In which Dipper is faced with a literal painful truth.
Fortunately for Dipper, the teasing slowed as the day went on. Unfortunately for Dipper, a bad stomach ache started up just as the shop started to close.
"Is it a werewolf stomach ache?" Mabel's cheeky grin made Dipper wish he hadn't brought it up in the first place.
"No, Mabel. It's a normal stomach ache." Dipper crossed his arms. "If anything, it's probably the start of some nasty infection from the animal bite."
"A werewolf nasty infection?"
"No!"
So Dipper went up to his room with the journal and began to sketch an entry on the stone deer he saw earlier. He wasn't quite as good a drawer as Ford was, but after a little while he had a reasonable drawing of the creature.
Ouch. And a cramp, too. Dipper dropped the pencil and rubbed his wrist, looking down at his illustration and noting with annoyance that the antlers were two different sizes.
A knock sounded at the door. "It's Mabel, bro bro!"
"Come in." Dipper looked up to see his sister bringing in a plate of food, the strong smell coming off of it causing his already hurting stomach to turn. "Mabel, what is that?"
"Rice and chicken, with glitter!" Mabel looked at her brother and frowned. "You look really pale. Are you okay, Dipper?"
"Yeah." Dipper frowned and sat up. "That just smells… weird."
"Werewolf weird?" At that, Dipper let out a groan; at least drawing the deer had taken his mind off this particular issue.
"Mabel, please, I don't want to talk about-" At that moment, a loud howl came ringing from the dark outside. Dipper jumped, then looked to his sister with a glare. "Mabel, no."
Mabel was barely suppressing a giggle. "Don't you want to join in?"
"That's it." Dipper stood up abruptly and headed towards the door, hunched over a little from his stomach ache.
"Dipper?"
The boy stopped at the doorway. "Mabel, I've had it with your werewolf jokes! I. am not. a werewolf!"
With that, he stormed out into the hall. Then he stopped, because there wasn't really anywhere to go. Soos was downstairs and going back to Mabel was not an option.
"Dipper!" Dipper turned and saw the bedroom door opening, so he quickly slid into the bathroom and locked the door. There he let out a sigh and slid down the frame, looking up at the full moon shining down on him from a triangular window, feeling weak and nauseous.
Like, really weak and nauseous. Dipper unsteadily got to his feet using the sink for balance, fully intending to go back out and get some help before-
Crack. It was that cramp in his hands again, but so much worse. Dipper cringed and squeezed the edge of the sink until the pain subsided somewhat, then backed off and looked at what he had done.
At first, the deep score marks in the sink didn't register as his own. He leant against the wall, confusedly wondering when some wild animal had managed to get in their bathroom; he could've sworn they weren't there when he came in. He certainly didn't feel them when he was holding the…
And that's when it hit him. Dipper slowly raised his trembling hands up to his face, up to the moonlight, and took a long look at the dark claws that had sprung from them.
"Dipper?" The boy jolted as he heard his sister knock. Mabel was standing in front of the door, a sheepish grin on her face.
"Mabel! Ack! Don't open the door!" There was a tearing sound from inside the bathroom, but Mabel paid it no mind. She had something to say.
"Hey, Dipper, I know you're mad at me." Mabel gently tried to open the door, but it was locked. "I just wanted to say I'm really sorry for acting like a jerk tonight. You being a werewolf wasn't as funny a joke to you as it was to me and Soos. I know they don't really exist."
"Y-yeah, right." Dipper's tone sounded strained and… almost sardonic. "Totally fictional."
"Exactly!" Mabel's laughed. "We get each other. Now come outside for an awkward sibling hug!"
There was a pause. "Mabel, this isn't a good time. Go away!"
"Aww, come on bro bro! You just gotta unlock that door and let Mabel in!"
"Mabel!" Her brother groaned, and something slammed against the door. "I said go away!"
Mabel took a step back, finally realising that something wasn't quite right. "Dipper, you okay in there?" She rattled the door, laughing nervously. "You're kinda creeping me out-"
She was interrupted by a ragged scream that gradually transformed into a long, low howl. This was immediately proceeded by a growling noise and the sound of things breaking.
"Dipper?!" Mabel tried the handle again, but it was locked. "Dipper, what's going on in there? Dipper!"
She tried slamming the door with her shoulder, but all that did was hurt. She was about to run for help but caught sight of Soos running up the stairs.
"Soos!" Mabel shouted before the man could even open his mouth. "Something happened to Dipper and the door's locked!"
"On it, Hambone!" Soos kicked the door and it rattled. At the same time something fell out of the man's pocket. "Oh, look, my keys."
"Come on, Soos!"
"Right!" The handyman fixed his hat and shoved one of the keys into the door's lock, hearing a click as it turned. The two hesitated upon hearing a rumbling growl.
Soos turned to Mabel. "Are you sure you wanna do this? We could always leave this until morning or something."
"No. We have to help Dipper!" Mabel swung open the door, and the two were confronted with quite a sight for the bathroom. Toothbrushes, toothpaste and other things had been knocked to the ground, the glass containers they were held in smashed. The shower curtain pole had been brought down and there were deep claw marks in the wallpaper and, amazingly, the sink.
"Whoa." Soos looked around with an open mouth. "You know, I was kinda joking about the werewolf thing."
"Dipper?" Mabel took a step forward and was greeted by a snarl. She looked down and saw a small mass of light brown fur on the shower curtain, backed up against the wall. Right next to it was Dipper's iconic hat. "Dipper, is that you?"
The wolf barked once; whether it was a yes or a no is anyone's guess. Soos grabbed Mabel's shoulder as it got ready to pounce.
"Dude, that's not Dipp-" The two suddenly froze as the wolf leapt right at them. Mabel squeezed her eyes shut, but the only thing she felt was a rush of air as it jumped between their heads and bolted for the stairs.
Soos blinked several times. "I think I just saw my life flash before my eyes."
"Come on, Soos!" Mabel grabbed the man's sleeve as they heard a crash downstairs. She stopped to quickly pick up Dipper's hat before racing after the noise, Soos close behind.
