Mabel bounced down the stairs from the attic and straight into the kitchen. Grunkle Stan was eating some sort of meat straight from the can. Humming, Mabel helped herself to some slightly stale cereal and sat on the kitchen chair, swinging her legs.
"Morning Grunkle Stan," she said cheerfully, munching her cereal.
"Mornin'" he grumbled. "Where's the kid?"
Mabel swallowed and felt her cheerful countenance crumple a little. She had woken to find her twin mumbling between snores in his sleep, the open journal covering his eyes. She had let out a sigh and removed the journal and replaced it on the nightstand, but she had let Dipper sleep. His face hadn't looked rested at all.
"I let him sleep in, he had a nightmare last night," Mabel said. She stirred her cereal with her spoon, and Stan kept munching his canned meat as he squinted.
"Lazy bum," he grumbled as he wandered back upstairs, meat can in hand. Mabel smiled. She heard the stairs to the attic creak and the door open as Stan peeked in on his great nephew. She knew Grunkle Stan would never admit to actually being concerned, but it made her happy to know that he did, in fact, care. As the sounds of Stan traced their way back down into the main hall of the Shack, Mabel looked out the window. The sun was streaking in between fluffy white clouds, making the puddles from the previous night's rain storm sparkle. Mabel finished her cereal and cleared her bowl quickly and ran outside, breathing in the fresh air. She loved the smell of the morning after the rain. Waddles trotted up and rolled around in a mud puddle, and Mabel laughed.
"Oh Waddles, today's gonna be a great day!" she squealed. The pig oinked his agreement.
Loud coughing resounded from the triangular attic window, and Mabel turned to face it. Her face fell. The coughing soon faded, but Mabel felt uneasy. She wandered into the shop, not caring that Waddles was tracking mud on the hardwood, and found Wendy letting herself in through the side door.
"Hey Mabel, what's up? Crazy storm last night, hey?" she said coolly. Mabel smiled but her heart wasn't in it. Wendy looked her over.
"What's eating you?" she asked. Mabel sat on the stool next to the counter and shrugged down into her sweater.
"It's Dipper," she mumbled. "He had a nightmare last night."
"Oh is that all?" Wendy replied, taking her place behind the register and leaning casually against the wall. She smiled warmly at Mabel. "We all get those sometimes, Mabel. Don't let it get to ya."
Mabel twisted her oversized sweater sleeves. "You don't get it. He was screaming my name. Like...screaming screaming. When he woke up he couldn't remember that he did that. It was so freaky. It's that dumb journal. All he does is read it over and over, I think it's driving him a little bonkers."
Wendy played with a few strands of her long red hair. "Weird," was all she said.
The sound of a few tourist's cars crunching on the gravel brought Grunkle Stan to the doorway to the gift shop. "Look alive, people, we've got customers!" he exclaimed, straightening his Fez. Wendy said nothing and looked at her phone, which of course Grunkle Stan didn't even notice as he peered out the window, rubbing his hands together gleefully.
"Look at all those chumps!" he chuckled to himself. He opened the door and went outside to greet the poor saps who would soon be departing with their hard-earned cash. Wendy and Mabel rolled their eyes at each other, but smiled. The sun warmed the room and the scent of pine and air wafted in through the windows, and Mabel thought there was nowhere else she would rather be.
"mo'nin," came a ragged voice. Mabel turned to see Dipper standing in the doorway, shovel in hand. He looked like death warmed over.
"Morning," said Wendy, exchanging a glance with Mabel. Dipper's eyes were dull under the shadow of his blue rimmed hat, and his skin was pale. His cheeks, however, were a brilliant red shade. "Dude...are you okay?" Wendy pried.
"Yep!" said Dipper, grinning. However, the smile only highlighted the gaunt circles under his eyes and the way he seemed to be shivering, ever so slightly.
"Dipper you look awful!" Mabel protested, stepping over to her brother. "You should go back to bed. You barely got any sleep last night..."
"I slept like a baby," Dipper insisted, looking at Mabel like she was the crazy one.
"Look at yourself!" Mabel stamped her foot. "You're like a zombie, and I have a basis of comparison! And what's with the shovel?"
Dipper glanced at the heavy tool in his pale grip. "Oh, this? Me n' Soos have to dig a hole for Stan, he says he wants to set up a new archway thingy. To draw in the tourists with a big painted slogan or something, I guess." Still, as he spoke, Dipper swayed slightly, and held his arms close to his vest. Mabel saw the edge of the tattered journal sticking out from the inside pocket.
"You're gonna go do something with that journal, aren't you?" Mabel groused, crossing her arms.
"N-no!" Dipper said, suddenly putting his hand on the archway for support.
"Dipper, you know I love all this creepy stuff, but you gotta take a break, this is getting crazy!" Mabel said. She reached for the book, but Dipper dashed out of her reach.
"Gimme the book, Dipper!" Mabel yelled, chasing after her brother. Wendy watched with concern, although stayed texting behind the counter. Kids...
Mabel was on top of Dipper, reaching for the book. Dipper, although heaving, was putting up a good fight. Just as Mabel was about to reach the book and the shovel, Soos's large frame cast a shadow over the squabbling siblings.
"'Sup doods? Aw, are we having a wrestling showdown? I'll get my luchadore mask..."
"No, Soos," Dipper growled, giving Mabel quite a strong shove despite his pallid expression. He crawled out from under her and brushed the dust and mud from Waddles' tracks from his vest.
"Well, if you're done, I'm ready to set up the arch with you. I brought my best shovel and my best water bottle and my best shirt for getting sweaty in." Soos held up a battered shovel and a leaky water bottle, and pointed at his regular question-mark emblazened shirt.
"That's the shirt you always wear," Wendy said, not looking up from her texting.
"I'm usually pretty sweaty," Soos admitted. "Ready to go, dood?" He brandished his shovel once more.
"Told you," Dipper grumbled. Mabel winced. Dipper looked genuinely pissed. He snatched his own shovel from where it had fallen and stomped out the door behind Soos.
"But...Dipper, you look all-" Mabel started after him, but Dipper was already halfway across the lawn. "...not...right..." Mabel finished sadly. She watched as Soos and Dipper began to dig, Dipper already sweating. Wendy's hand on her shoulder caused Mabel to jump a little. Wendy looked down at her kindly.
"He's alright, just kinda...crabby," Wendy offered, although she didn't look quite convinced. Mabel looked back to her brother, as he gritted his teeth and frowned as he dug.
"I think..." Mabel started, but Wendy was guiding her back into the gift shop. With one last despondent glance, Mabel trudged back into the store with Wendy.
"I think today's not gonna be so great after all..." she whispered.