"Who's Bill?"

"You haven't met Bill? Oh my gosh, you have definitely got to meet Bill!" Pacifica said. "We can meet him tonight!"

"But who is he?"

"Only one of the raddest people you'll ever meet! He's like..." Pacifica trailed off, leaving Gideon more confused than ever. "He's an experience."

An experience? What was that even supposed to mean? Gideon supposed it wasn't out of the ordinary for Pacifica to have friends. Still, talking to her had given him enough excitement to last the entire summer. "Look, it was really nice seeing you again-"

"And it'll be even nicer when we meet Bill!"

"But I told my dad I'd be back before dark-"

"That's okay! Bill won't mind waiting. He's very patient."

"Great... it was nice to see you again, Pacifica." Gideon started walking back to the Craft Shack. Instead of picking up on the social cue and leaving, Pacifica fell into step next to him.

"So you wanna meet Bill, right?" Pacifica said.

"I mean sure, but not now-"

"So tomorrow?"

"Fine! Tomorrow! But I'm going to bed now," Gideon said, more exasperated than he thought. Thankfully, they'd made it back to the Shack.

Gideon went inside, Pacifica watching intently. Seconds later, he peered through the blinds and saw she was still outside. She stared at the Shack with a glazed over look in her eyes. Gideon could have sworn he even looked right at her, but she didn't acknowledge him. That night when he was getting ready for bed, he half-expected Pacifica to still be there. He checked outside once more, but she was gone.

Shrugging off an all-around weird day, Gideon snuggled into bed with Mr. Lamby and the mysterious journal. His lamp and his nightlight on, Gideon opened the journal.

He never finished reading. Not because he fell asleep in the middle. No, Gideon made it through about a quarter of the journal. That was still pages and pages of monsters described in startling detail. Gideon broke at the entry describing the waterfall that would crystallize anyone who drank from it. He shoved the journal underneath his pillow and threw as many blankets as possible over his head.

He slept with the lights on again. He didn't get much sleep anyways.

The next day was the grand opening of the Craft Shack, and despite a below-average turnout, there was still a handful of customers perusing through the lovingly handcrafted goods. Bud mingled while Gideon hid behind cash register with the journal open.

The lady with stringy gray hair and too many seashell bracelets was a sea witch. The man wearing fifty shades of flannel? Definitely a werewolf. The two cherub-faced children had to be changeling fairies. They could strip their human skin off any time they pleased.

Or maybe they were all just tourists. But Gideon didn't think so.

He'd taken it upon himself to scan the Craft Shack for any potential monsters. Which meant that everyone was a suspect. If there was one thing he'd learned from the journal, the creatures in Gravity Falls were clever. They could play tricks on humans and even pretend to be other humans. Not to mention the cursed artifacts. Gideon eyed the vending machine. There was something suspicious about it...

"Gideon, could you please stop glaring at the customers?"

Bud leaned against the counter staring quizzically at his son. Gideon snapped the journal shut. "Oh! Hey Dad! What do you mean glaring? I'm just- ZOMBIE!"

Gideon screamed and dove underneath the counter. But looked behind him. The only he saw the handyman he'd hired standing in the doorway. For reasons unknown, he was eating a bowl of noodles mixed with ketchup. It did resemble human brains. "You mean Jesus?"

The handyman perked up at the mention of his name and came over to the cash register. "Please, call me Soos! The handyman, the handymyth, the handylegend."

"Well, Soos, I do appreciate you coming around for a few repairs!" Bud said. Gideon was still crouched beneath the counter. "You'll have to forgive my son. He's got quite the overactive imagination."

"I know what I saw!" Gideon hissed. "He's a zombie!"

"I don't think I'm a zombie," Soos said thoughtfully. "Oh man, how cool would that be? I'd wander around the world, eat some brains... I'd never have to buy toilet paper again!"

Maybe Soos wasn't a zombie. Gideon inched back up, ready to bolt if Soos tried to eat his brains. Aside from his bowl of brains (which Gideon realized were simply noodles), Soos looked liked a perfectly normal human being. He was about the same size as Bud but visibly younger. And better dressed; his blue t-shirt with an exclamation point and hip baseball cap were way cooler than Bud's painfully tacky straw hat and Hawaiian shirt.

"I take back my accusation," Gideon declared. "You're not a zombie, Soos. Also it's nice to meet you."

"We've actually met, dude! But you were like... this big." Soos put a hand a couple feet above the floor.

The memories were coming back to Gideon. Soos worked on and off again in the Shack doing odd jobs for Bud. He never was a full-time employee; he worked at least five other jobs. But he was always showing Gideon cool repair tricks like how to thatch a roof with only a stapler.

"So that book you got there - is that like one of those paranormal mystery guides?" Soos said.

"Oh! Yeah," Gideon said. He leaned in close and whispered, "I'm keeping an eye out for any monsters who might try and take over the Craft Shack."

"Better safe than sorry, dude. This town is weird."

"You... believe me?"

"Yeah I do! I'm like ninety-nine percent certain the mayor's part unicorn. Not to mention the lumberjacks..." Soos shuddered. "The less I say about them, the better. Biggest thing though is the woods. I hear weird noises coming from there all the time. If I were you, I'd stay out of them."

"No kidding," Gideon said. "You wouldn't believe who I ran into in the woods."

"Hi Gideon!"

Speaking of, Pacifica Northwest bounced in to the Craft Shack, nearly knocking Gideon off the counter. Like yesterday, she was a mishmash of neon and clothes that belonged in an 80s drug PSA. "Sooooo, are you ready to meet Bill tonight?"

Right, Bill. With all the paranoia surrounding opening day, meeting Bill had slipped to the very back of Gideon's agenda. He was kind of hoping Pacifica would just forget about it entirely. Instead she'd seemed to latch on to it even harder.

"Listen, how long have you even known Bill?" Gideon said.

"Not too long, but it seems like way longer than that," Pacifica replied.

Again, why was Pacifica being so vague about Bill? Was it so much to ask some basic questions about someone Gideon had never met? He thought back to the journal. Trust no one. Could he even trust someone he'd never met before? The only person who had any answers about this Bill character was Pacifica. So... he'd keep prodding Pacifica for answers. Like an interrogation!

First question: try to figure out how old Bill was. "So you would say Bill's around your age?"

"Well, time is an illusion so age doesn't really matter!" Pacifica said without a trace of sarcasm. "Trust me, Gideon, once you meet Bill tonight, your mind's going to be blown. In the cool way!"

"Why can't I meet him now? In fact, he could come to the Shack." Gideon leaned in close to Pacifica like the cops did on those detective shows his dad watched when he thought Gideon was asleep. "Unless there's something wrong with that."

"Bill's more of a night person!" Pacifica said without missing a beat.

Drat. Gideon was running out of interrogation techniques, and Pacifica showed no signs of cracking. Time for his one last trick: rapid-fire questioning.

"Do you have a picture of him I could see?"

"He doesn't photograph well!"

"How about you tell me what looks like then."

"It's more fun when you meet him in person!"

"Can you at least tell me where he lives?"

"He's more of a nomad!"

"Do you even know his last name!?"

"Nope!" Pacifica said. "But what are last names for anyways? Do they tell anything about a person? I don't think so!"

Gideon groaned. "I give up! Look, Pacifica, I can't come with you tonight."

For the first time, Pacifica's smile wavered. "What? Why?"

"Because I don't know enough about Bill to feel safe!" Gideon said. "Ever since I met you, all you've done is talk about Bill! If he's so great amazing, why can't you tell me anything about him!? Real things, too, not this cryptic stuff!"

"Well, why are you asking me so many questions about him?" Pacifica said defensively. "At least Bill's been here for me unlike you!"

Gideon was completely taken aback. "What do you-

"I don't see you for three summers, you show up out of the blue, and even worse, you think it's weird that I have friends outside of you!?" Pacifica said. "Maybe I just want my friends to get along, did you ever think of that?"

He was left speechless. Pacifica waited for him to say something to fill in the dead space, his one last chance to make amends. But Gideon was shocked. He'd never considered what three summers away would do to his friendship with Pacifica.

Pacifica turned toward the exit. "I'll meet you at sunset at the edge of the woods. If you show up, rad. If you don't... don't bother trying to find me again."

She stalked out of the Craft Shack leaving Gideon with his mouth hanging open and a thousand thoughts rushing through his head. Had he pushed Pacifica away out of obsession to find something abnormal about one of her friends?

Soos popped his head in. "Yikes, dude. You really blew that one."

"I did, didn't I?"

The minutes ticked closer to sundown, but Gideon couldn't budge from his room. He was worried for Pacifica, but now he also felt guilty for never telling her why he'd been gone three summers. He'd been six years old; Bud had never told him why they hadn't come back for three years. But he still could have tried to call Pacifica, write her a letter, something to let her know he was alive.

Gideon turned to the journal as a distraction. The creep factor was still overwhelming, but going through it during the day was less likely to give him nightmares. Aimlessly flipping through the pages, Gideon's mind kept going back to the fight with Pacifica. If only the journal had an answer to why she was acting so weird.

A page caught Gideon's eye. He almost didn't register it until he saw the name, and by then he'd flipped past. He turned a few pages back. It could just be his brain was making connections where there weren't any.

Then he saw it. Gideon wanted to gasp, but he couldn't find the air to do so.

The name of this entry was Bill.

Bill Cipher to be exact. A dream demon. Compared to other entries, Bill didn't match Gideon's perception of demons. He was a 2-dimensional triangle with arms, legs, and a single eye in the middle. Adding to the silliness was a cartoonish top hat and bow tie. In a nightmarish contrast, the pages were splattered in a red substance Gideon didn't want to think about.

A crazy thought occurred to Gideon: what if this was the Bill Pacifica was talking about? It could just be a coincidence... but what if it wasn't? Gideon wouldn't be able to rest without knowing for sure.

Part of the entry had been frantically crossed out:

Bill has proven himself to be one of the sweetest and most sensitive individuals that I've ever encountered in my life. What a guy! I honestly can't trust him more. Not evil in any way, Bill is a true gentleman.

Written underneath was CAN'T BE TRUSTED!

What could have happened between the first part and the second part for things to end so badly with Bill? Gideon's imagination conjured up the most gruesome scenarios a ten-year old was thinking of. What if Pacifica was involved with this demon?

Beware Bill. The most unstable and volatile creature I've ever encountered. Whatever you do, never let him into your mind. He can and will possess any human body he can get his hands on.

DO NOT LET HIM POSSESS YOU!

That last sentence was underlined several times. A sick feeling had been creeping up in Gideon's stomach, and now he felt like he could physically retch. Bill could possess people. Gideon didn't know a lot about demonic possession, but he knew enough. He knew people acted differently than normal.

And who had he been talking to all day who'd been acting far from normal?

The facts all matched up. Pacifica's odd behavior. Her vague descriptions of Bill. Her pushing and pushing for Gideon to meet Bill. This whole time, Gideon had been interacting with a demon, and that was more terrifying than anything in the journal. What had happened to Pacifica? Was she still in her body, helpless to Bill? Was she watching from afar as a spirit, trying to tell Gideon the truth? Thinking about what might have happened to her sent chills up and down Gideon's spine.

What if she was in this room? "Pacifica, if you're here, I know who Bill is. And I'm gonna save you! I just don't know how yet." He didn't know if he expected a ghostly Pacifica to appear, but nothing happened.

Gideon realized something even more frightening: he had to meet her at the forest. And he had to go now.

Gideon grabbed the journal and ran downstairs. His mind was racing to come up with a plan without time on his side. If she was possessed by Bill, Gideon needed to get him out of her body. Pacifica -Or Bill? Bifica?- didn't know he had the journal, which gave him an edge. He reached the gift shop and found Soos fixing the door hinges.

"Whoa dude, you're flying faster than a snowball!" Soos said. "Where are you headed to?"

"I gotta save Pacifica from demonic possession!" Gideon said. The sun was almost down and with it his only chance of getting to Pacifica before something awful might happen to her.

Soos didn't move though. "Dude, I can't let you do this."

"Let me through, Soos!" Gideon yelled.

Soos put a reassuring hand on Gideon's shoulder. It was a small gesture but enough to calm Gideon down. "Not without some backup. Follow me."

Gideon hesitantly trailed behind Soos. How could Soos even know what would protect him from a demon? Then again, Gideon was going in with just the journal; he'd take all the help he could get. They entered the kitchen. Soos bent down and tugged one of the floorboards off. Inside was a cardboard box labeled End Times. Like a Santa Claus of the apocalypse, Soos reached in and pulled a flashlight out.

Soos handed the flashlight to Gideon. "Boom. If what you say is true, then you're gonna have to check Pacifica's eyes. That's the only way to be sure."

"How will I know?"

"You'll know," Soos said cryptically. He reached for one more thing in the box.

It was one of the blue and white hats Bud sold in the Craft Shack. Gideon remembered they hadn't sold very well, but Bud insisted on keeping them out until the inventory went down. Its most distinctive feature was the star in the middle; otherwise, it was just an ordinary hat.

"Thanks... why the hat?" Gideon said.

"Flip it over, dude."

Gideon did. The inside of the hat was lined with... tin foil? "Soos, why?"

"To protect you from the demons," Soos said. "Or is it aliens? Trust me dude, you're gonna need it."

Gideon slid the hat on. To his surprise, he couldn't even feel the tin foil. Soos gave him a nod of approval. Gideon had never felt so serious wearing a tin foil hat. Armed with the flashlight and the journal in his vest, he was ready to take on Bill Cipher. Or at least he hoped so.

"If I don't make it back," Gideon said. "Will you tell my dad what I did?"

"Your tale will not go untold," Soos said with complete sincerity. "Now go battle a demon."

His sendoff gave Gideon a burst of courage. He would need it. The last rays of the sun disappearing over the horizon, Gideon stepped out of the Craft Shack, willingly giving up his only form of protection.

But for once, he wasn't focused on protecting himself. Not when Pacifica needed help.

Pacifica was right where she said she would be. She saw Gideon and exclaimed, "You came!"

"Uh huh," Gideon said. Last chance to go back to the Shack. "Let's do this."

Pacifica lead the way, practically gliding through the forest. Gideon managed to keep up, albeit with much less enthusiasm. He tried to keep track of the path they were taking, but by the time he counted Pine Tree #22, it was hopeless. He was as good as lost without Pacifica's guidance.

Meanwhile, Pacifica chattered on about Bill. "And he has this amazing way of knowing exactly what you're thinking! Like he's psychic or something! You're not anemic, right Gideon?"

"I don't think so," Gideon said.

"Excellent! We're here!"

The two had reached a clearing. Gideon had no idea how far they'd gone into the forest. The sun had now completely gone down, leaving the moon as Gideon's only source of light. At night, the shadows of the forest casted sharp angles, making everything appear bigger and deeper. Even Pacifica's braces reflected against the moonlight gave a much more ominous effect than Gideon expected.

"So where's Bill?" Gideon said.

"He'll be here soon - he's got great timing!" Pacifica replied. She once again had that vacant stare in her eyes. Was it because she had something on her mind? Or was something in her mind?

Gideon's hand closed around the flashlight. "Pacifica, I know what's going on."

Pacifica frowned. "What are you-"

Now.

"SHOW YOURSELF, BILL!"

Before Pacifica could react, Gideon whipped the flashlight out and shone it right in Pacifica's eyes. She cried out and instinctively raised her hands in front of the light. Not before Gideon could get a good look at her eyes though.

Only something was wrong. Very wrong.

Pacifica's eyes were... completely normal.

Pacifica smacked the flashlight out of her face. "What was that for!?"

"But you're Bill Cipher- you have to be!" Gideon said in disbelief.

"Bill who?" Pacifica said. "The Bill I know is just Bill."

"Then... how..."

"Actually, I prefer William," an unknown voice said.

Three very important things happened all at once.

First, Gideon realized not only had he come to the wrong conclusion about Bill, but also he was woefully unprepared to take on whoever Bill really was.

Second, Pacifica's eyes fluttered, and she crumpled to the ground unconscious.

And third, the very non-triangular, very human-looking Bill stepped into the clearing.

"You're Bill?"

With his Hawaiian shirt and cargo shorts, Bill -William (trying to keep two Bills distinguished would drive Gideon crazy)- looked like a generic tourist. All he needed was a camera and a foldable map. His light blonde hair and doe-eyed stare added to the nonthreatening image. Yet William stood like he was ready to strike at anyone who came near him.

"I go by William more, but yep, that's me! Nice to meet you!" William said with a harmless smile. Despite William's politeness, Gideon didn't let down his guard. There was something familiar about him...

Then it Gideon like a bullet train. The smile. The tourist-y clothes. The lighthearted tone of voice.

"Can I come in?"

William was the tourist from the night Gideon came to Gravity Falls, the one who'd nearly scared Gideon to death. He'd completely forgotten -well, more willingly repressed the incident from memory- about that night. But if William was just a tourist stopping through town, why had he stayed for two more days? And more pressingly...

"How do you know Pacifica?" Gideon said.

"It's a boring story. She ran into me, I used some mind control on her-" William noticed the alarm on Gideon's face. "No worries, she won't a remember a thing! Mostly because she'll be dead."

"What!?"

"Was I unclear on that?" William said with genuine concern in his voice. "I'm gonna suck her blood. Yours too!"

The pieces clicked together in Gideon's head. He didn't need the journal to realize what William was.

"You're a vampire!?"

"Bingo!" William smiled widely, and for the first time, Gideon saw his two abnormally large incisors.

"But you- Pacifica-" Gideon sputtered.

"Seriously? You didn't realize... oh man, this is embarrassing," William said with a halfhearted laugh. "I mean she's definitely got blood pumping through her veins but nowhere near enough to fill me up."

Gideon was off. Way off. Years of hot vampire movies couldn't prepare Gideon in the slightest for an encounter with a real one. Should he run- no, he should try and fend William off. No, he should just let William drink his blood and hope for the best- what was he thinking!? He wasn't equipped to fight a vampire! That didn't mean he wanted to be a vampire snack either.

"S-stay away from me," Gideon said feebly. Intimidation was never even a tactic he'd considered, not when he sounded this pathetic.

"No can do, kid! You see," William took one step forward, sending Gideon scampering backward. "I'm thirsty. Painfully thirsty, and you and your friend just happen to be on the menu. Call it the food chain."

The barest bones of an idea began forming in Gideon's head. From his limited knowledge about vampires, Gideon knew a wooden stake could kill them. It worked in the movies at least. If he could keep William talking, maybe he could find a sharp enough tree branch and stake William. If he couldn't keep William talking... there was always Plan B.

Gideon stalled William with the dumbest question possible. "But couldn't you find someone... tastier?"

If Gideon made it out alive, he would work on his stalling abilities. Gideon scanned the clearing for any stray branches, barely shifting his gaze from William. He spied a lone branch just off to his left. It was in arm's reach.

"Nope! I'm more of a find-a-target-and-go-for-it kind of vampire. You could have made this so much easier if you'd just let me in!" William said as if it were only a minor inconvenience. "I do love a challenge though. I'll even let you try and outrun me!"

"That's... awesome... darn this! I can't do this anymore!" Gideon snatched the branch and stabbed William in the chest with all his might.

William fell to the ground, clutching his shoulder. For a moment, it looked like Gideon had defeated the vampire. But then William's body jerked upright at an unnaturally straight angle. Gideon watched with horror as William yanked the tree branch out of his shoulder. "First of all, ow. Second of all, you've really got to work on your aim."

Time for Plan B: Gideon ran.

He heard a whoosh behind him followed by the rapid footsteps of an approaching branch or twig that snapped behind him spurred Gideon to run faster. Gideon's chest heaved for air, but he didn't dare stop to catch a breath. He couldn't stop, not if he wanted to live. But he was so tired...

No, he had to keep going! But fatigue was getting to Gideon now, and the rustle of trees grew closer. Gideon knew in his heart that William was going to catch up.

He couldn't outrun a vampire. But could he hide from one?

Gideon took a sharp turn to the right. He spotted a bush big enough to hide him and far away that William just might pass over him. He dove into the bush. The branches dug into his skin, but he was deep enough to remain safely hidden.

Through the leaves he saw William carrying a limp Pacifica over his shoulder. Gideon stifled a gasp. He'd forgotten Pacifica was there. William had completely dropped the naïve tourist act, now giving making his cheesy attire a nightmarish contrast. The glare in William's eyes screamed bloodlust. Literally.

William set Pacifica down and turned toward the bush. Gideon didn't move. He didn't even breathe. After a few agonizing seconds, William took off.

Gideon gulped in several breaths of air. For the moment, William was gone. And Gideon needed a better plan. However, he couldn't just leave Pacifica out in the open. With what little strength he had, Gideon dragged her in to the bush with him.

Gideon frantically turned the pages of the journal, looking for any scrap of information about vampires. He knew he'd flipped past an entry the night before- there. Two detailed pages along with a sketch of a gnarly-looking vampire clad in a black cloak and blood dripping from its lips. A far cry from the cargo shorts, fanny pack-wearing vampire currently out to eat Gideon.

Shrouded in conflicting folklore, vampires are more of a rarity than I imagined, the journal read. Their necessity for blood means they cannot stay in one place for a very long time without attracting suspicion.

Blah, blah, blah, vampires drank blood, vampires had sharp fangs- one feature caught Gideon's eye.

Based on my observations, (written in the margin was DO NOT OBSERVE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT) they seem to possess some level of mind control.

To protect yourself from a vampire's mind control, you will need to cover your head with some kind of metallic casing. I've found a metal plate works best, but this options requires extensive surgery (ow).

So that was why William hadn't tried to mind-control Gideon. He silently thanked Soos for the tin foil hat. If William did suck Gideon's blood, he'd be aware of it the entire time. A joyful thought.

Typically, vampires select a human victim and control them telepathically to lure other victims in.

Pacifica must have run into William only moments after he'd tried to enter the Shack. Gideon felt like such an idiot. If Bud had let William in, Pacifica never would have been mind-controlled. Then again, what would have happened to Gideon and Bud? More pressingly, what was going to happen to Gideon if he couldn't find a way to defeat William?

Weaknesses include:

- Human property (must require an invitation)
- Garlic (does NOT apply to garlic bread)
- Some holy relics, although this may be suggestion

Was that really all a vampire's weaknesses? Gideon needed specific, accessible objects to take a down a vampire. The journal's vagueness was really not helping right now. He spied one more thing written at the very bottom.

Their ultimate weakness is sunlight. If you can wait it out, sunrise will drive the vampire away. Given that vampires are extremely skilled trackers, this is obviously a last-resort option with slim guarantee of survival.

It was the middle of the night. So that was it. Everything that could possibly defeat William, and Gideon had none of it. Gideon shoved the journal back into his vest and buried his head in his knees. He never should have gone to hang up those signs.

Unbeknownst to him, Pacifica stirred. She lifted her head with the energy of someone who'd had a rough night's sleep. While she looked around, still groggy, she said the first thing that came to her head: "Where the hell am I?"

Gideon nearly jumped out of the bush. "Ah! You're awake! Are you... you?"

"Am I what? Wait..." Pacifica blinked a few times, trying to figure out why this white-haired child seemed familiar. "Are you Gideon Gleeful?"

"Yeah. And you're Pacifica Northwest."

"Great. I just swore in front a ten-year old..." As Pacifica's brain scraped out the gunk of vampire control, her questions started piling up. "Hold on, what are you doing here? I thought you were in Texas."

"It's a long story. If we escape the vampire, I'll fill you in."

"A vampire? When did- oh no," Pacifica's eyes widened. "It's Bill, isn't it?"

"William, yeah. You remember him?" Gideon asked.

"It's... complicated," Pacifica said.

"How can complicated can it be!? Either you found a vampire or a vampire found you," Gideon said.

"...I kind of followed him."

"What!? Are you crazy!?"

"Keep your voice down!" Pacifica whispered. They both fell silent. They listened for any footsteps, waiting for William to pull the branches back and pounce. Hearing no one, Pacifica continued.

"The summer after you left, I started looking for supernatural stuff in this town. No one would listen to me," Pacifica said. Her face turned solemn. "But I knew I was onto something. Up until the vampire, I couldn't find any solid evidence of supernatural phenomena. So when I encountered a real, genuine vampire, I followed him and well… we're hiding in a bush."

"If it makes you feel any better, I thought you'd been possessed by a demon named Bill," Gideon admitted. "Talk about jumping to conclusions."

Pacifica gave him a sympathetic smile. Her eyes however, displayed all the uncertainty Gideon felt just as strongly. If only he hadn't latched on to the Bill Cipher theory. If only he'd figured out what was going on with Pacifica sooner. If only... if only's wouldn't do them much good now.

"He's gonna find us, isn't he?" Gideon said, defeat apparent in his voice.

"He found me pretty quickly." Pacifica answered, clearly not wanting to divulge into her encounter with William.

"Do you have better plan other than waiting until daylight?" Gideon said. "Because I've got nothing."

Pacifica's eyes lit up with the intensity of a flashbulb. "Wait! That flashlight you used - do still have it?"

Gideon checked his vest and found it safely tucked in next to the journal. "Yeah, but how is that-"

"I think I know how to get Bill away from us," Pacifica said, pulling out her compact mirror. She hesitated, a crack in her collected facade showing. "Gideon, I know you have every reason not to, but can you trust me?"

Trust no one, the journal stated. Gideon had spent all day on the edge of sanity because a vampire controlling Pacifica had decided to play games with him. But Pacifica -the real Pacifica- waited for his answer like the world depended on it. And maybe it did. They were out of options, and if Pacifica said she had a plan...

"Tell me what to do."

When he heard William approaching, it took every ounce of courage for Gideon to stand his ground. Pacifica had clearly explained the plan to him, but something could still go wrong. All Gideon could do was wait. Not that he had to wait much longer.

William emerged with a ravenous grin on his face. "You came out! I didn't even have to hunt you down! Kids these days are so polite. Where's the other one?"

This is going to work. Pacifica had told Gideon to act vulnerable. Acting wasn't much of a stretch for him.

"Tell me, William, how long have you been in Gravity Falls? A week? Two?" Gideon said.

Baffled, William said, "How should I know? Once I eat you and the girl, I'm skipping town anyways."

"I thought so," Gideon walked a few steps forward, enough to catch William by surprise. After all, what kind of prey approached its predator? "See, William, I've spent my summers here. I know this town, and it's weird. Weirder than you can imagine."

Behind him, Pacifica was hidden in the trees waiting for her cue. Knowing he wasn't alone was a tiny bit comforting. But he was just as scared for her. Gideon couldn't hear her, but that didn't mean William couldn't.

Luckily, William still seemed unaware. "That's adorable. Kid, this tough-guy front really isn't working out for you."

"You're right. I'm scared," Gideon said. "And a huge wimp too. And you're a vampire who can control people's minds. But there's one thing you can't control, William."

"And what's that?"

"Sunrise."

A bright light burst through the trees. The rays hit William right in the chest. He raised his arms against the light and hissed. "What!? How!?"

"Get a watch, that's how!" Gideon yelled. "And get the heck out of here or burn to a crisp!"

William took off at superhuman speed for shelter, screaming and hissing the entire way. Gideon stood his ground, mostly because he was too shocked to move. He was scared to say anything lest William realize what was really going on and backtrack.

Pacifica's voice called, "Is he gone?"

"It worked..." Gideon said. He couldn't believe it. "It really worked!"

The "sunrise" bounced off the mirror placed strategically on the ground and turned in to the regular beam of a flashlight. Pacifica jumped down from her perch in a tree, flashlight in hand. The plan was simple. Place Pacifica's compact mirror on the ground, have her shine the flashlight onto it, and hope William was scared enough to run.

And they'd done it. Two kids alone in the forest and they'd really done it! Pacifica was wound up from the tension while Gideon was at a loss for words. He managed to say, "We should head back. You know, in case William figures something out."

"Yeah... I actually have no idea how to get back from here," Pacifica said.

After the adventure, of course reality would set in. How were they supposed to get back? At least a vampire wasn't chasing them anymore, Gideon thought. Without the immediate danger, the forest felt surprisingly… tranquil. The bugs chirped quietly. A breeze gently rustled the leaves. The night sky, clearer than glass, illuminated the entire forest in a glow.

Wait. The sky. Gideon titled his head upward. He knew how to get them back.

"We'll follow the stars."

Gideon and Pacifica encountered neither vampires nor demons on their way back. Pacifica was quiet, and Gideon didn't know her well enough to make conversation. She had been mind-controlled by a vampire. Gideon supposed he'd be pretty quiet too.

And then they were at the Shack, as if they'd never even left. The lights on the front porch were still on, along with the light in Bud's bedroom.

Gideon and Pacifica both shifted awkwardly, knowing it was time to say goodbye but not knowing how. Pacifica started first. "So… I haven't really introduced myself. I mean, you met me but…"

"Vampire stuff?" Gideon said.

"I feel awful for dragging you into it," Pacifica said. "It was stupid. I was stupid. Can you forgive me?"

The journal's mantra echoed in his head: trust no one. But did that apply to someone who saved him from a vampire?

"I need to show you something." Gideon pulled the journal out of his vest and handed it to Pacifica.

Pacifica gingerly opened to the first page. Her eyes grew wide. She flipped through the entire journal once, then once more, and then one more time. "Gideon, where did you find this?"

"It was kind of an accident." Gideon explained where he'd found the journal and showed Pacifica the entry about vampires.

"This is incredible. It's more than incredible – it's a miracle! I always knew this town was weird!" Pacifica said.

"So you really believe this stuff?" Gideon said.

"You were there," Pacifica said. "Don't you?"

"It's not that I don't, but..." They could have died. Gideon thought back to his dad. Gideon could have disappeared without a trace, and his dad would spend the rest of his life never knowing what happened to him. Just like his mom. He held up the journal, the six-fingered seal reflected against the moonlight. "Whoever wrote this wrote knew how to defeat vampires. And if vampires are real…"

"…then everything in this journal could be a real account of the supernatural creatures in Gravity Falls," Pacifica said.

The revelation left both kids speechless. To Gideon, vampires and spooky monsters stayed in storybooks. Yet only a few feet away from them lay forces beyond the comprehension of humankind. A vampire was one thing. What other creatures lived in Gravity Falls?

Gideon took a deep breath. "This is just a lot to take in. If this journal fell into the wrong hands- I don't know, I feel like we should..."

"Take an oath or something?"

"Yeah."

Pacifica held up her first two fingers scout's style. "How about this then? I call it the Double Swear. It's like a pinky swear with double the fingers and the swears. Sound good?"

"Sounds good," Gideon said. He took another deep breath. He'd never actually done a secret swear, so he was making this one up on the spot. He held up two fingers. "Do you, Pacifica Northwest… uh, doubly swear to use this journal for the good of Gravity Falls?"

"I swear," Pacifica said. "Do you, Gideon Gleeful, doubly swear to use this journal for the good of Gravity Falls? Also do you swear to take care of it like the original author would have?"

"Good add-on! I mean – I swear."

Gideon and Pacifica linked fingers and shook. The gesture looked silly, like two quotation marks hooked together. But in that moment, the journal became more than a book. It became a promise. A promise Gideon had every intention of keeping.

"It's really late. You wanna sleepover here tonight?" Gideon asked. "Everything's kind of a mess, but we can move the boxes and make a fort!"

"Will your dad be okay with that?"

"Probably."

Gideon would have to explain somehow why he and Pacifica had been in the woods for hours. But first, there was one thing he had to do.

"Hey, Pacifi- Paz. Sorry for being gone for 3 years."

A flicker of recognition passed over Pacifica. She may not have remembered their fight from earlier, but Gideon knew she at least shared the same sentiment. He just hoped she'd be able to forgive him. Pacifica smiled understandingly. "It's cool. I'm just happy you came back."

And then Gideon knew. They were cool. More than cool. Together they went inside, Gideon securely sliding in the lock behind them.

"It's just so weird that I spent a whole day with you, and I don't even remember any of it." Pacifica paused and thought about how she might have acted under William's control. "I didn't, like… wear black and write sappy poetry, right?"

"I could tell something was up, but you never... Actually..." Gideon grinned. "Yep! You did!"

"I did not!"

"Yeah you did! And you kept ranting about eternal darkness! And you adopted a bat!"

"Then where's the bat?"

"It flew off!"

"But wearing black!? How could I betray my love for neon!?" Pacifica lamented, melodramatically throwing her hand over her face.

What made an over-energetic preteen and a paranoid ten-year old work? Gideon didn't know. Was a vampire still the most frightening thing he'd ever experienced? Absolutely. But together, Gideon and Pacifica made even the most life-threatening vampire seemed doable. As Gideon poked fun with Pacifica, he realized no matter what terrifying monsters Gravity Falls threw at them, they would come out okay.

For the first time since Gideon had arrived to Gravity Falls, he felt safe. And when he and Pacifica piled the boxes around them and turned the lights off, he wasn't even afraid of the dark.

26-23-6 15-10-12-25'5 19-13-12-23-13-7 5-19-10-22-22 20'5 1-19-26-24 3-1 4-16 1-26-26-15, 12-20-15 26-23-6?

William the vampire limped through the forest. Outwitted by a pair of children. It was humiliating! Even worse, he was so thirsty. He was panting and exhausted from trying to find shelter. At this point, he would devour a fly if that meant getting a few drops of blood. Maybe he could find a lost hiker or something before sunrise.

William looked ahead. In the distance he saw lights. Man-made lights. William smiled. Maybe he wouldn't have to look as hard as he thought.

With new vigor, William jogged toward the lights. Normally, he never saw humans camped so deep in the forest, but the prospect of a meal outweighed any suspicions. What if it was a couple camped out? Or a whole family? It had been months since he'd had a full-course meal. Already a new plan was forming in William's head. He'd feed, then get revenge on those pesky children. That would show them who needed a watch!

The lights were just beyond the trees now. William licked his lips with anticipation and pushed back a few branches. Only the sight that greeted him was not a small camping tent. Before his eyes was a baby blue circus tent illuminated by Christmas lights. Dozens of boxes lay outside the tent, along with a trailer hooked up to a giant camper.

William marveled briefly at the sight. For such an enormous tent, there was a surprising lack of people. William only sensed two, maybe three humans at the most, in this general area. Nonetheless, three was enough. He'd even settle for two.

He slipped into the tent. Rows and rows of pews had been set up, with a stage in at the center of the tent. Circus performers, perhaps? William had attacked some acrobats back in 1923. William made note of the numerous boxes piled in the tent. So newcomers. Even better. No one would suspect anything, and by the time anyone realized the inhabitants were dead, he would be long gone.

Now... where was everyone?

"Hi there."

William jumped, knocking a pile of boxes over. Costumes and stage props spilled out.

A girl stood at the entrance of the tent. She couldn't have been any older than the kids William had nearly eaten today. But what stood out were her eyes. They were a vivid, electric shade of blue. The more William looked at those eyes, the more… inhuman they looked. Upon making eye contact, she smiled at William with the whitest teeth he'd ever seen.

"Are you lost?" the girl asked innocently.

"I – yes." William berated himself. The kids from earlier had set his nerves on edge. Even if the lights from outside gave the girl an unearthly glow, she was still human. More importantly, she was edible. He flashed his I'm a Friendly Tourist and You Can Trust Me Smile. "Can you direct me to the nearest road?"

"Isn't it dangerous to be roaming these woods at night?" a different voice called from the other side of the tent.

A boy with eyes as blue as the girl's appeared on the stage. They were even wearing the same colors: baby blue and black. The boy flashed a smile at William, although his was less friendly than the girl's.

"In fact," the boy hopped off the stage with catlike grace. "I don't think we could possibly let you go out there alone."

"I'll be fine," William said through gritted teeth.

William found himself positioned between the two kids: a perfect opportunity to strike. William began to work the mind control, feeling for any mental cracks in the children's minds. With the right amount of prodding, these kids would be completely under his control.

Only... William couldn't get into their heads.

This wasn't possible; every human he encountered succumbed to mind control, even the most stubborn ones. The seconds stretched by in silence, with William struggling and his polite facade unraveling. He had to get control before these kids caught on and realized something was-

"Do you feel that, sister? I think our guest is trying to mind-control us."

If William had any blood left in him, it would have run cold.

"Surely not!" the girl said with mock surprise. "After we've offered him such hospitality too..."

Only now did William notice the girl wasn't just standing at the entrance. She was blocking his only exit.

For the first time since he'd been turned, William felt the instinct to run. Was it worth abandoning his one prospective meal? There were two humans: one at the exit, one on the stage. William eyed both the children. Neither came any closer to him, giving him the best opportunity he'd get.

William made a break for the exit.

Only a few strides from freedom, an unseen forced jerked him back. He fought against it with superhuman strength. But every limb in his body became immobile, as if invisible push-pins had been stuck into him. William struggled against it, but with growing panic, he realized moving of his own free will was impossible. A blue glow surrounded him. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the boy had his hand around his bolo tie, the same blue glow emanating from it.

William's floated onto the stage in a frozen position of panic. Was this how humans felt when he chased after them? The children stared intensely at each other, not saying a word but holding an entire conversation William wasn't invited to listen in on.

He came to a stop on the middle of the stage. The girl hopped onto the stage, inspecting every inch of William's body. "It looks like we have a trespasser."

With sudden brutal force, she yanked William's jaw open. He couldn't cry out, couldn't even move his eyes as the girl loomed over him. "From the looks of him, I'd say he's a vampire."

How could a child with such an innocent face know what he was?

"Now, sister, play nice," the boy said, still gripping the jewel on his bolo tie. "Just because this vampire broke onto our property and we have every right to do what we please with him doesn't mean you get to kill him."

The girl pouted. "I never said I was going to kill him.

"Still, I am curious," the boy said. "We've never had a live vampire to analyze. And it's been so long since I dissected something."

"Brother, can a vampire survive without its heart?" the girl said.

"I can't say for sure. I supposed we'll have to test your theory…" The boy looked up at William, a sinister glint in his eyes.

With a wave of the boy's free hand, a pair of scissors floated out from one of the boxes. William watched helplessly as they drifted toward him. The girl snatched the scissors out of the air and stroked the blades. Her fingers curled around the handle, and she smiled as if she had just received a shiny new toy.

The girl gazed adoringly at the boy. "I've got a good feeling about this town."

"I couldn't agree with you more, dear sister."

They turned their attention back to the vampire pinned to the stage. With a nod from the boy, the girl raised her scissors.

William was right about the woods. They were quiet and far away from any human contact. Unfortunately for William, they were also far away from anyone who could possibly help him.

For that reason, no living souls heard William's screams.

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A/N: So this chapter ended up being way longer than I intended. I almost thought about splitting it up, but by the time I considered it, I was almost done anyways. So yeah, that's the first "episode" of this fic! There was a lot to cram in, which again, might be why this second chapter ended up being so long. Just wanted to introduce a handful of characters. That being said, I am very excited for the next episode. I hope you all liked this first one! I know Bill not actually showing up yet may be kind of bummer, but don't worry, he'll get his day in sun...