Hi, this is Dipper. Remember me? Well good old journal, I had completely forgotten you under my bed last summer, so let's start again. No hard feelings, right? I know we haven't talked for awhile but, we're good. Right…?
Anyway, a lot has changed since I saw you two summers ago. I'm 16 now. I don't know when that happened. Seriously. One day I was fifth teen in 9th grade, the next I have a zit under my chin and I'm wearing glasses. Worst birthday present ever. At least I'm kind of tall now. Taller. Tallish? Eh, I can reach the second highest shelf anyway.
If you think I look different now, you should see Mabel. Sure, we're literally mirror images of each other. But at least now she doesn't have braces anymore. Yeah, this summer she's vowed to celebrate here, quote un quote, "sweet sweet savory mouth freedom" by eating all 238 different things she couldn't when she had them. It's kind of like this long list of different things covered in syrup, caramel or peanut butter. But at least it's less disgusting than her trying to kiss every single guy in Gravity Falls again.
Oh, if you're wondering about this house, it's kind of back to normal? Ish? As normal as it can be anyway. Grunkle Stan and Great Uncle Ford are living here together for now. "Temporary measures" as Ford put it. Stan just said "it's a family thing" and then went back to gluing stuff together. At least we can say this: The Mystery Shack is back, baby!
I actually missed this whole thing, for the whole rip-off it was or well still is. It gave me a good summer when I was 12. And we haven't really spent that much time in Gravity Falls regularly, just like half summers mostly. But now, we're here for good for the whole summer. And it's going to be great!
I've got my own room up here in the attic all to myself. Mabel's uh personality has kind of been spreading around too much so we played a round of rock-paper-scissors to see who would get the old room. I won! And Great Uncle Ford let me have one of his old journals again! At least until I open a portal to an ungodly dimension where none of us belong and the fabric of our mortal being could be rearranged at will.
His words not mine.
Anyway. That kind of covers it for now. Ford said he'd help me with my summer science project if it doesn't interfere with his work and Grunkle Stan said he'd give Mabel and I driving lessons if we help him fix up some old car he pawned off of Old Man McGucket. So, I guess Monster Hunting will take a hold this summer. I mean, unless something came out of it's way to actually meet me and instigate something that I can't get out of unless I absolutely went along with them.
But I mean, what are the chances of that?
"Oh boy," Dipper said, looking down at his journal with a furrowed brow. "Why did I have to go and write that?"
He crossed out the bottom line but knew whatever damage was already done, so he closed the journal and hid it under his pillow like he had done all those summers ago and laid back down. So much had changed since he'd last stayed in this room. More than jut summing up a summer could explain.
He was taller and bigger than when he was 12, he actually had to push Mabels' old bed together with this one just to lay down comfortably. The attic room was still kind of damp and moldy, but he figured that was from the lake air and the weird way the triangle windows let in light. Why did they still have those?
'Lots has changed,' Dipper thought to himself, crossing his arms behind his head. He new thick rimmed glasses were still on his face and his bangs were still long, but things seemed more different than just that. 'I wonder what else if anything changed in this town…?'
"That's not a mystery," Dipper said to himself with a half smile. "Everything changes. Might as well accept that and move on. I wonder what we're gonna have for dinner tonight…?"
Dipper breathed lightly and started dozing off. Unpacking his stuff in the room took a lot of energy along with finding that journal again. He just wanted to relax for a minute and not think to hard.
'I wonder who's friendly face I'll see first…?'
"Hey Pinetree!"
Dipper blinked and sat up looking around the empty room.
'That was weird.' Dipper thought, slightly panicked as he kept looking around. His glasses ascewed and hair flopping hazardously. 'For a minute there, I thought I heard-'
"Hey, Dipper!" Mabel kicked the door to the attic in and smiled at her brother. Her face was covered in something purple and so was the top of her sweater. "Get your butt downstairs! Great Uncle Ford's letting me use his science thing to make purple carrot chocolate cake!"
"Mabel." Dipper said uneasily as he gave a tense, focus face to his sister. His glasses were half falling off but that wasn't the point! "Never have weirder words been spoken in this room."
"I'm sorry. But did you hear yourself all summer when we were 12?" Mabel said sarcastically, leaning against the door and rocking back and forth.
"Whatever." Dipper commented, putting his glasses back on right before looking at her seriously. "Uh hey, but, did you hear anything…?"
"Hear what?" Mabel asked.
"I don't know," Dipper looked away before studying the room again. "Just, something weird? I swore I heard something in here a second ago…"
"… Did you fall on your head again while cleaning up here?" Mabel asked semi-seriously while looking around before chuckling. "Seems like you did a pretty terrible job."
"No!" Dipper said, blushing. "I mean, I thought I swore I heard-"
"Dipper, Dipper." Mabel walked over and patter Dippers head softly with a consoling smile. "It's too early in our summer to deal with weird stuff. Lets just put the crazy Dipper conspiracies away before you fill your fluffy head with scary stories before bed~"
"…. They're not conspiracies." Dipper said, swatting Mabels hand away in semi-defeat. "And my head isn't fluffy."
"Yeah yeah~" Mabel cheered, walking over to the hallway again. "Just get those teenage boy hormones settled before you come down for dinner. And wash your hands!"
"I don't have hormones!" Dipper called out as Mabel shut the door. "And I'm not crazy!"
Mabel closed the door and Dipper lightly mocked her under his breath while looking around again. It was weird, that couldn't just been his imagination.
'I'm not going crazy this early into the summer,' Dipper told himself. He leaned back against the bed frame and crossed his arms, still tired, letting out a long deep breath. 'I know what I heard. It had to be…'
Like a mic drop, something bad had to happen.
"HEY, PINE TREE~~~~!"
Dippers' eyes burst open but he didn't move. He couldn't believe he just fell asleep and wanted to mentally (literally) kick himself. But he had to stay calm.
Because just as his eyes burst open he spotted Bill, a small triangle the size of a snapping turtle, floating next to his bed. It's really hard to explain how giddy Bill somehow looked, especially since he was just a floating gold triangle with one eye wearing a top hat. But, when you've dealt with an evil otnerbeing like being from another dimension, you learn how to tell what they're feeling by just the tiniest of movements.
"Don't ignore me!" Bill demanded before becoming mockingly cheerful. Where this sudden ability to pretend to be friendly came from, no one knows. "Where's my warm 'hello'? Didn't ya miss me? 'Cause I sure missed you!"
Yep, Bill just randomly decided to invade Dippers' mind without knocking for the first time in years. How the houses' protection wore off? Who knows. Something's wrong though.
'…' Dipper sat very still before adverting his eyes with a chill sweat touching his brow. He was not ready to deal with this yet. 'If I pretend I didn't see him maybe he'll go away…?'
"I heard that," said Bill, giving a disappointed one eyed glare. "Seriously, Pine Tree? When has ignoring any of your problems ever solved anything?"
"Oh my sisters' glitter obsession…" Dipper muttered to himself. What sucks the most is that Bill was right and nobody likes it when an immortal evil demon is right about anything. So Dipper turned, glared and prepared to scream himself awake. "What d'ya want now, Bill? Didn't we banish you away from here summers ago?"
"Oh hoho, you silly human." Bill laughed heartily while grabbing his stick feet with his stick hands. "You seriously didn't think I'd find another way back here? Heh! I'm literally in your dreams, kid! I can go anywhere I want~!"
"Yeah, well my head's off limits now!" Dipper said before pointing at his forehead. "So buzz off before I start imaging some bulldozers in here!"
"Aw~ That's so cute." Bill said, posing like a teenage girl in front of the TV. Giddy to have someone to play with after all these boring years. "You think you can threaten me now! Well Pine Tree, it wasn't as easy as last time. But what can I say? I find your fluffy little head just irresistible!"
Bill floated over and emphasized that by patting Dippers' head a few times. Which Dipper responded to by swatting his hand off and backing away.
"Don't touch me!" Dipper threatened. "How'd you even know I came back?"
"Hey, it's not my fault." Bill looked away nonchalantly and bent his stick arms. "I could smell your hormones ten miles away before you even stepped foot in here! But seriously. It stinks kid. You need to get control of that."
"Stop talking about my hormones!" Dippers complained now covering his arm pits.
"Heh heh heh!" Bill gleefully laughed at the beginning of this new game. "Good old Pine Tree!"
Dipper stared at Bill for minute in tense confusion. Bill never beats around the bush for this long? What does he want THIS time?
"Okay Bill, you've had your fun," Dipper warned, staring to get up and prepare mentally for what he expected was a long psycho-taunt. "Now either get to the point or get out of here!"
"Jezz Pine Tree. Way to be such a buzz kill." Bill complained, upset that Dipper wasn't playing along. "Oh, but the fun hasn't started just yet!"
"So you do have some kind of plan…"
"Well, maybe just a little bit~," Bill said coyly.
"Oh please, Bill. You can't lie to me!" Dipper said aggravated. "There's nobody in Gravity Falls who's dumb enough to make a deal with you! No one would do that!"
"Sure, maybe nobody human," Bill said ominously. His tone had changed a little and he adverted is eye. "Let's just say, there's some higher ups who are waiting for me to make something happen. As payment for a deal."
"Higher ups…?" Dipper repeated under his breath.
"Higher beings, to be specific." Bill corrected while calmly blinking. He never talks about anything with such, well, what you could call 'respect'. "Well, ya can't be too specific about those folks. Too old, too unchanging. Things can't even personify! Little ol' me though, I can and I got a little somethin' in store for this town. For this world actually!"
To emphasize, Bill floated over to the globe sitting on the makeshift desk across the room. He spun it around before setting off a light blue flare and etching a giant six pointed star around the globe.
Bill sure knows how to paint a terrifying mental image.
Dipper stared on in horror. Just what could Bill be up to now? After all these years? But Dipper wasn't just going to lay down and pretend to be afraid.
"You won't even get two steps past me!" Dipper stood up right in front of Bill with a glare. "Everyone knows you can't do anything outside the Mindscape, Bill! So the minute I see something coming, my family and I'll already be prepared to kick your butt!"
"Man, you're really far behind." Bill said boredly, crossing his arms. He was really hoping for more of an intellectual one-up-manship battle instead of all these boring threats. "You think I manifested yesterday? Haha! Listen kid. If I was gonna just let some random idiot walk around and set my hardwired planned schemes in motion again, I'd just pretend to be nice to you and watch you do it."
"…" Dipper held his tongue as he realized that, yeah, he's missing some information. "Wait. You mean you're not here to possess me or something? To carry out your evil plans?"
"No way, Pine Tree. You're fun, but you can't be trusted with this." Bill said while waving his arm. "I'M in charge of all the actions now!"
"You? HA!" Dipper laughed for a few seconds before grinning up at Bill. "And how are you gonna do that, Bill? Last time I checked you're just a bad dream floating around without any way to actually effect anything. What exactly can you do?"
Dipper was feeling a bit too confident, now leaning back against the wall next to his bed. Bill waited patiently for a minute before getting giddy again.
"Funny you should ask." Bill floated past Dipper to the mirror handing on the wall and looked at his non-reflection. Now just using it to watch Dipper, excited to see how his expression will change. "You see, those higher ups I was talking about? Well, if you float an idea past them, and they like it, they've got the power to make big changes happen!"
Bill turned around then, taking off his top hat and looking down at it. He was acting like he was ignoring Dipper, which meant something big was about to happen.
"I've been needing a new style for awhile now," Bill said evasively. "I needed something a bit bigger. Something bold! Maybe even something physical~~"
Dipper took a deep breath and swallowed. What was… Was Bill saying he was literally getting out of the Mindscape? For good!
"H-How?" Dipper nervously looked on at Bill.
"Details~ Details~" Bill sang, now floating above the room in circles. "What's important is I just need to borrow some mind space of someone here to keep a form. Something I can base it off. And you know~~~"
Bill gazed down at Dipper with a snide eye look.
"I was thinking that maybe that sister of yours could lend her hands and make me something touchable~" Bill said slyly. Delibritely provoking Dipper the best way he could: Through his family. "After all! I'm pretty sure she has enough empty space in that head of hers. She won't miss it if I just fill in her head and take what I need~!"
Dipper snapped at Bills' mention of his sister. He charged over and grabbed one of Bills' sticky legs, surprising the three sided demon and glaring at him intently through his glasses. He had balled up his fist and he was ready to get as violent as he possibly could.
"You leave her out of this!" Dipper shouted at Bill, a vein popping out on his neck. "Leave my family, ALL OF IT, out of your crazy plans!"
"Don't worry, Pine Tree." Bill made his body immaterial and Dipper fell on the ground. He laughed at him and just floated gently, bopping up and down. "I'm not REALLY interested in any of them! In fact, I only really need you. Or, more specifically-"
Dipper tried to swipe at Bill but missed as he swept away through the room. He was looking for something specific and interesting. Something he could hold.
"I just need something of yours' to seal my personification here. I'll take some of your headspace and seal it in there with me." Bill said, looking around the messy room before looking back at Dipper disappointed. "Jezz, Pine Tree. Learn to keep things tidy every once in awhile. Now what to get, what to get…"
"Okay, you cannot steal from me while criticizing my room," Dipper said bluntly before jumping up off the floor and quietly creeping around to try and catch Bill. "And you can't steal from me!"
"Eh, less steal and more borrow." Bill said, throwing open Dipper's rucksack and dumping its messy contents out on the floor. "You can have it back with your head space after I'm done. Though, what use you'll get out of it once I'm done with this town!"
Bill looked and telekinetically through this item here and there until he spotted something interesting: A Rubik's cube!
"Say~" Bill telekinetically held the Rubik's cube up in the air and gleefully looked at it. It was perfectly solved, worn and 3-D. Perfect! "I like the puzzle cube thing! Neat stuff ya got here, Pine Tree! Well, I'm just gonna take it and-"
"Think again, Nintendo Reject!" Dipper shouted.
Dipper pounced on Bill before he could touch the Rubik's cube! Bill needed to actually grab it, but Dipper was on top of him and making sure to give him a fight.
"Hey!" Bill yelled annoyed, kicking Dipper's glasses and hat off with his sticky legs. "Ow! Get off of me you over grown meat sack! I've got things to do!"
"Yeah! Well you'll have to go through me first!" Dipper yelled, knocking his annoying glasses away and trying to keep Bill down. "I'm not some little kid who's gonna stand and wait anymore!"
"Okay!" Bill yelled, now getting really mad. His eye glowed red as he looked up at Dipper. "You don't want me playing with your toys?"
Suddenly, the room shook for a second and everything inside lifted up. The bed, the desk, all the books, all the model machines, pencils, scissors, movie disks and clothes. Dipper looked around and saw all of his possessions suspended in air and pointing directly at him.
"YOU CAN HAVE 'EM BACK!"
Bill let loose first only the annoying things. The lego bricks, old socks, paper clips, a stapler. But then he let the heavier things like bags, books and models be thrown at Dipper. Who started covering his face and walking backwards.
"Ow!" Dipper shouted, getting hit in the head by a model Jet Plane 41 while stepping on a blue lego from his start fleet box. "Bill! Stop it! You can't have it!"
"Sorry, Pine Tree." Bill said sarcastically. He floated while Dippers stuff was still attacking him, but he looked over and beckoned the Rubik's cube back to him. "But I always get what I want."
"No!" Dipper looked out under his arm to see the Rubik's cube floating over to Bill! He dropped down, just missed getting hit in the head by his encyclopedia, and tried to run over to stop Bill one more time! "Bill! Don't do it."
"Too late~"
Bill took hold of the Rubik's Cube in the palm of his hand. Everything that had been floating suddenly fell to the ground. Even Dipper stopped and landed with a THUD right below Bill's feet. He looked up and saw Bill holding the Rubik's cube in both hands, his eye mesmerized by it like he was holding a treasure.
"Yes~" Bill chanted. Suddenly, the same blue flame jumped out and drew a small six pointed star in the middle yellow square. "YES~!"
"no…." Dipper looked up and watched, not understanding what was happening.
Suddenly, even Dipper could feel the whole room being to change.
"Ha!" Bill laughed as he held it in his stick figure hand. His one eye was glowing, and he was staring to grow. Something strange was happening. "FINALLY! It's all starting to happen…"
Dipper sat up and tried to launch himself at Bill again. He didn't know what to do, but he was going to have to try!
Bill saw him come and just backed away lightly, now standing in front of the mirror and looking down at Dipper. His body shook but Dipper could tell Bill was grinning.
"You never give up, do ya kid?" Bill said semi-mockingly before holding up the Rubik's cube and grinning to himself again. "It's all over kid! You're just gonna have to sit back, wait and watch the show. There's nothing you can do anymore!"
Dipper gritted his teeth, his hands balling up into fists as he looked up at Bill. He glared at him with so much hate, wishing he knew what to do. Wishing there was something he could do right now!
"I'm gonna stop you, Bill!" Dipper yelled, starting to pick himself up. "I did it last time, and I'll do it again!"
"Oh Pine Tree," Bill shook his head mockingly before turning and deciding to humor Dipper a little. "Sure, you can try. Maybe I'll even help you. It'll be fun. Watching you struggle is so cute!"
Dipper stood up and was about to charge again before suddenly he saw blue chains from the mindscape appear and wrap around him! He was stuck in one place again. Helpless.
He looked up at Bill and saw, in the mirror, something different. He could see himself, Bill couldn't cast a reflection, but there was some kind of strange see-through form. Something standing where Bill was standing. But they didn't look like Bill…
"Now~~ I'll just leave one thing behind so we're all clear and good." Bill said, floating over to Dipper. He looked bigger than usual, and not as flat as before. "Nice clean slate to start this summer off on~"
"What are going to do!?" Dipper yelled, trying to back away but trapped!
"I just need some of your mind space," Bill clarified before giggling. "I mean, you've got so much running in your head now! You won't miss anything! But I'll be sure to leave you with a little present~"
Dipper tried to back away but it was no use. He felt Bill move his bangs up out of the way and put his hand on Dipper's forehead. It was weird, Dipper noted how Bill's hand felt bigger. Like there were fingers.
He wanted to scream, but Bill held up the Rubik's cube right in front of Dipper's eyes. Dipper ended up staring at the six pointed star and felt his head getting dizzy.
"Alright, Pine Tree," Bill said in a tone Dipper had never heard before. He was speaking gently. "I want you to wake up and say one thing-"
Next thing he knew, Dipper was wide awake in his bed. Breathing heavily, panting, and sweating in the cold blue night! And he shouted.
"BILL!"
He shouted the first things in his brain that he could process.
"Bil! Bill! Bill…." Dipper slowly stopped saying it, getting quieter and quieter. Had he fallen asleep without realizing it?
Dipper looked around confused in the dark empty room. It was a cool summer night, the moon was full and hanging outside. He scratched his head curiously as he leaned over and put his glasses back on, wondering where the time had gone. He must of been sleeping.
"Who's Bill?"