Previously:
The monster ripped up a huge pine tree, tossing it almost like a javelin into the path of the golf cart.
"WATCH OUT!" Minerva screamed as Gideon roughly turned on the wheel. The kids slammed into each other, their faces frozen in mid scream as they nearly slammed into the tree trunk.
I can assure there is a logical explanation for this all. Honestly. So let's take a step back and start at the beginning, shall we?
Gideon is sitting on the floor in his living room at home, his nose shoved into one of Sir Conan Arthur Doyle's Sherlock Holmes books. He's dressed in a black and teal hoodie with black shorts and an ugly olive colored baseball cap.
It began with my aunt and uncle pretty much deciding my cousin spent too much time inside with his books. So they thought of a pretty decent way to get Gideon outside of the house and somewhere with fresher air.
Gideon's father, Bud Pines, snagged the leather bound novel from his hands with a friendly grin. He started outside to the car as Mrs. Pines set two suitcases and a book bag packed for the summer beside Gideon, dabbing a thick coat of sunscreen on his nose. His mother then shuffles him out of the house and into the car, heading off for the two part trip to a town up north in 'rural' Oregon.
They sent him to stay with our Great Uncle Stanley Pines, or Grunkle Stan as we call the old man. So far, honestly, since my cousin arrived in the sleepy town of Reverse Falls, it hasn't really felt like the ghost town it usually feels like.
Minerva watched quietly as Gideon piled several books into a miniature bookcase with a raised eyebrow. She was eager to have her cousin staying with her and Grunkle Stan for the summer, which made her summer less boring by far.
"M-Minerva-" started Gideon shyly, looking over at the cousin he was just getting to meet.
"It's Minnie," the girl said as she bounced on a green and silver themed bed.
"W-well, Minnie," the boy started before he felt something munching on his hoodie. His blue eyes widened slightly when he turned around to see what was trying to eat his clothes, "W-why's there a goat...on m-my bed..?"
Minvera glanced away from Gideon and let her eyes land on the old goat in their attic room, "Oh, that's Grunkle Stan's goat Gompers. He won't hurt you, Gideon."
Gideon was a bit awkward when I introduced him to Pacifica at first. It made me wonder if he ever made friends with a girl before.
"HI, MINNIE!" Pacifica screamed cheerfully as she ran towards her grey haired friend. The 90s styled girl tripped over her own feet, a muffled shout- "I'M OKAY!"- heard by the cousins, before she jumped back up to reach the Pines.
"Yellow, Cif. Let me introduce Gideon-" Minerva was cut off my her spunky friend.
"He's sooo cute! Is he your boy-toy, gurl?" Gideon was left blushing, incomprehensible mess of denial.
"Nope. He's my cousin from the south," she grinned widely, "and he'll be here all summer long!"
"WOOH!"
Then again, at least he handled our Grunkle's weirdness better.
"Kid, wanna meet Mr. Nye?" An old man with graying hair question jovially. Gideon nodded slowly, not sure what to expect. When his Grunkle pulled out a hideously made sock puppet, he had that one look of constipated unamusement. The old man just laughed.
And that's Grunkle Stan. He had an idea one day to turn his shack in the middle of nowhere into a place he called 'The Mystery Shack'. Despite it being a half decent trap, the only real mystery is why people are stupid enough to even come sometimes.
Stan calmly lead a large group of tourists around the shack as he introduced various 'creatures' and 'mysterious' objects. He made the tour exciting for the flock of sheeple group of tourists, introducing a mummified mermaid at one point and passing by a rabbit with antlers.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I introduce to you the Sasocrotch!" The man pronounced as if he were unveiling a rare creature and not a Sasquatch in his old briefs.
Guess who works there for an allowance?
Minerva sat behind the cash register and watched as her cousin attempted to sweep the floor with an awkwardly sized broom. Both of them were bored, though the 12 year old girl could easily say she liked the laughs the tourists gave her.
Pacifica was also in the shop, slowly inching a finger towards a jar of eyeballs.
"Miss Southwest, leave the merchandise alone," came Grunkle Stan's call from afar. The man was far too used to the crazy girl's antics. The blonde sighed before turning her eyes towards a cute boy with brown hair.
"Another crush, Cif?"
"Noooo," the other girl drew out slowly, a blush darkening her cheeks.
"Sure, and I'm a pretty princess in love with triangles," the gray haired girl's sarcasm was obvious in that.
"Eh? You aren't, Minnie?"
"No. I'm not, and besides what about the last three crushes you've had this summer so far?"
Cue Flashbacks
*Random Tourist*
"Yo! I'm Pacifica, cuteh, but you can call me the queen of your fantasies," Pacifica flirted awkwardly, eyes fluttering at the tan brunette. A moment later, she smacked his shoulder a bit too hard and made him slam into a stack of sunglasses. "Just kidding, cuteh! Hehehehe!"
*Male Employee*
"Welcome to the Carpet Kingdom! Come one and all for savings!" An older male adult dressed as a jester called outside of a carpet store. From beside him the balloons parted to reveal the blonde staring at him intently.
"...Take me with you," she whispered, making him shriek in surprise. In the background, Minerva slammed her palm into her face.
*Dog Boy*
A young boy is walking a small dog, a dazed look on his face. A moment later Pacifica popped out of later and appeared beside him, grinning cheerfully at him like that weird girl that flirts with every cute boy she sees.
"Oh my gosh, you like dogs? I like dogs!" She starts gestured between them awkwardly, her braces glinting in the light. "Like, what is going on here?"
End Flashbacks
"Shhh, how do you know my dream hunk won't be the next to walk through the door?" She pouted at her friend.
Almost with TV show timing, Gideon was the one to walk through the door. He blinked and looked up at the girls, one of whom was blushing darkly and the other of whom was attempting to muffle her laughter. Honestly, that was just priceless.
"Wh-what's so funny?" That made Minerva laugh a bit harder as she doubled over.
"N-nothing, G-Gids!"
Grunkle Stan came towards the trio and grinned, "So, kids, want to help Grunkle Stan with something important?"
"No thanks, Grunkle." Minnie.
"Nope, sir!" Pacifica.
"S-sure, I guess." Gideon.
"Thanks, Gideon! I need you," he started cheerfully as he shoved a bunch of signs and couple of tools into the white haired boy's arms, "to go hang these in the spooky area of the woods. And be back before curfew!"