Part Five

Dipper stumbled through the snow, his tears flowing freely as he tried to run. His choked back sobs seemed to be drowned out by the howling winds. Suddenly, he felt the ground give way beneath him and he tumbled down a steep and rocky slope. Dipper fell head over heels, hitting many of the rocks and tree branches on the way down, before coming to rest in a partially frozen, shallow river.

Now mostly soaked from the fridges water, Dipper's body shook as his anguished cries filled the cold winter air. Dipper's body ached. As much as he wanted to continue on, he found his body wouldn't listen.

"W-why did this have to happen."

Dipper looked up into the dull grey sky as he finally let out all of his sadness and anger at the world around him. His screams echoed in through the valley as night began to fall. Dipper froze as he heard a low howling on the wind. He snapped his head to the right as he saw shapes moving toward him in the dark.. Coyotes.. Dipper stared in horror as they began to approach. They could smell the blood from his injuries. Dipper stared up at them as they began surrounding him,. They snarled at him, showing off their sharp white teeth.

"No.."

Dipper tried to get up but his body screamed at him as a sharp pain shot through him. He could barely move. A sudden white hot pain ripped through his back as one of the coyotes leapt upon him.

Wendy had been searching for Dipper for what had to have been hours. How could she have just yelled at him? Dipper had only wanted to help her. Wendy felt a pain in her chest again, causing her to stop and grip at it tightly. She was finding it was getting harder to breathe with every passing moment, but she couldn't stop now, she needed to find-.

Wendy snapped her head up as she heard a loud blood curdling scream echoing from all around her.

"Dipper?"

Her heart started to race as she hurried toward the screams of pain. Wendy reached a rocky slope and felt her heart in her throat as she saw a pack of coyotes surrounding him.

"Dipper!"

Wendy quickly made her way down the slope, inadvertently knocking away loose rocks and stones. On the way down, she picked up a loose tree branch.

Dipper tried to fight them off but any attempt at fighting only riled them up more. Dipper screamed as one of them bit down into his shoulder. There was a sudden *thwack!* as the animal was knocked away. Dipper lifted his head to see..

"W-Wendy?"

Wendy stood over him, tightly gripping onto a large tree branch. She didn't answer him but had an angry and determined look on her face.

"W-Wendy..! Run..!"

Wendy only continued to stare at the advancing predators, her makeshift bat at the ready. Dipper stared on in shock as one of them leapt at her. Wendy swung hard, knocking it back with all her strength. She winced at the pain in her chest. Another leapt from behind her and she spun to knock it away, only to get a sharp pain in her leg as another bit down. Wendy growled in pain and swung the tree branch down hard. There was a sickening crunch as the branch came into contact with the coyote's skull and the coyote went limp. Wendy turned to the others and could see them still advancing toward them. One of the remaining coyotes leapt at Dipper to which Wendy struck it hard in the jaw, knocking it to the ground. The two remaining coyotes soon took off into the forest. Wendy let out an scream after them to drive the point home. Once they were out of sight, Wendy fell to her knees at Dipper's side.

"W-Wendy.." Dipper whispered in shock. "Y-you.."

Wendy pulled Dipper into a tight hug as they sat by the river.

"Dipper, y-you nearly gave me a HEART-ATTACK.." Wendy said, her voice cracking slightly.

She pulled back, her tears now becoming more evident as she spoke.

"D-do you know you could've DIED?"

"I.." Dipper choked out. "I t-thought you.."

Dipper trailed off as his own tears began to fall.

"I-I'm just some kid.." he whimpered softly.

Wendy felt a pain in her heart at that statement.

"Dipper.. I... Y-you are not 'just some kid'..."

She pulled him tight into a hug.

"Y-you are my best friend.."

Dipper weakly returned the hug but felt a white hot pain in his shoulder and back and he let go. Wendy stared in horror as she saw the large tear in his shoulder and back.

"Dipper.."

Dipper coughed, blood trickling from his lips.

"Dipper, don't worry!" Wendy carefully began to lift him.

She sucked in a painful breath as she rose to her feet.

"Wendy.. Wendy I need to tell you something.."

Wendy looked at him and Dipper stared back into her emerald green eyes.

"Wendy.. I w-wanted to tell you.. E-ever since we met here.. I wanted to tell you I lo-..."

Dipper's eyes rolled back and he closed his eyes.

"D..Dipper?"

Dipper did not respond.

"Dipper... Dipper! W-wake up!"

She shook him but he remained completely motionless.

"DIPPER!"

She searched for a pulse, but could barely feel it now.

"Dipper... Please.."

Tears slipped down Wendy's cheeks. It was then that she heard shouting from up on the hillside. It was when she saw the figure standing at the top of the hill that Wendy realized who it was.

"Stan?"