/Chapter 1: Splendor of the Mind
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Ever since Mason "Dipper" Pines was little, he could see things. Things other people couldn't see. It had started back far before he could remember. In the depths of his very memories. Back when he didn't quite understand what he was. How innocent he had been.
He saw the lovely sprites and fairies. He babbled and chirped at them to come closer. But when they laid their eyes upon him they ran. They shrieked, sounding like horrid whistles to his toddler's ears. Of course, he cried in return, a confused young little boy. His mother had been displeased at the time but dealt with him simply because of how important he was for a certain deal. Meaning that she never wanted Mason in the first place.
As he grew older, he realized he was the unwanted son, and accepted that neither his mother, father, or sister liked him at all. Mason was sad at first, but then he learned to shove all his emotions into a bottle and hide that bottle far, far away in the recesses of his subconscious.
"Yo! Dipstick, wake up! We're here!" His twin shouted in his very sensitive ears. He opened his eyes just in time to see a large dome with a complex equation on it. It took a few seconds to solve, but he solved it. "Isn't this exciting? We're gonna meet somebody new!" Mabel was nearly jumping in her seat, while Mason just watched her.
"Sure Mabel, I just hope nothing weird happens..." Mason stretched before he put the book he was reading away. Sometimes he wondered if he and Mabel were twins. They were nothing alike. Mabel was a beautiful social butterfly, while he was an ugly moth.
The bus had stopped and he walked out quietly as Mabel skipped around happily. If he disappeared now, would anyone ever notice? Mason assumed no because he was the quiet one, the one kidnappers or other twisted people probably took. The one that usually disappears off into the unknown forever, never to return. Then with a burst of smoke, an older man dressed in a fez hat, and a nice suit appeared. "Welcome young and old to the Mystery Shack! You two must be Mabel and Mason, I'm you're Great Uncle Stan!"
"So you're our Grunkle?" Mabel hoisted her duffle bag up onto her shoulder while Mason stood to the side awkwardly.
He had a bad feeling about this Mystery Shack place, something about it made him feel like sooner or later he would be trapped inside with no means to escape. That's the vibe he got from this whole town, it's as if he were trapped, for good.
"Hey kid, you've been zoning out for too long. We need to head over to the shack so you can go unpack your things." Stan was forceful with his words. Mason obeyed quietly, not wanting to be disliked by someone so quickly.
When they were inside the shack, the feeling that Mason had increased by a long shot. The place looked homey, but he couldn't get past the feeling of dread he had for this whole town. Once upstairs in the attic, he was allowed to set up. He didn't have all too many personal items, seeing as Mabel was by far the favored one. Sure he had books, but Mabel got everything she asked for. Before it didn't bother him, but now that he knew his place in the family, it certainly did. He wasn't even apart of the Pines by blood, only by legal mumbo-jumbo. His life was a mass of lies, half-truths, and pure madness.
At least he had immortality. At least then he'd be able to outlive the whole family.
He hadn't realized he'd been zoning out until he heard a loud shout of his name. Mason rushed down the stairs, afraid to get in trouble on his first day here. 'Y-yes Grunkle Stan?"
"I need you to go hang these signs up. If you wanna eat here, you gotta work for your bread." The elderly man handed him a few yellow arrow signs, a hammer, and some nails. " Grunkle Stan said, taking a sip of pitt soda after.
"Ok..." With a deep breath, Mason headed outside, looking into the forest afraid. "You got this..." He began to hammer up signs until he stumbled upon an odd-looking tree. When he hit it with the nail, it made a loud clang. Curious, he hit again, and a door opened from the tree. Inside were a few levers. "Weird, what would happen if i-"
A beep was heard, which made Mason suddenly turn around. There was a journal inside a metal compartment underground. Mason timidly went over and picked it up. It looked pretty old, with a monocle as a bookmark. On the front cover was a six-fingered hand with the number three on it. "Woah...This is so cool! This might be the most interesting thing that has ever happened to me!" Sitting on a nearby long, Mason popped open the book excitedly, ooh-ing and ah-ing at its contents.
"Hey there, watcha got?" A sudden voice nearly made Mason out of his skin. In front of him was a blond-haired boy, with tan skin, amber eyes, and a black eyepatch. "Names Bill. Bill Clericson."
With wide eyes, Mason stared him down for a moment before answering. "It' some weird book I just found. And my name is Mason Pines." He realized the boy was staring at him.
"Could I call you Dipper? I mean, your birthmark looks super cool." Bill sat down next to him, and all Mason could feel was a comforting aura coming off of him. Dipper didn't know he could ever appreciate someone's looks before.
"Uh... Sure, sure." Nervously he flipped his bangs back down and smiled. "So, are you a local or?"
"Not exactly, my dad and I decided to move here to get away from the big city for a while. He says I need to actually go make friends with the people around me." Bill rolled his eyes, annoyed.
"Same, my parents sent me and my twin sis down here to get away from tech."
"Hey dude, wanna be friends. This is gonna sound weird, but I seriously have a feeling that we're gonna be super close."
Dipper looked at Bill surprised. He had never had his own friends before, so this was brand new for him. "Sure, it'd be nice to have someone else here to talk too aside from my sister and my Grunkle. If you wanna come to talk to me, I live in the Mystery Shack. See you sometime later?"
"Sure thing Dipper. I'll probably see you in like an hour, my dad is probably worried about me." And with that Bill was waving goodbye to him with a smile.
Oh man, Bill was gonna make him do some crazy stuff in the future. Dipper could see it now. Taking a look at the sky, he realized that it was sunset, and he probably needed to get back to the shack, now. Hurrying off, he ran back to the shack. Little did he know that he was being watched.