Author's Note: Oh, Gravity Falls, it is good to be back!

I must apologize for how long its been since I've updated. I thought that summer would mean that I would be updating much more frequently...obviously, that isn't what happened. And with college about to start back up, I can't promise that updates will come any quicker. For that, I must also apologize. All I can do is write these chapters as quickly as I can, and hope that it isn't another several months before I post something.

Once again, I am greatly surprised and humbled by all the follows, favorites, and reviews. I didn't anticipate this much feedback at this juncture...thank you all so much for your support!

Gravity Falls and The Flash are not mine, I own nothing.

Chapter 2: Wake Up

Disco girl…coming through….

"Ugh, Soos? BABBA again?!"

"Lighten up, hambone. It's his favorite band. If I were in a coma, I would want to listen to my favorite band while I was asleep."

That girl is you…..

"Technically, Soos, it hasn't been proven that people in comas are aware of what's happening around them. Dipper might not be hearing the music at all."

"How do you even know it's his favorite band?"

Oh oh, oh oh…..

"I checked his facebook. The dude's one of the admins of the fanpage."

The darkness began to lift from Dipper's eyes. Everything was blurry, but he managed to make out that he was in a room with a lot of blue and silver. Three figures seemed to be hovering over him. One was a large man with a green t-shirt and brown hat. Another was a tall, relatively thin girl with red hair, a green flannel jacket, and an ushanka on her head. The final figure was a shorter girl with dark hair, glasses, and a green t-shirt under a labcoat.

There's a lot of green going on here, Dipper thought groggily.

"Plus, you gotta admit it's pretty catchy," the big man continued. "Disco Girl, coming through…"

"It's too catchy." The red head frowned. The shorter girl put her hand on the red head's shoulder.

"Just be glad it's not more 'Straight Blanchin,'" the girl told her friend.

"Amen to that," the red head agreed.

"Hey, rappers are visionaries you two!" the big man asserted. "If they told me to eat my own pants, I-"

Dipper jolted awake, sitting up on the cushioned bed he was resting on. As everything came into focus, he realized that the room he was in was some type of laboratory area. He was lying at the end of the room, hooked up to a mess of wires and instruments. The center of the lab contained a large desk, topped with a sizable assortment of computers. At the other end of the room was a doorway, leading out into a hall that curved out of sight. Smaller rooms existed on either side of the lab, separated by industrial glass walls and doorways. In each of these smaller rooms, a multitude of scientific instruments and technologies were visible. A curtain existed a couple of feet to the right of Dipper, obscuring a portion of the lab from view. Standing around him, the three people who had been arguing stepped back in shock, their eyes wide and mouths agape.

"Oh my gosh, he's awake," the redhead remarked, who Dipper now recognized with a bit of a blush as Wendy Corduroy.

"Dipper, how are you feeling?" the dark-haired girl, Candy, inquired, slowly reaching out and disconnecting the instruments Dipper was attached to.

Wendy pressed a button on the wall, activating an intercom system. "Doc, Dipper's up. You might want to come down to the cortex."

Dipper rubbed his forehead, clearing away residual tiredness that lay beyond his eyes. "Where am I? What's going on?"

"Hey, don't worry hambone." The big man said reassuringly. "You're at Mandell Labs."

"Mandell…?" Before Dipper could process that piece of information, he took in the big man's appearance and frowned. "Soos? Is that you?"

Soos gave him a genuine smile. "I was afraid you wouldn't remember me. Heh. It's good to see you're alright, Dipper."

Dipper took off his blanket, realizing with horror that all he had on was a hospital gown stretching down to his knees. It didn't help that Wendy Corduroy was looking at him with concern while he was dressed like that.

"Might want to take your time getting up, man." She advised him. "You haven't used those legs in a while."

Dipper was frowning again as he tried to get off his bed, Soos doing his best to steady him. "A while? How long is-"

A gasp erupted from behind the curtain, and both Candy and Wendy raced over to the other side of the curtain.

"Mabel!" Candy cried from the other side of the curtain. "You're awake!"

"Mabel?!" Dipper turned to Soos. "Mabel's here too?"

Wendy reappeared and removed the curtain, revealing a bed nearly identical to Dipper's that Mabel Pines currently occupied. Mabel was looking around with a bewildered expression that Dipper was sure he shared while Candy disconnected her from the machines. Mabel too was wearing a hospital gown, however it appeared to be made of a different material than Dipper's. Oddly enough, it seemed to be made of the same material that her bed's bedding and mattress was made of.

"Dipper?!" Mabel demanded. "What's going on?"

"It's okay!" Dipper assured. "We're at Mandell Labs, apparently."

"Mandell Labs?" Mabel said incredulously. "Why? Are they running tests on us?" She glanced at Candy. "Have you been an alien this whole time? Is this an abduction?" A thought dawned on her. "The party! There was a freak storm!" New worry was visible on Mabel as she continued to demand answers from Candy. "The girls! Where are they? Are they alright?!"

"Calm down, Mabel, they're all fine." Candy assured Mabel, though her face made it evident that she was hiding something from her friend. "You've just come out of a coma. We've been taking care of you and your brother for some time now."

Dipper's blood ran cold.

"A coma?" Mabel repeated.

"For how long?" Dipper asked Soos.

"9 months," came a voice from the hall.

Everyone in the room looked to the entrance to the cortex. A short, portly figure slowly made his way into the room, his cane making small 'tik's as he continued his walk. He was a bit disheveled, his nice clothes looking a little worse for wear, and yet he wore a small grin on his face. His eyes never left the twins.

"How nice to finally meet you, Mr. and Ms. Pines." Dr. Mandell greeted. "We have much to discuss."

"I, I just can't believe that I'm actually meeting you!" Dipper let loose. "You've been my hero ever since I was nine!"

"Dipper, breathe." Mabel put her hand on his shoulder. After some brief introductions, Dr. Mandell and his team had given the twins some proper clothes to change into (Mabel had complained that a Mandell Labs sweatshirt wasn't exactly a comfortable homemade sweater), and Mandell had taken them on a tour of the facility they had spent the last nine months in. They had just passed Mandell's study and were headed to the Infinity Engine.

Mandell gave Dipper a wan smile, his cane continuing to "tik" as they moved forward. "Thanks for the praise, Mr. Pines. It is a welcome change from the usual scrutiny over the last couple of months."

He gestured to the facility round them. "Mandell Labs used to be one of the most forefront scientific facilities on the planet. Great minds from all around the globe would come to see what we were accomplishing here, what new discoveries we had uncovered. Not to mention the Lab's very presence boosted interest in the region itself. Gravity Falls received a new upswing in residents and tourism, and they loved us all the more for it."

It was true. Gravity Falls had increased in size and received a lot more visitors ever since Dr. Mandell had made the unexpected decision to build his lab there. Though Stan normally credited himself with the rise in tourism – usually going on about his amazing management skills and his uncanny ability to give people what they wanted. This was usually received with an eye roll from at least one of the twins.

Dipper noticed that Dr. Mandell had stopped talking, which probably meant that he was either thinking or wanted one of them to ask what happened to change all that. But even though the question had burned in his mind ever since he woke up, he hesitated now that he was about to get the answer. What if things had horrifically changed? What if nothing was ever going to be the same again? The irony didn't escape him, that he had been looking for answers all his life, yet was hesitating to face this one.

Then he looked to his sister, and saw the same hesitation in her eyes. In that moment, he realized that in the same way they had supported each other in the past, he needed to be strong enough for the both of them now.

"What happened?" Dipper asked.

Mandell gave him a sad smile, then led them through the end of the hall to a large, open space. The floor continued out to a railed indoor balcony that overlooked a massive cubed-shaped machine. What Dipper surmised to be the Infinity Engine was two stories big, and resembled a large technological rubix cube with shattered tubes jutting out from the multiple sides. The Engine's grey color was similar to old asphalt, as if all color had been drained out of it, save for a large blackened hole located at the top right-hand corner. The metal surrounding the hole bent outwards at irregular angles, as if something had exploded outward from the machine.

"The Infinity Engine happened." Dr. Mandell spoke with an almost pained wistfulness. "Or rather, a malfunction in its system. Nine months ago, after a hopeful and triumphant ceremony, the Infinity Engine was activated and ran successfully on its own for forty-six minutes. For forty-six minutes, I had achieved my lifelong goal to bring humankind closer to solving the mysteries in the universe…and then it all went to hell."

Dr. Mandell took a deep breath and rubbed his forehead. He pointed at the hole in the machine. "The Infinity Engine started taking in more energy than anticipated. We did our best to stabilize it, but the hull burst, releasing all manner of energies known and unknown in to the night sky," His face hardened. "When the proverbial dust cleared, forty-two people were dead or missing. Countless more were injured, including myself." He gestured to the leg supported by his cane as if to prove his point. "And all of a sudden, everything I spent my life building up, all my aspirations and dreams-" He snapped his fingers. "-were gone, just like that."

"The energy released in the sky…" Dipper managed, reeling from Mandell's revelations and pushing back his worries for Grunkle Stan and his friends at Gravity Falls High. "that's what hit Mabel and me? That's what put us in our comas?"

Mandell turned to them, a measured look on his face. "That's correct, Mr. Pines. You were both brought to the hospital for treatment, but certain…anomalies ensued."

Dr. Mandell led the teens back into the hallway.

"The doctors tried to stabilize your conditions," Mandell continued as he walked. "But the sheer amount of residual energies in your systems kept missing with their equipment. Eventually, after hearing about you two and pleading for days on end, the hospital released you into my care. Here, with the technology still available at the lab, we were able to stabilize you and give you the unique care you two needed."

The three of them re-entered the cortex, where Soos and Candy were finishing taking down the beds while Wendy seemed to be relaxing at the computer desk. The lab assistants all looked up as Dipper and Mabel entered the room, all trying to read their expressions.

Dipper had a million thoughts and emotions going through him all at the same time. He had been looking forward to the Infinity Engine's launch ever since it had been announced, but thanks to one little glitch in the system, people were hurt. People died. Both he and his sister had lost nine months of their lives. How much had changed? What would they find when they walked outside the lab? Even meeting Mandell had been cheapened by the circumstances that had caused it.

And then there was the question of what exactly happened to him and his sister. Mandell had said that energy from the Infinity Engine had been inside them. Not only that, but it had been strong enough to keep them in a coma for the last nine months. What other side effects were possible?

But one thought became louder and stronger than the rest the longer Mandell's information sank in. Stan. They needed to see Stan. He'd been waiting nine months for them to wake up, probably wondering if they ever would. What if he'd been hurt too? And the last time they'd spoke they'd argued, and…

"Look, this sciency stuff has been great and all," Mabel announced, worry showing on her face. "but we need to go home and see how everyone is."

"Mabel's right," Dipper chimed in. "No one even knows we're awake yet."

"That's not a good idea," Dr. Mandell said, frowning. "There's still so much about your condition that we don't know yet. We need to do some tests-"

"Thanks for looking after us and everything, but we really need to go." Mabel pressed. "Like now." She quickly made her way to the door, Dipper slightly trailing behind.

"We'll be fine, really!" Dipper assured Mandell and his associates, turning slightly to face them as he slowly turned the corner of the hall. It was clear from their faces that they didn't think this was the best course of action. Mandell seemed especially perturbed. As the four scientists disappeared from sight, a thought came into Dipper's head.

"Hey," Dipper said, popping back into view. He gestured to the Mandell Labs sweatshirt he had on. "Can I keep the shirt?"

The wind blew through the trees as the sun stood high in the sky, providing light and warmth to the entire town. Bees were out buzzing, the grass blew softly in the wind, and Gravity Falls was experiencing a rare quiet period.

It was a perfect day to have a romantic picnic in the dark part of the forest.

Jess couldn't help but stare at her date as she sat on the flannel blanket they had put over the grass. Even in this darker setting, he was still as chiseled and handsome as when they had met the day before. He had a strong jaw, combed jet-black hair that stretched down to his shoulders, and piercing blue eyes that just made her melt on the inside when he paired them with his full white-toothed smile. He was giving her one such look now. His muscular frame was still evident even coupled with the black hoodie and jeans he had on. And to believe that this tall drink of water was only fifteen, just like her!

Adjusting her glasses, Jess remembered first seeing him the day before. She was passing the cemetery on the way to the corner store and had almost smacked into a pole for after spotting him and staring for too long. Then, all of a sudden, he was there, asking if she wanted to go out with him. Her! They had spent the day walking around town, holding hands, eating at Greasy's Diner, even playing some frisbee among the tombstones for a while.

And now here they were, sharing sandwiches in the middle of the forest with no one around for miles. Could this day get any better?

"Jess," Brad, her date, said in his deep, masculine voice. His eyes fixated on her and it gave her butterflies in her stomach. "Now that we've gotten to know each other, I have something I need to tell you."

Jess sat up in her red and white checkered dress and yellow jacket. "Oh Brad, you can tell me anything!"

Brad smiled wider. "I was hoping you would say that." He stood up off the blanket and took a step back into the grass. Not knowing what else to do, Jess followed him up.

Brad rubbed the back of his muscled neck. "Now, this is going to seem weird, so… just keep an open mind, alright?"

Jess nodded. Seeming confident in her response, Brad unzipped his hoodie and tossed it to the ground. Then, without warning, he pulled his black crew-cut V-neck tee over his head and tossed that away as well.

"Ahm…" Jess managed, turning red at the sight of Brad's chiseled abs and six-pack.

"Oh, believe me," Brad raised an eyebrow. "There's more where that came from."

Jess turned an even darker shade of pink.

Suddenly, Brad's entire body began to vibrate. His skin turned to a liquid consistency, waves of flesh churning in each and every direction of Brad's form. Jess shrieked and took a step back as a hole began to open in Brad's chest, ever widening and growing. Next his arms began to shorten, his thighs grew thicker, and faces started to form on his abs and thighs. Two arms sprang out of Brad's chest cavity, one on each side. Two more short arms sprouted at the sides of Brad's head, and each thigh received its own pair of arms. The liquidy flesh began to re-condense and harden, forming hair and clothes on the newly formed faces, until Jess was looking at five short men stacked on each other that resembled garden gnomes.

Brad's…head grabbed a red pointed hat from seemingly nowhere and donned it with a grin.

"So, what do you think?" he asked. "Is this weird? Is this too weird?"

Jess' eyes were so big they were practically bulging out of their sockets, and her jaw was reaching for the ground.

"Ah, well." Brad sighed. He gestured to Jess. "Alright boys, you know the drill. Get her!"

The five little men who had been Brad lept onto Jess, pulling her to the ground.

"Get off of me!" Jess shouted, fighting through the the pain of hitting the ground. She punched off the man who was on her left arm, then kicked off the one on her right leg. Desperate to get away, she rolled over twice, throwing off two more of the gnomes. Only Brad's head remained, grabbing on to her by her curled hair.

"Struggling is only going to make this more painful!" he growled.

Despite the added weight on her head, Jess rose to full height and reached for the little man who had been Brad's head, digging her fingernails into his flesh. He let out a cry, complaining about his remarkable face and loosening his grip on Jess' hair. With gritted teeth, Jess tore the little man from her head and tossed him away. Her eyes became teary, her scalp burning with pain from the hair Brad had ripped away.

"Get away from me!" she cried, bolting away. She had to get out of there before they caught her. She needed to-

Multiple men lept from behind the trees, barring her way in every direction. They were all dressed as Brad had been, in black hoodies and jeans.

"I forgot to mention," Brad's head gloated, walking through the grass to the cluster of figures and nursing his face. "I have some friends I want you to meet."

Dipper and Mabel opened the door to the Mystery Shack and walked inside.

They weren't sure what they expected, but the place felt different. Not that it looked any better or worse than it had before – the log walls and wooden panel floor looked rough and had nails occasionally sticking up in various places, the shelves of the gift shop were stocked with cheap overpriced novelties that no one in their right mind would ever think of spending money on, mold could be spotted on the ceiling if you looked close enough, and there were small cracks visible on the ornate window behind the cash register that let most of the light into the room. There was nothing wrong with the Shack visibly. It was home. It just didn't…feel like home. The feeling, the atmosphere that emanated from the Shack was more along the lines of one a person might experience when first entering a vacation house after a year. Everything was familiar, it looked no different than it was left, but it was missing that unique feel of being lived in.

Mabel frowned. "This…this is weird."

"I'll be out in a minute!" called a gruff voice from outside the room. "Don't walk out yet while you still have my – I mean, your money!"

Dipper's heart warmed at the sound of the familiar eccentric voice, relief beginning to flood his system.

"Grunkle Stan!" he and his sister called.

There was a silence. Then, out of the hallway stepped Stan Pines, dressed up in his suit and fez and clutching his 8-ball cane. At the sight of his niece and nephew, Stan's shocked face melted into the widest smile Dipper had ever seen him give and his eyes watered with tears. His cane dropped to the ground, giving a dull thud as it hit the wood floor.

"Kids!" Stan cried, launching himself at the twins. Dipper and Mabel mirrored the action, and the long-separated family crashed into each other in a giant bear hug. Dipper could feel some of the air being pulled out of his lungs, but at the moment he didn't care – he hugged harder.

"I'm so glad you're alright," Stan managed, his voice cracking with emotion. "I was starting to think you'd never wake up."

"We're here, Grunkle Stan." Mabel assured him. "We're both right here."

"Grunkle Stan," Dipper cracked, tears beginning to form on his own face. "I'm so sorry for sneaking to Mandell Labs that night. I was-"

"It's okay, Dipper." Stan cut him off. "You're both okay. That's all that matters."

The trio lingered on each other for a few more minutes, until they had to break apart to make sure they didn't suffocate each other in the hug. Grunkle Stan took off his glasses and dried his eyes with his sleeve. "Ehrm, it's about time you two woke up. Do you two have any idea how hard it's been finding good help around here? I must've lost a small fortune in sales that didn't happen because of you two!"

Dipper and Mabel chuckled. "I'm sorry we're so good at the menial labor you put us up to, Grunkle Stan." Dipper joked.

"Yeah, well don't get a big head about it," Grunkle Stan shot back, giving them a little grin as he slid his glasses back on. "Anyway, as long as you two are draining my pockets, how 'bout we go and get some ice cream? My treat."

"I second that notion!" Mabel cried excitedly.

"Count me in!" Dipper agreed.

With their moods rejuvenated and their hearts at ease, the family got into Stan's Devil Duster and made their way to the Gravity Falls Creamery.

It was the best ice cream any of them had ever eaten.

Dipper needed to think. So he went for a walk in the place that had always helped him with his thoughts – the woods.

It had been a day since he and his sister had reunited with Grunkle Stan, a day since they had awoken from their comas. The rest of the day had been amazing – Stan had taken them to get ice cream, then they had raided the store for snacks and had a movie night, just the three of them. In fact, they had all passed out on the living room, Stan on the couch and the twins on the ground. It almost made him forget the circumstances that had preceded said events. He had been content with just spending time with his family. They all had.

But yesterday was gone, and with the new day came reality beginning to set in.

Dipper had looked up the news from the Infinity Engine's accident, and though no one he had been particularly close to had been hurt that he could tell, he had known some of the victims nonetheless. His freshman gym teacher, Mr. Strong, had perished when a telephone pole affected by the blast had fallen over and crushed him in his car. Rachel Rand, a girl who was more around the popular end at school, had been felled by a stray bolt of lightning. And Robbie Valentino, a senior that Dipper had never really gotten along with, was among the missing from that night. There were others that he had occasionally shared passing glances with that were dead or gone, and though he had never shared a conversation with any of them, he couldn't help but feel a silent sense of loss and dread. There was a small weight behind his eyes, as if he wanted to cry but couldn't. Didn't.

Though Stan had been reluctant to let the twins out of his sight, he had relented to their pleading to give them the day to themselves. Mabel was meeting her friends at Greasy's Diner for a girls' day out. Dipper, however, didn't feel like being around his friends yet. He didn't want to deal with the poking and prodding he was sure to receive about his coma, and though he was relieved that they were all okay, he needed some time to process everything.

Leaves and twigs crunched under Dipper's feet as he continued to trudge along the route that he knew all too well. He had been coming to this part of the forest since he was ten. Ever since he found the hidden metal compartment. He had gone this way so many times, he was certain he could walk the path with his eyes closed.

Dipper took a moment to take in an extra-long breath. He hadn't given it much thought, but he had been breathing in stale laboratory air for the last nine months. Scents that had been common to him before were like new now, and the air of the forest was no exception – slightly damp, fresh air paired with the strong, almost tangy scent of pine needles. Albeit unknowingly, he had missed it.

Finally, Dipper reached his destination. It was a small clearing, with pine trees skirting the edges, creating an almost disfigured oval around a bunch of wild bushes, green spear-like grass, and patches of dirt and rocks.

Dipper approached one of the trees towards the far end of the clearing, giving it a small tap. As expected, a small metallic clang rang from it. Dipper made a small smirk. At least some things hadn't changed.

Feeling his fingers along the body of the tree, Dipper found a small crevice almost undetectable to the human eye, and pulled a panel of the "wooden" exterior outward, exposing a metallic interior with rusted areas evident throughout. In the center was a metallic box adorned with buttons, gauges, and switches. Dipper flipped one such switch with a small click, and a dull creak of metal on metal emanated from behind him.

Dipper turned. A panel of grass and dirt a couple of feet from him was swallowed up by the ground around it, revealing a metallic open box about the size of a small oven. The various odds and ends contained inside were covered with a small layer of dust, an outward sign of the time Dipper had spent away from his secret cache.

Dipper had found the secret compartment completely by accident. One moment, he had been putting up signs for Grunkle Stan in the woods, the next he had found a tree made completely out of metal. The compartment had been empty when Dipper had found it, but the dust at the center of it was not nearly as thick as the dust around the center, leading him to the belief that something had been housed inside before he found it, like a small box or book. He would've loved to know who had constructed the cache, but at the moment it was still another mystery he had yet to solve.

Dipper walked over to the cache and, sitting down, began to peruse its contents. A notebook he had begun years ago cataloging the strange creatures and anomalies of Gravity Falls. A book on the theoretical sciences by Dr. Mandell that was practically overflowing with post-it notes and bookmarks. Several labeled flash-drives. Small vials of love and anti-love potions. A file containing documents on the history of Gravity Falls. A lock of Gnome hair (Dipper wasn't sure why he still had that). To Dipper's relief, everything seemed to still be here.

Dipper was putting the items back in the cache when he heard a small whisper.

Is it him?

Dipper whirled around. The whisper had seemed to come from right behind him, but all he saw was trees.

"Hello?" Dipper called. "Is anyone there?"

Silence.

Shrugging, Dipper finished putting everything back in the cache. He was probably hearing things. Or maybe the Hide-Behind was taunting him again. It wouldn't have been the first time.

Dipper stood and made his way back to the tree. He flipped the switch, and the sound of metal on metal filled the air again. Among the unpleasant cacophony was another whisper.

Help me.

Dipper slammed the tree panel shut and whirled around. Again, no one was there. The trees began to sway in the breeze, as if taunting him.

"Mabel, is that you?" Dipper asked, looking around. "If this is one of your pranks, Mabel, I swear-"

Get off of me!

This time, the whisper came as rough and hoarse, and unlike the previous whispers, this one was coming from somewhere to the right of Dipper. Frowning, he began to wander in the direction he had heard the voice from. What the heck was going on here?

Get off of me! Get away from me!

The voice grew in intensity, and it was clear that whoever was speaking was in trouble. Dipper's wandering broke into a small run, dodging and weaving through the trees as he went.

Help me!

Get off of me!

Stay away from me!

"Hello?!" Dipper shouted. "Do you need help? Where are you?"

All he was answered with was more intense whispering.

Help me!

Help me!

Please!

Dipper stumbled onto what appeared to be the remains of a picnic. A flannel blanket was stretched along the ground, and a small basket sat on top of it. And yet, no one was visible. The place seemed completely abandoned.

Dipper looked around. "Hello? Is anyone out there?"

No response. Whoever or whatever had called him here had gone silent.

Dipper began to closely inspect the area. The whispering had definitely been coming from here. Something was clearly wrong, so what was he missing?

He noticed that the dirt and grass had been kicked up nearby, as if a struggle had happened here. The food left behind was unfinished, so whoever had been picnicking here had been interrupted by someone or something.

Then Dipper noticed a small clump of dark, curly hair in a section of dirt where the scuffle had taken place. Kneeling down, he picked it up and examined it.

It is him.

Dipper looked up, still finding no one to match the whisper to. "Hello? Is this your picnic?"

Suddenly, the whispering came flooding back, increasing in intensity with every passing second. No longer coming from a specific direction, it seemed as if it was coming from everywhere at once.

It is him.

He's here.

And he hears us.

The Pine Tree hears us.

The whispers continued to get louder and louder. They felt like they were pounding against Dipper's head, grating against his skull.

He hears us!

What delicious things we can share with him!

The moon landing was real, but the moon was fake! Purple isn't a real color! The Shooting Star is the key!

"Hello?!" Dipper shouted into the madness, clutching his ears and digging his nails into his scalp. Just when he thought it couldn't get more intense, the booming whispery voices began talking over each other, their collective sound filling the woods like a school cafeteria multiplied ten times.

AFLWSS! xalata! okatav! lemcre! oDihSC! tocIih! lcaBsu!

It was too much. Before Dipper even knew what he was doing, he was running. He didn't stop even after he exited the forest. Only after he entered the Mystery Shack and slammed the door behind him did the voices relent, allowing him time to recover. He slid against the wooden door and held his head in his hands.

He needed to find Mabel. He needed to find out what the heck had just happened to him. But before he could collect enough of himself to do anything, he heard one final whisper. One that chilled him inside even more than the entire experience prior had.

The Pine Tree hears us.

The Pine Tree hears us…..and the Triangle knows about it.

Wkh zklvshuv krog pdqb vhfuhwv

AN: The hidden messages contained in the roaring whispers Dipper hears is six words/phrases, the letters of each one equally spaced through the six coded words in the message (for example, the first letter of the first message is the first letter in the first coded word, A. The rest of the message can be found by taking the first letters of each of the other coded words and forming a word or phrase with them, putting them in the order they are in in the coded words.).