Chapter 13

The next day Dipper was in the attic working on the laptop again. Bill watched as the screen suddenly read 'too many wrong passwords' and gave him one last chance to get it right before the hard drive was wiped. "No! Noonono! I'm gonna lose everything?! I only have one more try?!" he cried. The boy started freaking out, then suddenly collapsed on the floor again, and Bill disappeared.

For Dipper, the world suddenly turned black and white and Bill appeared. "Well, well, well. Someone's looking desperate." the snazzy demon chuckled. "I thought I told you to leave me alone." "I can help you, kid." Bill said, lighting his hand on fire. "You just need to hear out my demands." Dipper looked at the computer, which was at 4 minutes now. "Uh, what crazy thing do you want anyway? To eat my soul? To rip out my teeth? Are you gonna replace my eyes with baby heads or something?" he asked.

"Yeesh, kid, relax. All I want is a puppet!" "A puppet? What are you playing at?" he asked. "Everyone loves puppets. And it looks to me that you've got a surplus." "I don't know, man. Mabel worked really hard on these." "Seems to me one little puppet is a small price to pay to learn all the secrets of the universe." Bill said, voice echoing on the last word. "Besides, what's your sister done for you, lately? How many times have you sacrificed for her, huh? And when has she ever returned the favor?" He showed flash backs to scenes from Tourist Trapped, The Time Traveler's Pig and The Deep End.

Dipper looked at Mabel playing outside with her friends, and the computer, which now had 30 seconds on the clock. Bill made his eye look like a clock. "Tick tock, kid." He said, reaching a flaming blue hand. "Uh, just one puppet? Fine!" He shook his hand. "So what puppet are you gonna pick, anyway?"

Bill pretended to think about it for a moment. "Hmm, let's see. Eenie meenie mynie..." He mumbled. His voice suddenly got low and echoes. "YOU." He tears Dipper from his body. "Huh?!" he was now floating transparently. He put his hand through his stomach. "This can't be happening! What did you do to my body?!" he exclaimed. Mystine heard something going on upstairs.

Dippers' body slowly got up and started laughing hysterically. "Sorry, kid but you're MY puppet, now! AAHAHAHA!" He threw the computer to floor and stepped on it and laughed again. "No!" he yelled. Mystine transformed and slowly stalked upstairs. Bill stumbled around, giggling over his new body. He was so unused to legs now and kept tripping over his own feet. "Man, it has been so long since I've inhabited a body!" He cried, walking in front of a mirror to inspect himself. "And this time, I'm in control!" He started laughing again, as if it was the funniest thing ever.

Mystine crept up the stairs and watched curiously. Bill stopped laughing, slowly, and wiped a tear from his eyes. "Well, pinetree. See you la- oh wait! I guess I won't!" Bill walked over to the stairs, to find what wonders the house contained. The voice was going to be annoying, but that wouldn't stop him from messing stuff up as much as possible. "Dipper?" Mystine spoke up from behind him.

He froze for a second, then grinned at her. "Hey there, Mystine!" He greeted, as if nothing had happened. "Are you okay?" she wasn't necessarily glaring at him but it was close. He didn't seem to mind. "Yup!" He replied, making his way around her. She slightly tilted her head at him as Dipper continued to yell at Bill but she couldn't hear him.

Bill started to make his way down the stairs, but tripped on the first step sending himself tumbling down the stairs. The way he simply laughed his head off at the bottom suggested that it wasn't entirely on accident.

Mystine leapt down, landing on her feet beside him, concerned about him. Dipper flew through the floor trying to follow. Bill burst into another fit of laughter at her concern. She glared at him slightly and smacked him with her tail. His laughter stopped as he smacked her tail away. He got shakily to his feet and grinned at her. She huffed at him and trotted into the other room. Bill stumbled his way into the kitchen, running into the door frame a couple times. He felt like he should be getting something, going somewhere, but didn't know what it could be.

Dipper appeared behind him. "Hey! Pinetree!" he greeted, as if he was a friend. "Have you seen a certain... book?" He asked. He glared. "Why would I tell you?" "Hmmm... because I'm looking for one?" He glared. "I'm never going to tell you!" Mable popped in. "Hey Dipper! I borrowed your journal to use in the show! I'm going to leave before you can process this sentence! Bye!" She ran off. "Ooo, a journal! That sounds exciting!" Dipper groaned.

Bill practically skipped outside after Mabel, touching things and breaking others. He ended up by the car and started to get in. "I'll stop you Bill! You won't get away with this!" Dipper yelled. Mystine sat on the porch and watched. Bill grinned up at him, an insane look in his eyes. "Heh! Welcome to the mindscape, kid! Without a vessel to possess, you're basically a ghost!" he told him.

"So you better get used to it, cause you're not getting this one back." he opened the car door and got inside, where Wendy and Soos greeted him. He continued to grin at Dipper as they started the car. Mystine trotted up beside the ghostly Dipper and watched the others leave. Ghost Dipper looked down and noticed Mystine next to him. "Mystine..." he got an idea. He started writing in the ground.

She noticed and watched it. 'Help. Bill has my body -Dipper' Mystine's eyes widened as she transformed back and grabbed her journal. "We have to go then!" she said. Bill swung his feet slightly as they headed towards where they were holding the puppet show. He stared excitedly at the trees and things passing by. It had been so long since he had- well. He'd seen it through the shadows, but it wasn't the same! Mystine was running into town with Dipper flying beside her.

Bill had made it to wherever they were holding the show, and even offered to take part in said play, as a Reverend. How nice! He wondered if this book was like his own journal he had when he was... Not like this. It seemed to be by the same person, and maybe it even told you who that was! Mystine got to the theater and slowed down as she entered. Dipper continued to follow her.

Bill was sitting inside, in between Soos and Wendy. He joked around with them for a while, grinning widely when Mabel walks up. "Hey guys! You all made it!" she exclaimed happily. "Are you kidding me? I would never miss... whatever this is." Stan replied.

"By the by, Mabel, where'd you put my journal again?" Bill asked her. "I used it as a prop for the big wedding scene!" she said "I still need a reverend, though..." Bill's smile widened. "Hey, what if I play the reverend? I mean, someone's gotta hold that journal, right?" he offered. "Right! Let's go!" Mabel said, dragging him off to get him all gussied up. Mystine saw Mable run off with "Dipper". She came over and sat down with the others to talk to them for a minute. Dipper went on ahead to look.

The show soon started. The annoying music was almost as hard to bear as the bright colors. And he already had such a headache. He wanted to grab that journal and get out of here ASAP. He saw shooting star's large monster-like friend and came up to her. "So, hey, Grendo! Where's that book prop I'm using for the wedding scene?" "In the cake! But it doesn't come down till the wedding! So hold your horses!" she replied. "Oh, I'll hold my horses. I'll hold them... you monster." He whispered as he backed off.

Mystine wandered backstage without being seen. She looked around as the first act ended. "Intermission!" Grenda yelled out. Mabel walked to her dressing room, and started drinking from the water fountain. Mystine walked in after knocking and Dipper floated in behind her. "Hey Mable!" She called. "Mabel! Bill stole my body, you need to help me!" Dipper said, without being heard by either of them. He thought for a moment, and wondered aloud "What did Bill say? I can't be heard without a vessel? Where would I find a-" he stopped when he noticed a pile of puppets and grinned at it.

Dipper grabbed his puppet and slipped it on his hand. Mystine noticed and watched it. Mabel noticed Mystine walk in and greeted her with a smile. She took a drink from the water fountain and splashed some on her face. "Whew, okay, you can do this, Mabel." she mumbled to herself, under her breath. "Only 36 more musical numbers left." The Dipper puppet slowly rose, floating beside Mabel. "Psst, Mabel!" It whispered.

Mystine tried not to laugh. Mabel spit out her water and screamed. "It's come to life!" she cried. "The puppet books didn't warn me about this!" she threw a fork at him. "Mabel, it's me, Dipper! You need to help me!" he exclaimed. Mystine lied against the wall watching them. Mabel stopped, shocked. "Wait, what, Dipper?!" she cried.

"But you're... so much more of a sock than usual!" Dipper glared invisibly at her. "Mabel, you have to listen. Bill tricked me! He stole my body and now he's after the journal! You have to find the journal before Bill destroys it. It's the only hope to get me back in my body!" he explained. Mystine nodded in agreement. "I'll help too." "But my cue's coming up any minute!" Mabel protested.

There was a knock on the door and Gabe entered with a flower bouquet. "Hey, Mabel, do you have a moment?" He asked. Mabel grabbed the puppet floating beside her and tucked it behind her back, laughing nervously. "GABE!" She exclaimed. Dipper gasped as his arm was twisted. "Ow! Mable!" He cried.

Mystine stepped back somewhat. Gabe didn't seem to notice. "Mabel, it's clear to me now that you really love puppets. I mean, you went whole hog." He said "And if you stick the ending, well, maybe later you could join me for a biscotti?" "You drive a biscotti?" Mabel asked, excitedly.

The lights suddenly flick on and off. "I'll be waiting." He said as he left the room. Mabel turned to puppet Dipper and Mystine. "Did you hear that? He loves it! This play has to be flawless." She cried. "Can't we wait until after the show?" Mystine decided not to tell Mabel that a biscotti wasn't a car but in fact an Italian almond biscuit. "Mabel! You want me to be a sock puppet forever?!" Dipper exclaimed, flailing the puppets arms around.

Mystine hid a snicker. Mabel tried to hold back a laugh. "I'm sorry, it- it looks funny when you're mad." She said. Dipper grunted angrily at her. "Okay, okay, okay, just take over for me till I get back with the book." Mable said, snickering. "Mystie, can you help look? Little puppet face!" She added. Mystine snickered and nodded.