That didn't just happen, it couldn't have. She wouldn't do that to me! Right? Robbie's mind reeled as he stumbled backwards towards the waiting arms of death. They say that when you die you see your whole life flash before your eyes and while that may be true for the terminally ill, those who have less leisure time while dying only see bits and pieces like a swirling vortex of memory fragments. Unfortunately for Robbie, his mind was on permanent repeat of the last five minutes. Crulley appeared and he inched closer to Wendy suggesting they use one of the twerps as bait and after that it was all a blur. His girlfriend, ex-girlfriend (he had fucked that up), grabbed his hoodie and threw HIM at the monster….she threw him. Things weren't always perfect between the two but Robbie honestly believed they had a connection. With the thoughts of Wendy's betrayal constantly repeating itself in his mind Robbie quickly became numb to the world. He barely felt Crulley's icy cold fingers wrap around his head or the quick jerk upwards that soon followed and then….all that was Robbie vanished from this mortal life.

Did that just happen? Did SHE really just do the unthinkable? Wendy still couldn't believe what she had just done. Sure he was an ass, but throwing Robbie to his death? That didn't sound right to her. It was as if her body moved on autopilot and it was by the graces of this same autopilot that she now kept pace with the twins running as fast as they could towards the cabin. Part of her was mortified by her actions and wanted desperately to go back to save her ex, to make it all better with a hug and a sorry. Still yet another part of her, a guilty part, was not so very mortified. Robbie had always been an asshole and tonight he had been an exemplary asshole as well she had moved on. She was a little afraid to admit this to herself, owing to the age difference among other things, but Dipper had been slowly growing in her heart ever since he first arrived. Sure he could be a tad bit quirky and awkward, but he had also been a good friend, a brave and intelligent person, and a loving brother to his sister. He was kind, he was safe and maybe that was what she needed now more than ever. She couldn't help but smile to herself every time he tried to impress his not so secret crush and maybe that "almost" kiss by the cliff was more than an ill-conceived attempt at revenge, maybe it was the start of something wonderful. One thing was certain, if she ever got out of this situation she would apologies to Dipper for ever thinking of him as just a little kid.

Once again, Wendy found herself at the head of the pack; the long legs that made her stand out in grade school now a blessing in disguise as the twins grew breathless running beside her. Each pump of her legs taking her far from that horrid tree and the twisted form of Sarah Crulley. Without warning Mabel stumbled forward and fell, her foot caught under what looked like bramble (ordinarily it is supposed to be found in the British Isles, Gravity Falls was strange indeed). She frantically began clawing at the thorny braches, the fear of being left behind evident on her face as her tears and sweat congealed on her cheeks. Wendy skidded to a halt and turned to help but Dipper was faster. When it came to his sister, he could be quite athletic. After a few minutes of tearing and pulling at the thorny vines Mabel was able to jerk her leg free. Blood oozed from the open wounds on Dipper's hands as Mabel embraced her brother barely sobbing out a "Thank you." Before they could get moving again they heard it, that same ashen whisper that surrounded them at the grave site, the same one that had been hunting them all night, now less of a whisper and more of a sing-song rasping "Found you. Haha…don't run, can't run, mustn't run. Too close, going to get you." It was true that they didn't stand much of a chance to begin with. Even with Robbie playing the part of a distraction, beating Crulley to the cabin in a full on sprint was too much to hope for. She was fast, unnaturally fast, because apparently being dead grants you a speed boost. Wendy had known that it was a long shot from the very beginning, Crulley had them outmatched and even if they could escape who knew if the cabin was still standing, maybe it had fallen apart years ago, the rotted decaying wood crumbling down. In their hopeless situation Wendy couldn't help but feel a certain benevolent, altruistic feeling come over her. Suddenly she didn't matter anymore she wasn't part of the equation she could live or she could die and it would ultimately be pointless. The twins though, they mattered they had bright futures ahead of them and no matter what they were going to survive. Wendy looked over at Dipper, she knew what she had to do but she also knew she would regret not telling him should the worst occur. "Dipper? Do you know that feeling you get when you are about to do something really stupid? Something you don't want to do but it's still something that has to be done?" Dipper cocked his head and gave her a look of utter confusion. He didn't know what she had planned. Crulley could be heard humming loudly in the distance. "I need to tell you something. Tonight by the cliff, it was all a lie. I knew that you liked me and I was going to use that to make Robbie jealous. Dipper, I am so, so sorry for putting you through that. I was angry and a little drunk and I…. and I should never have even thought about doing that to you, but I did." The level of hurt that registered on Dipper's face crushed Wendy's soul more than anything they had witnessed tonight, yet she was determined to tell him everything. Crulley's song could be heard more clearly with each passing second. "I know what I did was wrong and you can hate me all you like afterwards but right now I need you to listen to me. It wasn't all a lie. I really do like you, as something more than a friend and maybe that's why I continued to stay with Robbie for so long, because I was afraid of what these feelings meant and how my friends and family might react, but I don't care about that anymore. I'm sorry for what I did but I want you to know how….how I feel right here and now." Dipper was left speechless; he didn't know what to say anymore. It's a strange mix of emotions when your crush simultaneously confesses to such a deep betrayal and love for you. His mind was a whirlwind, a typhoon, a hurricane. She loved him and that was good but she betrayed him in such a way that forgiveness would be hard to impart. The storm raged in his mind for only a minute as a single clear thought cut through the calamity. Why is she telling me this now? Before anyone had time to react to Wendy's shocking admission of guilt, Crulley came waltzing through the woods, her Glasgow smile ever prevalent.

Without even a second thought, Wendy threw herself between the twins and Crulley as mother bear would protecting her young. Surprise registered over both twins' faces as Wendy shouted her final command, a simple "Go! I'll catch up with you later!" This thing had messed with the rest, now it was going to mess with the best. Dipper realized the sacrifice Wendy was about to make and stood rooted to the spot partially out of shock and fear but also because he was simply tired of running, tired of being used, and tired of never getting what he wanted. It wasn't fair that he helped everyone else get what they wanted (usually at his expense) and now with love in sight, it was about to be violently taken from him. He wanted her affection, he wanted answers, he wanted... His train of thought was interrupted by an abrupt jerk on his vest that pulled him away from the scene. Mable had seen her brother's determination to stay and fight prompting her to quickly drag him away, obeying Wendy's last command. With one twin pulling the other to safety and tears in her eyes, Wendy charged the demonstrable Crulley head long. As she quickly approached ramming speed she thought to give one final message "Dipper, no matter what you think of me, I really did l-Thwap!" Blood splattered the ground and surrounding foliage as time stopped for an instant. Death had never been more beautiful or more horrifying.

Now Dipper was the one on autopilot, his body pulled through the forest by Mabel. It was good that she had enough strength for the both of them because he was completely gone. The events of this terrible night, Wendy's confession and subsequent sacrifice had taken from him everything including his sanity. As Dipper sunk deeper into his depression Mabel's hopes were rising, the cabin was in full view now and getting closer, salvation at last. The woods began to thin out and before the twins stretched a small expanse of tall, unkept weeds and grass. It was the only thing standing between them and the safety promised by the cabin. The structure itself seemed sturdy enough, but the years had taken their toll and it was clear that the moss encrusted wood had weathered more than its share of storms. It was small and unsightly but what it would provide was more than enough to excite Mabel, for the first time that night she could honestly say that things were going to be alright. Her elation was brief; however, as she began dragging her brother through the grass Crulley could be heard tearing through the woods. The immediacy of her gait suggested she knew where the twins were and what they were up to and no prey was going to escape her grasp. Thinking quickly, Mabel shoved dipper into the grass silently praying for his safety as his form was enveloped by the waves of green. Frantically looking for a place to hide herself, Mabel dove behind a fallen log and not a moment too soon as Crulley burst forth from the thick of trees the twins had just emerged from.

Maybe it was how Dipper landed on his head when Mabel shoved him into the tall grass or the direness of the situation as Crulley came crashing onto the scene but whatever the cause Dipper was snapped back to life and fear quickly ate away his depression. Crulley was now in full on search mode as she clawed away clumps of Dipper's hiding spot in an attempt to find someone else to destroy. She was close now, very close. She would find him and end him the same as she ended the others. Dipper could only hope that Mabel had the good sense to make a run for the cabin while he kept Crulley "busy." Then, something unexpected happened. She stopped, mere feet from Dipper, and moved away. Dipper couldn't believe it. Was he safe; was there still a way for both twins to make it out of this situation alive? We're going to make it, we're going to survive. She'll think we aren't here, that we've already made it to the cabin and then she'll give up. We can make it through this! Dipper thought. Then the situation changed for the worse. Crulley was now moving towards Mabel's hiding spot and there was little either of them could do about it.

Mabel lay beside the log, her form barely covered. It was the sort of hiding spot that would give you protection only if your pursuer didn't get too close, but there weren't many alternatives as cover was sparse in the area between the woods and the cabin. The fear slowly rising like vomit in her throat as Crulley got closer to Dipper. Soon she would find him and take Dipper just as she had done with everyone else. Mabel wanted to yell out, scream and give Dipper a chance to run for his life but she was too petrified to move let alone make a sound. Without warning her hand brushed something cold and hollow. At first glance it looked like a chunk of the log she had chosen to hide behind but upon closer inspection it was not. The edges were to neatly cut, the wood a different color. No, this wasn't a piece of the log; it was a part of the cabin that must've been blown off during one of the storms. Turning it over in her hand Mabel found a strange symbol etched with white chalk into the piece like a backwards "S" accompanied by dots and an asterisk. It glowed with a certain power, the energies trapped within emitting a slight hum. It seemed as if she had found her prize not a moment too soon as Crulley was now marching towards her. Mabel held the piece close to her heart, she knew what she would have to do to save them both and it scared her.

Dipper was out of options and panicking. Sure he had been momentarily spared Crulley's wrath but now that thing was edging its way closer to Mabel, to his sister, his twin. There was nothing he could do. He couldn't think his way out of this situation like he did with everything else. Reciting Euler's identity was hardly going to prevent the inevitable and it wasn't like he could just challenge Crulley to a game of chess. No, one of them was going to die here. It was unfair, so unfair that it had to end when sustention was so close at hand, unfair that either of them had to live through this, unfair that Crulley enjoyed taking the lives of the young. And then, like a hot knife through butter, a train of thought broke through the cacophony of self-pity. It started with images of death and war, the sort of stuff you see on the news daily, the bullies at school and how he was teased because of his unusual birthmark and just being a "know-it-all", and ended with the events of that night: the surprise drinking and partying, Robbie's bet and Wendy's subsequent attempt at retribution, the people he had seen die and all the lives ruined. These were the wicked games that people played; it was an endless cycle of hurt that Dipper no longer wanted to be a part of. But Mabel had a chance, she saw the world as bright and colorful. More than anything, she deserved to live. She dissevered it more than him. Swallowing his fear and a nagging urge for self-preservation, Dipper jumped up from his hiding spot just as Crulley was about to discover his twin. "Over here you…you bitchy bitch, or whatever!" Clearly cursing was an art not in Dipper's arsenal. The monster let out a high pitched scream as it bent its body low to the ground and charged Dipper on all fours. Man, she is really fast! These were to be his last thoughts on earth, a statement about how fast his killer was at murdering him. He closed his eyes and outstretched his arms internally bracing himself for the inevitable impact. Crulley was on him in seconds, claw like hand raised, poised to strike him down. Dipper couldn't help but squeeze open his eyes, just a little. It was a sort of morbid fixation, not being able to look away from your own death. The next part happened so quickly that Dipper wasn't sure what did and did not transpire. Crulley let loose her killing blow, there was a flash of purple moons and stars, and suddenly Crulley let out a high pitched shriek as she recoiled back into the darkness of the woods. Whatever it was, the purple blur took the full brunt of Crulley's swing. As it slammed into the ground it let out a low grunt, it was hurt and bad.

The whole of Dipper's world came to a screeching halt for the second time that night, that wasn't just any purple blur it was his sister. He quickly rushed over to her prone form as tears began to flow. As he turned her over the thoughts raced through his mind Oh god please not her anyone but her. Take me instead let the whole world burn, but not her please not her! Crimson soaked the front of her hand crafted sweater. The cut was deep, too deep and he knew it, but that wasn't going to stop him. He would perform a blood transfusion once they were inside the cabin if he had to. His sister was the only light left in his world and he would be damned if he was going to let it be snuffed out. Dipper knelt beside her and propped her head upon his lap. He then took off his vest and began applying pressure to the wound just like in those TV dramas his parents liked to watch. Mabel flashed him a silver smile, the moonlight shown off her braces illuminating the crimson she had coughed up on impact. Something wooden slipped from her grasp and fell to the ground. It held an unearthly glow for a minute and then faded the power it once held depleted. Grinning as if lost in a dream she looked into her brother's face. "*cough, cough* It's okay Dip. Really, it only hurts when I breath *cough* ow. I'm just glad you're alright." Dipper couldn't speak, already on the verge of a complete break down this sight was too much for him Why did she have to save HIM? It was supposed to be the other way around! She was the one who deserved to live. Mabel was getting weaker, her voice now just above a whisper. "I know you don't want to leave me, but you have to go now. Hurry and get inside before she comes back. Hehe…. Look at it this way *cough* at least I'll get to see Mr. Meowsters again." That's right; Dipper had forgotten that they used to own a cat. The memories that surfaced of Mabel playing in the backyard with her little kitty as he sat by the swing set reading the latest novel in the Mystery Twins series only brought more pain into his heart. Dipper was broken from his trace by Mabel's attempt to shove him towards the cabin. She was so enfeebled by this point that her hand just brushed his shirt. "Go on get going I'll tell Wendy that you're waiting for her. Just don't forget that no matter what you will always be my dipping sauce." With that Mabel closed eyes and her form became limp. All Dipper could do was stay there, kneeling with his sister's head in his lap. He broke into a cold sweat, his heart felt like it was on rapid fire and then nothing, he became numb. Maybe that was the twin mind link that his sister had always preached about alerting him to the demise of his sister. He cursed himself for not trying harder to feel it sooner, for every time he had fought with her as well every time he had been nice, he could have been so much nicer. Seconds, minutes, hours, days, eons. It felt like several eternities passed him by and all he could do was stare into the void. Rustling could be heard in the nearby bushes, no doubt Crulley had recovered and was back for more, but he remained oblivious to it all. Mechanically, Dipper stood up and calmly walked into the cabin, quietly closing the door behind him. Immediately he fell to the floor and broke down crying. Whatever was to come after this, it would not be the same as before.