Dipper opened his eyes, and realized in an instant that he was dreaming. The floorboards and Mabel's bed were in greyscale. He picked himself up, sitting on the edge of Mabel's empty bed, placing a hand where her shoulder would be.
Thunder rumbled out side, lightning brightening the room every once in a while. Wood groaned above him. The roof tore off the dream shack, causing Dipper to look up and gasp in surprise. He jumped off the bed, looking up into the colorless sky. A deep black hole swallowed the roof, along with a few small things in the attic. Lightning crackled around the rim of the hole, intensifying. Dipper felt fear slither up his spine, and he took a step back. A blinding light flashed from the black hole, Dipper lifting his hands up to block some of the light. Bill shot out of the hole, skidding to a stop in the air, he hole disappearing behind him. Dipper lowered his hands, his expression showing his annoyance. Bill floated down, stopping just above the ground and leaning against his cane.
"neVer tHougHt yOu cOulD be sO DaNGeROUs, pINe TrEe!" Bill laughed.
'Of all the times he could bother me, why now?' Dipper questioned in his mind.
Bill straightened, hands extended out to his sides, cane hanging from an arm. "HeY, I'M pRAIsing you fOR yOur WOrk TODay, pine treE! a PLUS FoR yoU, KId!" He crossed his arms, "No NeED to Be SO calLOUS."
Dipper glared at Bill, snorting at the demon.
"anYway, I'M hEre TO mAke aN ameNDMEnt tO mY prEvIOus ofFer. i GIve sHootiNG staR ProteCtioN fRom YOu."Bill floated down, letting his cane disappear, "And you GET ME mY SuBjeCT." He poked Dipper with an arm at an unnatural angle, a smile evident in his voice.
"I-..." Dipper hesitated, thinking about the latest life-threatening events that have happened to Mabel. He had the ideas for both occasions and hadn't paid enough attention to her in either.
Bill floated around him, stopping behind him, arms crossed behind his back. Scenes flashed over his body, snapshots of Dipper's and Mabel's summer. "i mEAn, lOoK At WHAt YOU'Ve dOnE To heR all SuMMER! thEre WAs toDay. aLONg wIth yEStErDaY, blendiN, thE SUMMERweEn TRIckSTeR, the DUskERtoNs, HEr PIG. LEt's noT foRGEt swItcHING bODIeS WiTh Her FoR a rOoM, That ONe was HILarIOus, if I MiGHT ADD. oH, and THE zOMbies, thoSe cLAYMa-"
"Okay, I get it!" Dipper cut in. As Bill named off each event, Dipper had gone down. He now had his knees tucked up, arms wrapped around them, his head down. "I get it," he mumbled, tears threatening to form. "Please, just stop." His voice started to crack. Each named event felt like a knife to the heart, and it hurt. He shouldn't have even found that stupid Journal in the first place. That's where this all started. If he hadn't found it, if he hadn't read it, then things could have been normal.
"aW CoMe oN, piNe tREe! cHEer UP!"Bill reverted to his original self. An arm extended, going through the floor, coming back up in front of Dipper and poking his forehead. "I'M GiVing YOu thAT ChANce, iN A way, WiTh THiS dEAL!"He retracted his arm and revolved around Dipper.
Dipper looked up, forcing back his tears. "Only if you promise not to hurt her either."
Bill brought a hand up below his eye, thinking. "OH, ALL RiGHt, PINE treE. YOU'VE puLLeD My bOW."He replied, extending a hand engulfed in blue flames.
Dipper stood and took it with reluctance, his hand growing cold in the shake. He wasn't sure if it was the flames, Bill's hand, or both. He let go and the two retrieved their hands, a small wisp of blue going out as the flame died out between them. Bill floated back up, "wElL, HAppY NighTmARes!"Bill blinked, then floated in silence for a moment. "if yOu couLDN'T TELl, I Was wiNKInG. You knoW, ONE Eye. OkAY, laTer. bYe kID!" Bill snapped and a bright light flashed, causing Dipper to throw his arms over his eyes.