Chapter 10 - The Visit

Pacifica is lying in her bed, already changed into one of her "visitor dresses" for the occasion. She stares blankly at the ceiling as her mother yells from downstairs.

"Pacifica! The visitors are here! Come down! Come quick!" The girl doesn't budge. "Pacifica!" she shouts, more aggravated, eliciting no response.

Not willing to wait for their daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Northwest open the door to welcome their guests, Agents Powers and Trigger.

"Sorry for such short notice," Powers begins, "but we work on a tight schedule. Trigger, would you begin?"

Trigger is about to speak, when Powers whispers to the Northwests, "I told him he could start this time. Go easy on him, it's his first time." Preston takes a sip from his glass.

"Alright then," Trigger responds, hearing Powers' words. He directs his attention to the Northwests. "We have reason to believe your family has some involvement with... supernatural forces..."

Preston spits out his drink, shocked, but tries to play it like it's because Trigger's suggestion was ridiculous. With his wife, he laughs, saying, "Surely you're joking! What, with evil spirits, and aliens? Good one."

"No," Trigger continues, "I believe you know what I'm talking about" he gestures the mural on the wall behind them.

Powers drops his sunglasses so as to appear more condescending. The Northwest couple is nervously stiff, sweating lightly. "Pacifica!" Preston shouts, to change the subject, his teeth clamped shut, "Get. Down. Here."

Pacifica actively ignores her parents, instead lying completely stiff, gazing at the llama insignia on her ceiling, and closes her eyes. This oblivion is interrupted by, you guessed it, Bill Cipher.

"You again?" Pacifica shouts at the foul demon, "This is all your fault! I was finally happy for once in my life and you just... Dashed all my hopes and dreams to the ground! Why? What did I do to deserve this?"

Bill interrupts her, apathetic to her misery, "Pipe down, llama girl. I just got a bit overexcited, what with my plans and all coming to fruition. Heh heh... The Pines will burn in a glorious forest fire..."

"Can't your 'dark realm' or whatever wait?!" she asks, clearly irritated.

"Calm down a little, geez. I came by to commend you. You know, on not following your family's footsteps... Good job with that, but no matter what that little twerp with the squeaky voice tells you, it is too late to change."

"No, it's not! I don't have to live like my parents-" she stutters in an attempt to find the right words. "You can't make me! And how dare you talk about Dipper like that! You... You're sick, you know that? You're sick, and the only thing you do is ruin everything!"

"Wow. Such harsh words..." He begins to laugh, "I like it. Give in to your anger, Northwest, it's all you have left."

She twitches for a few moments in response to Bill's apathy and finally screams, "GET OUT!"

She opens her eyes and realizes he's no longer there, but hears footsteps increasing in volume running up to her bedroom door, along with the voice of her parents asking for her. "Pacifica? Honey? Won't you come down?" She looks back and forth, considering her options, and finally decides to leave through the window. She jumps through and slams it shut, right before her parents and the agents have the chance to reach her.

Preston mumbles to himself, "I... I could've sworn our Pacifica was... She was just in here..."

Powers begins, addressing the Northwests sarcastically, "Now, why would your daughter scream at nothing and disappear? Are you sure there's nothing going on here?" They nervously laugh in response.

Pacifica runs as far from her house as her legs take her. She no longer cares for the place. She runs to the only place she can find solace, however painful. She makes her way to the ledge where she and Dipper almost kissed, sits down, drops her head into her palms, and sobs, lamenting the loss of what could have been great.