Before you read, take a minute to look at the amazing cover by 88Madison88. Go watch the speedpaint on her YouTube channel of the same name.
Okay, go ahead and read.
"Dipper, stop! Please, what are you doing? NO, DON'T!"
She extended her hand and tried to grab for the boy's arm. But he continued floating away, towards that demon.
"NO! PLEASE! COME BACK! FOR MABEL!" She screamed.
Pacifica woke up drenched in sweat, tears prickling her eyes.
She buried her face in her hands and started to cry. When she had finished, she wiped her blue eyes furiously.
"One year...and I'm still having nightmares!" She snapped at herself, flopping on the bed and burying herself in the covers, Dipper's and her papers flying everywhere. She spit a little as some of her brown hair went into her mouth.
She lay there.
Eventually, the former Northwest dragged herself out of the bed and onto the ground. She picked up the purple journal with the golden llama symbol and a number 1 painted carefully on it by her hand. She gently opened it to the page she had studied the day before. Eyeball bats. Not the ones from Weirdmagddeon, the smaller ones.
She scrutinized her notes. Then, she tucked the book into the yellow bag by the foot of the bed, stood up, and went to get dressed.
"Almost one year." She mused, taking off her nightgown.
"Exactly one if you count the day the twins arrived in town." She tugged her aqua dress over her head, and then proceeded to put on her socks.
"Lots has happened." She sighed and slipped on her shoes and black elbow-length sleeve jacket.
To be more specific, her parents were arrested, custody had been given to the Stans, Mabel went home, Pacifica would inherit the manor when she was 18, and she had become Ford's apprentice, despite what she said last summer. She was going to turn 14 very soon.
She ran a brush through her hair, and then swept it up in a long ponytail.
She carefully examined herself. Once she had finished this, she picked up her bag and headed downstairs to make breakfast, her heart numb. She thought the nightmares were over 2 months ago. Summer must have been bringing back these bad memories back. Granted, she had no school thanks to tutoring with Ford, so every day was honestly all the same.
She sighed sadly as she opened the fridge that she kept meticulously clean. There was hardly any food anyways, one, because Stan was cheap, two, because there were 5 people eating every morning, noon, and sometimes night. Sometimes there were more than 5. She found herself going for the same eggs and meat that she did every morning.
"Oink." Waddles hobbled up to the girl. Mabel hadn't taken him, as her parents forbid it, plus, it hurt. Gave her bad memories. Pacifica knelt down and pet the pig. He had gotten rather big, but still small enough to keep in a house.
"No, Waddles, no food. Who knows what the meat is and there aren't enough eggs for you. Go eat the Cornicorn again or something." Waddles protested.
"…Fine." She scooped a little cooked egg out and tossed it to the pig.
"Good morning Pacifica."
"Hello Grunkle Ford." She replied, staring at the eggs frying in the pan.
Silence permeated the air again.
"Hey guys."
Wendy's voice snapped them out of their silence. She had come for breakfast, like every morning. Soos was close behind, offering a "Yo."
Stan arrived just as Pacifica had finished. They all sat down, and prepared to eat.
"No extra visitors?" Ford asked.
Pacifica shook her head. She then absent-mindedly ate as she recalled her nightmare. She'd have to tell Ford later.
"Grunkle Ford, are we doing anything today?" She asked.
"Nothing planned. You can do whatever today; I just want to do a little research. Nothing on the field of action."
"You could work." Stan offered. Pacifica shook her head. She wanted to visit the grave.
She shoved the last bite of food in her mouth and excused herself. Then, she went outside. She contemplated using the golf cart, but decided to walk instead. As she ventured into the forest, a voice called to her.
"Hey! Pacifica!" Pacifica turned to face the gnome leader, Jeff. She and Ford had studied them a little while back, and they'd been on good terms ever since. No marriage like with Mabel, luckily.
"Hello Jeff."
"What's got you down?"
"I'm headed to visit Dipper."
"Oh." Jeff awkwardly backed away. Nobody really liked to talk about Dipper. The gnomes did keep his gravesite clean though. She nodded a good-bye.
She took a deep breath, and continued walking. Perfect day. Beginning of summer, sun, leaves, gentle smell of pine trees-
Oh.
She passed the tall tree that she had found the ice scepter in with Dipper and Mabel. Ford had possession of it, and was studying it. She ran her hands across the wood as she passed.
She finally reached the clearing. She noticed that Gideon, of all people, was standing there, in front of the grave with the empty casket buried underneath.
"Gideon." She cleared her throat and stood there.
"Pacifica." That was all that needed to be said. Gideon left, respecting her privacy.
She walked to the grave, her regrown bell-shaped bangs covering her tears that were threatening to pour over. She took a deep breath.
"Hi, Dipper."
No response, as she expected.
"It's been a long year. It's summer again, you know."
She smiled sadly.
"You think Mabel will come to visit?"
She kneeled in front of the gravestone.
"I'm sure she will. I bet you'll want to see her again…"
She leaned her head on the cool stone of the grave that Robbie had specially made.
"I-I…" She choked on her words and swallowed. "I miss you, you know."
She allowed the tears to fall as she threw her arms around the grave.
And if your vision was good enough, your ties to the supernatural strong, you would have seen a shadow kneeling behind the sobbing girl, arms wrapped around her shoulders.
And with that, the writing begins again. Expect updates twice a month, but don't expect the days.
Happy one year anniversary of It's Over!
-Skye