~Chapter Two~
Pacifica Smoke never found the smalltown of Levity Floats something she would deem 'interesting' and certainly not worthy of being called exciting.
Compared to seeing the Grand Canyon, wandering around in the jungles of the Amazon with her father, and witnessing a meteor shower in Alaska, Levity Falls was anything but exciting.
Sure, it had an admirable reputation for being a site of the supernatural. Over the years, it attracted a good number of tourists, given that Levity Floats is located in the state of Oregon nestled close to the thick forests. They especially came in abundant hoards during the summer, putting her father's business into a huge spin of success. And with Levity Floats so close to the forest's full of rumors of mysterious disappearances and the famous haunted lighthouse of the state of Oregon, it was people who spun the stories of the paranormal. It surprised Pacifica of how word seems to travel so fast through the whole country.
Slowly through her almost two years of living in Levity Floats, she watched hopeful ghost hunters to wandering journalists searching for a small story comb through her hometown and leaving with the stories that they were searching for, the town managed to gained some form of reputation over its decades for being a haunted, wistful place. Pacifica, having lived in Levity Floats for pretty much all of her life, would call this place anything but.
The Legend of the Abandoned Arcade where it was said some children were murdered in? Debunked by Pacifica. There was nothing in the arcade but the remnants of childhood and dusty machines.
Those haunting 'mermaid calls' at the beach? Debunked by Pacifica. Nothing but howling winds coming from nearby coves hiding behind the docks.
And of course, don't forget the cliche abandoned 'haunted' house. Debunked by Pacifica. All she found was a nestful of possums that made their happy home in the walls of the house.
Usually, any parent in Levity Floats would disapprove of their children exploring such 'evil' and 'haunted' places. Any parent but her father. She wouldn't quite call him the definition of someone responsible. Afterall, he was the very parent that bravely took his child travelling all of the world into places any grown-up would disapprove of taking a mere child. But, Pacifica would defend, that this was the greatest gift her father gave her.
Deep in her heart, Pacifica recalls from her faint childhood memories of the adventures she has all over the world, all exciting compared to the dreary and boring setting of Levity Falls. She still had the heart of a traveller and adventurer, and being chained down to one place was certainly not her style. However, she would have to make due with what she has.
And she happened to like Levity Floats the most when summer came.
RiiingggGGGGg!
"Woo-hoo!" Pacifica hollers at the top of her lungs, with the chorus of hundreds of other joyous middle schoolers, celebratory that the days of school finally ended. Hauling her jean-bag (custom made by Pacifica herself, sewed from the very pants of her father's closest friend, Soos, thankfully never used but incredibly baggy), she sprints outside with masses of other students. She gives out another holler, once meeting the summer heat of outside. Grinning at the clear open sky, Pacifica maps out the endless summer days ahead of her - unlike most schools all over America, Levity Floats local school dismisses their students for summer vacation on the first day of June.
Sure, sure, technically summer began on June 21st, as considered all over America, but June was the marking month where the temperatures slide to the eighty degrees. And strangely, it is an unsaid custom all over Levity Floats to hold the upmost respect for the season of summer - something that Pacifica is yet to debunk.
Her mind races with the adventures in store for the next two summer months ahead of her. Maybe convince Soos to build a treehouse? Try to search for the abandoned mines deep in the forests? Attempt to take a picture of the elusive lagoon monster? For a moment, a bare moment, Pacifica falters in sadness when remembering that she didn't have anyone to do these exciting activities with. Her eyes flicker over to kids her age running past her, straight to the arcade or the beach.
Longing.
She bristles, slinging her bag higher on her shoulder, speeding up her pace. It was a small sacrifice Pacifica has to pay - it seems that all of the kids her age nowadays are more interested in staying cooped in their homes staring aimlessly at the TV rather than enjoying the outside. She swore that she would never attempt to stay inside in the summers. Pacifica can simply not be tied down. And the other kids sense that. Another thing she disliked about Levity Floats, was that the people hated different.
Pacifica snorts to herself, with a toss of her long platinum blonde hair. Remembering this just brings plain incredulity to her mind. How could the people possibly hate different when they are surrounded by lies of supernatural and mystery? That itself is a mystery Pacifica cannot fathom -
HONK!
Instantly, the blonde is snapped out of her thoughts, when the honking of a car horn pulls her back into reality. Her pupils dilate, seeing a black mass looking of death hurdling towards her. Yelping, she jumps to the side just in the nick of time. Road dust clings to the air, mixed with the ugly smell of car fumes. Eyes burning and throat practically choked up, Pacifica hacks, wiping her tearing eyes.
"Ugh! What is the hold up?!" She hears a pitched feminine voice pierce through the dusty air.
"S-so sorry, m-madam -"
"You have one job, Harold. One stupid little job to drive us to our mansion, and this is how you do it?!"
"Settle down, Mabel." A drawling, bored sounding voice states.
Once the dust clears, Pacifica stumbles to her feet, coughing dryly. Other people are staring at the car with the newcomers as well, whispering to each other, rumors already thickening the atmosphere. The girl sighs to herself, regretting to cause some trouble, and walks to the car. She sees a girl, probably around her age - however she doesn't certainly look of it. Her pale, flushed face is full of makeup complimenting look admittedly pretty, already making the girl look like a teenger. She is dressed snappishly in a black blazer and flared out hot pink dress, something that Pacifica admired as an outfit.
Resting on the girl's hip-length brunette hair, is a simple black headband - the only design a lapis lazuli colored jewel of some sort. It seems to glow fiercly in the sunlight - and for a moment, Pacifica swore, the jewel radiated some sort of - dunno, blue aura. Magic. The word breathes heavily into Pacifica's mind, as she stares at the gem, entranced.
"Please, please miss, I'm sorry…" says the bumbling voice of the cowed chauffeur.
"Sorry is not enough!" The girl, (Mabel, was it?) screeches angrily.
Pacifica, alarmed for the poor looking man, steps into the wrath of the brunette haired girl. "Uhm...I'm sorry, really, I am," She says to Mabel, with a small and embarrassed smile. "I wasn't paying attention where I was going, and I walked in front of your car. Silly me, am I right? Anyway, it's really my fault, so don't be mad at the driver."
The other girl draws her head back, sizing up Pacifica. Her eyes - her blue, blue strange eyes, snap to Pacifica. This sends immediate shivers down her back instantly. Her pretty face, scrunches up into the most cruel sneer. "How about..." The girl points straight at Pacifica, with a clenched expression. However, whispers arise from the ongoing crowd, as they stare at Mabel, the newcomer. The hardened sneer on the girl's face, melts into realization, then into a sickly sweet smile all in a few seconds.
Pacifica stares wide-eyed at Mabel's perfectly manicured fingers, as it slowly pats her shoulder. Once again, she shudders, staring straight at Mabel's electric blue accented eyes. She would look away, but she had the most dreadful feeling that is she so much takes her eyes off of this brunette, something bad will happen... "You really need to watch where you're going!" A high pitched, concerned sounding tone says from Mabel. A new mask is plastered on her face, something in the picture of concern. Fake concern. Pacifica reminds herself, standing stiffly. "Isn't that right? You know us kids these days! So crazy to get out of those caged places we call school! Am I right folks?" Mabel asks the gathering crowds sweetly.
All the while she was talking, Pacifica eyes are attracted to the luminous glowing of the jewel resting on Mabel's headband. This goes unnoticed by the crowd, as they laugh at Mabel's cute little comment. This couldn't help but send unease down Pacifica's spine, hearing the - oh she doesn't know, robotic laughter from the surrounding people. Movement comes from behind Mabel, another figure emerging.
It's a boy, looking of Pacifica's age. He looked almost identical to Mabel, like the boy version of her. Striking, somewhat alluring, looking too old for someone around thirteen or fourteen years old...and admittedly, bringing redness to Pacifica's cheeks, good looking. Pacifica's racing thoughts screech to a stop when this last thought pops up in her mind. As if he heard her thoughts, the boy gives her a side glance. Waves of tousled, brunette hair fall gracefully across his forehead. The boy is practically the same height of Pacifica, but his straight posture, stoic expression, and demeaning aura made him seem all the more taller.
The only thing stopping Pacifica falling to the stranger's good looking charms, was the same creepy, creepy glowing blue eyes that matched Mabel.
He scans Pacifica for another few seconds, eyes narrowing. His face darkens noticeably, expression violent and scornful directed at Pacifica for some reason. She flinches. What did I do? Her thoughts fly wildly. Did I do something to upset him?! However, just exactly like Mabel, the boy's face smoothly transitions into a cool but charismatic smile. Coos and aahs from other girls probably from Pacifica's school, admire the boy's smile. He gives a slight bow to Pacifica, looking nothing short but respectful. This should've sent Pacifica into a fit of nervous giggling and talking of nonsense, but for the first time in her life, she found herself speechless.
She couldn't erase those violent expressions that those two alluring strangers made at her...expressions that only she saw.
"Pacifica Smoke, am I correct?" The boy suddenly asks her, his voice a bit older sounding for someone his age. It is smooth, even, and composed, sounding the definition of maturity.
"Uhm, yes. Woah, how'd you know?" The hairs on her neck raise, as she slowly edges away.
He cocks his head, more wavy brown hair falling across his forehead. "The Mystery Shack has quite a reowned reputation of displaying wonders in Levity Floats. Isn't that right, folks?" He asks the crowd. Pacifica's eyes instinctively snap to the glowing - the glowing hanging around the boy's neck. It comes from a brooch, smooth and blue. The boy has the same effect on the crowd like so Mabel did - agreement, submissiveness, and admiration.
Something real weird is going on here...I don't like it!
In synch, both brunettes turn to Pacifica, their unnatural eyes boring through her. Pacifica gives a nervous, quiverring smile. The onlooking crowd not able to contain their curiosity any longer, start shouting questions at the two strangers.
"Please, please, settle down folks," The boy says to the crowd, as Pacifica slowly but surely edges away from the scene.
"You may have never heard of us, but we are the Mystery Twins. Proud children of the Northwests." She last heard from the boy, over the oohing and aahing from the residents of Levity Floats.
Gideon Smoke couldn't help but feel relieved in spite of his guilt.
He gets to spend a whole summer in Levity Floats - a town known for its haunting reputation for a whole summer. His mother, feeling guilty that she sent his two little sisters to theatre camp in New York, his little brother to a sleepaway camp in California, and slightly younger brother to spend the summer with their fossil-obsessed aunt, Gideon had the open choice of choosing wherever he can spend the summer instead of staying at empty and spacious suburban house of Pennsylvania.
"Are you going to be alright home alone, ma?" Gideon worriedly asks, curling his strange blonde almost white hair.
His mom grins broadly at him, taking a moment to pat his fluffy hair. "I reckon so, Snow Boy."
He frowns, clearly not convinced. "You're going to remember to feed the cat, right?"
"I'll change his bowls e'ry night."
"You promise me you won't live off of microwavable food…"
"I sure as hell will miss your homecooking, but I'll try to memorize the cookbook from front to back."
"And don't forget to write to me!"
"Yes, yes Snow-Boy, 'ave a lil' faith," His mother chuckles, shaking her head. "Sometimes, I reckon boy, you're the mother and I'm the child."
Gideon flushes red at his cheeks, nervously managing a smile. "T-that's just my job, y'know?"
"I'll be fine, Gideon. But work sure is being a pain in the arse." She groans, steering left. In the distance, nestled to the roadside, Gideon sees the faint outline of the Mystery Shack. For the first time, Gideon's anticipating jittery expression is wiped off his face when he sees sight of the Shack. The pudgy little boy crawls up to the window.
"Ma, I'm so excited!"
"You have the right to be. Afterall, being in the ol' suburban life of Pennsylvania and being in charge of the house, my little boy needs a break." His mother smiles lovingly at him. He smiles back, this smile growing even wider as the car stops in front of the Mystery Shack. Good golly! A whole two months and three and a half weeks at this place! Gideon thought to himself, fumbling to unbuckle his seatbelt.
Glancing over to the tall sign of, Welcome to Levity Floats!, he smiles with an edge of determination. Don't let me down for what you're known for, now! Gideon thought, grabbing his duffel bag, and hopping out of the car, meeting the blast of brutal summer heat.
A/N: So the Reverse Twins appear in this chapter! What havoc do they bring with them…? Am I taking the chapters too slowly? If so, I apologize. I want to take the time to establish the reversed personalities and the new world of Levity Floats. Should I make my chapters longer? I would really love to hear your opinions, readers! Critsicm and suggestions are highly welcomed! Reviews are much appreciated! And I will see you next chapter!