Dipper and Pacifica
8:30 AM
They kept moving down the trail, further and further as the fog kept their vision obscured.
Dipper led the way, his right hand on the gun holster just in case, as he was navigating any obstacles that might be littered on the ground, a small boulder, a fallen tree, anything. Pacifica was behind Dipper, looking around for anything that could be vaguely suspicious.
The trail felt like it went on and on. One would even say that they would've taken in the sights around everything that was on the trail they were walking in, but there was just nothing but fog surrounding them.
...And it was eerily quiet...
There were no more strange and alerting sounds that once surrounded the two even...
Just the silence.
"...Are we, uh...are we there yet?" Pacifica asked Dipper a little uneasily.
"I sure hope so..." Dipper muttered, "Our trek here has been nothing but quiet so far...it's kind of unsettling..." he glanced around to his left and right to see if anything stood out to him, "...You know, I just happened to notice something about our route."
Pacifica turned her attention as she walked a little closer behind Dipper, "Huh? Really? Like what?"
"...I don't hear any animals around here..." Dipper said a little cryptically.
Pacifica raised an eyebrow at that. She glanced at her surroundings, seeing, or rather hearing, anything that seemed to be off.
...She heard...absolutely nothing…
"...Actually...that is pretty strange," Pacifica muttered. She directed her attention back at Dipper, "What do you think that means?"
"...I'm not sure," Dipper admitted, "But…" he stopped.
Upon seeing Dipper stopping, Pacifica paused in her step too. "Huh? Wh-What is it?"
"...Follow me," Dipper told her as he came up a little further.
"Um...okay?" Pacifica inquisitively said but followed Dipper nonetheless.
As soon as they went up a little further...they came across some stone stairs that led up.
Dipper looked up at the stairs to see where they lead...
Up on a hill, there was a building in the distance.
"...I think we're here," Dipper declared.
Pacifica looked up at the building as well. "Oh...well, okay then."
"Hm…watch your step, okay?" Dipper told Pacifica as he went up the stairs.
The blonde just looked at the detective with an annoyed look, about to retort, but thought nothing of it, seeing as he was just being...well, nice, she guesses. Sighing, she went up the stairs along with Dipper as well.
As they climbed the stairs, with Dipper leading the way, the detective kept his focus on the path in front of him...
...Until something was gnawing at his mind, the feeling of something probing it.
He paused, grabbing his head to try to calm it down as he gritted his teeth...
Oh shit...I forgot...damn it! I didn't think they would come this soon!
Some mountains.
"Ugh!" Dipper exclaimed.
"Dipper?" Pacifica's voice rang in his ears. "Wha-are you okay?"
"I…" Dipper grunted, "I...ugh...we got to keep going."
"Wha-Dipper? What's wrong?" Pacifica asked in concern.
"I'll-" he grunted some more, "I'll tell you...when we-"
A cave.
"Augh!" Dipper slipped on a step, but he luckily caught himself as he fell, his hands on the next step.
"Dipper!" Pacifica's eyes widened as her concern reached tenfold, going up the stairs to get to him.
She knelt by his left side and checked to see if he was okay. He looked to be grasping his head, his eyes squinting behind his glasses as he gritted his teeth, his expression contorting in what looked like pain.
"Dipper! What's wrong!? Wh-What happened!?" Pacifica asked him frantically, panic setting into her senses.
"Uuugh...I...we...we need...we need to get inside the building," Dipper told her, trying to stand up, "H-Help me...get there."
"O-Okay, yeah, sure!" Pacifica said hurriedly as she picked him up by the torso and let his arm drape around her shoulders. They walk steadily, but quickly, up the stairs until they reached a platform and looped around the concrete path to come up to a pair of double doors at the front of the building. Pacifica pushed one of the doors and entered inside with Dipper, carrying him to a seat and letting him sit there in the lobby area.
"Dipper, what is wrong? Are you okay? I mean, do you have like a migraine, or-" Pacifica wondered until Dipper spoke out to her.
"Pacifica...is...is there a...a water fountain around here?" Dipper asked taking some heaving breaths as he tries to calm the pain in his head.
"U-Um..." Pacifica looked around the area to see if there was anything that resembles a water fountain. Upon seeing one near the receptionist's desk, she said to him, "Y-Yeah! D-Do you need some water, or-?"
"Y-Yeah, I...I...ugh, I need to...I forgot to take...my medi-...my medication," Dipper struggled to tell her, his left hand still on his head as he leaned over in the chair.
"Oh! O-Okay, I'll, uh, I'll get you there!" Pacifica said to him.
"T-Thanks," Dipper slightly nodded, the pain probably unbearable for him.
Once again, Pacifica got him up and supported him, his arm around her shoulders as they made their way to the water fountain.
As soon as they neared it, Dipper let go of Pacifica and hobbled over there. He stumbled to the fountain, letting his hands grab each side of it. He stood there, lurched over as he panted and heaved. After gaining some composure, he finally stood up, using all his strength and concentration to stand a little straighter, although he was wobbling a little bit. His hand then shakily went to one of his trenchcoat pockets, getting out a plastic container of some pills. Struggling to open them, he finally twisted the top off, poured out two orange pills, and puts them in his mouth. Quickly screwing the top on and putting it in one of his many trenchcoat pockets, he pushed the button on the water fountain and leaned over to get what little water he could drink to wash down the pills. Turning his head up to swallow them, he let out a gasp of relief...
Dipper continued to set his hands on the sides of the fountain as he leaned over it, letting his heaving breaths slowly subside...
After a few seconds, with one final sigh of relief, his whole mind became painless...
His mind now was in a state of calm, no longer having those same...weird and bizarre images run through his brain...
"Dipper?" Pacifica's voice rang out.
"I'm...I'm fine...I'm fine now," Dipper got off the fountain and stood there, turning around to face the blonde woman.
She looked completely concerned and frightened for him...
Wincing at her expression, Dipper glanced down as he muttered, "I'm...I'm sorry, I..." he shook his head to clear it for a moment and rubbed his temples, "Really, I'm sorry. You don't have to worry about me, I'm fine now."
"O-...O-Okay then...b-but, what just happened back there, Dipper?" Pacifica asked him in dreadful curiosity.
"...I've been having...these migraines lately..." he looked up at Pacifica, quickly correcting, "But they're pretty recent, so it's not a long-term thing. No worries."
"Oh...well, how long have you had them?" Pacifica asked him in worry.
"I had these migraines around a month ago..." Dipper glanced down as he muttered, "It's probably from all the work I've been doing..." he sighed and rubbed his forehead with his finger and thumb, "I'm really starting to consider taking a vacation after..." he let go of his forehead and gave out a serious frown.
He remembers what he's here for.
"Anyway, thanks, Pacifica. I think we should get a map...now...in here?" Dipper then looked around the area...
...It was empty...
In fact...the lights weren't on. They were...off. With only the light from outside lighting up the area...
Pacifica also started to notice the vacant feeling around them.
No people were here...not even a soul. It was just them...
"...Um...is this place open?" Pacifica asked Dipper in confusion.
"..." Dipper looked around the area once more, "...The doors were open and we came in...so it has to be..."
He turned his head to the receptionist's desk and saw something laying on the surface of the desk.
Curious, he walked over there...and found...
…A map. Of the town of Silent Hill.
"...Okay...I can probably safely say that something is taking place here," Dipper said, "...Either that or something supernatural is here."
"...Maybe they opened earlier and they're setting up?" Pacifica shrugged, "I mean, it is..." she looked at her wristwatch, "Like...close to nine o'clock."
"Hmm..." Dipper let his gaze go down at the map/brochure on the desk. Picking it up and opening it, he looked at its contents.
His eyes widened.
Seeing his expression, Pacifica walked up to Dipper, peeking around him to see what he was looking at.
The map of Silent Hill had colorful printing and pictures on it, with some of the town's advertisements around the map. But there was something else that caught both their eyes...something that was written and circled around an area on the map.
What was circled was an area that, according to the legend, was...a bar.
A bar called Neely's Bar.
The words under the circle said, 'GO HERE FIRST'.
"...Neely's Bar?" Pacifica said out loud in question, "Do you, uh...drink or something?" she asked in jest as she smirked at Dipper.
"...At times..." Dipper answered soberly.
Pacifica blinked as her eyes widened and her mouth was slightly agape at that answer, her expression turning into surprise. "You...You do?"
"...I've been looking for my sister for so long, I had to drown some of my sorrows out in a way..." Dipper sighed through his nose, closing up the map and putting it in one of his trenchcoat pockets.
"Oh...I-I'm sorry, Dipper, I was just-"
"No, it's okay, Pacifica. You didn't know...I don't drink a lot though...only when...only when I feel hopeless at times..." Dipper frowned as he looked down at the floor.
Pacifica gazed at the man that she once knew as the dorky boy back in Gravity Falls... "...We'll find her, Dipper. Don't you worry...we'll find her."
Dipper looked up and turned his head at Pacifica, his expression one of confusion as he blinked, "But...what about the person you're meeting up with?"
She went silent for a moment...until she said, "You know, I can postpone my meeting with this...person for a moment. Honestly, Dipper, you...well, you obviously sound like you've suffered through a lot, and...I just feel like...I just feel like you need a friend right now, you know? To help you get through..." Pacifica softly smiled.
Surprised to hear that, Dipper blinked again, staring at Pacifica for a second until he gave out a grateful smile himself. "You know what? ...That would be great right now."
Pacifica smiled brightly. "Great! Cause who knows, you'll need someone to keep your head on straight if you miss something important while you're doing your search. Maybe even have a little bit of a woman's intuition with you, if I were to be so bold?"
Chuckling, Dipper said, "Well, I do need another set of eyes. Sometimes these glasses don't pick everything up. And if this fog is anything to go by, I might need that extra help."
Giggling at that, Pacifica said, "Well, I'm glad to be of assistance to you, Mason."
"...You're gonna call me that every once in a while, are you?"
"Oh come on, it's not that bad of a name. In fact, the name sounds a lot more mature than Dipper," Pacifica said honestly with a smile, "I mean, what do people call you at your job? Mason or Dipper?"
Dipper gave her a deadpan stare, "Dipper to my enemies, and Mason to...well, people that I truly trust. Family and closest friends to be exact."
"Oh...sooo, you trust me then, huh?" Pacifica said with a teasing smirk.
"...In some ways, I do," Dipper rolls his eyes but has a little bit of a smirk on his face as well.
Pacifica snickered, "I feel flattered by that, believe it or not. But that still doesn't answer my original question."
Dipper sighed, "The clients call me Detective Pines."
"Ah, okay. Not bad, per se."
Chuckling, Dipper then said, "Well, care to go to this Bar Neely's and...I don't know, see what I need there? Perhaps get a drink while we're at it?" he jested.
"Let's. But not the drinking part. I want to stay sober myself," Pacifica told him.
"You drink?" Dipper asked with a surprised raised eyebrow.
"Well...at times. I mean...uh, yeah, but it's just the fruity kinds of drinks. You know, living in New York and the scene and whatnot," Pacifica explained.
Dipper was about to make a joke, but he stopped himself when he began to think about some of the reasons that she might drink at times...
...Her parents…
Deciding to leave it at that, he shrugged and said with a small smile, "Well, either way, we should get going."
Pacifica smiled as well, almost looking appreciative, "Yeah," she stuck her arm out in a showman-style way and said, "Well then, lead the way, Detective Pines."
Chuckling at that, he began to walk towards the main doors, with Pacifica following him. As soon as Dipper went to the main doors, there was a brochure stand, and one other map of Silent Hill was sticking out...
When he saw that, he paused.
Two things came to his mind.
...Another map...this is the second one I saw here...and it's the only one on this stand...
"...Do you need a map?" Dipper asked Pacifica.
Upon seeing him pause and glancing at the map, Pacifica said, "Oh...well, you know, that would be helpful. I mean, I wouldn't want to hover over you all the time trying to look at your map, so yeah, sure."
Dipper gave out a lazy smirk, "Heh. Okay then," he then got the map off the stand and gave it to her.
"Why thank you!" Pacifica gladly accepted the map, giving him a smile of her own. She slipped it into her jean pocket, which resulted in a raised brow from Dipper.
"You're not going to use it?" he asked in confusion.
"Well, just whenever I need it," Pacifica said with a shrug.
"..." Dipper shook his head with a chortle, "Okay, whatever makes you tick, Paz."
Pacifica rolled her eyes, but she gave him a small smile.
They soon exited the visitor center...but something still bothered Dipper about the place they were leaving...
That was the only map I saw in the visitor center besides the one that I picked up for myself back there...and that facility should've been well-locked and had people there to manage inside of it...it was also supposed to open at nine in the morning. I saw the hours near the entrance...so why weren't there any people in that building getting it ready? ...Maybe I'm just overthinking things...but I am a detective, so-
"Dipper?"
The detective turned his attention to the blonde, "Yeah?"
"...Something's not right here..." Pacifica said warily, glancing at her surroundings.
Seeing her look of discomfort, Dipper looked around as well...
...and noticed something...odd...
...Actually, it's something that he hasn't noticed.
While walking up to the street they were on, he sees that they have entered the town limits of Silent Hill. Old New England buildings were appearing from each side of the street, businesses were getting clearer to see...however, the fog hasn't dissipated one bit.
The fog just kept rolling in...
...But that wasn't what he didn't noticed...
...There was nothing but silence.
Not even cars were passing by...no animals, no people going in and out of businesses...
It was all quiet.
...
"..." Dipper went to get his map out of his trenchcoat and opened it up to see where they are, "...We're in Visitors' Way..." he looks up at the thick fog ahead of them, "...We have to go forward."
"Dipper?" Pacifica spoke out in confusion, "You...You know something is not right here...right?"
"...I do," Dipper frowned, "But...whether this is all supernatural or not, I'm here for one thing."
Mabel.
"...Get close to me," advised Dipper to Pacifica.
Not hesitating one bit, Pacifica got close to Dipper.
They went forward...
"...Do you...Do you know have an idea on what's happening here?" Pacifica asked Dipper.
"...I really don't know...but I'll tell you one thing...this resort town is not making me feel relaxed right now," Dipper noted.
"Pft, yeah, tell me about it..." Pacifica mumbled.
They walked up a bit more on the street that's named Visitors' Way until they go up to an intersection. Dipper looked back at his map to see what directions he needs to get to Neely's Bar.
"...We go right," he instructed, putting the map away.
Dipper and Pacifica go to their right up a street that's named "Allison Road". As they traveled through the dense fog, they come up to one car that was parked on the side of the road. It looked like an average blue car. Pausing to register in his mind that he was seeing an actual vehicle through this fog, Dipper came up to it to see if anyone, or anything really, was inside.
He peered through the driver's car window.
Nobody was there in the car.
"...Hm..." Dipper took a step back away from it. He went around the back of it to see if there was a license tag on the bumper.
...There wasn't one, believe it or not.
"...Huh..." Dipper scratched his head in confusion.
"Dipper?" Pacifica called out to him from the other side of the road.
"Huh?" Dipper looked at where Pacifica's voice was...and found out that she wasn't keeping close to him. "Pacifica? Where are you!?"
"Over at the other side of the road! I found something! There's another car over here!" said Pacifica through the fog.
Eyes widening just a bit, Dipper rushed over to where Pacifica might be on the other side of the road.
It was then he found her near a red sports car.
"Pacifica! You're supposed to be close to me at all times!" Dipper told her as he got up to where she was. He then surveyed what she found.
The car door to the passenger side seat was open, and on the seat, was something... peculiar.
On the seat, was a thin flickering flashlight.
Blinking at that, Dipper asked Pacifica, "Who's it belong to?"
"I, um, I don't know, it was just laying there...with the door open," Pacifica shrugged, "I thought you might need a light or something."
"Oh..." Dipper looked around the foggy street. "...Huh. Well, I could use it around this fog. But..." he looked at the flickering flashlight, "...What if someone is using it?"
Pacifica looked at him with a "really?" look, "Dipper, the car door is wide open, there's no one around here, and so far, this place feels...weird. Like there's nobody here. Whatever supernatural force is doing this, or whoever is doing this, probably...well...wants us to have it, I guess?"
"..." Dipper looks around the street once more, the fog definitely getting thicker...he sighed, "Okay, okay. I just don't want to feel like I'm actually taking someone's stuff."
Rolling her eyes, Pacifica told him, "Come on, Dipper, this whole situation isn't normal enough as it is. You might as well just have to take the flashlight. I mean, I don't even think this car has a license plate."
"It doesn't?" Dipper blinked at that.
Another one?
He looked at the back of the car to see...
...That it didn't. There was just an empty tag on the bumper. He even went to check the front, until Pacifica said, "I've already checked out the front too. No license tag."
"...Hm. Alright then," Dipper assured her. Turning his attention to the flashlight on the seat, he decided to go over to the flashlight and picked it up, adjusting the setting on the light. Once it was fully on, he pointed the light toward the fog. "Well...we should get going."
Pacifica looked at the road ahead, "Yeah..." she got close to Dipper again as they walked up the path they were venturing forth.
They kept walking on the road, each side of it now having connected buildings with shops, grocery marts, cafes, and restaurants. They soon entered the main part of town around fifteen minutes later, the buildings turning into brownstone apartment complexes, which they were now in a housing part of the town.
They passed other cars as well, all parked and left on the other sides of the roads near the sidewalks, each of the vehicles being empty. The feeling of isolation was settling in as Dipper and Pacifica could feel a certain dreaded aura, an aura that something was awfully awry in this Silent Hill...
Dipper looked at his watch.
9:20 AM
He then got the map out of his trenchcoat again. Opening it, he read it.
"...Once we go up two blocks from here, we reach an intersection and go to the left of 'Patterson Drive'. Then we'll probably get to this bar in around five minutes."
Putting the map away in his coat, he used the flashlight to find the road sign that says the road's name as he and Pacifica move forward...
Once they almost reached the intersection, they came across another car, this one being a black Lexus.
Dipper flashed the light on the car to look it over and admire it for a moment. "Hm...this looks like an early recent model."
Pacifica looked at the car also. "Oh, yeah. This is definitely an early-year model."
"Hmm..." Dipper then looked at the car tag of the Lexus.
Surprisingly, there was a car tag on this car.
It read:
Pennsylvania
[LUMBR JL]
Dipper raised a brow.
...Lumber...Jill...?
Pacifica went to where Dipper is and looked at the car tag as well.
"...Lumber Jill?" Pacifica said, reading it out loud. She stood there in thought, "...What was that tall girl's name? The one with red hair?"
"Huh?" Dipper turned his head to Pacifica in slight confusion.
"You know! The one that you used to have a crush on?"
"...Oh. W-Wendy?" Dipper asked as he blinked, a slight blush on his face.
"Wendy! Yeah...she was really rowdy..." Pacifica looked down to remember the older girl, "The last I saw her was...at that big guy's wedding. Soos, was it?"
"Uh...yeah...yeah..." Dipper looked down with a frown, "That was also the last time I...saw them..."
Pacifica looked up at Dipper to gaze at him for a moment... "...You should try giving them a call."
"...I...I don't know if they changed numbers or anything..."
"Well...you can try? You have your Grunkles' numbers, right?"
"...I...I said some things to them when they told me to give up on finding Mabel. Things that..." Dipper sighed closing his eyes as he shook his head, "...things that were kind of hurtful...I don't think they would even want to speak to me again after that."
Pacifica frowned, "...Dipper, your Grunkles are family. They still love you, I would think. I'm certain they understand-"
"Well, if they understand, then why didn't they continue looking for Mabel?" Dipper interrupted her, his eyes filled with frustration, "They love her very much as I do! I just...I just don't get why they would even tell me to just...give up! Sure it's been three years at that time, but...they were stronger than that! I don't know if it's because they were getting old or...or…"
The blonde stood there, feeling sympathy for Dipper as she felt conflicted by all this burden that he had to bear.
"..." Dipper sighed pitifully as he adjusted his glasses, "...I can see it in their faces. They were...They were so...they looked done. Not in the way that they don't want to keep searching for Mabel anymore, they just look...they looked...like their spirit couldn't take it. Like they couldn't take the fact of what might've happened to Mabel...if that makes any sense."
She stood there quietly listening to him, gazing at her friend with a melancholic frown.
"...I probably shouldn't have said the things that I said to them...I don't even know if they resent me now for what I said...they haven't called me or anything...or maybe I was supposed to call them..." Dipper clenched his eyes shut, trying to not shed any kind of tear...
Pacifica took a step forward, trying to place a comforting hand on his shoulder, but paused, wondering if that was too much...
...She put a hand on his shoulder either way.
He needs this.
Dipper turned his head to the blonde in surprise, his eyes shimmering with emerging tears behind his glasses.
She looked at him with a look that gave him a bit of comfort...a look that said that he can tell her anything that might be bothering him if he needed the outlet. With a small smile, Pacifica told him through some kind of telepathic emotion to tell him, It's gonna be okay.
"...Thank you, Pacifica," Dipper said with a small smile of his own.
"Hey...I have my fair share of...family drama," Pacifica said with a slight shrug.
"Hm..." Dipper stood straight and took a deep breath. Pacifica let go of his shoulder to give him some space.
Exhaling that breath, Dipper looked more determined.
"...Okay. We should get moving," Dipper stated to Pacifica.
"Right," Pacifica nodded.
And they kept going, Dipper using the flashlight to see through the mist while Pacifica kept close to him...
However, one thought was on Dipper's mind...and it was about the car from Pennsylvania that they just passed.
...Wendy...I wonder how she is...that couldn't be her car though, right? ...I mean...right?
They walked further into the fog, looking at the directions on the map when needed...
Wendy
9:35 AM
Wendy didn't know what to think...
At first, she thought she saw a person in the fog...until she got a little closer, and she saw that it did look like a person...maybe? She followed this individual forward until it turned left to a street that was named "Patterson Drive". She wondered who this person even was, as they seemed to be the only ones here in this town. So, trusting her instincts, she followed this mysterious apparition or...whatever this is.
I can't tell if this person is a male or a female...could it be Tambry?
Wendy kept walking through "Patterson Drive", her shoes clicking on the pavement. Although this individual in the fog didn't necessarily make any noise to indicate that they were walking, or even wearing any shoes to begin with, she was sure she saw the outline of a person going through the fog.
...Either way, this feels...really weird. Like, supernatural weird...I don't know, maybe I'm just...overreacting?
She picked up the pace to catch up and see if she can still see the outline of the person.
...I mean, sure, no one is like, here, but...hm...
...She kept moving, but slowing down a bit...
...I mean, honestly, this shouldn't come off as bizarre to me. I grew up in Gravity Falls, so this should be normal to me by now...although, it has been like...after Soos's wedding since anything weird like this has happened...
...Wendy paused for a second.
...I really wonder how everyone is doing...it's been pretty long since I spoke to them...
...She heard a faint noise up ahead in the midst of the fog...it sounded like a door opening...and closing.
Blinking and raising a brow, she went on walking up the street...
...Soon, she came up to some colorful lights up ahead that were on her right.
They seem to be neon lights of a sign.
As she got closer, she sees what these lights were advertising.
The bigger top lights spelled out a name in red, while the bottom lights also spelled out a smaller word in purple. The lights were on a window of a building, and there was a door that was on the left.
The words on the lights say:
NEELY'S
Bar
There was also a flashing neon "OPEN" sign on the window.
"..." Wendy looked at the exterior of this bar, "...Well, okay then."
Hmm...this bar is apparently open...so maybe there could be someone here in this town after all...
"...Hm..." Wendy stood there in thought, "...Maybe someone will show me where Rosewater Park is."
So with that, she decided to enter the bar. Going to the door and opening it, she found...
...No one was there.
The bar did have its lights on, although they were dim in the establishment. Its overhead hanging lights and neon-lit signs were littered across the area, along with some pool tables next to the bar counter and in the back. There were drinks on the wall behind the bar counter, but no bartender was there. Not even one that was scrubbing the counter...
"...Hello?" Wendy called out.
...No one answered.
...I think someone went inside here...right?
"Hellooo?" Wendy walked forward to the bar counter. Leaning over it to see if anyone was hiding inside the counter somehow, and upon seeing that no one was there, she stood up once more.
Frowning at how empty this place seemed to be, Wendy mumbled, "Gee, not very good service in here..."
Looking at the drinks on the wall, she stared at them for a moment...the feeling of thirst rising in her mouth and throat...
...Wendy went through her choices, "Well, I'm certainly not gonna steal a bottle of booze...I'm not really that much of an alcoholic...and I learned that the hard way."
"Oh, really? What happened?"
The redhead jumped in surprise and turned her whole body to see...
...A plump older Caucasian man with short white hair, wearing a blue shirt and black pants, along with a white apron around his chest and stomach. His physique is that of a stout nature, his hands large and meaty, and was a little bit on the tall side. He almost looked a little like the actor Ernest Borneigne, even though the man has since passed away...
"Oh, sorry there, little lady! Didn't mean to startle ya!" the older man said with a scraggly voice and a chuckle.
"Oh, uh...nah, you're good," Wendy assured, "Just...didn't think anyone was in this town."
"Really?" the older man raised a bushy brow, "Usually the town is bustling this time of day."
"It is?" Now Wendy raised an eyebrow, "Well...it doesn't look like it. But maybe that's just because the fog is limiting my vision or something...so...I mean, heck, what do I know? There could be people here and maybe I'm just not seeing them."
"Oh, yeah, the fog. Heh, well, you get used to it after a while, but the town sure is a nice sight once it clears," the older man told her with a smile, "So, are you new here? Never seen you 'round before."
"Oh, um, yeah, actually. I'm, well, meeting up...with an old friend," Wendy said, looking down with a slight frown at her remembrance of why she was here.
Whether the old man saw her expression or not, he didn't acknowledge it as he said, "Oh, okay! Well, my name is Floyd! Floyd Harver! And as you can see, I'm the bartender here! What's your name, Miss?"
Snapping out of her thoughts, Wendy looked up at Floyd, "Oh, um, Wendy. Wendy Corduroy."
"Ah! Okay then! Well, Wendy, you meeting this old friend here?" Floyd asked her.
"Oh, no, I was...oh hey, yeah, do you know where Rosewater Park is? And...maybe a mechanic?" Wendy shrugged on the last one.
"Rosewater Park? Oh sure! As for the mechanic, the only one that's around here is 2 miles away. Though, he's off visiting family right now, so he's closed for the moment," Floyd explained to her.
"Oh...well, crap," Wendy put her hands on her hips as she looks down in frustration, "I guess I have to walk on foot, then...perfect," she mutters sarcastically as she rolls her eyes.
"Hmm...do you have a map?" Floyd asked her with a shrug.
Wendy sighed, "I wish I had one...probably should have gone to that visitors' center."
"Ah, yeah, that one is a walk to get to...well, hey, I got a map lying around here somewhere if you want it?" Floyd offered her.
Blinking at that statement, Wendy asked, "Really?"
"Oh yeah! In fact...hey, I think it's right here!" Floyd got something under the bar counter and gave it to Wendy from across it. "Here you go, little lady!"
"...Oh," Wendy just looked at the map in Floyd's hand in question, "Um...thanks..." she reached for the map in his hand and grabbed it, gazing at the front of it until she opened it and tried to find where Rosewater Park is. It seemed to be above the town, as it was around the lake. "...Huh. Well, I guess I do have a walk ahead of me," she lowered the map to ask Floyd, "What's the quickest way?"
"Oh, well, some roads are blocked, but I would say the quickest way is to just go up on King Street and it will lead you to the park!"
"Ah...okay then," Wendy looked at her map to find King Street and saw that it was just a straight shot up to the park. "Hm. Yeah, that works!" she looked back at Floyd with an appreciative smile, "Thanks, Floyd!"
"Oh, no prob!" Floyd with a waved gesture of his hand, "Just be careful when you travel around town on foot. Sometimes the fog comes and goes, but it can be pretty thick at times."
"Heh, yeah, tell me about it. I got to say, is that ever a problem with the residents here?"
"Oh, well, only when they have to hurry somewhere," Floyd explained, "But really, it does kind of have a nice ambiance, doesn't it? Quiet and mysterious, you know?"
"I mean...I guess," Wendy shrugged. She pocketed the map in her back pocket, "Well, thanks for the map, Floyd! And thanks for giving me directions as well!"
"Hey, no problem!" Floyd said with a smile, "Say, how about a drink for the road? It's on me."
Wendy blinked, "What? Really? Uh...are you sure? I mean, I don't want much, maybe just a shot."
"Ah, I'll just give ya a glass. Besides I want to hear that story of you trying to steal some booze. When was that in your life?" Floyd said as he got a glass out, and turned to the selection of liquor, "So which do ya want? I got Jack Daniels, Jimmy Bean, Maker's Mark-"
"Jack Daniels on the rocks," Wendy said without thinking. She blinked and had a flush of red on her cheeks, "Um…heh. I guess I'm thirstier than I thought."
"Haha! Well, Jack's on the rocks it is then!" Floyd got some ice out and pour it into the glass. He then got the Jack Daniels bottle and began pouring it into the glass. Once he was done, he slid it over to Wendy on the bar counter, letting it be caught in her hand, "Go ahead and sit for a while! Unless you're on a tight schedule."
"Oh, um..." Wendy rubbed the back of her neck, "Well, about that story, I..." she glanced at the barstool for a second...until she decided to sit down on it. "I mean…" she had a fond smile, "...Heh. It was actually all a dare. My friends and I back in my hometown in Oregon were all just goofing off-"
Then, the door opened again.
Wendy turned to glance at who entered the bar...
...She blinked for what felt like the one-hundredth time.
What she was seeing...was a man and a woman...but...the man himself was...familia-
"What the...W-Wendy!?" said the man with glasses.
Wendy looked surprised, her eyes widened in shock.
"Wha...wait..." she stood up from her barstool and walked over to the man, taking a close look at his face, which was growing red as she gazed at him. Once she observed his face for a couple of seconds, her eyes widened in realization, "Oh my...gosh..." she backed away for a moment to fully view him, "...Dipper!?"
The woman looked at Wendy and Dipper in disbelief, "Wait...are you saying...that that car back there...it really belongs to Wendy!? And she's right here!?"
Dipper looked at Wendy and felt...an old feeling that didn't exist until now...
Wendy?
Dipper looked at Wendy fully...
...Oh no, she's hotter now.
...And Pacifica was thinking something else when she glanced at Dipper, seeing his face all red.
...Oh no...please don't let this lead where I think this is gonna lead.
Chapter done! :D
Well, this is rather mysterious! Why is Neely's Bar open and has a bartender there? By the way, Floyd is a made-up character that I created, so he's not in any SH lore. But, I did take some inspiration from the bartender Lloyd of The Shining...take that what you will, I ain't gonna spoil it. XD
Either way, how is this chapter? Is it okay so far? Do you have any questions that I'll likely never answer? LOL! Well, I will say that Soos and Gideon will return in the next one, along with Dipper, Pacifica, and Wendy! It's just a matter of when! ;D And don't worry, they will meet up with some monsters! Maybe in the next chapter! We'll just see! X)
Give me a fave, follow, and most importantly, a review! I love them all! ^_^
Thank you all for reading and keep on rocking everybody! :)
-TSP