The temperature in the classroom had become unbearable, especially to the boy who insisted on wearing his jacket, because it was essential to his aesthetic. The heat was just another reminder that summer had come, and there was only one week left until school was out. All of the kids were excited for break (especially the alien in the classroom who detested the school). Of course they were. They all had plans to look forward to.
It was Dib's turn this year to pick a location for his family's annual vacation. He always enjoyed spending time with his dad, even if the man thought his plans for his future were nonsense. Dib and Gaz hardly ever saw their father because of his work. But, how could Dib ever think to go on a vacation when there was an alien trying to destroy all of humanity? If he were to go to, perhaps, Hawaii then who would be the one to stop Zim's plans? Plus, he had no idea where he wanted to go. Everything that interested him was right in his town. What could ever compare?
At last, the school bell rung and the children quickly got to their feet. Dib met up with his sister and began to walk home. As usual, Gaz wasn't much for conversation. Instead, she had all of her focus on her video game. By the looks of it, she was about to beat one of the bosses.
It was fine. Dib always used these moments to think to himself. Usually, he'd spend it trying to figure out what Zim was up to. Today was a pretty uneventful day. Zim spent the day trying to behave like a "normal" human. That included asking Ms. Bitters questions about the Earth's weaknesses, trying to eat the cafeteria's inedible food (Dib wondered if Zim would actually enjoy that was edible), and insulting Dib's large head (which was NOT large). Typical Zim behavior.
He wondered if anyone would ever realize on their own that Zim was not of this world. Even his dad, who Dib believed to be one of smartest people of the world, failed to see Zim's true identity.
Dib was too deep in thought to notice a book on the ground and ungracefully tripped over it. Gaz actually looked up from her game, but it was only to laugh at her older brother. His hands stung from slamming into the concrete, and his pants were now ripped on his left knee.
"Well, isn't that just great," Dib mumbled as he got back to his feet. He dusted himself off and picked up the cause of his fall.
It was an aged burgundy book with a strange golden handprint that had a number three on it. There was no title or name, increasing Dib's curiosity. He looked around to see if anyone was nearby. Perhaps they were the owner. But the only person around was Gaz, who had her attention back to her game.
Dib skimmed through the book to get an idea of what it contained. His heart began to pound faster as he got glimpses of the words Mothman, bottomless pit, the undead, and ghosts.
"What on Earth is this?" Dib said aloud.
Gaz growled in response. She clearly had no interest in anything but her game at the moment.
"Come on, Gaz! Let's go home. Quickly! I have to read this book."
Dib could not contain his excitement. He grabbed his sister's arm (something he later regretted) and began to race home.
Light coming from the rising sun peaked through Dib's curtains, and Dib look up from the journal for the first time all night.
"It's morning," Dib said in disbelief. He finally noticed how tired he was, especially his eyes. He still had an hour before school began, but he figured he might as well start getting ready for school.
Dib looked back at the journal. He was on the very last page. Once he had begun reading the journal, he just couldn't stop. Someone had documented many strange events that have occurred in a town called Gravity Falls. But the journal had more than that. It told a tale of a man's journey of the strange and of his family. It felt too personal to read, but Dib couldn't stop. His thumb hovered over the same at the bottom of the page: Stanford Pines.
He wondered if the contents of the journal were indeed real. Could this journal have been written as a prank and left on the road? It seemed too detailed for it to be just a prank.
According to the author, this plus two other journals had been thrown into the bottomless pit. If that had happened, how on earth did this journal end up in his town? How did Dib end up finding it? Was it fate? A coincidence?
A realization dawned on him. If the people in the journal were indeed real, then they would surely believe Dib that there was an alien trying to destroy the world. They wouldn't laugh at him or tell him that he was insane. They would believe him. Someone would finally believe him!
"Dad!" Dib called out, running out of his room, "Dad! I know where we're going for our trip!"
Luckily for Dib, his father was actually home. He was in the kitchen making super toast as he normally did when he was home. At the sound of Dib's voice, Membrane looked up from the toast and turned to face him.
"Well, it's about time, son. If you had waited any longer, I would have had to cancel the family trip! Now, where do you want to go this summer?"
"I want to go to Gravity Falls, Oregon!"
As I wrote this chapter, the sun rose.
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