From Nintendo gamer g (Guest): "Hi, can you make one where dipper is coping about having his body back after sock opera? like him having a nightmare and being comforted or something like that, but if you dont want to do that can you make one where its dipper and pacificas thoughts of each other after the northwest mansion mystery episode? that would be cool."

I've done so many about their thoughts after that episode, sorry, so I'm going to go with the Sock Opera request (especially since I love writing nightmares, oops. This one-shot sort of ties into the storyline with my other one-shots (The Fighter, Lean on Me, Get Me Through) about the aftermath of Sock Opera.

Safe and Sound

Empty hallways stretched on for miles, all similar shades of gray. Where was he? He felt as if this place were familiar, and yet... He glanced down at his body and screamed in horror. The lower half was now transparent, as if he were a phantom.

Why did everything seem so familiar?

He tried hard to control his breathing as he floated down the hallways, doors lining every wall. Everything looked rundown and old here. It almost looked like the Mystery Shack...

The hallway he was heading down inclined sharply, leading him out of the building and instantly finding himself in a forest. He swiveled, trying to get a feel for his surroundings so that he did not get lost. A high-pitched cackle reached his ears, sending various chills down his spine. He knew that laugh, how did he know that laugh? Why was everything so familiar? This was like one big case of deja vu.

He floated further into the forest, glancing behind him every few minutes to make sure that cackle wasn't following him. He had a feeling he wouldn't want to meet the person behind it.

There it was again. He held his breath, turning completely around to see where it was coming from.

Nothing. No one was there.

Was he being paranoid? He shivered and wrapped his arms around himself, turning back towards the woods again. He was met with a pair of glowing yellow eyes.

"Heya, Pine Tree!"

BILL. The thought was echoing in his head and suddenly everything that had happened two days ago at his sister's sock opera came crashing down on him in waves.

Being tricked into a deal. Possessing the sock puppets. Mabel fighting the demon inside his sleep-deprived body.

He screamed and tried to back away, but a hand (his hand) shot out and latched onto his wrist. "Aw, c'mon, kid! It's rude to run off!"

"Get away from me!" Oh, god. It was happening again, wasn't it? The possession, the yellow eyes, practically being a ghost...

The demon possessing his body frowned, although his lips were twitching in an effort not to grin at the sight of the boy's fear. "Pine Tree, you really need to learn some manners. That's no way to treat a pal!"

"You are not my friend!" he exclaimed, yanking to try and remove his wrist from Bill's grip. "You tried to destroy the journal, could've killed me, and you attacked Mabel! I had to go to the hospital!"

The dream demon snorted, rolling his eyes. The pupils looked so disturbing against the glowing yellow color.

"Kid, you're overreacting! So you broke some things, got some cuts and bruises. What can I say? Pain is hilarious!"

"No! It isn't!"

"Besides, none of this would have happened if you hadn't been so desperate for that deal."

He glared at Bill. "You were the one trying to get me to make the deal! If anything, this is your fault!"

"You also ruined your sister's play, yeesh." Bill was still talking, gesturing with his hands (including the one which tightly gripped his transparent wrist still). "You chose your own selfishness over simply waiting longer to uncover the secrets of the journal."

"Stop it! You're the one to blame here!"

The demon cackled loudly, startling the ghost-like boy. "Oh? You're so eager to pin everything down on me, kid! That's funny!"

"Look, just get out of my body, okay?"

Bill's yellow eyes narrowed as a wicked grin stretched almost inhumanly across the possessed boy's face.

"Hmmm, how about no?"

Before the preteen could protest, the demon possessing his body shoved him backward, finally releasing his grip on his wrist. He found himself falling down a hole, crying out as Bill's laughter echoed in his ears. Memories from two days before flew through his head, clinging to him like weights.

Shaking hands with the dream demon, blue fire covering his hand.

Mabel flinging a fork at him as he possessed a sock puppet, trying to warn her before Bill snatched the journal.

The horribly loud crash that the laptop had made under his possessed body's foot, knowledge passing right through his fingers at the demon's actions.

His sister trying to fend off Bill as she hit him over the head with the journal, her jaw set in determination.

Bill's words echoing in his head before he made the deal: "Tick tock, kid!"

TICK TOCK

TICK TOCK

TIME'S ALMOST UP!

"Dipper!"

He shrieked and fell out of bed, a gasp coming from the person who had awoken him. He looked up, trying not to panic, and relaxed when he saw it was only his sister.

"Are you okay? I came to get you because you slept in and..."

Dipper nodded, not wanting to worry her over his nightmare. Gosh, it had felt so real, like he had really been removed from his body once again...

"Mabel, I'm fine. I just... You just scared me awake, I guess."

She smiled a little and giggled. "Dreaming about Wendy again?"

He blushed and managed to untangle himself from his blanket as he stood. "Mabel!"

The brunette laughed before heading for the door. "Well, get dressed and come eat! Grunkle Stan is making Stancakes!"

His shoulders slumped the moment his sister disappeared from sight, hearing her footsteps head down the stairs to the kitchen. Hopefully this nightmare wasn't going to be a continual thing. Dipper didn't want to worry anyone, especially after getting back from the hospital yesterday.

The boy rubbed his bandaged cuts on his arm thoughtfully, biting his lip as he could have sworn he heard Bill's laughter again.

He's not here. You're fine.

Somehow this didn't reassure the preteen that the demon wouldn't be back.

I feel like I'm the meanest to Dipper when I write. Something is always going wrong for him. Oops.