Permanent Detention Chapter 3, a gravity falls fanfic

Author Note: Sorry for the wait, guys and gals! This chapter was a bit bigger than I expected. Extra special thanks to SuperGroverAway and DeadSNESproject88 for helping with designing the "obstacles" Dipper has to face. Enjoy!

"Answer me!" Wendy demanded, lurching forward as the rattling of her shackles echoed throughout the empty classroom. "What are you planning to do to Dipper?!"

Mr. Cabkin kept his back turned to her, his blue hued fingers clasped together as he pondered her question.

"…he will reap what he has sown…"

"Huh?"

Her teacher twirled around, "Your little buddy seems so eager in following in your footsteps. As far as I'm concerned, he can share your fate!"

"NO!" Wendy thrashed about as her hand and foot cuffs held her steadfast, "You can't do that! That kid didn't anything to you!"

"I call "breaking and entering" far from "anything," Corduroy." Mr. Cabkin began to pace around Wendy once again, "And believe me, you are in no position to be making demands."

He stepped towards the brick wall on the opposite side and started to make a swirling motion against it. The structure began to fade away as a literal circular window formed, revealing a darkened hallway from the first floor of the school. Despite the somewhat-fuzzy view provided, Wendy could make out something thumping around on the other end of a closed door.

"But the least I can do is let you see the events as they occur." The madman's smile grew, "After all, he's the pony you bet your life on, so you might as well know how he's progressing…"

Sure enough, the doorknob bobbed noisily for a few seconds before it was pulled back. Dipper Pines came stumbling through the doorway leading down from the basement. He let out a few dust-filled coughs and brushed off the cobwebs that had clung to his clothing. The boy went onward, until he noticed that he had become inadvertently caught up within the lines of a worn out mop. Growing annoyed, Dipper lugged it loose and threw it back down the stairs before shutting the door behind him.

Gravity Falls High appeared to be of a different nature at night. Gone was the exciting world of teenaged hobbies and opportunities. Instead, a cold, darkened place was spread out before him, blanketed in shadow and hints of moonlight. Dipper's attention gathered to a shining object on his right side.

A thick iron chain had been wrapped around the handles of the front exit, being latched together by a heavy-duty padlock. Dipper examined the bindings as he thought to himself, "Why would Wendy lock herself inside like this?"

It took only a second for him to consider what really happened, "…unless someone did this to keep her from leaving…" As his unease grew, the small detective reached into his vest to pull out a hand-held flashlight. He cupped his other hand around his mouth and called out into the distance:

"Wendy-y-y-y-y?!" Dipper's voice resonated through the hallways. "Are you here-e-e-e?"

Disheartened by the utter silence, he lowered his head, "Please be okay…"

From the other side of the spectrum, Wendy's heart fell in hearing the worry in Dipper's tone. She leaned ahead as much as she could and shouted, "DIPPER! DIPPER! I'M UP –"

Mr. Cabkin stepped in front of Wendy with a stern look on his face. His dark eyes glowed red in anger, "Call out to him again, and I'll see to it that you are gagged. Understood?"

The ginger grew silent as the ghost resumed his prim-and-proper stance and readjusted his tie, "Besides, we wouldn't want to cheat in our little wager now, would we?"

After shooting the man an irate stare, Wendy looked past the ghost through the paranormal window provided, eagerly watching on pins and needles as she hoped that her potential rescuer would be able to make his way unharmed through any obstacle that her abductor that prepared.

Dipper's ears perked as a familiar voice faintly boomed through the corridor before it was abruptly cut off:

"DIPPER! DIPPER! I'M UP –"

"WENDY!" Without a second thought, Dipper took off running in the direction the sound came from. As he rounded the corner, he found himself in the same area that they had traveled down earlier in the day during registration. The little hero remembered that Wendy had mentioned that her homeroom was somewhere on the second floor, so he figured that would be the best place to start his search.

Taking another deep breath, Dipper bolted down the hall to reach a stairwell when all a sudden…

*SLAM!*

Before he had a chance to stop, Dipper collided face-first with a thin, black object that had shot out of nowhere, sending him hurling back towards the ground. Landing on his bottom, Dipper rubbed his sore cheek as he glanced up to see what he crashed into.

A slender, yet sturdy onyx gate now blocked his path. Guessing it to be some type of fence used in an emergency lockdown, the stretched barrier was secured from one side of the wall to the other. Dipper stood up and tried to move the gate, noting that it wouldn't budge an inch. A simple release latch was placed on the other side; the narrow holes within the hurdle prevented him from reaching the lever.

Peering in the distance, the twelve year old could see that several other barricades had been placed every few yards ahead. "Man, this place takes security a bit too seriously," he thought. "How the heck am I going to get through all of those things?"

It had only been a few short hours since he and Wendy had been playfully teasing one another in these same halls leading up to the cafeteria – where the creepy teacher swooped in out of nowhere and publicly humiliated her – and how he let it happen with few protests.

A shade of guilt clouded Dipper's mind. He drew a parallel to what had happened a few weeks earlier at Lookout Point with Robbie. Sometimes, he would often forget that the strong-willed lumberjack princess wasn't as invincible as she made herself out to be.

"If only I noticed something was wrong – maybe Wendy wouldn't be in this mess right now!"

In the back of his thoughts, Dipper could remember Wendy's pledge to help ease his own fears about the future; her sincere message replaying over and over, "You know that you'll always have me here, right?"

Dipper shook his head clear, figuring that this wasn't the time or the place for self-doubt. He had to focus on finding his missing crush before it was too late!

He set his head against the metallic fence in despair as he attempted to figure out a new strategy. Out of the corner of his eye, Dipper spotted that there was a door was placed against the left side just pass the fence, seeing that there was a matching twin right next to him.

"That's right!" He snapped his fingers in success. "These larger classrooms should have more than one entrance; probably because of the fire code or something. It'll take a while, but if I go from class-to-class, I'll make to the other side in no time!"

Dipper grabbed the handle and yanked the heavy door back. His eyes focused on a single spotlight shimmering down into the middle of the room. Even with the limited amount of light available, Dipper was easily able to recognize his current surrounding.

"It's the gymnasium!"

He noticed that the gigantic-sized room had changed since the last time he peeked his head inside. It had been formatted for the nearest sporting event as the bleachers had been left protruding from each side of the arena. Oddly enough, a few blue gymnastic mats were left sprawled messily across the hardwood floor, each nearly touching the singular radiance hanging overhead.

Seeing that there was no immediate danger to be found, Dipper slowly traced a path by the bleachers, making his way towards the exit on the other end of the gym.

*THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!*

Dipper let out a surprised gasp as he spun around. A lone basketball bounced down from the top of the bleachers, making its way to down level step by step. Relieved, he wiped the sweat away from his brow, "Phew! Just a ball! But where did it –"

Before Dipper had a chance to finish his sentence, dozens of different types of balls flew down from the top of the elevated staircase, each bounding across diverse speeds and heights at the startled child.

*THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!*

With his hands held up to protect his head, Dipper started to backpedal away from the bleacher until he noticed that the floor was soft and squishy beneath his black sneakers. He glazed down to see that he was now standing atop one of the gymnastic mats. Before he could make his next move, the mat started to writhe and shake of its own accord.

"H-H-HEY!"

The blue cushion rose up over the frightened pre-teen and wrapped itself around his body, akin to turning him into a tiny burrito. Dipper tried to squeeze himself loose, finding that his arms and legs were pinned down. His vision was blocked off aside from a constant azure shade.

Suddenly, Dipper could feel the coiled mat started to roll around the gymnasium flooring, picking up speed by the second. With hostage within, it leapt against the rock-hard wall at high-frequency, ricocheting across the room.

"WHOA-A-A!"

All of the air rushed out of Dipper's lungs. The impact made him feel like he was going to throw up. When the mat came to a complete stop, he could sense that the constriction holding him immobile had finally loosen its grasp.

Within seconds, Dipper had kicked his way to freedom, inching between the newly-given slack. He rose up to find that he was now surrounded by countless axels, rods, and other forms of collapsible machinery.

"I'm…behind the bleachers?"

As Dipper started to dust himself off, he could hear a clicking sound faintly in the distance. All of a sudden, the mechanisms encircling him sprang to life! The boisterous parts began to retract towards their set indentation in the wall.

"The bleacher's going to squish me!"

Dipper tripped over the twisted mat as he went to flee. Falling hard on his knees, he lifted his head to see that his window of escape was closing more and more by the second. He shot up and zigzagged between the frames as they became narrower. The running of the motors rang in his eardrums. Dipper was nearing the way out when something jerked him back at the last second.

"What the - ?"

A piece of his blue vest had become ensnared within one of the rods. Pumped full of adrenaline, the boy tugged the caught clothing with both hands in an effort to break free. As the metal scrunched inwards, the snagged piece tightened around his arm.

Only a few feet away, Dipper could make out an exposed maintenance box mounted into the wall. In the center, in between a clutter of wiring and switches lied a huge red button with a label below, "EMERGENCY SHUT-OFF"

Dipper strained to reach the button, only to that his fingertips missed their mark by mere inches. His limb was pulled back further as the bleacher moved closer to its shut positioning, leaving him unable to use his arm. Amidst the chaos, the tween felt something brush up against the side of his sneaker. One of the balls that came crashing down earlier had rolled behind the stairs, ending up at Dipper's feet.

A desperate idea formed in the sleuth's mind. With his free hand, Dipper bent down and griped the sphere, praying that for once in his premature life, that his aim would be true. He closed an eye and bit his lip to keep himself from twitching nervously. With a weak over-handed toss, Dipper just barely thwacked the bright red release.

The machines surrounding him whirled down to a deathly quiet. With the current threat calmed, Dipper turned around the best he could and tore himself loose from the snag. He moaned as he noticed a deep rip in his newest blue vest. His attention swung back to the real matter at hand: the series of misfortunes that had just befouled him moments ago.

"There's no way that all was just a big coincidence…I gotta find Wendy and fast!"

He raced towards the exit, throwing his shoulder against the double doors, well on the way towards his next destination…

From the other side of the otherworthly pane, Mr. Cabkin watched Dipper as he nearly avoided a messy death, becoming interested by the small boy's cleverness and determination.

Behind him, Wendy found herself appalled by the scene that had played out before her eyes. A feeling of nausea formed in the pit of her stomach.

"You – you sleaze!"

"Hmm?" Mr. Cabkin turned around towards his captive audience.

"Are you insane?!" Wendy shouted, "You could have killed him!"

"The key phrase there is "could have," the professor noted, "It appears that this "Dipper" is a bit more than the moronic types you tend to ally yourself with." He brushed his beard stubble with his hand as his curiosity grew, "He has seemingly inherited your natural born luck just as much as your prowess in burglary. Then again, such things can only get you so far, as you must have learned by now…"

"I swear to you, man," Wendy hissed through her teeth, "When I get outta here…"

""When?"" Mr. Cabkin clapped his hands together, "Such confidence we have, don't we, Corduroy? If anything, the correct term should be "if" you are freed from your current predicament." A menacing look formed across his face, "But some friendly advice: you should be more concerned with your own plight rather than his!"

The educator noticed that his victim hasn't giggled up a slew of blue soul-containing essence in quite some time. The once-animated paintbrushes that merrily tormented her now lied at the sides of Wendy's chair, as the ghostly presence of the school had been focused elsewhere. He knew that the process would have to resume as soon as possible in order to meet the midnight deadline.

From well out of Wendy's line of sight, the grouping of multi-colored, yet incredibly fluffy feathers started to spring about as they were imbue with life. As if they were guided by an invisible hand, they split in bunches of two, each lining up before a trapped socked foot.

Seconds later, Wendy could start to feel it. A light, downy touch itched against her right sole. Then, the sensation traveled to her left. She immediately knew what was coming. Trying to set up a sort of resistance, the plucky girl scrunched her freckled face as tightly as she could and began to shake her head back and forth.

"Nope-Nope-Nope-Nope-Nope!" Wendy chanted as she forced herself to focus on anything but the current situation. As long as she didn't give in, her soul would remain hers. "You're – You're going to have to try harder than that!"

Mr. Cabkin seemed to agree with his student, nodding along with her statement, "I believe you might be right, Corduroy…" With that, he snapped the fingers on both hands and awaited the further escalation to come.

Unexpectedly, Wendy's feet grew colder. A sobering chill started in the tips of her toes, shooting up beneath the balls of her feet, gliding against her insteps. She opened her eyes, "W-W-What is that?" Trying her best to readjust her body, the redhead looked behind her, her mouth dropped in horror at what was happening.

Her yellow-and-orange socks were being magically unraveled off her peds bit-by-bit! The loose strings were being rolled in a neat little pile on each side of the chair, leaving Wendy barefoot. She looked back at Mr. Cabkin, whom offered a faux-sincere appearance.

"Well, let's say we take that again from the top?"

The floating plumes positioned themselves against her heels, leaving Wendy unable to see what was about to follow next…

As Dipper held the handle of the door in front of him, he froze as he could have sworn to hear a feminine shriek fill the night air. The child forced the willies away, choosing to press forward in his rescue mission.

He stood before the full-sized in-ground pool he had marveled earlier that day. A small series of built-in lights fixed into the roof gave the room an eerie bluish-green glow. Seeing the large body of water made Dipper miss his days at the Gravity Falls Pool. He remembered how he served as junior lifeguard at Wendy's side until they were both dismissed due to their constant pranking and misuse of power.

Using his flashlight, Dipper noticed a fresh pair of footprints leading up to the exit across the way. He nodded along as he pointed out the sight, chuckling quietly under his breath. There was no way he was going to fall for any other tricks this wicked place had planned for him. From all the time he had spent with a bikini-clad Wendy at the pool, the resourceful adolescent could tell that the prints were way too long and wide to match his lanky friend's petite frame.

Dipper carefully walked around the long end of the pool, making sure to take his time in order to avoid taking a fateful slip in the crystal-clear depths. As soon as he made it halfway through his planned detour…

*SPLASH!*

The detective froze in place, tracing the sound to somewhere in the middle of the pool. He turned and focused his flashlight in the center, seeing nothing but smooth and calming waters.

*PLOP! PLOP! PLOP! PLOP!"

Dipper aimed his light at the path he had just traveled down. One by one, new footprints appeared on the tiled floor, heading directly in his direction.

*PLOP! PLOP! PLOP! PLOP!"

"H-Hang on a sec!" Dipper held up a steady hand as the invisible predator came closer, "Let's not be too hasty here…" He retreated further down the edge, his eyes never leaving the ghostlike occurrence, yet left unaware as he mistakenly stepped his left foot through a disregarded lifesaver.

Without any warning, the lifesaver was pulled into the water, dragging Dipper along for the ride. His knapsack and flashlight flew from his grasp. The unsuspecting youth landed head first into the icy water. Free of the oversized donut, he kicked towards the surface and took a deep breath; the sudden fall had knocked all the oxygen out from him. Goose flesh spread across his now-soaked body. For once, he was relieved that he had left his Journal #3 at home, for it surely would have been ruined.

Dipper whirled around, trying to find out whom or what drew him into the pool. Something tugged at his ankle, making him bob beneath the top of the water. His nervousness increased as he was still unable to see the threat. Once again, Dipper was pulled deeper under the surface as he could feel more hands grabbing at his clothing. Seconds passed as he attempted to get away from whatever had seized him; the air in his lungs grew thinner by the moment.

With one burst of strength, Dipper lashed out, flailing his arms and legs wildly. A stream of bubbles surrounded his shorten stature. Somehow, he had broken away from his unseen assailants. He dove parallel to the pool's flooring, and pushed off the bottom with both feet. He nearly shot out of the water, as he coughed loudly as fresh air started to flow again. He looked over his shoulder and began to choke as the evil he faced made itself known.

Shapes in the water itself started to rise up, reminding Dipper of small heads peeking out from the abyss. Slowly, they made their way towards him, spreading around to surround the helpless boy. Dipper took off in the opposite direction as fast as he could, not daring to look back even once. He saw a secured ladder leading out of the pool only a few feet away.

Dipper hopped onto the steps and attempted to climb out of the murk, only to be stopped halfway. He could sense several pairs of arms wrapping around his waist and legs. Dipper looked to see that more and more shapeless water-beings were clawing at him, trying to get him back into the water. He draped his arms across the closest rung and closed his eyes, hanging on for dear life. However, Dipper knew that this stalemate couldn't last forever.

He opened his eyes to see that a pool skimmer stretched out just over the hardened edge. The young rescuer remembered how he was able to break away from the monsters the first time – by creating a current of bubbles about him. Straining greatly, Dipper reached on his tip-toes towards the cleaning utensil, having the handle fall through his fingertips. His foot slipped off the step as the water-ghouls tightened their hold. Dipper stretched his right arm out further, inching the metal rod closer and closer until he held it firmly in his hand.

Using the pool skimmer, he swatted the top of the water roughly, dissipating the strange creatures from existence. Dipper continued to splash against the surface of the pool, making sure that the ghosts could no longer form within the now-rough waters. As soon as he knew he was in the clear, Dipper jumped up the remainder of the ladder, collected his belongings, and headed towards the exit. His squeaky sneakers made him slip on the slick floor, but with perseverance, the small conqueror threw himself through the unlocked door.

Finally knowing that he was safe from a submerged death, an exhausted Dipper slumped down against the door, letting his head lean against his raised knees. He repeatedly took deep breaths as he tried to comprehend what had happened, left totally unaware the deadline deciding Wendy's fate was ticking away without delay…

"BWAHAHAHAHA!"

Wendy threw her head back and let out another loud guffaw, as a huge burst of blue essence flowed from her mouth and nostrils. Her entire body trembled in ticklish agony as the animated feathers continued to explore every aspect of her now-bare soles. Her entrapped feet could do nothing but wiggle side to side as the foot restraints refused to release their grip on her ankles.

In between the random bursts of forced laughter, Wendy tried to raise her arms out from behind, trying her best to slide out from her captivity, having every escape attempt defeated an instant later.

Mr. Cabkin ignored his pupil's struggles, instead choosing to watch over Dipper's latest victory throughout the booby-trapped high school. As soon as he seen his newest victim drop to the floor in order to catch his breath, he returned his attention towards Wendy, eager to see how her "transformation" had been coming along.

"Well," the man clicked his tongue, "It seems that you're progressing nicely. At this rate, you'll definitely be ready to go by midnight…"

"What is he talking about?" Wendy glanced back towards the mirror by the room's exit. All of the color from her dimpled face had vanished, leaving behind a chalky white overtone. Her vibrant red hair had been turned a dark black. Her shining green eyes were now a dimmed gray.

Wendy bit her lip even harder and shook her seat back and forth, desperate to find any way towards freedom. The cerulean concentrate maintained its flow through her orifices with every reflexive reaction.

"C'mon, Dipper…you gotta hurry…please…"

Dipper twisted the remaining amount of water from his trademark pine-tree cap, drying it the best he could. After failing to pick the lock of the gate blocking the straight path, he reluctantly opened the door leading to the next classroom, knowing deep down that there was probably some type of menace awaiting him. None of this was making any sense. Where was Wendy? What were these spirits? And how did Wendy's teacher fit into all of this?

Dipper closed the door behind him, taking a minute to inspect the new room.

"…the Metal Shop…"

When he had originally laid eyes on the workshop, the possibilities were almost endless. To Dipper, it seemed like the perfect fix of technology to match his inquisitive nature as well as a much-needed boost to his sense of manhood. Now, he remained on edge, wondering when and where the next hazard would be waiting to strike.

Half a dozen welding stations were placed alongside of the outer walls of the room. Semi-finished projects sat upon rows of shelves marked with hand-written labels. Two lengthy tables extended across the area, each with a huge, sharpened buzz saw planted into their ends. An exposed engine, from what Dipper guessed to be a student's car was mounted in the center. Piles of jagged, twisted metal and rusted chains were mixed together in a tangled mess.

"…Interesting…"

In spite of the dire circumstances at hand, Dipper couldn't help but become enamored by the awesome scenery. As he slowly ambled through the walkway, making sure to take notice of every last detail, the mound of discarded metal and iron links vibrated in place. Dipper paused for a second, using his flashlight to look back towards the stack, finding no indication of life.

He rubbed his face, unsure if his mind was playing tricks on him, or perhaps he was due for another paranormal encounter any second. Much to his disbelief, he reached the other end of the classroom without any sort of trouble.

"Phew!"

Just as Dipper placed his hand on the doorknob, the entire room sprang to life. The drills and heavy machinery activated on their own, filling the once-quiet atmosphere with endless, head-pounding noise. The multiple buzz saws twirled in a blurry frenzy, just waiting for something to slice though in a jiffy. The lights above him became brighter, creating a whining sound until they blew up one by one, forcing him to cover his head to avoid the hot sparks flying through the air. The engine revved continuously, considering that it should have been physically impossible to do so due to its separated state.

Something thick and heavy swathed itself around Dipper's pudgy mid-section numerous times. One of the disregarded chains had reached for him from across the class! Once it had a firm clasp, it jerked the light-weight off of his feet. He held the doorknob with both hands, but one last tug forced him from his chance at safety, dragging him back into the center of the room. Dipper dug his fingernails into the floor to stay to slow his descent, but his bindings pulled harder, sending him flying through the air.

"Ugh!"

The links had let go of Dipper in mid-flight, dropping him back-first onto the closest wooden tables. As he lied writhing in pain, more chains came from beneath, each wrapping about his shins. The cold steel dug deep into his tender flesh, making Dipper cry aloud. The dual bonds started to draw back, inching him towards the still-running blade at the end of the table.

"Omigosh! Omigosh! Omigosh!" His brown eyes grew wider at the blurry sight. He instinctively reached behind and used both hands to grab on to the other side of the table, making the steel lines burrow harder into his skin the more he tried to resist them.

*RRRRGGGGHHH!*

A deafening roar reverberated through the room. Dipper turned his head to find out what exactly was making the horrendous sound. That's when he spotted it; the mere sight of it paralyzed his entire body with absolute fear.

From behind the buzz saw, two eyeballs made of pure fire set themselves upon him. A demonic face floated up from the ground, hastily crafted together from all of the chunks of raw metal growled at Dipper. It let out a haunting hiss, releasing a shorten fireball from its spiky jaws. The bound kid moved his neck just in the nick of time to avoid the flame.

Dipper noticed another bright light flashing above his head. A succession of sparks flew from the main power outlet set into a huge column in the middle of the room. Numerous plugs were inserted into every possible opening, creating the rising electrical surge.

"Maybe if I could…" Dipper went to reach for the bundle, only to see another fireball aimed towards his head. He dodged at the last second, allowing the chains around his ankles to yank him closer to the deadly cutting edge. The razor-pointed, curved tips came inches before the inseam of his shorts. With another lunge, Dipper was able to take a hold of the various plugs. He tried to pull them out of their sockets, finding that they refused to budge. The links heaved harder, making Dipper scream out in pain. His shouts were muted by the incredible buzzing and the snarls of the metallic beast.

Gradually, he could feel the wiring starting to give way. With one last pull, Dipper shut his eyes and removed the plugs from the column. A single spark shot through the air as the room fell dead in an instant. The monstrous visage clattered into pieces all over the solid ground. The saws slowed to a stir before coming to a complete stop. His irons slipped off of his legs and joined the wreckage on the floor.

With the danger vanquished, Dipper let his head rest against the table. He stared up at the dimmed ceiling, wondering if Wendy had been going through her own ghostly trials.

*HUFF-PUFF! HUFF-PUFF!*

The long, now-blackened bangs draped over Wendy's face as she fought to catch her breath. A mixture of sweat and laughter-induced tears poured down her cheeks. Her fluffy trapper hat was knocked off from on top her head sometime during her escape attempts. If not for the bindings pinning her to her seat, Wendy would have slithered down from the chair in pure fatigue.

Hearing the heavy breathing growing louder, Mr. Cabkin turned away from his viewing window. He grinned at the condition of his defiant student, "Still having fun?" The teacher took pleasure in seeing that the infectious pastiness that traveled down to her arms, leaving only half of her body still flesh-colored.

Wendy whispered her answer; her throat still sore from the forced mirth, "No…more…no…more…"

"Eh?" He stepped forward to hear her more clearly, "What's the matter, Corduroy? Not as tough as you thought you were, huh? It doesn't matter how strong you really are, once the school gets into your head, there is no release!"

Wendy drifted in and out of consciousness, the blue mist flowing through her in small bursts, as the educator continued on with his reasoning, "…of course your body is going to react like that. There are over 7,800 nerves in each foot alone…"

"Please!" The resistant ginger regained her voice, "Do I really need to spend my last waking moments listening to your dribble?"

Mr. Cabkin moved his head back, "And there we are. For a second there, I thought that you wouldn't be able to make it to midnight." He thought about Wendy's statement, "So, "last waking moments," right? Does this mean that you're ready to accept your fate?"

"Not – Not – " Wendy protested in between some giggles, "Not a chance! Dipper'll be here any minute, and when he comes, we're going to wipe that creepy smile off your face!"

"Oh, really?" The man mocked, "And can you blame me for smiling? I've waited a long time to get you into that seat there – a long time to see you get your just desserts."

"I bet you have, you creep!" Wendy narrowed her eyes as she lowered her voice, "For all I know, you probably get your jollies by watching me squirm like this, don't cha?"

Wendy's blood instantly ran cold as Mr. Cabkin began to change before her eyes. His blue, translucent glow became an angry red. His stature stretched until the ceiling. His eye sockets turned pitch black as tiny orange fires replaced his pupils. Crooked and deformed teeth rose up from his jaw line.

"HOW DARE YOU!"

The latch locking the chair's wheels in place suddenly released. The ghoul pushed towards Wendy, sending her flying towards the blackboard with a thrust of a hurricane. She grunted as her back slammed roughly against the copper trim.

"You still don't get it, do you, Corduroy?"

The chair spun around several times before jolting to a complete stop, leaving the vulnerable high schooler dizzy. The transformed Mr. Cabkin leaned over Wendy's shoulder and extended a bony hand towards the blackboard. "See for yourself – the other members of the damned that share your fate!"

Another otherworldly window swirled on the wall. However, instead of showing Dipper, Wendy was offered a view into the next room. In the center of the class, a young girl roughly her age was secured to the middle desk by chains and a heavy duty padlock. Dressed in a punk-retro 1980s style, her face scrunched up tightly as a nerve-racking sound filled the ambience.

Having her own delicate senses agitated, Wendy could barely keep one eye open to see the cause of the noise. A floating, grotesque purple claw with diseased yellowed fingernails dragged itself up and down every square inch of the chalkboard, making the incarcerated teen cringe with every moment.

"PLEASE STOP! JUST MAKE IT STOP!"

Mr. Cabkin started to narrate, "Sheena was actually the first student I failed. I gave that young lady every chance in the world to improve her grades, and she blew me off, only to act shocked when she was told she wasn't going to graduate with the rest of her class! Like you, Corduroy, she blamed me for her actions! Because of this, our Sheena decided that she was going to get even with me by spray-painting "CABKIN BLOWS CHUNKS!" in our teacher's lounge. That was…until I caught her in the act…"

Wendy watched as Sheena twisted and turned, trying desperately to flee from the torturous scene, "And since then, Sheena has spent the last few decades in that very seat, where GFHS and I make sure that she'll pay full attention to anything scribbled on that blackboard!"

An instance later, Wendy was shoved towards the partially-opened window, only to be stopped at the last second. Mr. Cabkin went on with his demonstration, as Wendy could sense him above her head.

"And look out into the distance; by the old racing track…"

Wendy squinted until she noticed something moving about in the distance. To her, it looked as if a somewhat-husky boy was being chased by some type of three-headed wicked dog. Unfortunately, he couldn't take flight from the scene, as a sturdy harness had been locked around his midsection and shoulders. With a line attached to his back leading to a stake planned in the center of the middle-field, the boy could do nothing but run endlessly in circles, screaming in vain for help as he attempted to evade the mindless beast who wished to tear him to pieces.

"That's Gerald. Every time he had to run track for P.E., he thought that he could take a shortcut by ducking behind the stands, and re-joining the race during the final lap. That was, until I caught him during a lunch break one fateful day. Despite only being failed for that day, Gerald decided that he couldn't let such an injustice stand, so, as is the case of all you lot, he plotted vengeance…"

"The next night, during a Parent-Teacher conference, the little fool snuck back into campus and tried to pour sugar into each of the teachers' car's gas tanks, thinking it ironic if the staff would be forced to walk home, just as he had been forced to do during the school day. He thought that he would get away with such a transgression; that no one would be watching, but he was wrong; I was watching! And I made sure that from dusk 'til dawn, Gerald will never, ever cheat on doing laps ever again!"

Wendy was pulled away from the view, being rotated about until she ended up in her original spot in the center of her homeroom. A light *CLICK* forced her chair back into a stand-still. A calmed and regressed Mr. Cabkin reappeared a few feet away from her.

"And soon, my dear Miss Corduroy," he received, "You will join Sheena and Gerald, as well as the other dozens that reside in the shadows of Gravity Falls High!" The clock in the room let out another twelve chimes, indicating that it had just turned eleven o' clock. "Hmm…in one hour to be exact…"

"Hold on!" Wendy was still processing all of the craziness surrounding her, "Dozens?! Just how many kids have you – "

"Oh, don't act so surprised, Corduroy!" He brushed off with a coy laugh, "What did you think were all those monsters attacking your young champion down there?"

"The students?"

"Of course! Though after years of non-stop persecution, some fragile minds simply snap into two, leaving them unhinged, and willing to go after anything filled with life energy without bias or prejudice." He pointed at the phantom window displaying Dipper opening the door to the last classroom in that hall, "It's as I said before: your little "Dipper" has been lucky so far, but sooner or later, something will get the best of him, and then, you're this school's for the taking!"

"We'll see about that!" Wendy prided - her faith in her friend never shaken once. She let out a tiny *EEP!* as she felt the tips of the feathers brush beneath the bottoms of her bare feet.

"Yes…" Mr. Cabkin nodded along, "We will see, won't we…?"

Before he entered the new territory, Dipper stuck his knapsack out on his arm and wiggled it suggestively, seeing if there were any other bizarre creatures lying in wait for him. After letting his bait dangle for a few moments, he poked his head into the room to double-check the area.

Low hanging studio lights lit up a well-stocked art gallery. A circle of half finished canvas bordered around a thin, white platform, leading Dipper to believe it was where live models would be placed as the particular subject at hand. An older pottery stove was positioned in the left-most corner; its top covered with poorly-shaped, half-cracked ceramics.

Walking across the side, past the sturdy tables where the undergraduates would sit to finish their current projects. A stainless steel sink was imbedded into the side, where a repetitive, single drip boomed throughout the quiet room. From out of the corner of his eye, Dipper could have sworn to see something furry scurrying along the drain. Using his flashlight, he hurried to the sink and peered over the edge.

Dipper sighed in relief; a bunch of paint-stained brushes were placed near the strainer, just waiting to be cleaned off.

"Paintbrushes?! Man, I really have to stop being so jumpy. What's the worst they could do? Tickle me to death?" He shook his head at such an absurd thought.

"Dipper…"

The twelve-year-old jumped at having his name called. He clutched his arms against his vest-covered chest in order to catch his flashlight. Once his courage was gathered, Dipper's eyes darted across the room in search of the source of the mysterious, yet recognizable voice.

"Where did it come from?"

"Dipper…where are you?"

"I'm here! I'm here!" He answered with confidence, as the tone was one that he had longed to hear since making his rather-unusual journey through Gravity Falls High. Oddly enough, the voice came from somewhere above Dipper. Confused, he used his light to examine the ceiling and neighboring walls. The beam highlighted another abnormal feature of the room – on both sides, a string of portraits were hung on the highest ledge; the displays stretching from end to end in perfect symmetry.

"Dude, what's taking so long? Can't you see me?"

"I'm almost there! Just hang on!" Dipper sprinted up and down the halls of the art gallery, searching for any clue that would help lead to his crush's whereabouts. His imagination raced at the different possibilities; was the perky gift shop clerk hidden away behind the sturdy wall? Why couldn't he figure out what was going on?

All out of ideas, Dipper began to read off the plaques beneath each of the artist renderings, hoping that it would lead to some sort of hidden answer to his problems. Instead, all he noticed were the names of different students that had went to the school over the years.

"There's…gotta be something…Oh, I know!" Dipper exclaimed. "Maybe the names are a kinda riddle that opens a secret passageway or something like that…" He spoke out loud, thinking that perhaps it would help him gain a greater insight to the problem at hand.

"…Sheena Davison…Gerald Rodgers…"

Dipper stopped in his tracks as he examined the last portrait on the right side. He nearly dropped his flashlight at the shock of the discovery…

"…Wendy Corduroy…"

The picture above the plaque appeared to be a blurred mess, but as Dipper continued to study it, the painting starting to come together on its very own. Unable to take his eyes out of it, he watched as the backgrounds gave way to a mess of copper-red hair. A blank face appeared below, turning a shade of paled pink, with small brown freckles alongside the cheekbones. Thin red lips popped out as the jaw line flowed downwards, leading a slender neck into a freshly-dressed green flannel shirt.

To Dipper's terror, the mouth on the painting began to move, giving off a grim murmur:

"Dipper, help me…please…"

His entire body quivered with fear, frozen solid by the haunting display before him.

"W-W-What in the world?! How is – How is this even possible?"

The eyeless vision of his sweetheart changed expression, appearing to be somewhat frightened. The doppelganger screamed, "Look out! Behind you!"

As Dipper started to turn around, something reached out for him, grabbing the younger Pines twin by both wrists. Being hoisted into the air, Dipper shrieked upon seeing his attacker.

One of the other student portraits had come to life! It stretched out from beyond its paint-filled borders, becoming a blurred, yet solidified three-dimensional being. With its back end still attached to its host painting, the fiend dragged Dipper kicking and scratching towards its base, pulling his top half through the canvas itself.

"W-W-W-Whoooooooooaaaaaaa!"

Dipper could see a neon-colored, psychedelic world that went on for miles on end! Up was down and down was up! There were no natural laws to abide to, as clocks melted on broken bare trees and skeleton men chased one another through an endless stairwell that defied physics itself. It was so hypnotizing that it was almost welcoming. As the moments passed, Dipper started to forget about finding Wendy, only wanting to stay longer in this strange new land.

"NO!"

His inner strength broke through. Dipper pushed his legs against the brick wall on the other side of the barrier. After a brief struggle, he pulled himself back through the portal, landing roughly on the cold, hard ground.

Dipper moaned as he recovered his senses. He went on full alert as more paintings extended from their individual places in an effort to recapture their uninvited guest. Their chilling cries sent tremors down his spine. The mystery-solver hopped to his feet and made his way to the exit, finding his escape cut off by another living picture. Its fingers reached out towards Dipper, forcing him back blindly. He tripped over an unseen container, accidentally spilling some of its contents all over the floor. His sneakers slipped on the solution, sending Dipper crashing back onto the ground.

Laid out on the flooring, the downed boy looked up to see that the phantasms had him hopelessly pinned. And yet, not one of them dared to strike. Something didn't seem right. It was as if they were hesitant to finish the job.

"But why?" Dipper asked himself. A strong, pungent odor filled the classroom. The smell was somewhat familiar. Instantly, he began to understand what had just happened, or more importantly, what is it that he had landed in. Dipper turned towards the ruined receptacle and read its label: TURPENTINE.

"Paint thinner!"

With one fell swoop, Dipper rolled towards the vessel and seized its sprayer. He rose up, holding the nozzle with both hands, and released the pressure. A stream of solvent blasted across the room, soaking everything within distance with the powerful chemical. The apparitions screeched in misery as they became liquefied by a mere touch of the substance.

With all remaining enemies defeated, Dipper sank to his knees, desperate to regain his breath.

"Dipper…"

By pure instinct, he raised the spray up towards the ceiling. Of all the ruined portraits, only the hal-finished Wendy picture remained. Despite being in Dipper's sights, the mouth parted ways, offering one last key of advice:

"You have to hurry…you're running out of time…"

Dipper nodded in agreement, and then dropped his weaponry, making his way pass the exit. Finally free of the labyrinth-like hallway, he rounded the corner and stopped at the stairwell leading to the second floor of Gravity Falls High. He opened the doors and sprinted up the staircase, knowing that he was close to finding his main squeeze.

"Wendy! I'm on my way!"