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AVAVA
( Authors Note )
AVAVA
This isn't a test fix anymore. And the cover art it from a DeviantART Artist: K1RAR1N
AVAVA
(Mabel's PoV)
VAVAV
Repeated gunshots rang in her ears, as she cowered behind her brother. Normally she'd feel safe behind her brother, if he wasn't the one firing the weapon. Actually it wasn't Dipper firing the gun that was what she was afraid of... no it was what he was firing at. Former friends, even former family... Something had happened over night while they slept in their beds in the attic of the Mystery Shack. Something that you'd only ever expect to see in the movies... or read in books... an infection broke out. People had become... Undead... zombies... reanimated corpses... infected... it didn't matter what you called them. They came to the call of anything. That was the problem... no matter the sound, they came... and came hungry.
She always disliked that their Great Uncle, former Great Uncle, Stan had kept guns and ammo in the house. Not even under lock and key. However, given the situation her and Dipper were currently in, she was relieved that he hadn't listened to her and locked them away. In fact, if he had, she was sure that she and Dipper would have ended up just like everyone else they've met so far. Former friends... or friendly faces they knew... were no longer friendly... no longer friends. Some of these people she'd known for years, visiting Gravity Falls for the summers.
Her and Dipper were now sixteen, meaning some of these people, they'd known for four years. One of the guns was put into her hands, as more shots fired... Mabel couldn't do these people harm... no, Dipper understood that about her. However, he did expect her to help reload the weapons for him.
I can do that, she thought as she pulled an empty magazine out of the hand gun and put another into it, then pressing the reloaded weapon into Dipper's free hand. Then she put bullet after bullet into the empty magazine for the next reload. It had taken her a couple times to get the motions down... the first couple of times it had almost ended badly for them, but they barely made it. All of this just leaving The Mystery Shack... they were only on Main St. When the firing finally stopped. When Mabel reloaded the guns once more, the firing didn't start again when she handed the weapon back to her brother.
"Lets go Mabel... try not to look back." Dipper said in a monotonic voice. It couldn't be easy for Dipper, she'd left him the only line of defense, because she couldn't use one of those things... neither could he before this morning... it's amazing how well you learn when it's 'learn or die'.
"O-Okay." She didn't look back, she couldn't look back... she didn't want to know if any of her friends were behind her. As they continued walking she thought about how the morning started.
AVAVA
(This Morning, Mabel's PoV)
VAVAV
Mabel woke up like she normally did. Full of energy. She wasn't sure where it came from, but was glad it was there. Dipper sleeping peacefully in his bed across the room. Like most mornings she decided, she'd take a shower before she woke Dipper up... that way there was no argument who was going to get the bathroom first. It was cheating... but as they say, 'You snooze, you lose.'
On her way to the bathroom across the hall, she heard what sounded like groaning and grumbling downstairs. Not unusual, she thought to herself, knowing that Gruncle Stan didn't always wake up in the best of moods. She shrugged it off going into the bathroom. She took her shower, dressed. Then went to wake up her brother, always one of the highlights of her mornings.
"Dippy! Time to get up Sleepy head!" Mabel yelled, causing her brother to sit up looking around in shock a moment, before focusing on her.
"Mabel! How many times have I told you not to wake me up like that?" Dipper rubbed his eyes and swung his feet off the bed, and onto the floor.
"A thousand and forty-eight times." She answered, even though she wasn't sure if that was the correct number. Then heard slow foot steps up the stairs... it was strange, because no one came up here for anything. The third floor was for her and Dipper, even had the bathroom installed up there a couple summers ago... Maybe Stan needed help or something. "I think Stan's coming up Bro-Bro."
Stan came into view as he walked... no shambled into the room. He looked sick enough he shouldn't have even gotten out of bed. It looked like there was blood on his hands and face. He looked at Dipper, then at her. He growled... -growled?- then started towards her. At first she thought it was some kind of joke, until he started trying to bite her... like really bite her.
"Dipper! He's... trying to... bite... me... Help." The last word came out as a whimper, because she couldn't keep him from biting her much longer, and she started sobbing. She knew this was going to hurt.
A thud... she couldn't tell what happened, only that Dipper had her arm, and was pulling her down the stairs. The first thing they noticed was body parts... but she couldn't tell who they belonged to, wasn't sure she even wanted to know who they belonged to. Dipper went into Stan's office, closing the door behind him. He took the two handguns off the desk, dug through the drawers, closet, and other places.
When he finished, he ended up with three handguns, one rifle... that she was sure neither of them could shoot, a couple machetes for when they did forest tours, five boxes of ammo. And other things she wasn't paying attention to... because her Gruncle Stan just tried to eat her... Dipper handed her a duffel bag, and put everything in it, except the rifle he slung over his shoulder, and he held one of the handguns. Dipper opened the door, and motioned for her to follow... and she did, until she saw Stan come around the corner.
"Stan... Stop... don't make me do this." Dipper pleaded. But Mabel was able to see it now, her and Dipper had seen enough horror movies to know that... that wasn't Stan anymore. A shot fired... and again... and again. The last one hit it's mark and Stan fell. Dipper grabbed the keys to Stan's car, and pulled her into the kitchen. "Come on... Help me pack some of this."
She noticed the other duffel bag that he now had, and was packing canned food and meats into it... Stan had always prepared for some apocalypse, guess he didn't expect to end up on the other side of it. So they filled both duffel bags, one with canned foods, and utensils. And the other, flashlights, candles, matches... anything that could be useful. Then together, They went out to the shed, and found the camping gear... and loaded it into Stan's car. Once in he tried starting it... nothing...
"Damn it!" he slammed his hands on the wheel of the car, causing the horn to go off. They both got out. "Okay... okay... We'll go into town... and take a truck from that used car lot... yeah... then come back here get the stuff... and then stock up at the stores in town before we get out of here."
She didn't need to ask where they were going... she wasn't sure. But Dipper, he was a conspiracy nut... so she had to trust him... this was where he excelled, in the strange and weird. The horn... seemed to have summoned others like Stan... and the gunshots started...
AVAVA
(Present, Mabel's PoV)
VAVAV
She and Dipper headed down Main St, and now they were not far from the used car lot. A couple of times Dipper had mentioned he'd rather not take one of these cars... as the lot was owned by Gideon Gleeful's father, possibly as much of a con-artist as their Gruncle Stan... was. He didn't really trust that they'd last long... but having no other choice, the continued on their way.
They made it to the corner of Main St, and looked down the empty road ahead. Gravity Falls always had little to no traffic, and was always empty at this time of morning. But Mabel couldn't help but look out and just be reminded more of what was happening. The Log shaped restaurant, Greasy's Diner came into view. There was movement in the windows... neither her nor Dipper looked long enough to find out, if they were people hiding, or if it was these... infected people. They could see the used car lot up ahead and made a run for it. Dipper went straight for the door of the building, and found it locked.
"What now Dip?" Mabel asked looking at the door, as Dipper used the handle of the gun to smash the glass door. "What the heck Dip!"
"Not like it matters anymore Mabes." He said stepping through the broken glass door. Mabel followed him, her arm caught a piece of the glass, cutting it slightly.
"Oww." She pulled up the sleeve of her shirt, it wasn't that big of a cut... but it hurt.
"We'll fix it up when we find the keys and get back to the shack..." Dipper's voice came from the other side of the room. It wasn't that he didn't care that she got cut... she knew that. Dipper was in 'flight or fight' mode, and was intent on fleeing as fast as the could. "Found them!"
With the keys in hand they made their way out of the building, carefully this time. Mabel shrieked in fright as shots from Dippers gun sounded in the air. Breaking the glass must have attracted them. Mabel picked up the keys, and pushed the buttons on it... One of the SUV's lights blinked on and off. And that was where she ran too, Dipper followed suit.
Once inside, they closed and locked the doors of the SUV, and Mabel started the engine. It wasn't either of their plans for her to drive. But at the moment they didn't have much choice, she thought as she put the duffel bag she carried in Dippers lap for him to reload, or take another hand gun. They'd started out with five boxes of ammo... but Dipper wasn't that good of an aim and five boxes had quickly turned to three.
"Drive Mabel!" Dipper shouted... easier said than done, she thought as she put the vehicle in gear and hit the gas peddle. Mabel had only driven a handful of times... in a smaller car, and not very well. She tried to make it out of the gate, resulting in the loss of the passenger mirror. "It's okay... it's okay, to the shack Mabel... you can do it... just a bit slower."
"O-Okay." Knowing Dipper believed she could do it, made her feel a bit better, she thought as she continued towards the Shack and was there in no time. She pulled up next to Stan's car that held all their supplies. Not thinking about the bodies that she had to drive over to get there. It looked clear... She went to open the door, when Dipper stopped her, and put one of the handguns in her hand. "No... Dip I don't..."
"Mabel... just carry it. I'd feel better. I hope you don't have to use it... I just want you to have it if you need it." Then he got out his side transferring everything over to the SUV. "Now... we can go back into the Shack... and get clothing and stuff."
They had finished packing up, after Dipper and her checked every inch of the shack to make sure that nothing was hiding inside. Dipper managed to find another box and a half of ammo, and another hand gun. Only problem was, it was took a different kind of bullet. But it was loaded. Dipper said... it was ten more shots regardless.
Dipper took all the money from the cash register and the credit cards from Stan's wallet, she had argued that it wouldn't do much good. Dipper mentioned Food and Drink Machines would still work, and Gas pumps would use the cards... it would be safer than going inside a store. That made sense... she was glad she had Dipper, because he mentioned to bring her sweaters and blankets. She'd forgotten that it was near the end of Summer, and nights were starting to get cold. More food this time... When they put everything in the back of the SUV there was still so much room... How long would it even last them?
Dipper got into the driver's seat and sat there for a while. Thinking that she wished she knew what was going through his head. Dipper put it into gear, turned the vehicle around and back to the main road. Dipper turned right... but right lead back to town, and left lead out of town.
"We are going to get more gas. Stop at the grocery store and get some Gas cans just in case. Some more food, and water. Try to find out if this is a Gravity Falls thing weirdness thing, or if we can get a hold of mom and dad." Mom and Dad... she hadn't even thought about it... would they have to do to them what Dipper had to do to Stan? Could he even do that? Mabel knew, that if it meant keeping him and her safe... he'd do what he had to, and grieve later.
The grocery store was empty, she assumed that was due to everything happening before it even opened. Dipper grabbed a first aid kit cleaning her cut, and bandaging it up. Then packed what medical supplies he could find into a box with everything else. They only found two gas cans though. More canned food, and drinks. Since this store was one of the only in this small town, luckily it catered to hunters. And Dipper was able to find three more boxes of ammo for the hand guns. And taking a couple of the shotguns, all the boxes of shells they had loaded them into the SUV. Then most confusing was the chains and pad locks he took. And tossed them into the backseat.
Luckily the gas station was in the same shape... Empty. Dipper said he really didn't want to shoot a gun that close to gas pumps. Now that she thought about it, she wasn't thrilled about the idea either. He filled up the gas cans, then filled the SUV up as much as the tank would hold. After the grocery store, and gas station, the only part of the SUV that wasn't full was the first row of the back, and their seats. She used the phone inside to try to call her parents, while Dipper emptied the registers. No answer, so she tried some of her friends... the same. Then tried 911... again no answer.
"No answer Dip" she muttered. While she wasn't paying attention Dipper had microwaved some of the breakfast sandwiches, and handed her two of them.
"It'll be alright... I'm sure mom and dad are okay. Now eat... we need to eat something we didn't get breakfast." They ate in silence from inside the store, watching out the window. That was one of the better things about a small town... not too many people, so less would be infected... and there would be less people to infect. They returned to the SUV, Mabel loaded down with candy... comfort food mostly. "Okay lets get out of here."
"Okay." Mabel agreed as they got back into the SUV and they passed Dusk to Dawn, the abandoned convenient store. And started out of town. Mabel wasn't paying attention, she was trying to focus on eating the Gummy Koalas. When Dipper slammed on breaks, she about choked on one. "What the..."
The tunnel through the mountain, the only way out of Gravity Falls, by road was blocked. Seemed they were not the only ones to try to leave town... a few cars seemed to have crashed into the opening on the tunnel. Dipper cursed again and just sat there. What would happen now, they were blocked off from... from what? If the rest of the world was like this... then...
"What now?" Dipper muttered, then turned the car around... Mabel heard the growling before she saw it. About a hundred of 'them' were coming towards the SUV... Dipper drive back into town. "Where's the safest place... where's the.. safest... Dusk to Dawn!"
"Why there?"
"It's fenced in! High Fences. We just drive through the gates, then lock it up behind us." Dipper said turning into the fenced in convenient store. Not far from the gate... he grabbed the chains and the locks and chained the fence closed, locking the chains together. She walked with him around the fence, to make sure that there wasn't another way in... satisfied he looked at her. "There... we'll be safe here... until we figure out where to go from here."
Dipper moved the SUV, so the back of it was located right in front of the gate. Then she helped him up onto the roof, and waited for him to come and open the door, like he had done all those years ago. When the lights came on, she sighed in relief... and went to get things out of the SUV they'd need for the next couple days... or how ever long it took to figure out a plan. Then she heard a gunshot, and then a scream.
"Dipper damn it... It's me!" A female voice yelled. One Mabel recognized, though she hadn't heard it for a couple of years. She was right as Dipper walked out of the store, the familiar redhead walking behind him.
"Wendy! When did you get in town?" Mabel hugged the older teen, just happy someone else was alive.
"Unlucky for me, I got here two days ago... When everything went nutzo, I went to leave last night... but I couldn't get past those cars... so I ran for the only place I could think of that no one would go to." She looked at Dipper, "And it worked great too, until someone tried to blow my head off."
"You shouldn't have jumped out at me." he muttered, his cheeks turning red. He must have still had a crush on her... or seeing her again might have revived old memories.
"You shouldn't have jumped from the ceiling." she playfully pushed Dipper. "Speaking of shooting. You wouldn't happen to have an extra gun, would you... just in case."
Dipper grabbed the duffel bag of weapons, and canned food, while she and Wendy grabbed the camping gear, blankets and clothes. They used the sleeping bags, and blankets to make 'beds'. While Dipper used the counter, to catalog the weapons. Her and Wendy stood there watching him. As he handed Wendy a handgun.
"We have about... six and a half boxes of 9mm ammo. That's about 325 rounds for the handguns... except this one." He put the other one down on the counter. "That one has ten shots." He placed the shotguns and rifle on the counter, along with ten boxes of Shotgun shells. "Twenty-Five to a box, so... 250 shotgun shells... and the rifle takes 9mm bullets."
"So what does that handgun take?" Mabel pointed to the one with ten shots.
".357 Bullets. I couldn't find any of the bullets for it anywhere, but it's still ten more shots." Dipper muttered then went on to placing the machetes on the table. "And these... that I don't know will help... normally they don't come alone... so it's like a last resort."
Dipper locked up the SUV, then used another chain and padlock to lock the front doors closed. She figured it might be a just in case thing, so she didn't ask. And the day slipped by gradually, Dipper had reloaded/loaded all the weapons, then turning on the safeties, then showed her how to turn the safety on and off. Wendy already knew... maybe because her dad hunted. She hoped that Wendy was a better shot than Dipper... or else they'd lose ammo twice as fast.
When night came Wendy suggested they turn off the outside lights, and Dipper just said he'd rather see them coming. Wendy and Mabel both agreed they would rather see them, than them getting to the glass doors unnoticed, because by then, it might be to late. Dipper would stay awake while they slept, and he'd wake her when he got too tired, then she was supposed to wake Wendy. Mabel laid on the makeshift bed, and it felt like it took forever to fall asleep but sleep finally came.
AVAVA
(Dipper's PoV)
VAVAV
Dipper watched Mabel, and his former crush Wendy fall asleep. He made himself another sandwich from the canned meat, and grabbed one of the bags of chips Mabel had grabbed at the grocery store, then he moved one of the coolers to where he could see out the door and sat there watching the night. His weapon sitting next to him. Oh he wouldn't shoot through the door, that would provide a little more protection if something managed to make it over the fence, but he felt better just having it within arms reach.
The time came and went for him to wake up Mabel. He looked over at his sister. He couldn't wake her up, she wouldn't be able to stand watch. Mabel just didn't have it in her right now to use a gun... she was having issues still seeing these things as people. He couldn't blame her, he still saw them as the people he knew... but he didn't have a choice. He did what was needed to be done to protect Mabel and himself. He'd killed Stan... he didn't even know if there was some kind of cure. He wouldn't cry... he did what he had to do.
When morning came, of course Mabel and Wendy were upset that he didn't wake either of them. He told them that he wanted to let them rest longer, that they both needed rest. Of course Mabel rebounded with the fact that he had done most of the work yesterday. It was true enough... but still, he didn't want to wake them, they had looked too peaceful.
"At least get some sleep now, please Dippy?" Mabel pleaded, he had planned on getting rest anyways, though later. However the thought of sleeping was very alluring to him.
"Alright... but only for a while." He said as he laid down on the blankets that Mabel had slept on. He considered taking the SUV to one of the stores to grab mattresses if they planned to be here a while, because the blankets barely cushioned the hard floor. Despite the sun being out, and the hard floor he could feel beneath him, sleep didn't take long to claim him. Yesterday's tolls had caught up with him a long time ago, and he was no longer fighting back.
AVAVA
When he awoke he looked over to the clock on the wall, it wasn't even noon yet. He felt as if he'd slept hours and hours, but he'd only been asleep for about four hours. Didn't matter, he felt refreshed. He yawned sitting up, Mabel and Wendy were eating and talking about something. He heard static, like a radio between stations. He stood up and walked over.
"You awake already?" Wendy looked up at him.
"Yeah... So what whats up?" He yawned again, while making himself something to eat... whatever it was in a can that they had opened. It smelt good, so he couldn't really complain. With the freezers here, and the coolers, maybe they could transport some meats... it would all go bad eventually, freezing it might help them save whatever canned food they had until they really needed it.
"Aside from most of the planet going insane? Nothing much." Wendy explained that they got the radio working for a while, listening to a report that was being made about this infection being a nation wide pandemic, for several countries. But the message of the person had stopped and hadn't continued yet. That explained the static.
"And... we were talking about going out to get Wendy some clothes. None of mine will fit her." Dipper looked at Wendy, while he and Mabel had grown, they were still short by normal standards, so it was no wonder, Mabel's clothing wouldn't fit... also they could get mattresses... but not with the SUV. Maybe they could take a truck from the car lot... It would help bring some more things back here if they planned to be here longer... And the way things were going... this looked like the safest place in Gravity Falls.
"Okay, but we'll need a truck... we can go back to the used car lot," That decided, all three of them worked together to get everything out of the SUV, to better carry more stuff back, and taking their weapons with them. Before leaving Dipper padlocked the gates, closing off the store. Now they would be sure that none of the infected would be inside. It was easier to get a truck, they didn't have to break any windows.
It didn't take Wendy long to gather what she wanted/needed, they picked up some mattresses from the Mystery Shack... it was the only place with them, that they were almost 100% sure was safe. Then they once again went into the grocery store, then gas station, to top off the SUV and completely fill the truck. But it wasn't long before the familiar sounds of the infected caught their attention. Rather than fight, they got into the vehicles and made their way back to their 'base'. A few infected followed and were pushing against the fence... maybe looking for a way in. Dipper decided not to wasted ammo on something that couldn't get them.
It all seemed calm as they unloaded everything they'd gathered into their 'base'. Dipper was still tired, and still felt guilty about what he'd done... and the fact that Mabel couldn't reach their parents on Wendy's cell was starting to eat at him. Food would only last so long before it ran out... and with no companies working... there wouldn't be more made. And while this place was safe... they couldn't grow any food here, or raise any animals.
"You alright Dipper?" Wendy asked, and it was really the first time she said something to just him, since he'd tried to shoot her. It was a good thing he wasn't a good shot... he'd already killed enough... it would have been worse if he'd killed someone that wasn't infected.
"I killed Stan." his voice cracked a bit... he couldn't break down now. Not when his sister still needed him. Not when their survival depended on him, because Mabel couldn't shoot anything. "And a lot of others... I almost shot you."
"Pfft, you were way off." She smiled a bit, but it barely cracked his depression that was setting in. "And you didn't have a choice... Mabel told me about Stan... Dipper you saved her. Most people would have ran when they saw that. You stayed for your sister. She's lucky to have you. From now on, we are going to have to do things we might not like. Right and wrong... legally are not right and wrong anymore. It's survive or die. Dipper. Survive or die."
Survive or die. Those words would stay with him forever. Because that was what needed to be done, they would survive or die. This place would only stand as a base until he found somewhere else for them to go. Somewhere with land they could farm... and protected. He just wished he could think of a place near here. But that would have to wait for another day.
