A Shell of his Former Self

Chapter 1

It was late and Wendy's shift was about over. She'd have to close up soon. She was really hoping that the rumor was true. She thought she heard Stan talking on the phone to Mabel. He said something about willing to help out and staying as long as they wanted. When Stan said they, she hoped he meant Mabel and Dipper. It has been so long since she has seen the adorable twins. About three years. And now that it was the beginning of summer, she had hoped that the twins would be coming back today.

But she guessed that she heard wrong. Maybe they were chatting about something else.

All of the sudden, the door to the mystery shack slammed open with a loud bang, making Wendy squeal in fear. After taking a few deep breathes, she noticed that it was just some poorly dressed smock that scared the living hell out of her. She didn't like to show her scared side, she was always one to put up a tough front. But it was so unexpected, anyone would have screamed.

Wendy watched the teenage husky figure enter the mystery shack and look around. From what she could tell, he was taller than her and looked well built from how large his shoulders were. The figure was wearing a large sweatshirt and some baggy torn jeans. Whoever this was, they obviously were not a normal customer and not someone she recognized. But what worried her was she couldn't see their face. It was covered and kept out of the light from the dirty sweatshirt hoodie that they were wearing.

The teenage figure put their hands in their jean pockets and started to move towards the house part of the mystery shack out of the gift shop.

"Hey that area is off limits! It's for family and friends only!" Wendy said

The figure didn't stop walking.

"Hey are you listening to me. You can't go back there!" Wendy said now shouting.

The figure stopped and looked back.

"AHH! Would you shut up already! You're so annoying…"

She thought she recognized the voice but it was dark and groggy. As if all the emotion was taken out of it. As if they didn't care if their words were listened to.

"Excuse me! Who do you think you-" Wendy started to shout angrily, but when she took a better look, she saw the figures face as he turned around into the light. The shock kept her from saying anything else as she just stared at the familiar face.

It was Dipper… well not the Dipper she knew. This Dipper hit a growth spurt. But that wasn't all that was different. As he looked at her, his eyes seemed lifeless. The dipper she knew had eyes of dreams and aspirations. Full of love and emotion. But the look in this Dippers eyes, she might as well had just been looking into the dark void of the bottomless pit.

"D…D-Dipper is that you?" she finally spoke, confused at his sudden personality change.

"Ya… It's been a while redhead." He said in a disgusted tone.

"Hey! Is this how you're going to treat an old friend? Scare the shit out of her and try to leave without saying anything! And what's with calling me redhead? Call me Wendy like you used to. You're acting like a complete asshole!"

"Friend?" Dipper paused for a moment as if he was trying to remember the definition of the word. Then he gave Wendy chills when he out of nowhere started chuckling to himself. It made him look a little crazy.

"Hey Wendy was going on? Dipper! It's good to see you again pterodactyl bro! How have you been?" Soos interrupted as he entered from the back of the shop.

Dipper then gave a disgusted look to Soos's warm inviting tone.

"Well if you must know, it's been hell! But I didn't come here to get chummy. If it was up to me, I would have never set foot in this dump again." Dipper said as he turned away from the two old friends. Everything he said sounded dark as if he wasn't even standing in front of us. His thoughts seemed to be elsewhere. He didn't care for the sudden reunion. It looked like he just wanted to get away from them.

"Bro? Last time you left you said you loved this place. That you made so many happy memories. What happened?" Soos said concerned but also confused by the sudden personality change.

"A lot of things. A lot of horrifying things that your dimwit mind couldn't ever imagine!" Dipper spat

Soos was hurt by the comment. He didn't like how the new Dipper was treating him and neither did Wendy. Soos's was the nicest, soft hearted, and nurturing guy Wendy knew. He would never say anything bad about anybody. And yet Dipper was trampling all over him as if he didn't even care.

"Hey dude! I don't know what happened to you the past three years, but it doesn't give you the right to come and act like this. I thought you would have grown up." Wendy shouted

"I did Gwendolen. I did grow up." Wendy flinched at the mention of her full first name.

"I realized everything in my life is a lie and I'm better off without attachments to this world. But I'm surprised that you haven't grown up. You haven't changed since the day I left. Still wearing those dirty boots, flannel clothing, and stupid trapper cap. And still working at this dump to boot! I expected this from Soos but I didn't expect this from you. I thought you were smarter than that!" Dipper said with no emotion whatsoever. He didn't even pay attention to how much his words hurt her.

"Dipper what happened to you? Where's the fun, kind, adventurous detective I know so well." Wendy asked hurt.

"Know? You think you knew me back then? I never got the chance to show you who I truly was! Everything back then was just a facade to fit in with your friends. I wanted you to know the real me, but you flat out turned me down. So I moved on. But in doing so, the dipper you think you knew so well had disappeared. He's gone, forever! He's never coming back. So I guess you're going to have to either get used to me or get out!"

Wendy took a step back. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. This wasn't the Dipper she knew. This wasn't her Dipper.

Suddenly another figure slammed through the door, "Dipper! I thought I told you to wait for me."

Wendy turned around to see an exhausted Mabel. She looked horrible. What happened to that energetic Mabel that was full of life? She was no longer wearing her homemade sweaters or cute outfits. Just jeans and a plain tshirt.

"Grunkle Stan was taking too long to pick us up at the bus stop. Besides it's your fault for bringing so much crap."

"What I brought was for the both of us! You didn't want to bring anything!" Mabel argued

"I still can't believe you brought me here." Dipper complained

"Dipper it's for your own good!" Mabel yelled

Dipper then walked up close to her and looked at her with his lifeless eyes.

"I thought I told you no matter what you try to do, that Dipper you love is gone." Dipper whispered annoyed.

"I'm not going to give up! I know you're still my Dipper!"

"Fine. Go ahead and torture yourself then. But know the sooner you abandon me like they did, the better off you'll be! … I'm heading to bed."

"Will you at least take our stuff up while I talk to Wendy and Soos?" Mabel asked innocently.

Dipper motioned towards Mabel standing inches from her, but Mable looked up at her taller brother and didn't back down. Wendy had thought with how it looked, Dipper might actually hurt his own sister from asking him to do such a thing. But his lifeless eyes wavered revealing a sparkle that the two old friends hadn't seen since the reunion. But the twinkle in his eyes quickly grew dark and lifeless again in mere moments. After pausing, his hand went down to her bag and he threw it over his shoulder, then headed for the stairs and carried it up to their attic room.

As soon as he was gone, Mabel fell to the floor and tears filled her eyes. Wendy and Soos quickly went and knelled down trying to comfort her.

"Mabel what's going on? What happened to the both of you?" Wendy whispered concerned

"Wendy! I don't know what else to do. Gravity falls is my last hope!"