In the last Chapter, Dipper had agreed to ride in the Tunnel of Love with his sister Mabel. Although Mabel wasn't acting quite herself. Dipper couldn't put his finger on what it was, but he was determined to find out just what it was.
There was no line for the tunnel of love, so the two hopped onto the first boat they see. Mabel was first on board, and sat on the left seat of the two person boat. Dipper followed hesitantly and sat on the right seat. He was about to do his seat belt when Mabel interjected. "Let me take care of your seat belt dear brother." said Mabel.
"Um... okay sure." Dipper said.
Mabel grabbed Dipper seat belt and buckled his belt over his lap, but she didn't let go immediately.
"Um... Mabel, you can let go now." said Dipper.
"Oh... sorry." said Mabel. "I was just getting a feel."
"A feel for what- oof! Dipper was interrupted when the boat ride suddenly started.
There was a period of silence in the ride.
"So how's your day been Mabel?" Dipper asked to break the silence.
"I'm glad you asked Dipper." Mabel said. "I had a wonderful day."
Mabel began her story. "You were right bro, being at this fair has been an excellent opportunity to make new friends. Before today getting a boyfriend was so difficult. I tried being me, and they ran because they didn't understand me. But today I figured out what I was doing wrong. Guess what it was." there was a break in her story.
"Um... you came on too strong and you decided to take your relationships more easy?" Dipper guessed.
"No. Quite the opposite actually." Mabel replied, and continued her story. "Coming in even stronger actually worked. I left people no choice but to hang out with me. Sounds mean, but they enjoyed it. I even scored a couple kisses from some cute guys. *giggle*. Actually I kissed every guy I hung out with today. I guess you can say I've made quite an impression on all the boys here." Mabel said.
"Yes... I'm sure you have." Dipper said, remembering what he had seen outside. Dipper was getting more and more uneasy.
"Every boy here... except for you." said Mabel.
"What are you saying?" asked Dipper in confusion.
"I love you Dipper, but we've never kissed before, at least not mouth to mouth." said Mabel.
"I think there's a good reason for that." Dipper said. "I love you too Mabel, but let's keep our love platonic. You know. Exchanging conversations, having lunch, maybe holding hands occasionally, but even that's a bit incestuous. So nothing beyond that..."
"I'm sorry to hear that Dipper." Mabel said in a phony sigh. "I just assumed that since we're friends that you wouldn't mind, but I was wrong it seems."
"Mmm Hmm. Don't sweat it, we'll always be friends, just-" Dipper was interrupted by Mabel.
"Come on. You know you want to." Mabel said pulling down her sweater revealing her bare shoulder. Was Dipper being seduced... by his sister?
"Still no Mabel." Dipper said sternly. "Secondly, there's this thing called personal space. I value my personal space, and I hope you of all people would understand and respect my space and know where I'm coming from. So what do you say?" Dipper concluded. Mabel didn't seem to listen. In fact, she removed her seat belt and leaned forward.
"Come on. There's nobody around. No one will see us do it." Mabel raised one eyebrow.
"Mabel, if the rules of society frowning upon incest weren't enough, which they are, I'm just plain not interested." said Dipper.
"Hmm, let me put it this way." said Mabel. "Remember your first kiss? It wasn't really even a kiss, it was an unnecessary mouth to mouth with a merman. Wouldn't you like to have a much more pleasant kiss? I still have the picture to remind you." Mabel reaches down her skirt and pulls picture of Dipper and Mermando kissing.
"You photographed it?" Dipper said in shock. "Yeah... pretty weird huh?" said Mabel. "Tonight let's do it right. Just close your eyes kiss me Mason."
"Okay, blackmail is something the real Mabel would do. You on the hand, you may look like Mabel, but you're not her! Mabel would never put me in an uncomfortable situation! And she'd never invade my personal space!" yelled Dipper
"Hmm, are you so sure?" asked Mabel. "Your sister can be pretty rude to you sometimes."
Dipper thought for a moment, and realized that Mabel has done lots of teasing and done stuff that has put Dipper in awkward and uncomfortable situations. Just not to this degree.
"Okay, maybe Mabel kind of sort of would do a couple of the things I just listed, so bad examples scratch those. But you are not Mabel! And you know why?" Dipper raised his voice. "Because Mabel wouldn't force me to kiss her! She wouldn't even want to ride some boring old boat ride because she finds these sort of rides boring! But most of all, Mabel would never! Call me! Mason!" Just as Dipper snapped, Mabel hissed, her pupils faded, and she jumped out of her seat and on top of Dipper, grabbing him by the head, and holding his head over the side of the boat trying to drown him.
"Forget it!" she screamed. "You're no good to me alive so why not swim with the fishes!"
With Dipper's head underwater, all he could do is hold his breath. He couldn't get up with the weight of Mabel above him. She seemed abnormally strong.
All Dipper could do is try to unbuckle his seat belt. He managed to reach his belt and unbuckle just in the nick of time. The two fell overboard and into the water. Dipper climbed out onto the side railing of the tunnel, and so did Mabel.
"I don't understand you. You're ashamed of your real name and embarrassed by your nickname." Mabel pointed out. "Are you just never happy? Do you want me to call you Tyrone like you've always wanted? Or are you such a grump that you'll find reasons to complain about that name too?"
"What matters isn't what people call me it's how people treat me." Dipper replied.
"How sweet. You seem tense, why not relieve some stress with a little kiss from your deal old sister." said Mabel.
"You're not my sister. I don't know what you are, maybe a shapeshifter, evil spirit, or some kind of virus, doesn't matter! Whatever you are get out of my sister and leave us alone!"
"I'll give you a hint, shapeshifter I am not. This really is your sister's body. So don't do anything you might regret." Mabel said menacingly walking towards Dipper. "You're always so stressed. Be it about self-esteem or... actually all your pain and suffering stems from your lack of self-esteem. Trust me, I know these things. Just kiss me and forget about all your worries. For good."
"Never!" screamed Dipper.
Mabel screamed and jumped out at Dipper. Dipper managed to dodge her tackle. Mabel missed, and instead collided with a terminal where she was electrocuted because she was wet. She fell to the ground. Dipper pulled some wires from the terminal and tied Mabel up.
"Sorry to have to do this Mabel, but it's for your own good." said Dipper. "I'm heading back to the Shack right now to get Grunkle Ford to see what's up with you." Dipper stared to walk out of the tunnel, when he heard a cry.
"Dipper!" Mabel cried out. This time sounding sincere, and like the real Mabel. Her eyes also returned to normal. "Where are we? What happened? Why am I tied up?!." she said.
"Mabel?" cried Dipper. "Is that you?"
"I was just walking to the carnival when I tripped and must have fainted. And I wake up to this? How could you?" cried Mabel.
"Mabel. I'm so sorry, this must be some sort of misunderstanding." Dipper said.
"Just untie me and we can go home." pleaded Mabel.
Don't do it Dipper, this is such an obvious trap. You get too close she's gonna bite or something. Dipper thought. He was too smart to fall for such easy traps, or was he?
"...It's okay Mabel." Dipper said teared up. "I'm here for you, let me help you ou-" Dipper foolishly got close and tried to untie Mabel.
Mabel put her arms up as if to give a hug, but it was all a set up. Her pupils disappeared once again signaling evil Mabel. She grabbed onto two exposed wires. She yanked them both and shoved them into Dipper's chest, electrocuting him.
"AAAAAHHH-" screamed Dipper. As he was being shocked, Mabel then kicked him forward onto the ground. The force of the kick knocked Dipper's hat off of his head. Dipper now laid unconscious on the ground.
"Hm hm hm hm hm." laughed evil Mabel. "Poor little Dipper so noble, so gullible. So dead."
Some time later, at the exit of the tunnel of love. Dipper and Mabel exited on a boat sitting next to each other as if nothing strange had occurred inside.
"Daaaw..." said the man in charge of the ride. "Aren't you two the cutest thing."
"Hehe, I'm flattered." said Mabel, acting nice and innocent. "We get that a lot back at home."
"Say, what's wrong with your mate?" asked the man, noticing Dipper was out cold.
"Oh him? He just fell asleep." Mabel lied. "I better take him home." Mabel lifted Dipper over and shoulder and carried him away, something normal Mabel wouldn't have had the strength to do. The man thought it was peculiar to see a young girl lift so much, but he asked no further questions as Mabel walked away with Dipper.
Meanwhile at the entrance of the ride, Grunke Stan and Grunkle Ford had just arrived.
"This is the last place we haven't looked." said Ford. "They have to be in there."
The two were about to enter through the side, when they were stopped by the ride manager.
"Hold on you two, the side entrance is for employees only. Everyone else has to ride the ride."
The two stared blankly at each other, and reluctantly got on the ride, just to see if either Dipper or Mabel were inside. Unfortunately they were too late.
Mabel was carrying Dipper down the same road Mabel took to get to the fair. She stopped and turned around where she had tripped, and entered darkness of the brush.
"Hm hm hm hm hm. Ha ha ha ha!" she laughed.
So what exactly just happened? I think it's safe to say that this isn't the Mabel we all know and love. But just what exactly was going on? What kind of trouble is Dipper in now? Or what kind of trouble is the real Mabel in for that matter? All these questions and more might be answered. Stay tuned for the next exciting chapter!
Chapter 4 coming soon.