"...118. Wow. Just wow."
I chuckled weakly as I stared at the count of my deaths. 113 times... I had died, 113 times because of that cursed Amulet. It had driven me to madness, causing me to attack even a kid, even if it was Gideon, and threatening Mabel and Dipper.
... Thank goodness that I can't remember much of what happened when I lost control. Under the influence of the curse, it felt like I was trapped in a constant state of sleep paralysis. So, like a fleeting dream from one summer's day, the whole ordeal faded away without causing any lasting mental trauma.
How ironic. The most 'mentally' assaulting experience turned out to be the least psychologically scarring.
...But what on earth was I thinking? This Amulet, while undoubtedly powerful, was far from enough to survive the impending Weirdmagedon. Furthermore, it remained an anomaly, and I had a nagging suspicion that Bill Cipher could easily manipulate it.
So, let me reflect. Why is my life stuck on hard mode?
Is it simply due to my random appearance in this show? Or is someone out there desperately trying to put an end to me?
The answer to this question, though still just a hypothesis, could be Bill. I wondered if Bill had somehow become aware of me. I wasn't certain if he knew about my time-travel escapade, but...
I think I'm starting to grasp the motive. I believe Bill, or whomever is trying to take me down, is doing so relentlessly...
During this curse ordeal, it dawned on me. This curse is the kind that guarantees a person's demise. Like, 100%. Certainly not something originally found in a Disney show, suitable for my younger sister to watch.
For anyone struck by this curse, without my unique ability to turn back time, they would likely succumb to the disease-like symptoms it inflicts or the extreme misfortune it brings.
This sets this anomaly apart from the others I've faced. With the other anomalies, I had at least a fighting chance. Though slim, there was a logical possibility of survival. But this curse is different. Why? Why was this time so different? And then, I pondered... this.
Whoever is orchestrating this chess game on the other side has caught onto my ability. To test it, they've staged this situation. A scenario where I'd have no hope of surviving as an ordinary person.
Yes, they've set the stage. Just as Candy suggested, the Demon King is sending me its minions to eliminate me. This is the primary pattern of the game, and the Demon King has now discovered that I, the player, can respawn.
Tick!
So, what will be the next move? With these two children to protect, will they come after them? And in what form will the minions appear? I know they are based on horror stories or urban legends, but the possibilities are numerous. From psychological terrors to physical threats and even spiritual hauntings...
And... what are the limits of this enemy's abilities? I think there's a cooldown because if there weren't, I'd be overwhelmed by the 'minions' it sends my way... But how about their strength? What's the extent of their power? Are conspiracy stories counted as horror stories?... And, I really didn't want to think this way, but... can it affect religions? Myths?
And why was the curse so much stronger than any of the other anomalies I've faced? What is it based on? Does it depend on the strength or fame of the story? Curses are indeed famous worldwide... so what about even more renowned tales?
Lastly, what is my ability? How is this checkpoint thing chosen? Is it all random, or is there a pattern? And... considering I've been affected by the curse and went insane, and the regression didn't return me to my usual self, is it weaker against mental curses? Or... if the checkpoint is before the time I was mentally attacked, would my mind be restored? I have...
"Ray! Soos! Wendy!"
Stan's voice broke my thoughts, and the three of us turned to look at him. He was at the door, squinting at us.
"Yes, sir?"
"What's up, Mr. Pines?"
"I'm headin' out. You three are gonna wash the bathrooms, right?"
Cleaning the bathroom? That wasn't my job. Soos usually handled the cleaning, except for the counter. Ah, and Wendy was also on cleaning duty, from what I remembered.
"Yes, sir!"
"Absolutely not!"
"I'll just take the counter like usual." Soos, Wendy, and I said in order.
"Haha! You stay out of trouble!"
As Stan left, Wendy smiled and moved to the curtain installed inside the shack.
"Hey, guys! What's this? A secret ladder to the roof?"
Wendy opened the curtain and revealed a ladder inside. Hey, I knew that. That's the ladder Wendy climbed every day to get away from work. I also recalled using it during the fight with that wax shoggoth... though it technically became something that never happened.
"Uh, I don't think Mr. Pines would like that," Soos said with worry evident in his words. I definitely agreed, especially when there were young kids looking at the ladder with glimmering eyes like that.
"Can we actually go up there?" Dipper asked Wendy.
"Sure, we can! Rooftime! Rooftime!"
"Rooftime! Rooftime!"
"Ray, dude. You should also come up here. You look stressed out." Wendy said.
I considered the kids, their expectant eyes locked onto me, and Wendy's smile. How I envied their blissful ignorance; I was likely the sole worrier here, dreading the possibility of meeting my demise.
"...Sure, why not? Besides, someone has to ensure the kids don't fall off the roof."
"We're not kids, Ray," Dipper mumbled, protesting. I tuned him out and began climbing the ladder.
The same items from my battle with the wax monster greeted me on the roof: the icebox we'd used to discover the monster's weakness, a parasol, a sunbed, and a bucket of pinecones - the perfect setup for a lazy teenage worker.
"Whoa!" The kids were clearly impressed.
"Yeah, I'm impressed too," I said, my arms crossed. If only Wendy put this much effort into her work, we'd have the cleanest place in town.
"Cool! Did you put all this stuff up here?"
"I may or may not sneak up here during work all the time, every day."
"...So this is where you hide when I ask you for some extra help, huh?" I quipped, hinting at my dissatisfaction.
"Heh, yeah," Wendy mumbled, skirting around my question and laughing nervously.
"Dudes, check this out!"
Wendy threw a pinecone at a totem pole target. To my surprise, she hit it from a considerable distance. Clearly, she was a pro at this.
"Yes!"
"Cool!"
"Me first!"
The kids eagerly grabbed the bucket of pinecones and began launching them at the target. I leaned back, arms still crossed, and watched the spectacle.
The issue was that the kids weren't particularly strong. It was understandable, as they were still young and likely hadn't engaged in much physical activity back in Pied
mont. One of Dipper's pinecones even landed on a car, setting off its alarm. Dipper blushed deeply.
"Jackpot! High five!" Wendy celebrated, holding her hands up. After about three seconds of apparent confusion, Dipper managed to high-five her.
That moment, the distant sound of a car engine reached my ears. A blue minivan came into view. I couldn't quite identify the brand, as many things had changed in this world. I wasn't much of a car enthusiast anyway.
However, there was no mistaking that van; it belonged to Wendy's friend, Thompson. I didn't know him well personally, but I'd seen him around school. He wasn't much of a dedicated student, more like someone always searching for a group.
"Oh, hey, it's my friends!" Wendy shouted, and her face lit up.
"Wendy!"
Thompson's voice echoed from the car. Wendy looked at the kids and rolled her eyes.
"You guys aren't going to tell Stan about this, are you?"
Dipper tried to signal his agreement by mimicking zipping his lips shut. I looked at Wendy for a final time before she made her choice. If she chose to go hang out with her friends, I'd be stuck with bathroom duty. Wendy seemed to sense my internal conflict and looked apologetic.
"...Uh... Aha! Ray, why don't you join us too? It'll be fun, you know."
Wendy was acting a lot more out of character than usual. I just sighed and gestured that I wouldn't report her to Stan.
"Go on, Wendy. I won't tell Stan."
"Dude, I'm really sorry. I'll make it up to you one day, okay?"
"Sure, no worries. Enjoy your time," I replied with a fake smile.
Wendy seemed apologetic up to the last moment, and then she smoothly descended from the tree and slid down. Dipper and Mabel watched in awe.
"Later... um, guys!" She shouted as she drove away.
"See you later, Wendy! Heh, heh, heh... Good times," Dipper said. His behavior was exceptionally strange today. Although he was usually a bit awkward around Wendy, today he was even more dramatic than usual. Mabel found something amusing in all this and couldn't stop laughing.
"What's so funny, Mabel?"
"Ah, nothing. Hey, Dipper! Why don't you ask that question you had for Ray?"
"Mabel!" Dipper sounded frustrated, as if he'd been caught with a secret he wanted to keep hidden.
Hmm? A question? To me?
"What is it, buddy? Ask me anything. Is it about the Laplace transform? Pathwise connected space?"
"Uh, no. It's just... do you like... 'like' Wendy? Like 'like' like?"
Why was he asking me this? What kind of strange question was that?
"Wendy's a coworker, Dipper. We're good friends, but we're not in any kind of romantic relationship."
"So you don't like...?"
"No, I don't. She's a good friend, but I don't think it's love."
"Oh! Okay, thanks for answering."
Mabel continued chuckling during this peculiar conversation, while Dipper sighed, seemingly relieved. Wait, could it be that this 12-year-old...
"Hold on..."
"Um, gotta go! Bye!"
Dipper suddenly bolted from the roof and made his way down the ladder, leaving Mabel and me in bewildered silence.
Is he...
"Yup, you've got it!"
"Trying to act more mature than his age? Must be early puberty."
"Wait, what? Dipper wasn't trying to act older; he..."
"Asking people about love is an age-old thing, Mabel. Definitely not appropriate for his age."
"No, it's not! It's..."
"He'll need my guidance. Mabel, you help him out. He's probably going through a tough time... though I wouldn't know what it's like to experience early puberty."
Poor Dipper, showing an interest in love at such an early age... I must help him.
"...Mabel, why are you sighing?"
"You... don't know love, Ray."
"What? No, I..."
"You don't."