"White walls surround us; no light will touch your face again.
Rain taps the window, as we sleep among the dead.
Days go on forever, but I have not left your side.
We can chase the dark together; if you go then so will I."
"Anthem of the Angels" by Breaking Benjamin
Chapter 3 – We All Wear Masques…
Once again, Dipper landed hard on his hands and knees after falling for an eternity through the white lights. He let out a massive groan as he began to stagger back to balance.
"Where am I now?"
Gone were the bright colors of Linguini World. He looked down to see that he had reverted back to his "classic" outfit of short pants, blue vests, and orange tee. Dipper stood at the base of an underground cave. The area was extremely dark, with very little light leading the way. As Dipper followed the lighted path, a foul, sour aroma entered his nostrils, making him very nauseated. Despite the poor lighting, Dipper began to make out his surroundings a bit clearer. The path was decorated with dozens of pairs of shackles and fetters welded to the walls. Some were completely covered in dust and spider webs, while others were splattered with a red substance, as if they were put to good use just lately. Dipper shuddered at the sight, hoping that the red goop wasn't what he thought it was.
"Aaaaaarrrrrgggggghhhhhhh!"
A horrid moan made Dipper freeze in his tracks. "What in the heck was that?" He looked around, step by careful step, trying to find the source of the nightmarish sound. The answer made him stop in hesitation once more.
The painful sounds were coming from a figure lying face down on the right side of the road. Coincidentally, the downed person (complete with messy, yet long red hair) was outfitted with an all-too-familiar green flannel shirt, tight blue jeans, and mud-stained boots. As doubts rose in Dipper's mind, he noticed that the being seemed to twitch violently. He glanced to see that someone (or something) had padlocked its booted ankles in a portable pair of stocks, leaving it totally immobile.
Dipper, remembering the previous deception from Linguini World, was extremely cautious to examine the sight before his eyes. He knew he shouldn't, but at the same time, he couldn't leave the thought lingering in the back of his mind. He couldn't chance it if this was really her…
Slowly, Dipper placed his hand gently on the plaid shoulder, and easily turned it around so he could see said person's face…
"Is that you, Wend-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH! he recoiled in horror!
The face starting back at him was barely just that; a thin purple skinned visage barely covering a skeletal frame. The poor creature was missing its nose as well as its top layer of teeth. Dipper was almost hypnotized by its pure black eyes. He stopped himself from retching at the creature's terrible smell; the rot of the grave.
"HHHEEELLLLPPPPMMMMEEE! it moaned in agony, reaching out with its bony hand to Dipper. In absolute fear, Dipper flung himself backwards into the nearest wall, trying to put as much distance as possible. Hyperventilating, Dipper struggled to regain his breath, wondering what he just encountered.
"Was…was that a zombie?"
Dipper let another girlish shriek out as he felt something grip his ankle. He quickly glanced down to see a "zombie boy" trying to pull at him through a form of grate. Like its female counterpart, it was missing several features, but wearing garb similar to Dipper's outfit. As it tightened its grip, it hissed to Dipper in a haunting moan, "SSSSSTTTTTAAAAAYYYYYY!"
Dipper, now fully panicked, kicked free and back away from the creatures. Suddenly, the low flames lighting the way exploded into huge fireballs, revealing more of the dangerous pathway. Dipper gasped in shock at the new sights in front of him.
The creatures in front of him were only two of dozens stretched out in front of him! Dozens of disfigured boys and girls were crying out in agony for freedom. Dipper turned back to the boy creature to see that he wasn't reaching from behind a grate, but actually a makeshift cell built into the cave itself. Just by turning his head, Dipper seen that there was several others down the road, each complete with twisted arms reaching for anything that could get ahold of.
Dipper looked around at the walls decorating the cave. Now able to see every aspect, he discovered that they were covered with several forms of medieval torture devices (besides the hanging manacles sighted earlier) as well as various types of paranormal artifacts. Dipper realized that he wasn't just standing in a form of underground cave; it was a form of secret dungeon!
Dipper felt ill. He questioned, "What sort of game is this?!"
Suddenly, Dipper's eyes were drawn to the cavern walls as they began to bleed. "No…" he questioned himself. "It's not blood; it's too thick…" He watched in silent awe as the reddish goop flowed from cracks in the wall into two neatly circular puddles. Dipper's heart jumped into his throat as each puddle began to rise up and take shape! They each grew crudely shaped legs, torsos, arms, and finally, heads, complete with sad, melancholy eyes. Within a second or two of forming, both monsters growled (despite not having any visible mouths) and stumbled towards Dipper.
Dipper, despite freaking out over the incredible sight in front of him, stood his ground. He didn't come this far to be defeated by these "jellymen." "Back off, man," he bluffed. "I know…uh…jujitsu!"
However, the sluggish creatures continued on their way to the frightened teen. Without thinking, Dipper took a clenched fist and attempted to punch the nearest creature. Dipper's fist went through the creature's torso with a sickening *SPLAT.*Despite this, the creature shrugged off Dipper's offensive. He looked up to see that the monster's empty eyes now turned menacing. "Hehe…" he laughed nervously, knowing that he failed miserably. The monster reached back and swiftly sliced Dipper across the chest. The small teen was hit with such momentum, he flew back into one of the displays, a huge sarcophagus.
Dipper sunk into the cold floor, as the coffin opened, its contents poured into the wounded teen. Dipper screamed as a mummified corpse fell literally on the boy. As he bolted up in shock, the body instantly turned to dust, only leaving behind its face. Dipper looked at the item. It was a bone-white visage, a cross between a hockey mask and a Japanese Kabuki piece. The eyes were wide yet totally empty. The holes across the mouth piece almost resembled a form of twisted smile. As Dipper examined the horrid artwork, a shiver was sent down his spine for an unknown reason. Dipper tried to move again, but appalling pain traveled through his front.
He looked down to where the beast had struck him. A huge gash traveled across his chest. Dipper held the wound tightly, hoping to stop the bleeding. He looked forward to see the goop creatures slowly shambling towards him, attempting to finish him off.
Dipper looked on in despair. He wasn't strong enough to stop these monsters. What was he going to do now? More importantly, what would happen to Wendy? What horrible things would these creatures put her though? Would they join the ranks of the imprisoned souls here? As Dipper prepared for the end, a single voice echoed through his mind:
"SHE DOESN'T HAVE TO DIE…"
Dipper looked around, desperate to see the source of the voice. He looked down to see that a few droplets of his blood had splattered on the tribunal mask at his feet. There was no way that this thing spoke to him, was there?
"D-D-Did you say something?" Dipper asked, doubting himself. He jumped back as the object shot back:
"THERE'S STILL TIME! IF YOU WANT TO SAVE THE GIRL, YOU MUST TRUST ME. PUT ME ON!"
Dipper still couldn't believe his ears. "What are you?!" he questioned.
"I HAVE MANY NAMES; SOME CALL ME GOD; SOME CALL ME THE DEVIL. YOU CAN CALL ME YOUR SAVING GRACE; YOUR LAST HOPE!"
Still, Dipper hesitated. The jelly creatures came closer. He was unsure if he could trust this "thing." He heard the raspy voice grow impatient:
"HURRY, FOOL! YOU'RE NO GOOD TO YOUR PRECIOUS WENDY IF YOU'RE WORM FOOD!"
Dipper asked surprised, "Now, how do you know…"
"THAT'S NOT IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW!" the mask interrupted. "ONLY I CAN GIVE YOU THE POWER YOU NEED! ALL I NEED IS A LITTLE FAITH! WE CAN SAVE HER! IF YOU TRUST ME! IF YOU PUT...ME...ON!"
Dipper picked up the sentient object and held it his arms. He wasn't sure what to expect, but he had to agree: what choice did he have? As he held the mask before his face, he took a deep breath and thought to himself, "Wendy, for you…" He slipped the mask on…
"OOOHHHHHHHHH!" the mask moaned in ecstasy. Dipper felt a huge amount of heat on his face as it seemed like the mask clamped onto the back of his head.
All of a sudden, blazing pain shot through every aspect of Dipper's body. He screamed in agony as he dropped to the floor and his body spasmed uncontrollably. With his eyes shut tight, Dipper could only listen as he heard the sounds of fabric ripping, limbs stretching, and even bones breaking. Within seconds, Dipper's girlish cries became incredible roars, forcing the pursuing monsters to stop in their tracks. As the pain finally resided, Dipper felt something new flowing throughout his body. He actually felt…good…no…great!
Full of energy and pure strength, Dipper leaped back onto his feet. He looked down at his body. It had changed vastly! His arms were pure muscle, being at least twenty times their previous size. His chest was now bare (his shirt and vest ripped off) but Dipper wowed in the fact that he had pecs on top of pecs! The wound that the slime monster created was fully healed; there wasn't even a scar or marking left! Dipper noticed that his pants (he thanked Heaven his shorts didn't rip open) and shoes remained the same, almost as if they grew alongside his body. This "thing" had hulked him out! He glanced ahead to the awaiting creatures. Their demeanor had completely changed; they were now literally shaking in their boots!
"NOW THAT WE'RE SITUATED…" the mask started again…"GIVE THAT RIGHT JAB ANOTHER SHOT!"
With that, Dipper took a step towards the slime that marked him moments before. He pulled his enormous fist back, and plunged it straight into the face of the monster. With a rush of power, the being flew backwards into the ground with a loud *SQUISH.* To Dipper, it felt like he was beating up on a Peanut Butter & Jelly sandwich. He quickly looked at the second monster, and delivered a jump kick into its midsection. The creature easily split into two, shortly returning to a puddle of slime from which it came.
"Incredible…" Dipper thought, observing his new form.
"ISN'T IT?" the mask answered in response.
"Wait…" Dipper asked aloud. "You can hear me?"
"OF COURSE! NO NEED TO SHOUT! I CAN HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS, AND VICE VERSA. BUT, IT'S "OUR" LITTLE SECRET! YOU DON'T WANT PEOPLE THINKING YOU'RE TALKING TO YOURSELF…"
"Alright," Dipper confirmed. "So…what is this place?"
"WELCOME…" the mask on his face introduced, "…TO 'SLAUGHTERHOUSE'! IT'S A JUST A SLICE OF HELL RIGHT HERE ON EARTH!"
"Ummm…." questioned Dipper. "Never heard of it…" He flashed back on all of the games he had tried with Wendy today, and he had never even seen a game close to the one he was trapped in currently.
"EASY ANSWER…" the mask explained. "THERE ARE SOME GAMES TOO INTENSE FOR PUBLIC DISPLAY…THIS GAME HAS BEEN HIDDEN AWAY IN THE ARCADE'S BACKROOM FOR DECADES! WE'RE ON SO MANY BANNED AND PARENTAL ADVISORY LISTS THAT IT'S NOT EVEN FUNNY! IT'S OLDER THAN YOU AND YOUR PRETTY GIRLFRIEND COMBINED! "
The mere mention of Wendy cleared Dipper's mind. "We have to get going…"
The mask interrupted again, "JUST A SECOND, THERE, BOY-O! THIS IS THE DEAL: I CAN GIVE YOU THE STRENGTH YOU NEED TO SURVIVE, BUT I NEED SOMETHING IN RETURN…I LIVE OFF THE SUFFERING OF OTHERS. IN OTHER WORDS, THE MORE YOU SQUISH, THE MORE POWERFUL "WE" BECOME…SPEAKING OF…"
Dipper looked down the path as more ooze flowed from the walls, quickly forming into more "jellymen."
"…SHOW ME WHAT YOU CAN DO! MAKE IT FUN! MAKE IT MESSY! REMEMBER, YOU ARE THE "MONSTER" THAT THE MONSTERS FEAR!"
Dipper quickly surveyed the area to try to find anything of use. He figured that he couldn't rely on his massive fists alone. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw an abandoned wooden plank. He bent down and took the 2x4 into both hands. Now armed, Dipper approached the group of creatures and began to use the plank like a baseball bat. The monsters were quickly turned into colorful stains drooping against the cavern walls. With all enemies clear, Dipper and his companion continued onward, looking for a way out of the dungeon.
"Sooo…what's the deal with this place?" asked Dipper. "Who are all of these prisoners?"
"FULL OF QUESTIONS, AREN'T WE?" mocked the mask. "TELL ME IF I HIT ANY PARALLELS HERE…THERE ONCE WAS A YOUNG ADULT, A WANNABE SCIENTIST, WHO LIKED TO DABBLE IN THE PARANORMAL. PEOPLE THOUGHT HIM WEIRD FOR IT, BUT HE DIDN'T CARE. HE LOCKED HIMSELF AWAY IN HIS MANSION AND TOILED AWAY FOR YEARS UNTIL HE WAS ABLE TO PERFECT THE ART OF RESURRECTION…"
Dipper interrupted, "Those jelly-guys? They are…err…were people once?"
"YOU GOT IT. ONE DAY, THE GUY FINDS A FORBIDDEN BOOK THAT CLUES HIM IN ON THINGS THAT SHOULD UNSEEN TO HUMAN EYES. YOU KNOW, THE USUAL: HORRIBLE ABOMINATIONS, PORTALS TO THE OTHER SIDE, AND SO FORTH. THE MORE HE DOES, THE LESS CONTROL HE HAS OVER EVERYTHING, UNTIL SUDDENLY, THE INMATES TAKE OVER THE ASYLUM. AND IN THE END…"
Dipper's heart jumped into his throat as the mask concluded, "…IT COSTS HIM EVERYTHING; HIS LIFE, HIS SANITY, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE WOMAN HE LOVED WITH ALL HIS HEART…"
As Dipper finally found the exit, a ladder leading to the next level, he thought back on the mask's story. Was he as guilty as the man in the story when considering his "adventures" with the journal labeled #3? He climbed up the shaky ladder, looking back on the moaning prisoners he left behind. The mask reassured him:
"THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO FOR THEM…THEY'RE NO LONGER HUMAN…LET'S JUST SAY THAT THEY WERE ONCE LITTLE DIPPERS AND WENDYS WHO WERE FOOLISH ENOUGH TO GET CAUGHT EXPLORING THE MANSION GROUNDS. NOW, THEY EXIST ONLY AS REMNANTS OF FAILED EXPERIMENTS…"
Dipper gulped at the new information. He had only cheated a worse-than-death situation by mere seconds...
At the top of the ladder, Dipper opened a pathway into a new room. As he climbed up, the doorway shut tightly beneath him. He looked up to see a new, ghastly sight. This new room was an enclosed fireplace with piles upon piles of skeletal remains as decoration.
"CHECK AROUND FOR A SECRET PATHWAY…" ordered the mask. As Dipper felt around for a switch, he noticed that the surrounding bones were moving. "Uhhhh…" groaned a worried Dipper.
"BE READY FOR ANYTHING!" warned the twisted visage. In a flash, something leaped from the pile into midair. Dipper, using his new reflexes, caught it in midair. The creature was a giant red leech, complete with rows of sharp, jagged teeth. As it kept trying to bite the young hero, he slammed the creature down into the wooden floor. Suddenly, Dipper felt a sharp pain in his left calf. He looked down to see another leech latched onto his leg. With a mighty kick, the creature was thrown into the wall. Dipper raised his eyes to see a whole barrage of hungry worms flying towards him. Using incredible agility, he was able to counter every invader, resulting in several tiny *SPLATS* over the room's ceiling, walls, and floor. Dipper remained valiant in his stance, until he noticed that the bone pile finally stopped wriggling. Dipper took a minute to catch his breath.
"FINALLY!" the mask complained. "LET'S GET GOING ALREADY!"
"What's your rush?" asked Dipper. The demonic voice responded, "YOU MEAN YOU HAVEN'T FIGURED IT OUT, YET? AND YOU'RE THE SMART ONE?" Dipper became annoyed by the creature's taunts, "What's that supposed to mean?" The sentient mask bellowed a haunting laugh, "DIPPER, MY BOY, DIDN'T YOU WONDER WHY DEAR WENDY WASN'T IN THE PRISON BELOW?" Dipper stood silent, not able to follow the mask's point of view.
The creature sighed, "DO YOU KNOW WHAT A POLTERGEIST IS?" Dipper nodded, "Of course!" "GOOD, GOOD!" the mask congratulated, "YOU'RE NOT ENTIRELY HOPELESS…" Dipper frowned deeply beneath his newly covered face. "ANYWAYS…" it continued. "WHAT DO THE SO-CALLED EXPERTS BELIEVE IS THE SOURCE, THE ATTRACTION OF SUCH OCCURENCES?" Dipper guessed, "Um…the unresolved energy of teenage girls?" "ALMOST THERE, SLUGGER," the mask persisted. "…AND FOR THIS, WHAT WOULD WE CONSIDER WENDY TO BE?"
As the mask rambled on, Dipper finally found the hidden switch, tucked safety inside of the soot filled fireplace. A small *CLICK* echoed though the room, and with great force, the fireplace turned sideways, revealing a path to the outside.
He stepped outside, desperate to take a non-decayed-smelling breath. When he looked at the outside, a macabre purplish-red night sky surrounded by the twisted and twisted branches of the surrounding woods, he responded to the mask's delayed question, "So, what's the big deal about Wendy being a teenager?"
The mask responded with severe aggravation in its voice, "IT'S WHAT TYPE OF TEENAGER SHE IS, FOOL! THINK ABOUT IT; ONE MINUTE, SHE'S AS LAZY AS A SLOTH, BUT THE NEXT, SHE HAS THE ENERGY AND ENDURANCE OF TEN MEN! TO THE FREAKS OF THIS WORLD, SHE'S LIKE A HUGE PILE OF SUGAR TO A SWARM OF FLIES! THEY PLAN TO HARVESS HER SPIRIT FOR THEIR OWN PURPOSES…"
The mask's revelation made Dipper remember the threat Rumble made against Wendy earlier…
"…we will take great pleasure in draining her life essence and making her part of our world, forever!"
The mask chuckled to itself as it too, could see the recollection in Dipper's mind, "NOW YOU'RE GETTING IT…AS IN THE CASE OF KUNG FU PHOOEY THERE, HE HAD A TASTE OF THE REAL WORLD, AND NOW WISHES TO EXPERIENCE IT AGAIN. HECK, WHAT BETTER WAY TO KILL TWO BIRDS WITH ONE STONE…HE TAKES THE LIFE OF YOUR SO-CALLED GREAT LOVE, AND MAKES YOU WATCH, HELPLESS TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT! TALK ABOUT MULTI-TASKING!
Dipper cut off the demonic voice, "That's not gonna happen…" Dipper looked to the sky as he heard rustling in the trees above him. More jellymen waited in wait for an ambush. Using his newfound strength, he punched the tree trunk, forcing the monsters down into the ground. As Dipper fought his way through the new batch of enemies, the mask continued to taunt him…
"DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE YOU HAVE A CHANCE? I MEAN, WE BOTH KNOW YOU HAVE NO CHANCE OF TRULY BEING WITH HER, BUT AT LEAST, A CHANCE AT SAVING HER?"
Dipper, in the middle of smashing two jellymen together into a gooey mess, answered back, "Hey! Aren't you on MY side?!"
"I'M ON THE SIDE OF WHOEVER'S HAVING THE MOST FUN…" the creature stuck on his face snapped back. "BESIDES, AS A NEUTRAL BYSTANDER, I'D SAY IT'S THE LEAST YOU COULD DO FOR HER…AFTER ALL, IT IS YOUR FAULT DEAR WENDY IS TRAPPED IN THIS NIGHTMARE…"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"WELL, YOU WISHED FOR THIS, DIDN'T YOU, BIRTHDAY BOY?! YOU WANTED THE WORLD TO GO AWAY, TO HAVE IT JUST YOU AND HER! YOU DIDN'T CARE THAT THERE WAS A CHANCE YOU COULD GET ATTACKED! YOU JUST SAT THERE WITH YOUR 'VIDDY' GAMES AND CHOCOLATE CAKE, AND DIDN'T SAY TWO WORDS, AND NOW, SHE'S AS GOOD AS DEAD, AND…IT'S…ALL…YOUR….FAULT!"
"Aaaaaaarrrrrggggghhhhhhh!" Dipper roared in agony, giving in to the primal fury within. He literally ran through the next squadron of jelly monsters, leaving behind a trail of multicolored slime. After a few moments, he regained his composure.
"What are you?! "he whined, trying to yank the clamped relic off his face. "Why are you doing this?"
"REMEMBER, KID…I'M MERELY JUST A MASK…" it warned. "I'M ONLY AS GOOD OR AS BAD AS THE ACTOR WEARING ME. THESE DOUBTS…THIS BEAUTIFUL RAGE…IT ALL COMES FROM SOMEWHERE DEEP INSIDE YOU…AT THE END OF THE DAY, I'M ONLY AN EXPRESSION OF YOUR HEART'S DESIRE…
Upon hearing this, Dipper struggled to remain calm. Was the deceitful being correct? Was he a terrible person on the inside? He looked back at the trail of the undead he left behind. He realized that the mask was right about one thing: the whole time he fought the monsters that pursued him, he was deviously smiling as if he was actually enjoying it…
Further down the road, after an extended brief of silence, Dipper addressed his quasi-comrade once more.
"Okay, I understand why Rumble needs Wendy, but why do the creatures care? Are they working in tandem?"
"NOPE!" the mask corrected. "THE OPPOSITE, ACTUALLY. YOUR PRETTY LADY IS CAUGHT IN THE BIGGEST GAME OF TUG-OF-WAR THAT THE DIGITAL WORLD HAS EVER SEEN! DO YOU SEE THAT BUILDING IN THE BACKGROUND?"
Dipper raised his head to see a gigantic mansion looming in the distance. The three-story building stood decrepit and dilapidated, yet seemed to have an ominous aura surrounding it.
"Slaughterhouse?" guessed Dipper. "YOU GUESSED IT!" the mask continued. "ONCE CALLED THE EASTMAN MANSION, AS LEAST BEFORE THE OLD MAN FILLED THE GROUNDS WITH THE UNDEAD. EVERY KID USED TO KNOW THE LEGENDS THAT ONCE YOU ENTERED, YOU NEVER CAME OUT, BUT NO ONE KNEW THE TRUTH. THE HOUSE ITSELF IS A SENTIENT CREATURE!
Dipper's stomach turned sour.
"THE HOUSE DREAMS OF BEING ALIVE! IT-"
The discussion was interrupted as suddenly thunder clasped throughout the sky. In a moment's instance, it began to violently pour on top of the young hero. The purple hued sky was now replaced with dark black and grey clouds…
"IT KNOWS WE'RE COMING…"
Another deafening sound echoed throughout the area. Dipper could have sworn that the sound resembled buzzing…The mask screamed at the young boy, "RUN, FOOL!"
Dipper asked the guide, "Why? What's happening?!"
All of a sudden, the buzzing came closer and closer. Dipper looked in circles as he seen the surrounding trees fall in a flash of light. Dipper carefully dodged the falling debris, unable to make out the source due to the rainy atmosphere. As lightning struck again, blinding him with bright light, Dipper turned around, to the buzzing sound, to see his attacker.
On a short bridge overseeing the path to the house stood a hulking beast, very similar in size to Dipper's current form. Its torso and legs, while muscular, was covered in horrific, infected scars. The face was covered in a simple, yet red-stained burlap sack, with two small eyeholes, revealing soulless, beady red eyes. The most horrifying aspect was the creatures' arms, which consisted of two chainsaw blades whirling relentlessly. As Dipper stood frozen in terror, the creature stepped forward, crossing his bladed arms together, creating a massive display of sparks!
"KID!" Someone from the back of Dipper's mind shouted. "KID, MOVE NOW!"
Somehow, Dipper ducked as the creature swung his weaponized limbs at him, just barely missing him. A low growl came from the giant, annoyed that he had missed his target. Dipper forced himself to form a sentence, "What…what in heaven's name is that?"
"THAT'S EASTMAN'S PERSONAL GROUNDSKEEPER. HE DOES EVERYTHING HERE: LAWNCARE, TENDING TO THE PIRANHA POOL, AND KEEPING UNWANTED GUESTS FROM THE HOUSE! AS YOU COULD GUESS, HE'S NOT ONE FOR COMPANY!"
Dipper continued to dodge and maneuver pass the Groundskeeper's blades. After a third swing, Dipper stepped up and gave the creature a hard jab in the breadbasket. The Groundskeeper, not even taking a step back in reflex, moaned loudly and returned the blow with a narrow cut across Dipper's arm.
"AAAhhhhh!" Dipper screamed, leaping back and checking out the collateral damage. His right arm had a terrible gash, but it wasn't anything life threatening.
"JEEZ!" the mask moaned. "ONE LITTLE CUT, AND YOU ACT LIKE A BABY!" Dipper yelled back, "This isn't exactly little…" All of a sudden, extreme heat formed on Dipper's face, and shortly moved throughout his body, ending up at the damaged area. He watched as the wound quickly reversed, not even feeling a mark of any kind. "SEE…" the mask calmed him. "DADDY MADE IT ALL BETTER!"
Fully healed, Dipper approached the beastly opponent once more. He knew that he couldn't defeat him through brute strength alone. He looked at the unsteady bridge that he and the monster stood on, and noticed the bubbling pond below. Dipper quickly recalled something that the mask mentioned earlier, and an idea popped into his head. He took a small leap back from the bridge and raised both arms into the air, praying that this would work.
With a thunderous fury, Dipper smashed through the bridge, forcing the Groundskeeper into the deep pool. After a few seconds of bubbles, the monster's burlapped head poked up, until it was pulled down violently into the depth. The single stream of bubbles became dozens and dozens, shortly followed by a huge puddle of black goop rising to the top of the lake. The sound of spinning duel chainsaws finally ceased.
"PIRANHA POOL?" asked the mask gleefully. Dipper nodded in agreement. "ATTABOY!" the being congratulated. "YOU SEE? YOU ARE GETTING THE SWING OF THINGS…" "Yeah, yeah…" Dipper digressed, trying to hide the fact that he might have enjoyed seeing his former nemesis fall to its doom.
As he approached the house and ripped open the front door, the mask asked an odd question,
"HEY DIPPY, DO YOU THINK AFTER ALL OF THIS, YOU'LL GET A 'THANK YOU' AT THE LEAST?"
Dipper stopped in his tracks, confused by his companion's question. He thought "Not this again," but part of him was intrigued. "What are you talking about?"
"ABOUT WENDY, OF COURSE. I MEAN, THIS ISN'T THE FIRST TIME YOU'VE SAVED HER FRECKLED GINGER ASS FROM A HAUNTING. DUSK2DAWN, RIGHT? ALL THE CREDIT TO YOU FOR GETTING THE JOB DONE, MAN, BUT NO 'THANKS FOR SAVING MY BACON,' NO HUG, NO PECK ON THE CHEEK, NADA…"
Dipper answered sharply, "She didn't have to do any of that…we have a special bond, a connection where some things are better left unspoken. Besides, she would have done the exact same thing for me…" The comment started to stir in Dipper's mind…
The mask bellowed a monstrous, haunting laugh at the young boy's defense, "SPECIAL, HA! THE ONLY THING SPECIAL IS THE PEDESTRAL YOU PUT HER ON. I UNDERSTAND, KID, THAT BACK HOME IN PIEDMONT, YOU'RE A LONER, BUT STILL, THERE ARE BETTER OPTIONS…"
"Shut up…" growled Dipper in a deep, yet low voice.
"…THAN TO PICK UP ON GRAVITY FALLS' LEFTOVERS. PERHAPS SHE AND THAT LOSER GOTH KID TRULY DO DESERVE EACH OTHER…"
In a fit of adrenaline rage, Dipper grabbed onto the nearest wall, and threw his face through it, hoping to hurt and silence the vile thing stuck on his face. The mask laughed at his futile effort.
"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" Dipper ordered. "You don't talk about my Wendy that way! Sure, she's not perfect, but neither am I! And more importantly, she accepts my faults, so why shouldn't I do the same?! There are not many people who would do that for me, especially back home! That's why, to me, she's the best! She deserves better than this town! She deserves better than Robbie! But then again, I wouldn't expect a 'mere' mask to understand such a thing!"
For the first time throughout the trip, Dipper had finally managed to silence the demonic, wise-cracking mask. Content with getting the built-up pressure off his chest, Dipper continued forward into the cursed manor, only to be stopped once more,
"REMEMBER, MY BOY; WE ALL WEAR MASKS – INCLUDING DARLING WENDY. UNDERNEATH THOSE LITTLE FRECKLES YOU LOVE, PAST THOSE SQUEEZEABLE DIMPLES...OVER THOSE EMERALD EYES THAT YOU LOSE YOURSELF IN...THERE'S AN EMPTY, DEAD GRAY SKULL – AND IT'S LAUGHING AT YOU. "
Dipper trembled at the haunting description.
"NOW, LET'S GO RESCUE THAT PRETTY GIRL OF YOURS…"
In utter silence, the duo began to explore the several rooms of the mansion, stomping the occasional jellyman guard. They continued on until they came across a room very different from the others. The entire room was covered from wall to wall in mirrors. As Dipper walked down its long hallway, he couldn't help for notice a complete view of his new form. He kinda looked like a pro wrestler! The only thing that creeped him out were the eyes. He stared at the eyes coming from the mask. His gentle brown eyes were replaced with glowing orange-red ones. He thought in despair, "How would Wendy even recognize me? Would she be afraid of me?"
Dipper stopped at the edge of the room where a giant mirror blocked his path. Disappointed, the mask ordered, "EH, CRAP! WE MUST HAVE TAKEN A WRONG TURN. LET'S DOUBLE BACK…"
As Dipper began to head back through the room, he heard a sound that made him sprout goosebumps.
"Dipper?" called out a familiar voice. He turned around with great excitement. Wendy stood at the end of the hall, trapped in the huge mirror. Dipper slowly approached the sight, just in case, it was another trap. He looked at the girl behind the mirror's image, her red hair messy and ragged, donning a torn white dress, and yet, she stood barefoot.
"Wendy?" he called out. "Is it really you?" She put her small hand against the mirror's edge. "Of course it's me, dweeb. Who else could it be?" Dipper shook his head, "You wouldn't believe me if I told you…"
Behind the mask, Dipper smiled and put up his enormous hand to meet hers on the other side of the mirror. His heart sunk into his chest as he noticed that in his current form, he would never be able to fit his hands in hers anymore. Apparently, Wendy took notice of it as well, "WHOA!" she examined. "What the heck happened to you?"
Dipper took a step back, so that Wendy could see him completely. "Oh, you know…" he commented sarcastically "…been working out…" Wendy giggled at the teen's incredibly corny joke. "Actually, I had help from a friend…" Dipper explained.
The mask commented quietly inside Dipper's mind, "FRIEND MIGHT BE TOO STRONG OF A WORD…CUTE GIRL THOUGH…"
Dipper stepped back towards Wendy imprisoned in the mirror world. "Are you alright? Did they hurt you?" Wendy clicked her tongue at his concerns, "Don't worry, champ. I may not have your massive guns…" she flexed her right arm, "but this Corduroy girl can still hold her own." She flashed Dipper a dimpled, adorable smile. He laughed, not at the cuteness of Wendy's reassurance, but at the fact that he knew that this Wendy was without a doubt, his Wendy!
He continued to analyze the mirror prison, "Let's see how we can get you outta here…" All of a sudden, the all-too-familiar voice broke his concentration:
"You wussy!" However, to Dipper's shock, the insult didn't come from the taunting mask…
He turned around to see Wendy in another mirror. Unlike the previous one, this one wore a huge scowl on her face. Shocked and stuttering, Dipper questioned this Wendy, "W-W-W-h-h-at did you say?" She flashed an evil grin, "I called you a wussy! Can't you do anything right?" Dipper was floored that such a thing came out of Wendy's mouth.
Suddenly, another comment came from behind him. Once again, a third Wendy had materialized on another mirror, "All the power in the universe, and yet, you still fail miserably. " It was as if she had stabbed Dipper through the heart! As the moments passed, every mirror had its own wicked Wendy, each hurling her own malicious comment at the masked hero:
"What a loser!"
"Is this how you treat the girl you supposedly love with all your heart?"
"You let this happen to me. Why didn't you warn me? Why did you let them take me away?! Don't I mean anything to you?!"
Dipper spun around in circles, attempting to argue with the sinister gingers surrounding him,
"Wendy, wait! You-you don't understand…I didn't know this would happen! You are important to me! I wouldn't want anything bad to happen to you! Please, you gotta believe me!"
Dozens of scornful laughs haunted Dipper's mind, as the insults began to dig a bit deeper at the boy's troubled psyche.
"Believe you?! HA! I can't believe that I was fooled into thinking you were a great guy! You were one of my boys, Dipper!"
"Wendy…please…" Dipper struggled, his despair slowly growing into anger.
"I should have listened to my friends and left you in the dust a long time ago…"
Dipper ordered in a low growl, "Stop it!" his rage quickly building up inside.
"And you wonder why I chose Robbie over you…"
At that last comment, Dipper hit his breaking point and dove into a blind fury. Rushing at the nearest mirror, Dipper drew back his hand and put his fist through it, breaking it into a thousand pieces. He leaped back and forth, screaming in an inhuman tone, destroying every mirror, desperate to silence the hateful voices forever.
Upon the destruction of the last mirror on the walls, Dipper sunk to his knees, and with head risen, unleashed a hurtful cry that shook the haunted manor at its core. Once again, the voice of the mask began to tempt him again,
"BEING AT THAT GIRL'S SIDE WILL MAKE YOU FEEL A LOT OF THINGS, BUT THE ONE THING YOU'LL NEVER FEEL IS STRONG. IF YOU ACT UPON THAT CHANCE, THERE IS ALWAYS THE POSSIBILITY THAT YOU CAN BE HURT AND THAT'S SOMETHING EVEN I CANNOT HEAL…"
Dipper sighed at the realization. The mask continued its narration, "ADMIT IT, KID! THE POWER, THE STRENGTH THAT I GIVE YOU – YOU LIKE IT, DON'T YA?"
"Yeeesssss…" Dipper hissed, as if he was almost mesmerized by the mask's words.
"FORGET ABOUT WENDY…FORGET ABOUT HOME…STAY HERE WITH ME! WE'LL HAVE FUN! WE'LL HAVE TOTAL CONTROL!"
Dipper looked up from his despair, towards the huge mirror, the only one he didn't break, at the end of the hall. Wendy, his Wendy, was still standing in it. Her smile wiped away, replaced with a doubting frown. Her bright green eyes no longer shined in excitement, but stared at him without color or life. Her hand was still placed against the mirror's edge, as if it was waiting for his to join it. Dipper realized that she had watched him flip out on her doppelgangers. She heaved a heavy sigh, and closed her eyes. Suddenly, the mirror shattered into a million pieces, leaving behind a white, shining doorway.
As Dipper thought about both images in his mind, he reflected back on something that the mask had said, perhaps unintentionally. For this, he began to smile. He picked himself up, and continued on his journey.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" the mask ordered. "DIDN'T YOU HEAR A SINGLE WORD I SAID?!" Dipper laughed at the creature, "Oh, I did hear you, and yeah, you helped me decide. You see, you gave me a contradiction…"
"WHAT?!"
"Yeah, in that last little speech you gave, you slipped up. You said that me taking a chance with Wendy will only lead to suffering…"
"YEAH, SO WHAT?!"
"Well, I thought you said before, that I had NO chance at all?!" The mask gave no response. Dipper continued, "The way I see it, is that if even a horrid, pain-loving oddity like you believes that I have a shot, well, then truly, there is hope, isn't there? " The mask's ongoing silence only confirmed Dipper's theory. He carefully entered the white gateway.
Dipper stepped foot into the new room. The odd thing was that it was probably the nicest room out of the whole house. It was a fully furnished room, complete with new-looking carpeting and paint. There was even a fireplace, with another mirror hanging above, in the center of the room! There was no dirt, blood, or goop on the walls either. Suddenly, Dipper seen a bunch of jellymen gathering around a gigantic bed. Upon seeing the brutish hero, the creatures turned tail and ran through the door on the other side of the room. Dipper looked to see that someone was sprawled out on the bed.
Wendy lied unconscious on the mattress. Dipper looked down on her in amazement. She slept peacefully, almost angelic in essence. He hated to have to wake her, but they needed to escape from this evil place, pronto!
Gently, he placed his huge hand against hers, and whispered her name. Slowly, she opened her eyes, and sat up to meet her friend face-to-face. Both were lost in hesitation. A thought sprung up in the back of Dipper's mind: "Oh, man. She's terrified of me…" All of a sudden, Wendy placed her hand against Dipper's masked face, and smiled at him. Despite being locked in the mask, he could feel the warmth from Wendy through the relic.
Using kid's gloves (so that he wouldn't accidentally hurt her) Dipper took Wendy by the hand, and began to lead her out of the room. "C'mon, they'll be back!" Only after a few steps, Dipper felt Wendy's hand slip away from his. He turned around to see that Wendy had dropped to her knees. She had both arms wrapped around her midsection, and began to cry out.
"Wendy!" Dipper exclaimed, lowering himself to her level, "What's wrong?" She looked up with tears in her eyes, "Dipper…it hurts! Help me!"
Suddenly, Wendy shot back up with an inconceivable force. Dipper looked on in great horror at the sight in front of him. The young teenager girl screamed as her bright green eyes rolled back into her head. Her snow-white skinned body began to turn brownish red, stretching and conforming into a different shape. The nails on her hands and feet were replaced with deadly claws. Her screams shortly became haunting moans as her face drooped down, her smile replaced by a set of jagged fangs. Her crown of red hair retracted into her dark, misshapen skull. The white thin dress covering her body was torn even more so in tatters, with red and black slime oozing through every orifice. Her eyes rolled back to face Dipper, but where emerald eyes were once now sat ones of pure black, as if they were made of coal and hellfire. A maniacal laugh bellowed through its body. Dipper stepped forward, and made an attempt to reach the girl trapped inside the demonic form.
"Wendy?!"
With an incredible leap, the creature leaped through the air and landed right on top of Dipper. It pinned him down, while trying to snap at him with its powerful jaws. "Wendy, please!" Dipper begged, as pushed the monster off him without using a lot of force. Determined, the creature jumped back onto its feet. With a roar, it extended its arm towards Dipper. Five sharp blades stretched from the hand, straight into Dipper's shoulder.
"AAARRRGGGGHHHH!" screamed Dipper, grabbing his pierced shoulder in agony. He had to control his temper. Regardless of the situation, he couldn't bring himself to harm Wendy in any way.
"FOOL!" the mask commented on the situation while healing him. "YOU'LL GET YOURSELF KILLED!"
"I…I don't care!" Dipper fought back. "Like I said before, there are things that even you cannot understand…"
The demonic Wendy forced Dipper back into the fireplace. In his struggle, he reached behind him, and his hands wrapped around an object. He pulled back a huge, metallic poker. He held it out, hoping to draw some distance between him and the creature.
"Wendy, please…" Dipper continued to try to reach his love hidden inside the macabre frame, "It's me, Dipper. Your 'Dipping Sauce,' remember? I really, really need you to wake up…please….Wendy."
The creature licked its lips, and roared once more. It took to the air yet again in hopes of tackling Dipper, making its prey an easy kill. As both giants fell, Dipper was shocked as he heard a loud, yet sickening *THUNK!* Dipper looked as the horrid grin on the creature's face vanished. He glared down to see the source of the sound. When the creature had tackled him, it accidentally impaled itself with the long poker Dipper held in his hand. Dipper pulled back to see the object drenched in black and red goop.
"No…." he moaned, as he watched the creature stand upright and shriek. He noticed as the horrific roar quickly became that of the familiar voice that he longed to hear once again. Dipper watched in terror as the beast shrunk back down in size and shape, and shortly, only Wendy, very injured, remained.
"Wendy!" rushed Dipper as he caught her before she hit the ground. He cradled her in his arms, gently calling out to her, "Open your eyes, please, Wendy…" He gasped as Wendy's eyes opened halfway, a small, tender smile spread on her face. "I'm so sorry…" he begged for forgiveness. She looked up to see a stream of tears flowing from the mask's glowing eyeholes. Using her last bit of strength, Wendy reached up and wiped Dipper's now-boney face.
She tried to reassure him, "Don't…be….not….your….fault…" Suddenly, the mask interrupted.
"WHAT A TOUCHING SCENE! YOU KNOW, KID, THERE'S ONE THING I FORGOT TO TELL YOU…YOU SEE, IN THIS GAME, 'SLAUGHTERHOUSE'…"
"No!" Dipper cried out, guessing the mask's statement.
"…THIS GAME WAS ACTUALLY ONE OF, IF NOT THE FIRST WHERE THE HERO DOESN'T SAVE THE DAMSEL IN DISTRESS…"
"Nooooo….."
"…SHE ACTUALLY DIES IN HIS ARMS! ISN'T THAT A COINKYDINK?"
Dipper glanced back down at Wendy, her eyes now closed. She whispered one last time to Dipper:
"Good-bye…"
As the lifeless body lay in his arms, Dipper watched as her skin tone changed from pure-white to ash grey almost immediately. Dipper looked in horror as he realized that his love was turning into dust in his hands! Suddenly, a gust of wind entered the room, and literally blew the memory of Wendy away while still in Dipper's arms…
Silently sobbing, Dipper contemplated what he was going to do? How could he go back home without Wendy? How would he explain to everyone how he failed; how he lost her? The mask began again,
"ARE YOU DONE?!"
Dipper was angry at the remark, but didn't have the strength to fight back. He sniffed, "Are you happy now? I've screwed up everything! My Wendy's gone forever!
"DIPPER, DIPPER, DIPPER…HAVE YOU NOT LEARNED ANYTHING YET? IN THIS WORLD, VIOLENCE AND DECEPTION ARE WAITING BEHIND EVERY CORNER…"
Dipper stopped wailing, hanging on the relic's every word.
"…I SAID BEFORE THAT THE HERO DOESN'T SAVE THE GIRL IN 'SLAUGHTERHOUSE,' BUT I NEVER DID SAY THAT SHE DOESN'T GET SAVED PERIOD. YOU HAVE HEARD OF A SEQUEL, RIGHT?"
Dipper sniffled back a response, "You mean…the hero saves the girl?"
"WELL, IT TAKES HIM A FEW TIMES, BUT YEAH, HE GETS THE JOB DONE…EVENTUALLY."
The anger shortly returned to Dipper, "Why didn't you say anything sooner?!" The mask responded innocently, "WHERE'S THE FUN IN THAT?" Dipper continued, "So, what now?"
"FIRST OFF, THIS HAPPENS…"
A huge light exploded in Dipper's face, sending him in shock right to the ground. As he stood back up, he noticed that his hulking form had vanished. He put his hands against his cheeks. It was his face again! But what of the mask? Dipper turned around to find his answer.
The mask, now broken in pieces, lied on the ground before him. "What happened?" he asked.
"YOU COMPLETED THE GAME! OUR BUSINESS IS CONCLUDED. YOU NOW CHASE YOUR GIRL THROUGH ANOTHER WORLD…"
Dipper turned to face the door in which the jellymen escaped earlier. It began to glow an eerie, yet familiar white light. Was it another void? As Dipper began to walk through the new door, the haunting voice called to him once more time. "HEY, KID?"
"What?" Dipper called back, very annoyed. "ONE LAST THING TO TAKE WITH YOU. THERE IS A POWER OUT THERE THAT EVEN I FEAR…"
"Yeah?! What's that?"
"LOVE, MY FRIEND, LOVE. KEEP THAT IN MIND OR YOU'LL FAIL IN YOUR QUEST, BUT THEN AGAIN, I AM JUST A MASK..."
Dipper smiled, full of renewed vigor, pressed into the next world, hoping that it would be the last. The mask gave him one final warning:
"SEE YOU IN YOUR NIGHTMARES…"