Short chapter. But hey, faster updates, right?

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I shove a branch away from my face. "Soos, this is embarrassing."

"Sorry, bro."

"I already feel better. Honest."

He chuckles. "You landed on your ankle pretty hard, dude. I'm not takin' chances."

Sighing, I cross my arms on top of his head. "Fine."

He's carrying me on his shoulders, firmly holding onto my feet. While he walks along the path, I try to ignore the bouncing motion and keep pine needles from assaulting my face. "Good thing I was there, huh?"

I grin. He says it casually, without a trace of bragging- I can tell he simply meant he's glad I wasn't alone. "I would've figured something out."

"Before or after fallin' outta the tree?"

I punch the top of his head. He just laughs.

Looking up, I notice this is a part of the forest I don't quite recognize. Mostly pines, sure, but there are a few other trees I haven't seen before. "Uh, Soos? Where are we?"

He shrugs, and I nearly fall. "Oops. Sorry, dude."

I scowl, readjusting my hat as he continues. "Not sure. Remember, I told you I was afraid we were gettin' lost?"

"Yeah, I remember," I mutter.

"An' you said you had it under control, an' we should keep goin', and-"

"I said I remember." I grab his hat and throw it on top of mine.

"Hey! Gimme-" He waves his arm backwards, but can't quite reach high enough. "Lemme just- almost-"

"Sorry, Soos. Guess I'm the Shack's best employee now."

He keeps walking, putting on a dignified, aloof expression. "This is an honor that cannot be bestowed by a simple hat."

"Coming from the guy who tries on Stan's fez when he's not around?"

Laughing, Soos cranes his head around to glance up at me. "You should talk, bro. I dunno if I've ever seen you without that hat."

"Hey, mine's perfect for this place. I bought it in the Shack, it reminds me of the Shack- it even has a tree on it." Looking up, I peer down the path that seems to never end. "Speaking of which..."

"Don't worry, dude. We'll get there."

I push aside some more branches. "Yeah, but what if-"

"Look, Dipper." He sounds a little more serious. "I dunno if you've noticed, but we don't have a lot of options here. I mean, we could just sit and wait, but I'd rather try lookin', you know?"

"Yeah." I just... I don't like feeling useless while he does all the work. I decide not to voice that, though. "Yeah, I guess."

A blast of wind catches the lid of my hat. Startled, I lean back, clamping my hand down on both of them, then realize I'm too far back.

I fall. Sort of.

"Whoa! Dipper, you okay?"

Wincing, I take stock of the situation. Soos was still holding my ankles, so... I lost my balance and fell backwards, but he didn't let go. I am now upside-down against his back, knees bent over his shoulders.

Both hats have fallen. For some reason, this is disappointing.

"Um, I'm alright." I can already feel pressure rushing to my head. "Can I just- can you put me down for a sec?"

"Sure thing, dude." He carefully lowers me until, still flipped, I sort of lean/collapse into a patch of moss.

He sits down next to me, and looks up at the trees. They're swaying slightly with the breeze, and it makes the whole forest look like it's moving, back and forth. Almost like it was planned.

After a few minutes, he sighs. "You gonna be okay?"

Confused, I turn. "Why?"

"I know you're not thrilled when stuff like this doesn't work out." He shrugs. "It was gonna be an adventure 'n all that, right?"

"...Yeah." I pull my knees up to my chest. "And now we're just- it didn't work, you know? I at least wanted to show Mabel and everyone that I hadn't gotten lost out here with nothing to show for it."

"Hm." He reaches over and picks up his hat.

"And what's worse is..." I trail off before realizing I don't have anything else to say. Soos is looking at me expectantly, and I'm just blinking.

It sounds really simple when I say it out loud.

After a few seconds, he stretches his arms. "Well, I don't really know what to tell ya, dude. Our plan didn't work."

I lie back on the ground, staring up at the sky. "I know, man. I just wish it had."

"Duh." He chuckles. "But nothin' for it now except goin' back home, even if we don't want to."

I nod, but don't say anything. Soos is silent, too, for a while.

Then he grins. "It was pretty cool seein' that monster-thing, though. What was it called again?"

"A chupacabra." I sigh. "Honestly, that's another one I never thought was real."

"Huh." He considers this. "So, when you fell outta the tree, were you tryin' to catch it, or..."

"Alright." I stand. "I think it's time to head back." Soos just laughs.

[]

The forest is different at night.

Even with the sweatshirt on, I'm shivering. There's no wind tonight, but I swear I can see the trees moving out of the corner of my eye. I know it's stupid, and I know it's nothing to worry about, but I can't stop myself from jumping every time I think I see a shadow move.

It's more of a dirt trail than an actual road, but it still takes a long time on foot. I considered trying to get a ride from someone, but I'm starting to think the fewer people I talk to, the better. I might've already doomed Toby for no reason.

...Hah. I guess he has Durland's car now. If he hasn't vanished already, he can do whatever he wants with it, for all I care.

I've walked from town to Gopher Road before, so it's not too tough to find my way back. It's the middle of the night by the time I find myself on the porch of Robbie's house.

"Gideon."

I don't want to spend any more time outside than I absolutely have to.

"Gideon, come on."

Again, I've been walking for hours. Dirt roads, in the middle of a forest. It was dark. It was cold. And now I'm finally back, and I'm stuck on this stupid porch.

"I know you're still here."

He actually locked the door.

"I'm not in the mood for this."

A sleepy voice calls out from the other side. "Whozzat, now? Kindly state-cher business, stranger!"

I let my head fall forward, softly hitting the wooden surface. "Finally," I mutter. Then, louder, "It's me. Let me in already."

Silence.

"...You heard me, right?" I knock once, with a little more force than I meant to. I hear something from inside, but it's too quiet to tell what. "Gideon-"

It sounds out again. He's laughing.

"...What's so funny." I keep my voice low.

"I'm jes' thinkin', Dipper. See, ain't but once in a blue moon you come askin' me for help."

I'm staring at the door, trying to stop my hands from shaking. "I'm not asking."

He pauses again. "Be that as it may," he says slowly, and there's that infuriating formality dripping from every word. "You cannot deny, Dipper Pines, that you need me to open this door. I don't have to open this door. I can, in fact, choose not to open this door."

...This isn't happening.

"So, the question seems to be: Will I open the door?"

Any other time, I would laugh. It's so petty. So impossibly pointless. It's-

It's something I can't deal with.

Before I realize it, I've slammed my fist against the grain of the door. Gideon squeals, as if he just jumped back in surprise, but I bring my other hand forward. No pattern, no plan- there isn't even a reason. It's not like I can break down the door.

Break down the door.

It's stuck in my head, and I punch again. It hurts.

"Dipper, jes'-" A loud snarl interrupts him, almost animal-like. I'm not even surprised when I realize it was mine.

I'm throwing myself forward, over and over again, colliding with the frame of the door. Fist. Shoulder. Elbow. Faster. Faster. Harder.

It's dark, but I can hear everything. The crash as I hit, then silence when I back away to try again. My shoes, scraping against the floor. My own breathing.

Another blow. I keep going, but now it hurts, now all I can focus on is the pain, aching in my fists, shoulders, elbows, everywhere. I don't stop.

Not until the lock is switched, the door swings open, and Gideon's terrified face stares back at me.

I freeze.

There's... blood on my knuckles, I think.

He doesn't say a word when I brush past. Patiently waiting while I move to the kitchen, still watching me in wonder when I run my hands under water from the sink.

I really didn't want to come here. But there wasn't much of a choice.

"Dipper Pines," he says quietly. I turn, and his expression has changed from fear to genuine curiosity. "Are... are you crazy?"

I feel like I'm about to throw up.

He doesn't blink, and now he's actually grinning. Like this is all a big joke. I take a step forward.

When I speak, my voice doesn't sound right. It's too low. Dangerous. I don't like it.

"...What's in the journal?"