Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Alex Hirsch owns Gravity Falls, not me.

Dipper's face was inches from it when his breathing ceased. The uncanny, illuminating hue burned his retinas from the intensity, yet he could not look away. In the back of his mind, a itch began to take form. It seemed to draw him to it, seemingly full of promises of power and protection. He knew deep down though, that these were lies. He could sense the terrible danger it possessed. Dipper hadn't felt any more tense in his life. He barely registered the change in the background music, too entranced in the potential and his fear. It wasn't until he heard the mummer of a familiar name, that he tuned in to the music, but still dared not move a muscle. The record player was no longer playing the echoic "Uptown Blues". It was now soothingly whispering, static cracking louder than the words. He could hear them though, there was no doubt. Just like when he would hear those voices when he was young, pressuring him. Dipper knew that these whispers came from it. They came from Gideon Gleeful's amulet. "Gideon...where...run...of...to?"

Dipper immediately couldn't take the intensity of the voice. His trembling hands covered his ears in a quick motion, elbow releasing a sharp pain that was ignored. His heart was thumping in anticipation of the amulet's reaction. No voices, no voices. He didn't hear anything. No. He didn't. Was the amulet as disturbing as it was before? He never recalled feeling such a fear from the jewel itself, but he may of been too distracted by Gideon to notice in the first place. Now that he was alone with it though, he couldn't do anything except to cower before it. Mabel. He nearly gasped at the thought that his twin sister had used its power that night about a month ago. Had she felt this? It was suddenly centimeters from his face. He whimpered as his eyes watered. It was watching him, Dipper simply knew.

The voice increased in volume and covering his ears did nothing to block it out. "Giddy...the Pines...can't...protect..." The motherly voice cooed. The voice took on a dark note though, voice full of lust and longing. "...so...wrong...Gideon...I'll... find...You're MINE."

Dipper finally squeezed his eyes shut, knees giving out below him. The glow was piercing his lids though. No, no, no, no, NO, NO, NO, NO, NOOO. NOOOOOOOOO. He couldn't take it anymore. He had been trapped in this room for years and years. So many years. Dipper knew it would never end though, he would forever be tormented by the amulet. By the-but, the glow vanished and he could breath again. The brunet tenderly opened his eyes, heart still thumping in anticipation. Nothing was there much to his relief. He stood on shaky legs and observed the record player. It no longer was on, but the vinyl was still there. It had happened. He didn't imagine it. Dipper shuddered, mind not registering that the shape of the vinyl was now a triangle, instead of a typical circle. This situation seemed to becoming worse and worse. He needed Grunkle Stan. But, the need to find his great-uncle was replaced with fear as he heard the vocalization of a girl screaming in horror. Without a second thought, he bolted out of the room. "Mabel!"

The door to the bathroom was closed, but he knew it wouldn't matter to the amulet. He swung open the door and froze at the sight. Gideon was still on the toilet seat, but his eyes were filled with fright as he stared, tight lipped, at the amulet. Dipper paid him no heed though, focusing on his sister curled up in the corner of the bathroom, screaming at the amulet floating inches from her. Her screams seemed to be off in the distance though, feminine whispers of desire overtaking all else. "...pretty...might...be...better...than...Giddy...decisions...decisions...so...pretty..."

Dipper's unease of the amulet was no longer present as he surged forward to protect his twin. "Mabel!"

There was a pulse in the air, that thrust him backwards though and an ungodly shriek filled the air. "MINE...GO AWAY...!"

Dipper staggered back from the very force of it. Mabel screeched louder and began to push herself against the wall, attempting to distance herself. "Don't touch me! Stop touching me there!"

He was completely at a lost for a moment. Touch her where? It was a jewel and it wasn't even making contact with her. Her shrieks continued though and Dipper could do nothing to make them cease. His body was paralyzed and a strange lull of exhaustion was overtaking him. Dipper's eyes sluggishly shut for a moment, before jerking back open at the next screech. "STOP TOUCHING MY MIND!"

It was at that moment, that there was a clap of thunder and a bright golden illumination permeated the room. Dipper could do nothing to shield his eyes from the potency of light. When the luminance cleared, floating in between the amulet and Mabel, was Bill Cipher the dream demon. Dipper quivered at the very sight before him. The situation was becoming more and more bleak as time went on. To Dipper's bewilderment though, the dream demon didn't appear to be full of the typical mischief and trickery that Dipper had grown accustomed to. In fact, he seemed pissed off. His color was taking on the beginnings of a crimson shade and his tone was that deepened one he took on, when he would state something distressing. "WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT THE PINES?"

The panic in Dipper ebbed away and he simply gaped in shock. The amulet replied in a giggle though. The tone was full of earnest, unperturbed by the dream demon's own fury. "...oh, Bill...been...long...time...Pines...not...your's...MINE..."

Bill's shade of crimson began to deepen and Dipper whimpered aloud. The demon's single eye shifted over to the preteen and the shade of crimson receded. He appeared to study the individuals in the room, eye narrowing. "Pine Tree, you and Shooting Star shouldn't be involved with this."

Dipper couldn't even respond. His mind kept flashing back to the last time they had met. The amulet sounded as pissed as the dream demon now and the amulet was suddenly mere centimeters from Mabel's face. "MINE!"

Dipper's heart stopped. Oh god, it was going to kill Mabel, and there was not a single thing he could do. It didn't though. Bill's mouth had expanded to ridiculous portions, being as wide as the mirror set in the bathroom. Mouth? Since when did the triangular demon have a mouth? He had barely a moment to ponder this, as Bill released a massive blast of air from his mouth. Mabel, Gideon, and Dipper were swept away from the force of it. It seemed to carry them as if they were leaves in the breeze, a golden luminance engulfing them. The breeze seemed to lead the trio to the staircase down the hall. Further shocking Dipper, was when a secret door opened on the side of the staircase, much like when the Shack's secret room was unveiled, revealing a small gap below, full of several boxes. The three of them were flung inside and the door swung shut, entrapping them in darkness. It was quiet for a minute or two before Dipper reached out, touching a body. "M-Mabel...?"

Then, the sobbing began. His twin sister cried in the darkness and suddenly Dipper couldn't help it; he cried as well. The last few hours had been completely overwhelming. The two of them sat in the darkness, clinging to each other as they released their fear. At some point though the weeping ceased and exhaustion befell them. Dipper wasn't all that sure of exactly how long he and Mabel had slept, but he was soon woken by the sound of another individual weeping. It was at that time, he recalled Gideon was here as well and was likely as upset as they were. And, Dipper found himself wanting to be become more involved with the younger boy and comfort him. He wasn't sure if it was pity or some other emotion he felt towards Gideon at the moment, but he knew Mabel would feel the same if she was awake. The brunet untangled himself from his twin's arms and released a harsh gasp when his elbow shocked him from the intensity of pain. It had been doing that since earlier in the night and he was beginning to suspect he would have to go to the hospital for yet another injury. He had larger concerns at hand though.

He went to stand, but smacked his head on what appeared to be the ceiling. He hissed in pain and rubbed his forehead. Crawling it was. As he crawled, he elbow began to pulse painfully and he winced each time he moved his arm. So distracted by the pain he was, that Dipper collided straight into another body, that released a yelp of alarm. Whoops. "S-Sorry, its uh, m-me, Dipper."

"...'ines?"

"Yeah. Are...are you o-ok? You don't sound too g-good..."

"...Dark...'here?"

"Uh, under the, uh staircase? I-I didn't even know there was a room here..."

"...'mulet?"

Dipper winced. He didn't even want to think about that. "Uh...I-I don't know?"

"...'eed...it..."

The brunet still wasn't sure why Gideon was so attached to that. "Well, we're uh, stuck, so I-I don't think that will happen anytime soon."

"...'eed it!" Gideon's tone became distressed and was now digging his nails into Dipper's arm, near his injured elbow.

Tears sprung once more to the 13-year-old's eyes and he began to pant from the pressure being placed on it. "G-Gideon! P-Please!"

"...'ine! 'eed it!"

"I-I-I-I d-don't hav-"

"You don't need it!" Mabel shouted at Gideon. Dipper jolted as felt his twin thrust herself at the boy, causing Gideon to release his hand from Dipper's arm. Her voice became a soothing whisper. "...You don't need her."

"...'eed!"

"I'll protect you, ok? You don't need her."

Dipper was completely out of the loop about what was occurring. "M-Mabel? What's...what's goin-?"

Gideon interrupted though, appearing desperate. "...'lease! 'eed her!"

"No, you don't need her; she just wants to use you. I won't let her have you though, ok?"

Gideon had broken into sobs by this point, repeating his distressed statements, yet Mabel began reassuring him each time. Dipper felt a pang in his heart, reminiscing on a times his sister did the same when he was in the midst of his panic attacks. He reached out and grasped Mabel's shoulder as Gideon's statements morphed into blubbers. "M-Mabel?"

"Shhhh, its ok...she's...she's been using him."

"Wait, 'she'?"

"You know, The lady that was...the one that was...trying t-to get m-me...too..."

"...Mabel, uh, I didn't see a-anyone."

He felt her shoulder tense and she giggled nervously. "...Right...of course no o-one was there..."

Dipper swallowed thickly. He wanted to believe Mabel, he truly did, but he was reminiscing on when they were younger and she would point at thin air, asking him if he saw that. He would tell her nothing was there though. When she would do it to their parents, they would chuckle and tell her what an imagination she had when it was something silly sounding. There were those times though, that she would point at the air and describe something especially disturbing to them. Their parents would freeze and gape at her, before telling her not say such things. And, Mabel eventually did stop saying such things. He shouldn't believe her claim. Yet, Dipper thought about those whispers he heard when he was young and the relief of being able to ignore them. Then, overtime, he was able to slowly block them out. Lately though, the whisperings wouldn't leave. The murmurs of a low timbre around the house, the womanly hissings from the amulet, and the echos of what Bill used to say rang out through his mind. And, with this thought in mind, Dipper released a secret even bigger than his Generalized Anxiety Disorder. "I-I heard a woman talking when the amulet was around."

~!19-9-12-5-14-3-5/9-19/12-15-21-4!~

Mabel woke to the cry of her brother. "G-Gideon! P-Please!"

She frowned. Where they fighting? She went to stand, but the top of her head brushed the ceiling, before getting to her full height. Mabel realized crawling was her only option and began to do so. "...Mine! 'eed it!"

The amulet. She remembered the night she had used the amulet. There had been a feeling of calmness that had overtaken her when she had used the power, yet she didn't even fluster when Gideon and Dipper had fallen off that cliff. For a split second though, she didn't want to stop using it, but the feeling had passed once she destroyed it. Or so she thought she had destroyed it at the time. The brunette understood perfectly what Gideon felt when he held it. She knew though that it was a danger and he had no need for it. "I-I-I-I d-don't hav-"

"You don't need it!" She cried as she threw herself at where she heard the boy's voice. Mabel slammed directly into him. A stack of boxes toppled over, producing a thud. Mabel wrapped her arms around his thick body and soothingly whispered. "You don't need it."

Gideon was attempting to push her away, but she held tighter in a hope to comfort him. "...'eed!"

She needed to reassure him. "I'll protect you, ok? You don't need her."

There was confusion evident in her brother's voice when he spoke. "M-Mabel? What's...what's goin-?"

"...'lease! 'eed her!" Gideon was fighting against her, but she could feel his resolve weakening. He knew. He knew deep down that he didn't need her, Mabel realized. It was as if he was being forced to crave her protection.

"No, you don't need her; she just wants to use you. I won't let her have you though, ok?"

Gideon began to cease his struggle against her and had broken into defeated sobs, repeating the claims of much he needed the protection of the amulet. Mabel reassured him each time though, that he didn't need it and she would protect him instead. As Gideon began to blubber, she felt the weight of her brother's hand on her shoulder. "M-Mabel?"

Gideon was burying his face against her, blubbering increasing. She could feel the feverish skin through her nightgown. "Shhhh, its ok...she's...she's been using him."

"Wait, 'she'?"

"You know, The lady that was...the one that was...trying t-to get m-me...too..." Mabel trailed off. She could feel the desire when they had been in that bathroom, and witnessed the shadow of the hourglass shaped woman reaching out to her. The frigid hand had possessively stroked her mind, sending shivers down the brunette's spine. Half of her clung to the comfort, while the other half rejected it wholeheartedly.

"...Mabel, uh, I didn't see a-anyone."

Mabel tensed. Oh, god, he hadn't seen her. There was a lady that Dipper hadn't seen, just as when they were young. He would never believe her. She released a nervous giggle."...Right...of course no o-one was there..."

For a moment, there was silence, only filled with the quieting sobs of Gideon. Then, Dipper revealed a shocking claim. "I heard a woman talking when the amulet was around."

Mabel was completely thrown. Dipper continued on, tone hesitant. "I...I hear...h-hear things s-some...sometimes..."

"...like...like when I see things?" Mabel questioned in return. The brunette had ceased her efforts to make society witness the sinister shadows, realizing she was the only one capable of being able to. Her parents had insisted she curb her "inappropriate imagination" as her Dad had dubbed it, at quite a young age. It was one of the few times she had genuinely witnessed him upset and felt disappointment well up in herself for causing her parents to worry. So, bye-bye shadows. Or at least speaking of them. It had never occurred to her though, that her brother may of been in a similar situation.

"I...uh, I...y-yes."

Gideon had halted his sobbing by this point and was strangely quiet. She took no notice though, as she was distracted by Dipper's surprising revelation. Mabel was honestly overwhelmed at the moment and wished someone could help unwhelm everything. Her Grandpa Stanley could. There were no mirrors anywhere and though Dipper seemed to slightly believe Mabel about the shadows now, he likely wouldn't believe their missing grandfather was trapped in an alternate universe, only seen through reflective surfaces. And, if her own brother didn't believe this, then Grunkle Stan surely wouldn't either. Mabel winced. Why does she always make promises she can't keep? Grandpa Stanley was going to be disappointed in her now. She sighed aloud, as she thought on Dipper's reply. When had they become so distant that he had never bothered to tell her such a thing? "...why...why didn't you tell me?"

"I...I was a-afraid M-Mom and D-Dad wouldn't b-believe...j-just like...y-you..."

Mabel squeezed her eyes shut. No one ever believed her. About anything. Not even when she told her parents Dipper was beginning to act sort of distant over a year ago. Her Mom had simply smiled and told her not to worry, as he was acting perfectly normal. He hadn't though, he had seemed to retreat into himself, and was speaking less to the family as a whole. Yet, Mabel never pushed him for an answer as to why he was acting that way. Mabel should have though. If she did, she would have never came home that day from art club to discover her brother's bro-STOP. No, now was not the time to linger on that. She needed to focus on other topics. Such as why Gideon was so silent and not being wracked with sobs anymore. She frowned. "Gideon?"

There was no reply and she nudged him. His brother sounded concerned at the abrupt change in the topic. "M-Mabel? What's wrong?"

"Gideon? Are you ok?" She felt his forehead when there still no reply. His fever had dramatically risen, faster than a fever should have. Oh no. "Dipper! I think he passed out!"

"W-What?"

Mabel was beginning to become anxious. "His fever is really high!"

She felt Dipper brush up against her and pat around to locate the 10-year-old's forehead. She snatched his hand and guided it to Gideon's forehead. Dipper gasped in surprise. "Mabel, t-this is b-bad!"

"I know! Is the door locked?"

"...uh, I d-didn't check." Dipper pulled away and she heard some shuffling. "Oh no."

She didn't like the sound of that. "What?"

"The h-handle. It's missing!"

"W-What do you mean it's missing?"

"There's j-just a hole w-where the handle is s-supposed to b-be!"

They were stuck? THEY WERE STUCK. Mabel took a deep breath to steady her nerves though. She needed to keep calm for her brother. She could hear his harsh gasps and the anxiety riddled tone, suggesting he was on the verge of a panic attack. Mabel needed to stay calm for his sake. They couldn't be simply stuck. Bill Cipher had somehow managed to open a once sealed door underneath the staircase, so there had to be a way to leave. Speaking of that, just why did the dream demon put three of them in here? Mabel didn't understand the motivation behind the action, when he had made it clear that he wasn't a good guy. She wanted to ask Dipper about his thoughts on the topic, but she had been hesitant to bring up the subject of Bill Cipher ever since the sock opera ordeal. Ever since that night, neither of them had mentioned it. Mabel was consumed with guilt for not noticing the change in his behavior, but each time she tried to prob the subject, Dipper would smoothly transition the conversation to a different topic. She needed to force him to speak with her about it, or she feared this would end up as last time. Now wasn't the time though. Gideon passing out from his fever made her concerned about how high his temperature was beginning to be. "Bro-bro, could you feel around for a mirror?"

"A m-mirror?! M-Mabel, w-we don't have t-time for t-this! W-We need t-t-t-t-t-"

"Dipper! Breath!" Dipper ceased his stuttering and took a few breaths. Then some more. And then he wouldn't stop taking deep breaths. "Dipper!"

The breathing immediately halted. "...S-Sorry, I j-jus-"

"No, it's ok. You don't need to explain. Can you just look though?"

"O-Ok..."

Mabel heard more shuffling, then a muffled thud from a box falling. There was a clatter a moment after, that echoed throughout the confined space. For the next few minutes there was more scuffling and the clinking of various trinkets as Dipper scoured the closet for a type of mirror. Then, Dipper gasped in surprise. "I think...I think I found a compact case."

"That works," Mabel felt a round object pressed up against her thigh and she took it from the extended hand. She opened it, revealing one side to be smooth, as if it were reflective surface. She hoped Dipper trusted her enough to not believe she had completely lost her mind. Talking to mirror wasn't exactly a norm. The trio needed an escape though and she believed their Grandpa Stanley could assist them in a way. "S-Stanley? Are you awake?"

"Mabel?"

Mabel ignored Dipper. Grandpa Stanley may of been unable to hear her. The way it seemed to operate, is that he had to be near a reflective surface in his Shack to hear or even witness her. She bit her lip at the thought. "Stanley, can you hear me?"

"W-Who are you t-talking t-to?" Dipper appeared to be anxious about her behavior.

Mabel further chewed on her lip and shifted Gideon, so that his head rested on her left thigh. The compact case mirror appeared to light up, as if a lamp flickered on, and the face of her Grandpa Stanley appeared, seeming concerned. She knew he wouldn't be able to write more than two or three words, causing this to be a one sided discussion. "M-Me and my brother need help. We're sorta 're stuck in the closet."

Stanley pointed upwards on his end. The source of light appeared to be located above. "Dipper, there's a light above us!"

There was a smack and a moan of pain. She winced. "Are you ok, bro-bro?"

"...yeah..." The light flickered on and it was revealed that Dipper was crouched before her, hand grasping the metal chain, connected to a exposed light bulb. A pale pallor befell his face though, chocolate eyes deliriously swiveling about in every direction, as his mouth slowly gaped open. Mabel frowned, observing the room, seeing only the contents of the room spilled across the floor from when Dipper had emptied each box earlier, in search for a mirror. What was wrong then? She received no answer though, as Dipper fell backwards and scrambled back against the door, pressing himself up against it, much like she had earlier when the shadow had cornered her in the bathroom. Mabel opened to mouth to question his behavior, when he began to scream uncontrollably.

End Chapter 7

Thank you all so much for the support you have all given me so far and for putting up with the long periods that are in between each chapter. I've really appreciate it so far! Now that I'm officially on Spring Break though, the time in between each chapter will shorten a lot. Hope you enjoy this one for the time being. :)