"Kids."

"Yes?"

We were deep in the heart of the forest. We had managed to outrun the Echo, and for the moment, there was no immediate danger. But I felt the need to address something important.

"Don't... venture into these woods... without permission from an adult. No, without my permission. I can't trust your grunkle."

"Okay..."

"Okay..."

Mabel and Dipper responded in unison. I nodded at them, although my usual smile was absent. Kids... they could be so difficult to manage. How old were they, anyway? Eleven? Twelve? I had already been quite independent at their age.

As I led them out of the forest, a warm, wet sensation near my chest reminded me of the ordeal we had just survived. I let out a low groan but kept moving. Fortunately, my clothing was mostly black, so the bloodstains didn't show too prominently.

By the time we reached the Mystery Shack, the sun was beginning its descent below the horizon. I shoved the kids to go.

"Ray, are you not coming?" Mabel asked, with a worrying look. Yeah, I was basically groaning every step I walked, so the kids seemed to see something was not right.

"No. I already worked pass my working hours...and I have to rest. Tell that I headed home. Would you?" I said, painfully smiling. the kids nodded...I guessed they didn't really want to have anymore conflicts with me...ah, please tell wendy, if she hadn't left...she can go home now."

"Okay...um, Ray? We're sorry for today.."

"...It's fine, kids. go home."

I was too tired to say anything anyways. I also had so much things to think about right now, so I had no space in mind to talk with them.

I made my way home, ignoring the distant voice of my sister Candy. She was probably saying something unimportant. All I could think of was reaching my room and putting today behind me. Dinner could wait. I quickly disinfected my wounds and covered it up with bandages.

Inside my room, I lay on my bed and began to contemplate the events of the day. First and foremost was my regression. I had died at the hands of the Echo, yet here I was, back at a certain point in time. It was like respawning in a video game.

As I lay on my bed, the vivid memory of my recent death still fresh in my mind, I couldn't help but think about the bizarre nature of my situation.

Reviving after dying was an experience that transcended anything I had ever known. I could feel the excruciating pain of my death, every moment of terror, every sharp pang. It was etched into my memory like a nightmarish tattoo.

But here I was, alive and breathing, pondering the events that had transpired. Perhaps, I thought, this was the key to surviving the likes of Bill Cipher. A chance to learn from my mistakes, to outwit that malevolent force. The idea held a glimmer of hope in its own twisted way.

However, that hope was tempered by the creeping despair that settled in the pit of my stomach. The idea of dying repeatedly, feeling that agony over and over again, was a torment I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.

So, I wondered, what allowed me to reset the clock, to respawn in this twisted game of life and death? What was the trigger, the mechanism behind this bizarre phenomenon?

Closing my eyes, I delved deep into my own mind, focusing on that enigmatic presence known as Memento Mori. It pulsed and throbbed like a living entity within my consciousness.

I stared at the number on the lid of my Memento Mori, which had now changed to 02. It was an unsettling reminder of the times I had died and come back.

My curiosity got the better of me, and I examined the watch closely, hoping to find some clue or mechanism that would explain its role in all of this. However, no matter how I turned it, pushed its buttons, or twisted its dials, it remained as enigmatic as ever. There were no visible controls, no instructions, nothing to indicate its purpose or how it functioned.

Frustration welled up inside me as I realized that, for now, this strange timepiece held its secrets close, leaving me with more questions than answers.

"...Curse you, Memento Mori...Wait, why are you even written in Latin? Like, I thought this was some extra-dimensional thing..."

I muttered as I opened my eyes. Anyways, the next episode...I wish it's far away, but...I feel that it will come really, really soon.

Much to my surprise, things at the Mystery Shack didn't turn into complete chaos, well, except for Dipper, Mabel, and Stan landing themselves in hot water for trying to pass off counterfeit bills.

"Ray! You've gotta help me out here! They're harassing this old man!" Stan's voice echoed through the jail cell.

I shot Stan a withering glare, genuine frustration and anger swirling in my eyes. Meanwhile, the twins were huddled together in the corner, visibly shaken by the whole ordeal. I tossed them my hoodie, the one I'd worn to get here. What had possessed this old man to involve his grandniece and grandnephew in all of this?

"I thought I was making enough money for you. Did you really have to resort to this? I mean, fake currency?"

Stan let out an exasperated sigh. "Sometimes, a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do. Now get us out of here!"

I rubbed my temples, recalling the two hours I'd spent negotiating with the police to secure their release. "You really need to stop pulling stunts like this."

Stan chuckled. "I will... if I ever get caught again. Alright, kids, let's get out of here!"

The car ride back to the Mystery Shack was far from pleasant. I was seething in my seat, my frustration palpable.

"Stan, seriously? Out of all the things we could've done today, you chose to forge money with the kids? I thought this was supposed to be the Pines family bonding day."

Dipper and Mabel nodded vehemently from the backseat, their faces still flushed with a mixture of embarrassment and fear.

Stan, on the other hand, seemed unfazed. He just chuckled and kept his eyes on the road. "Ah, come on, Ray, it's all in good fun. Besides, kids learn from experience, right?"

I sighed, shaking my head. "Experience, huh? More like they're learning how to be criminals."

Mabel chimed in, "Yeah, Ray's right. The jail was way too cold..."

Dipper added, "We thought today was going to be some kind of educational adventure!"

Stan finally tore his gaze away from the road to look at me. "So, Ray, while I was bonding with the kids in jail, who'd you leave in charge of the shack?"

I mumbled my response begrudgingly.

"Wendy."

"Wendy?" Stan raised an eyebrow. "That girl can be downright lazy, you know? You need someone more responsible running the place."

I frowned, my thoughts echoing my sentiments. "Wendy's not the most diligent worker, that's for sure, but she's still better than having a boss who casually ends up in jail!"

Stan just shrugged and turned up the radio, clearly uninterested in further discussion.

By the time we arrived back at the Mystery Shack, it was already past closing time, and there was no sign of anyone, including Wendy. I couldn't help but notice the snacks she'd left on the counter. I had just cleaned that area yesterday.

"Well, good work today, Ray... Work harder tomorrow."

I shot him another unsatisfied look, and Stan groaned in response.

"Oh, come on! Hey, kid! How about this? I'll take you with us on the next Family Bonding Day... but don't tell the kids, it's a secret... to the lake!"

"To the lake? With the kids? Why?"

"We're going fishing, of course!"

I had a sinking feeling about this. It sounded like a rerun of the second episode. Fishing at the lake? I could already see the Loch Ness Monster chasing after the kids.

But I couldn't just sit idly by and let that happen.

"Fine. Just let me know when."

Here I was, at Gravity Falls Lake, sweltering under the merciless sun, yearning for the cool shade of the Mystery Shack. I wasn't built for this kind of heat.

"Okay, okay, open 'em up!" Stan's voice pulled me from my thoughts as he removed the blindfolds from the twins. They blinked at the sparkling lake, then cast me sympathetic glances, and I silently pleaded with them, 'Don't even start.'

I really didn't want their pity.

Or did I?

"TA-DA! It's fishing season!"

"Fishing?" Mabel said, her brow furrowing in confusion.

"What're you playin' at, old man?" Dipper's voice was laced with suspicion.

"You're going to love it! The whole town's out here!" Stan chimed in, and he wasn't exaggerating; the area was teeming with townsfolk. I thought I even spotted Soos among them.

But my focus wasn't on the other townsfolk; it was on Dipper's journal. The last time I faced the Echo, my plan had faltered. Staying completely silent had prevented the Echo from attacking me, but one word had triggered its mimicry, forcing a hasty retreat with the kids, nearly getting us caught.

Yet, the journal had held the solution. It provided the Echo's weakness, and once we followed its advice, the Echo ceased to be a threat, at least for my survival. It underscored the importance of those journals, probably why Ford had entrusted me with finding them.

But there was a hitch. I couldn't always be with Dipper and Mabel. They'd inevitably embark on their adventures and would need the journal to navigate Gravity Falls' weirdness. Another problem was, Dipper wouldn't simply hand it over.

"It's just gonna be you, me, and these goofy hats on a boat for ten hours!" Stan's voice brought me back to the present. The kids were looking at Stan with suspicion, each sporting a hat with their names sloppily stitched onto them.

Ten hours? This was not what I'd signed up for.

"Is Ray coming with us too?" Mabel inquired.

"Well, I promised to take him along when he bailed us out of the county jail, so yeah!"

Dipper and Mabel glanced at me, their eyes full of pity once again. Okay, maybe I did need it this time.

"Ten hours? Seriously, Mr. Pines?"

"I brought the Joke book!" Stan proclaimed, holding up his 1001 Yuk 'Em Ups.

"No! NOOOO!" Dipper's wails of despair were echoing through the visible future.

The plan hadn't changed. I could endure it. I had my "L'etranger" with me, so I could pass the time reading it. Camus could help me...

"There has to be a way out of this..."

"Quiet, Mabel. You kids got into trouble before when you just ventured out into the forest. I'm not going to let it happen again. You're not going anywhere without adult supervision."

Mabel and Dipper wore disappointed expressions, but I couldn't back down. They'd come close to death before, and given my inexplicable pattern of revival, their safety was paramount. If they perished here, it could mean I'd have to endure the excruciating process of ending my own life (which was painful enough), then grapple with the Echo once more (which was even more agonizing), and finally face the predicament of the day.

That was just too much to contemplate.

"I've seen it! I've seen IT!"

The sudden exclamation came from a bizarre old man. Wait a second, I remembered him from this Ray's world... He's Old Man... McDonalds?

Clad in a strange brown hat and tattered clothing, the man didn't exactly exude a sense of safety. Merely gazing upon him set off warning bells in my instincts.

"I've seen it again! The Gravity Falls Gobblewonker! Come quick before it scrabdoodles away! Eh, eh, Ha Ha Hoo!"

Gobblewonker? What on earth was a gobblewonker? And why was he suddenly breaking into a dance?

"Awww... he's doing a happy jig!"

"Nooo! It's a jig of grave danger!"

"Whoa, Mister...Stay back, please."

I swiftly intervened, making sure Mabel was protected from the overly enthusiastic man who was encroaching on her personal space. Gobblewonker? Grave danger? My instincts, which were usually reliable for detecting deception, were thrown for a loop. The old man's erratic behavior made it impossible to get a read on him.

In that moment, a younger man, who bore a striking resemblance to the older one, rushed over and sprayed the eccentric fellow with a water bottle.

"Hey! Hey! What did I tell you about scaring my customers! This is your last warning, Dad!"

Ah, so that's the connection.

"But I've got proof this time! By gummity!"

A crowd started gathering around the old man, who began herding everyone toward the dock, kids included. Dipper appeared disproportionately intrigued for some reason.

"BEHOLD! It's the Gobble-dy-wonker what done it! It had a long neck like a giraffe! And wrinkly skin like... like this gentleman here!" The old man pointed at Stan, who merely picked at his ear as if not paying much attention.

But the boat... it was in a dire state, seriously damaged. Strangely, there were no bite marks, nothing to suggest an animal attack. It looked more like it had been deliberately broken. What was going on?

"It chewed my boat up to smithereens and shimmied over to Scuttlebutt Island! You GOTTA BELIEVE ME!"

The sheriff, observing the spectacle, burst into laughter.

"Attention all units! We've got ourselves a crazy old man!"

"Ha! HaHaHa!"

Laughter filled the air, but Dipper and Mabel didn't join in. They remained focused on the boat and the old man.

That pocket watch inside my mind ticked.

-Tick!

My heartbeat and the ticking were synchronized, making it hard to breathe.

-Thump.

Something was amiss. I mean, aside from the peculiar situation, there was that smell... a fishy stench that seemed to linger in the air. I couldn't quite place it.

"Ray! Wake up, kid! Let's untie this boat and get out on that lake!"

I roused myself from my thoughts. "...Ah, sure, Mr. Pines. Sure."

I walked over to the dock and began untying the boat. The fishy smell had dissipated, but it left me with a sense of unease. What was it? Fish were common in these parts, but that stench had been particularly foul.

"...About the monster... If we can snap a photo of it, we can split the prize fifty-fifty..."

"That's two fifties!"

"Imagine what you can do with five. Hundred. Dollars!"

I overheard the twins discussing something that involved money, prizes, and photos. I silently approached them, my curiosity piqued.

"Dipper, I'm a million percent on board with this!"

"Grunkle Stan! Change of plans, we're taking that boat to Scuttlebutt Island, and we're going to find that gobblewonker!"

"No, you don't!"

I grabbed the twins' ears, my face contorted with a frown. It might have seemed overprotective, but I couldn't risk my life by indulging their reckless enthusiasm.

"Aww, Ray! Come on! Monster hunt! We saw it on the news; if we take a picture of a monster, we can win a prize! And with that prize, I can buy that human-sized hamster ball!" Mabel pleaded with wide, hopeful eyes.

I couldn't believe it. "Mabel, don't you remember that you, your brother, and I almost got eaten alive by a supernatural cryptid in the forest? What are you thinking, going on what seems like a suicide mission?"

Mabel and Dipper seemed to be settling down, the allure of a $500 prize perhaps not as enticing as they first thought.

"Besides, 500 dollars, you say? That's nothing. Literally, nothing. What do you think you can do with it? Buy some pancakes? A human-sized hamster ball? You guys should know that it isn't enough to even buy a car... a very small one, too!"

"But all I need is a human-sized hamster ball!"

Mabel's response was childishly resolute. Dipper, on the other hand, appeared more subdued and agreeable, though I could see he was ready to make a break for it at the first opportunity. I just hoped that chance wouldn't come.

Then, Soos arrived at the dock with his boat, a substantial and significantly better vessel compared to Stan's.

"Wassup, Hambone!"

"Soos! We're about to go on a monster hunt!" Mabel announced with unwavering enthusiasm. Their obsession with this hunt was baffling.

"No, we're not! I said, you guys will..."

"Oh, really? Dude, you could totally use my boat for your hunt. It's got a steering wheel, chairs, normal boat stuff."

"Yay!"

The kids erupted with excitement, and it became evident that despite my attempts, I had failed. The kids were going on a monster hunt, putting their lives at risk. If they perished, I would have to reset the day by ending my own life, rectify all the issues, and face this ordeal again. I couldn't go through that.

"No, Soos! Don't!"

"Oh, hi Ray! Dude, you wanna come with us?"

"No, but the kids..."

"I'll take care of them! Let's go, dudes!"

In the blink of an eye, the kids and Soos hopped onto the boat and sailed away. There was nothing more I could do now except hope they would be safe and that I wouldn't have to relive this day all over again.

I gazed at Stan, who was perched on his small, weathered boat with "Stan-o-War" written on it. Determination welled up inside me as I approached him.

"Stan," I began, "I think I should go with you."

Stan raised an eyebrow. "Well, welcome aboard the Stan-o-War, Ray! We don't need those kids slowing us down on this adventure."

But I wasn't having it. I shook my head and replied firmly, "No, Stan. We need to chase after the kids."

Stan looked puzzled. "Why in the heck would we do that?"

"It's our responsibility as adults to look after them," I explained. "We need to ensure they're safe from a distance."

Stan tried to protest, "Aw, come on, Ray. They're fine. They've got Soos with them. He's practically an adult, right?"

I leaned in closer to Stan, my voice low and serious. "Stan, if you don't help me track down those kids, I might have to tell them that you're not Stanford."

Stan's eyes widened, and he swallowed hard. It seemed my point had hit home.

"...You don't.."

"I won't if you just listen for me this once. Okay?"

Stan just grunted, but I just took that as an agreement. I revved up the engine of the boat, and followed soos's boat.

...The fishy smell of the water was just getting stronger and stronger.