Dipper sat in a lounging chair, hands folded on his stomach as he stared at the ceiling nervously. "Are you sure this is worth it, Mabel? We already know what's wrong with me."

Mabel nodded. "True, but you still need to face your fears. Maybe he'll teach you a cool trick on how to snap out of your bad dreams!" She grinned optimistically, making Dipper smile lightly. Her ability to see the bright side of things always helped him in times like this. She continued, though, looking at the table beside Dipper's chair. "Besides, psychologists always keep candy in their room." She came forward and took two handfuls of the assortment of hard candies displayed in a little glass bowl. She stuffed them in her sweater pockets just as the doctor came in and ran out of the room laughing.

Dipper couldn't help but smile and shake his head at her. The doctor then approached, a lanky man with grey hair who he slightly recognized. He could tell Grunkle Stan had talked to him about lowering the price of the session already, as the man looked high strung. "Uh, hi. My name's Dipper." He held out his hand to the peculiar man, who nodded and looked at a clipboard.

"Indeed, Mister Pines. May I address you as such, Mister Pines?"

Dipper frowned and looked around for a moment. "Uh, sure?"

"Interesting."

Dipper shifted in his seat as the doctor scribbled seemingly meaningless notes on a notepad. His eyes drifted to the corner of the room. There was a cage which rattled. He shifted in his seat again. "Um, is that-?"

The psychologist turned and saw the cage, his eyes lighting up. "Oh! Geena! I forgot you were home!"

Dipper sat up as the psychologist stood and went to the cage. "Uh, actually, can you not-?"

The man smiled and opened the cage. "Here you go sweetheart."

Dipper got to his feet. "No! Wait!" Naturally, as soon as the woodpecker had the chance, it flew out of the cage and latched onto Dipper's head. Dipper was filled with dread, the close up view of the bird bringing him back to his nightmares, and he screamed and flailed, trying to brush the bird off his head as he ran out of the room.

Dipper stared ahead of him blankly as Mabel walked him home. "Well. I've been diagnosed with ornithophobia now."

Mabel shrugged. "Well, how were we supposed to know he had a woodpecker for a wife?"

Dipper frowned at her. "We went to their wedding! You were the flower girl, remember?"

Mabel looked up in a daze. "She was so beautiful in her feathery gown."

Dipper sighed and shook his head, stuffing his hands in his pockets and kicking a rock into the grass. "This was a waste of time. I could have been making another dream catcher, doing meditation-you should be doing it with me you know!" He turned towards his sister with a scowl. "I may be having the bad dreams, but you've got something too you know."

Mabel shrugged, pulling candy out of her sweater. "My dreams don't feel any different than normal." She popped the candy in her mouth. "As sweet as ever."

Dipper frowned as he thought for a bit, then his heart raced and he rushed up to his sister. "You haven't met anyone new in your dreams, have you?"

"Hm?"

"You know, someone you've never met before. A stranger, probably with a smart tongue and appealing demeanor."

Mabel laughed, "Dipper, my dreams are usually filled with boys. Of course I've met attractive strangers."

Dipper grabbed her arm. "But what did you say to them? Did you make any deals?"

Mabel took his hand off her arm and stared at him honestly. "Dipper, I wasn't ignoring you before. I'm not going to do anything stupid with anything inside my dreams. You don't have to worry over me."

Dipper shook his head. "But Mabel, you're in more danger than I am!"

Mabel frowned and stepped away from him. "Dipper," she scolded, "I can handle myself!"

"I'm just trying to protect you!"

"Well cut it out! Maybe I don't need protection from you!"

"What?!"

"You heard me! You're the one who crawls into my bed at night because of bad dreams! You're the one who wakes up the house with night terrors! You're orneo-whatever-phobic, remember? I'm not the one that needs help!"

Dipper stepped back from her. Unbelievable! "Alright then! See how you fare without me!" He stormed off down the street.

"Fine!" Mabel stormed off as well, though taking to the other side of the street to avoid him. As they got home, they entered through different doors and tried their best to avoid each other throughout the day. Neither would talk to anyone about it. All they could do was wait until nightfall and prove who was right. And as it neared, both became more and more anxious to see who was.

"She should have listened to you. Yet, you are so pitiful, I am not sure who would. Which child is more foolish, I wonder?"

Dipper grunted as he grasped his shoulder, which was oozing blood through his fingers. The creature, which Dipper now suspected was more wolf than anything, was grinning at him horrifically. But there were so many teeth, Dipper didn't know how they all fit in the thing's mouth. He edged backwards on the dirt, glaring at the beast to keep himself from crying out in terror. "Leave-... leave her alone..." He gasped to keep his breath steady, but gasped uncontrollably as the monster's eyes glinted the most horrific shade of red.

"It is not my will that assaults her mind. Now, boy, scream."