it to the gothic boy who also wasn't paying attention, but rather starred out the window.
"meet you back at the house, Mabel" Dipper replied, pulling on his blue baseball hat.
"Kay" she shoveled my pie into her mouth. I realized that I never got to eat even a bite. I didn't eat much usually anyways. After a year of high school I realized that being thin was ideal and stopped eating big meals.
Dipper walked me out of the diner, and off the porch. Ben kept his glare on my at first but it changed to dipper after seconds.
"umm, thanks for helping me today, dipper" I said again, looking at the ground. I felt his pointing finger lift my chin and he playfully punched my shoulder with a nervous laugh as if we had been friend's for a while now.
"you should come by the mystery shack tomorrow too, (y/n)." he said this with an honest expression, which lifted my spirits quite high.
"thanks" I smiled at him before leaving with my cousin. As I was leaving, I glanced back at the window and the goth boy had his hand against the window pane and looked at me wide eyed like he himself was scared. Like he knew something.