Chapter 2

The steam from the freshly-prepared coffee scented the room, and with each sip from the black liquid, Stanley's red eyes seemed to clear up more and more.

It was only afternoon when Stanley placed his head between his hands, trying to fight the urge of falling asleep.

He had been up all night, searching for clues in the journal, in hope that he will eventually find something that will help him get his brother back.

I can't... I don't understand...

Stanley was struggling to understand his brother's notes but the truth was, without his theoretical knowledge, he was hopeless. Turning more and more pages, he finally reached the middle of the book.

There, drawn with black ink, was the image of a part of the portal, with other numerous numbers and words.

Yes! Finally something useful!

In a corner, there were few words written: „CONTINUED IN JOURNAL 2".

Stanely, lifting his head slowly, began realising what he had to do. He needed to find the other journals. He thought that they could not be hidden too far from Gravity Falls. If his judgement was coreect, the key of reparing the portal was to find the other two journals.

I have to find them...

But the biggest problem was that nobody knew that Ford dissapeared. How could he ever tell his parents that his twin had been pulled into a portal, that led to God knows where? They of course, wouldn't believe him. So, the question was: what could he do about all this ef-ed up situation.

He didn't know if it was from the coffee or if he had a spree of revelations, but a brilliant idea struck him: what if Ford didn't dissapear?

Stanley ran to the back of the room, and fetched a cardboad box. Opening it with rushed movements, he searches between papers and card and all types of documents until he found an ID.

„STANLEY PINES".

He snatched a huge piece of paper and a crayon. Yes – he had the perfect plan. He started scribbling words here and there, drawing and calculating different things.

After what seemed like a lifetime, Stanley took the paper and watched it. He had to do it. And soon.

Two years later, the sunlight crept through the windows, scorching through the pages of a newspaper. Stanley lifted his coffee mug from the table. Sipping the liquid with satisfaction, he looked once more at the title on the front page.

STANLEY PINES DEAD

Good job Stanley. This is your biggest scam so far!

Standing up, he stepped closer to the opposite wall. There, a mirror was showing Stanley what he longed a lifetime: a succesful business man and the biggest scammer that ever lived. He took off his fez and examined it.

The clock struck 9 o'clock.

Well, time to open the shack...

Putting his fez back on, Stanley opened the door.

In the doorway was standing a gnome.

Good morning Shmebulock. Want some chocolate or coffee or...

The gnome just looked at him and shook his head.

After two years in Gravity Falls, Stanley got used to most of the creatures there and their weirdness. He thought for a second when he explodes the forest for the first time. He met there a unicorn. A very sassy and douchebaggy one. He remembers how that unicorn looked him in the eyes and told him that he was not pure of heart.

And then the gnomes invading his house almost everyday... Well, they were harmless but they were also the reason why he never had food in the fridge.

But there were of course many other creatures that he didn't know what they were. But he didn't really have time to worry about them. He had to find the other journals.

As weird as it sounds, Stanley started learning physics, Maths and chemistry in order to succeed in his task. At the beginning, he felt like he was learning some alien-ish language but then again, he didn't really have much of a choice.

Stepping outside the house, he inhaled deeply the fresh air. He saw how the tourists were already roaming around the shack. He smiled and put his eyepatch on. Now he had to become „The Mistery Man".

'WELCOME everybody! Be prepared for a trip into the Unknown! Get ready to get cold shivers down the spine as I, The Mistery Man, am going to lead the way!'

Everyone seemed excited.

'Photographs are all allowed if you pay the 50$ fee! But I don't see why you wouldn't want to photograph the Mysteries inside the Mystery Shack!'

Taking out the money from their pockets, the tourists gathered franatically around Stanley to pay the fee.

Stanley thought about how he tried so many years to make that money. Now he could easily make some hundreds of dollars only from a tour.

Taking the tourists inside the shack, he started repeating the same words he usually said at the tours:

'WELCOME inside the Mistery Shack! Here lie the most horrendeous, weird and scandalous creatures that have ever existed on Earth! Oh ~ here is the first exhibit: the Culturist Deer! Hey – you there – Yes you. No touching. Thanks.'

He continued his tour as always. He led the tourists through the entire museum. As the tour was about to end, he led everyone to the Gift Shop. All the people seemed excited to buy gift cards with 20$ each. Stanley could literally hear the money that came out of the pockets.

His eyes were shining.

If only his father knew...

As the people began leaving, Stanley shouted:

'REMEMBER! „Fun" goes for „NO REFUNDS!"'

Taking off his eyepatch, Stanley heard the telephone ringing. He ran to the Gift Shop and picked up the phone.

'Hello?'

'Ford? How are you, son?'

'Father... I... I am good.'

'Do you know what day it is?'

'Uhm... Thursday...?'

'Come on lad don't you really know?'

'Not really...'

'Today are 2 years since Stanley died.'

'Oh...'

'That knucklehead. Got himself killed heheh...'

'Uh... Yeah... Heh...' Stanley looked down, feeling his heart breaking.

Suddenly, on the other side of the phone could be heard sobs.

'Dad...?'

'You don't know how much guilt I feel... It's only my fault! Why did I have to kick him out?'

'Dad... Don't blame yourself... I'm sure Stanley wouldn't want that...'

'Do you think he could ever forgive me...?'

'I think he already did...'

A moment of awkward silence established between the two men.

'Ford?'

'Yes?'

'Don't you miss him?'

'Of course I do... I just hope that he misses me too, wherever is he.'

'You're a good boy, Ford... I... Gotta go. I'll call you soon.'

'Ok. Bye dad.'

The call ended.

Stanley looked outside the window. He saw how another group of tourists coming. He thought for a second about the conversation with his dad.

He lied to everybody about his life. He managed to achieve so much, yet so little. He was thinking about how life was just a bad day, waiting for a good joke to come to refresh it. About how the only way to escape the pain of life was the sweet release of death.

Then, thinking about the money he then easily made, he realised that it wasn't really his achievement. More like exploiting his brother's work. The tourists paid a thousand for Ford's discoveries, yet 50 cents for his own soul.

He realised he didn't have other purpose in life but saving his brother and maintaining his work alive. That was the least he could do. He was wondering what would happen in the future. His path was surely paved with hard things to cope with.

Putting his eyepatch back on, he went to greet the group outside.

'WELCOME everybody! Be prepared for a trip into the Unknown! Get ready to get cold shivers down the spine as I, The Mistery Man, am going to lead the way!'

Suddenly, he realised something.

He was doing his own job. He made money. He made a living. He was home. He WAS the Mistery Man.