PHASE 1

Mabel liked to comb the shore, picking up every seashell she could find and putting it in a plastic bucket or swimming out as far as she could before her lifejacket prevented anything but the tips of her toes from reaching the sandy ocean floor.

"We have to find Grunkle Stan! And Candy and Grenda and Wendy and-"

"We'll look for them but here, take something."

Dipper's first plan of action was to return to the gas station and get something to eat. He immediately pulled a first-aid kit out from behind the counter and then began walking the aisles to find something for the two of them to eat.

"Here, gummy bears, you like those," He said, pulling a bag off the shelf and handing it to his sister.

"That's stealing," Mabel objected.

"It's not stealing if there's no one to steal from," Dipper retorted, shaking the bag once, "Now here, take them." Mabel unhappily took the bag and began to fight to open the plastic that sealed it shut. "We've got to get to the bottom of this," Dipper continued, making his way further along the aisles. "Here, water bottle. We'll look for someone…anyone. They can't have all vanished."

"Or died," Mabel added, tearing at the bag with her teeth.

"Right. That and, they can't have been long. Nothing's fallen into disrepair yet and the lights are still on all over. Those would have burned out," Dipper took his journal out from under his vest and slid it into a backpack that hung on the shelf before taking it and slinging it over his shoulder. "Besides, we're not in any apparent danger, so you shouldn't worry about it."

"Who's worried?" Mabel asked, spitting out a tiny corner of the bag that she had managed to tear off with her teeth.

"Well, that's good," Dipper said, and he put the first aid kit, some candy bars, and a couple of bottled waters in his backpack, "We should look around. For all we know, this is some elaborate prank."

Mabel knew that wasn't the case, and she knew that he knew that wasn't the case, but she chose not to say so. "Where do we start?" she asked instead.

"The root of most of our troubles," Dipper said with a little smirk, "The Tent of Telepathy."

They had to double back to reach the less-than-humble tent, and Mabel grew more and more aware of just how quiet it really was. Even with the lack of business happening in the town, the woods were deathly quiet. There wasn't a squirrel rustling in the trees or a bird singing.

"I hope Waddles is okay," Mabel said quietly, her pace slowing a little.

"Of course you do," Dipper sighed, but he caught himself, "It's just, I'm worried about us too. I'm worried about everyone. Waddles too."

Mabel put a gummy bear in her mouth. Dipper opened his mouth to say something, but the rest of their walk was done in silence.

"There it is," Dipper commented as the approached the front of the tent.

"This place sucks," Mabel said, scrunching up her nose and putting all six of her remaining gummies in her mouth. She dropped her bag on the lawn and they proceeded inside. Everything seemed to be in order. The pews were neat and straight, facing the front stage, which was shut.

"C'mon, let's look around," Dipper urged.

"But there's nothing here but weird Gideon stuff," Mabel said after taking a peek behind the front curtain and finding nothing but props.

"We have to look out for secret doors and stuff too," Dipper said with a shrug. "Try some of the levers he uses during his show."

Mabel was happy to oblige. She began to flip the levers, and each executed their corresponding effect. One dimmed and brightened the lights, one dropped glitter from a catch in the ceiling, one opened a trap door on the stage floor.

"I'd love to pull that during one of his shows," Dipper commented.

Mabel tried the rest of the levers, but nothing suspicious happened. "Nothing, Dippingsauce," she said, jumping down off the stage. "Just more weird Gideon stuff."

"There has to be something," Dipper persisted, "Maybe in one of the pews?" After pushing and prodding every one of the heavy wooden benches, the initial excitement of seeking a secret passage was beginning to wear off.

"There's nothing here," Mabel said again, "We should go look somewhere else." Dipper pulled at the straps on his backpack and looked outside. The sky was beginning to change color as the sun began its decent behind the trees.

"Okay. It's your turn to pick, where should we look next?" Dipper said, turning to her.

"We should go back to town and check the newspapers!" Mabel suggested brightly, "They could tell us what happened."

"Who would write the newspapers, Mabel?" Dipper shut her down. "There's nobody to write about it."

"What if they disappeared slowly? It's worth a shot, Dipper."

Dipper thought for a moment. "Fair enough," he said with a shrug. "We can head out there tomorrow. We shouldn't be out after dark."

Mabel nodded. "Back home then," she said, passing her brother on the way out, and taking his arm and leading him back as she went.

"Mabel I-" Dipper began as they approached the steps to the Shack. Mabel stopped and turned to look at him. "Nevermind," he said, looking away.

After thoroughly sweeping the Shack for any sign of life, anomalies, or evidence of what may have taken place, the twins settled in the living room, turning the lights on as it grew dark.

"It'll be fun," Mabel said, slouching next to her brother in their great uncle's armchair, "You and me on a wild adventure, and it'll turn out fine like it always does."

"I'm glad to see you're feeling like yourself again," Dipper said softly. Mabel sat up.

"Was I not-?" Mabel's mind quickly turned to her other self. Withdrawn, pessimistic, miserable…Dipper remembered her that way too. There was a strong disconnect with her other self and Mabel wasn't sure how to feel about it. "You just had to bring it up, didn't you," she said, folding her arms.

"I'm sorry," Dipper whispered. "But it has to be connected. Stuff like that doesn't just happen. I can't stop thinking about it."

Mabel had admittedly kind of shoved all that out of her mind when the new, missing persons thrill had appeared, but she also realized that she didn't want to think about it, she'd rather it didn't exist, but it did. "What are you thinking then?" She asked.

"I'm sc-I don't want to go to sleep," Dipper confessed. "I don't know what will happen. I don't want to lose you again."

Mabel looked away. There was a long silence between them, and the lack of background noise made it all the more painful.

"Maybe there's something on the TV," Mabel suggested, "We could watch some nerd thing you like."

"I tried the TV already. There's nothing on it, no news reports, no nothing," Dipper said softly, rubbing one eye.

"Well our tapes should still work, right? Let's watch a movie. Let's just… not think about this for tonight, we can do whatever we need to do tomorrow," Mabel said and she went to the cardboard box that held all their vhs tapes. Dipper began to object, but he stopped himself.

Mabel chuckled to herself. "Look, alien abduction movies. Too soon?"

Dipper smiled, "I guess you never know in this town, do you?"

Mabel smiled back. "How about some dumb old Western, there can't be anything too relevant in that, can there?"

"Sounds good to me."

The lights were turned out and the two of them huddled together under a blanket in the armchair. With the flashing of the TV lights and the crackly sound of gunfire from the speakers, Mabel quickly found herself dozing off, feeling safe with the warmth of her brother next to her. As her eyes drooped closed, Mabel didn't see her brother as he began to rustle through the pages of his six-fingered journal, and he didn't feel himself as he fell asleep too.