CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Bill was quietly obedient through dinner and didn't put up a fuss when he was locked in Ford's old bedroom.
"I'd rather not have you in the lab tonight," he pointed out. "This is the safest place. Stan is just down the hall, should you try and escape. Having said that, don't. The door is locked and I'd like it to stay that way."
"Maybe I'm claustrophobic, Sixer," Bill said, leaning against the doorframe and preventing Ford from closing the door. "Have you ever thought of-"
"You're not claustrophobic, Bill," Ford said in a tone that implied the end of the discussion. "Goodnight."
Bill rolled his eyes but backed off, permitting Ford to close and lock the door. As soon as the demon heard the latch click, the memories came flooding back.
…
"You always side with father," seven year old Bill said as he turned away from his mother, looking back to his desk. Mrs. Cipher sighed and walked over to place a hand on his shoulder.
"I know it seems like that, sweetheart, but-"
"You're afraid of me," Bill said in a dark voice, startling Mrs. Cipher into taking a few steps back. Her son rarely lost his temper with her - he never lost his temper. One of the reasons she loved him so much was because he was able to keep a cool mind throughout any situation.
"Bill," Mrs. Cipher said quietly. "What makes you think-"
"I know what you think!" Bill shouted, spinning around to glare at his mother. "I know your thoughts! Or have you forgotten that I can do that?! You're afraid of me! Both of you are! That's why you keep me locked in my room! That's why you side with father!"
Mrs. Cipher sighed and walked over to kneel in front of her son who was perched on the edge of his desk chair.
"Bill," she said quietly. "I'm not afraid of you. Of your powers? Yes. Of your father? Yes. Of you? Never. I have never been afraid of you."
Bill stared at her for a long time. "Liar," he snarled, advancing on her as blue flame rippled up his arms, eyes flashing to an odd red color. "You're lying. You and father always lie to me! I don't understand, I thought, I…"
Mrs. Cipher backed away, trying to think of something - anything - to placate her enraged son.
"Bill," she whispered. "Sweetie. Just...take a breath. Please, okay?"
"Why should I do anything you want me to do?" Bill said darkly. "Why should I listen to you ever again?"
…
Bill's breathing came in sharp, ragged gasps as he sat on the corner of his bed, tears blurring his eyes.
He'd killed her. He'd killed his mother.
And I'd do it again in a heartbeat.
His trembling got worse when he heard the voice that was his and yet wasn't. He closed his eyes tightly, back still stinging from where his father had mercilessly beat him after discovering what Bill had done.
"What have I done?" Bill whispered, the hysteria in his voice changing his tone to what it would be in the future. "Oh god, what have I done!"
He let out a sob, reaching up and tangling his hands in his hair as he began to hyperventilate.
…
"It's a deal!" the man with six fingers said as he reached forward and shook Bill's hand, smiling. "From now until the end of time."
…
Fourteen year old Bill sat up with a loud gasp, staring around his dark room in horror. He'd had weird dreams of Sixer before, but this one was different. What deal was the man making and why was he making it with Bill?
Shaking his head, the fourteen year old gazed down at the picture of Sixer that he had been drawing from a dream before accidentally falling asleep.
He glanced back at his locked bedroom door before sighing quietly and looked to the picture.
"You can't be real," he whispered. "And yet...maybe you are. Maybe these dreams...are something of the future. But then...why are you making a deal with me? Don't you know…"
Bill groaned and forced his stiff muscles out of the chair to move over and flop down on his bed. He rolled onto his back and gazed up at the pictures of the ones he had so named "Shooting Star, Pine Tree, Fez, and Sixer."
"Why can I see you but not your names?" Bill mused, rolling onto his side and gazing over to the other side of his room where he had carved his Cipher Wheel into the wall.
He sighed and closed his eyes. "Might as well try and get some sleep before father comes and wakes me to assist him in making that portal. I've studied the designs - memorized them even - and I still can't figure out where it leads to. But at least, if father's fails, I can make it again from scratch. Or...have Sixer make it for me. Assuming he's real that is."
…
1:15AM
"What do you need, Stanley, I'm very busy," Ford said without turning around when he heard the elevator open. No one answered and the scientist froze before slowly turning to find Dipper standing there, utter fear in his eyes.
"Dipper?" Ford questioned, pushing away from his desk and removing his glasses to rub at his eyes. "Are you alright? What seems to be troubling you?"
Dipper opened his mouth to respond, but Stan entered the lab a moment later, placing a hand on Dipper's shoulder. Dipper drew in a shaky breath before answering.
"Mabel's missing."
"What?" Ford asked, eyes going wide as he forced exhaustion to the back of his mind. "Are you sure she didn't just-"
"Cipher's missing as well," Stan cut in.
Ford swore under his breath before casting Dipper an apologetic look. He quickly got to his feet, cracking his back and groaning before quickly moving over to Dipper and Stan.
"Do you think they went together?" he demanded as the three of them road up in the elevator together.
"But why would Mabel do that?" Dipper asked. "She knows better than to trust him."
"Bill's a sneak," Stan responded. "He tricked her. Plain and simple."
This is all my fault. Ford thought to himself. I should have just kept him in the lab with me. I...I trusted him and look where that got me!
...
12:35AM
It was half past midnight when Mabel heard a quiet knock on the attic door. Making sure Dipper was still asleep, she crawled out of bed and quietly opened the door to find-
"Bill?" Mabel questioned quietly. "What are you-"
"Do you trust me?" Bill demanded, a sense of urgency in his voice. Mabel seemed surprised before slowly nodding.
"Yeah, but why-"
"Get your shoes on and follow me. And...maybe grab the sweater you made me? It's cold."
…
"Bill, where are we going?" Mabel asked after the two of them had been walking through the woods for thirty minutes. Even though she said she trusted him, Mabel wasn't very comfortable being far away from the shack this deep in the woods so late at night.
"A member of the Pines family is born with magic in their veins," Bill declared, stopping in the clearing in front of his statue and turning to face Mabel. "Which means, if they focus, they can do magic."
"Really?!" Mabel said enthusiastically. "Who is it?!"
Bill gave her a calculating look. "Why do you think I kept you locked away in that prison bubble?"
…
Hope you enjoyed! I thought it would be good to shed some light on Bill's past
(that I didn't know what else to center this chapter on)
Anyway, PLEASE REVIEW and let me know what you think! Thanks!
DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING