Waddles the pig had not seen such excitement in his residence in a long, long time. He had not heard such ruckus and commotion since his return to the building in the woods. He had, however, seen Mabel and Dipper run about in costumes previously in the middle of summer. That wasn't too odd for the pig to cope with.
Waddles snorted as he stepped about outside, passing around Stan as he fixed one of his last decorations to the Mystery Manor.
"There," the old man said to himself as he stood up, brushing his hands off once another, "Another night of thrills, chills, and spills. Of candy! Or blood. Hah!" he turned to the pig below him, "You excited too?"
Waddles oinked.
"Exactly," Stan grinned as he examined the total decorations of the outdoors.
Standing back and looking around the building, Grunkle Stan marveled in his handiwork. Without Soos for half the day, as the handyman had engagements to take care of, Stan himself had climbed all over the building with wire, hammer, nails, and rows of lights. Now the entire building streamed of red, green, black and orange. Several melons had been cut and carved already, and even more faux spider web had been utilized than the year before. The families staying by had already expressed their amazement at Stan, who let all the pride soak in. As the dying sunlight caressed the tops of the trees and orange sky slowly became blue, Stan grinned. He still had it.
Ahead of him, Stan spotted the gift shop door pop open, and out quickly rushed a figure in brown robes. Mabel spun from her sprint, and called at the building, "Come on you slow pokes! The force may not be impatient, but I want to go to this party! Hurry up!"
"Calm down Mabel," Dipper called, who followed his sister in darker robes and had slicked his hair back. "The party just started; we're not missing much."
"Except for the start," she whined, "That one part of the party which everyone gets the vibe for the rest of the evening! Super important, dorkus-maximus!"
Grunkle Stan cackled. "Calling her brother a dork while going to a Summerween party wearing a bathrobe? Classic," Grunkle Stan noted as he approached them, Waddles in tow. As Mabel turned around, Stan did a double take; Mabel had a whole lot of facial hair. All of it was well groomed, light brown facial hair. Stan stared at her, asking "Robe and a beard? Who's the dork now?"
Mabel giggled, "More like 'who's the dude'? And shush heretic," Mabel spun and stuck her tongue out at him. "You're not even in a costume! How dare you speak to me like that? To your superior!"
"Yeah, what gives, Grunkle Stan?" Dipper asked as he stepped next to his sister, giving Grunkle Stan a very clear sight to a drawn scar across his right eye.
"I'm upping the game around here," Grunkle Stan told them as he leaned in, "this year's fright level is going to a new high!"
Dipper, a grin forming, asked, "So... you're not wearing a costume at all?"
"I mean, just having him show off his back would scare most people," Mabel snickered as she and Dipper laughed.
Stan glared at them. "Right. No, I need something undefined and adaptable. So, I have a modular costume!" he told them, holding out his suit out as he wove his arms into the air, "Press one small button here or there, and something horrifying happens! That way I don't waste my best scares on brats constantly."
"Sounds like you, Stanley," Arline's voice called from the wrap around porch. The three turned and spotted her as she leaned on one of the supports for the weather roof. "Cheap until you get your kick out of it."
"Out to steal my thunder again," Stan retorted. Arline merely rolled her eyes. "What do you want?" he asked her.
"Just seeing the twins," she told him with a sigh, "Because if I'm not mistaken, I'm looking at two jedi."
"Hah!" Dipper clapped his hands together and pointed at Mabel.
"Yeah, yeah, you were right. Fine, Space-trio wasn't a bad idea," Mabel rolled her eyes.
"I take it there's a story to this?" Arline asked as she landed next to waddles, bent down and scratched at his ears.
"Well, Dipper and I were exchanging ideas for a while now," Mabel admitted, "And only today did we realize that we should try finding something that could work with three people, instead of two. You know, since Yuki is coming with us," Mabel pointed out.
"So, Mabel wanted to do zombified foods," Dipper said, "Which isn't such a bad idea, but Yuki got really confused on the premise."
Arline eyed the twins. "But he understands... Jedi?"
"Yeah, I'm a little lost there too," Grunkle Stan admitted as Arline stood back up.
"See for yourself," Dipper turned with Mabel in unison as they pointed to the gift shop door. The master martial artist and the master of fright both looked. There, standing in the doorway, was an astronaut.
"Yuki's costume is... Yuki's only actual clothes?" Stan asked.
"That's Yuki's clothes?" Arline gasped.
"What is left of it," Yuki commented, quietly stepping out and towards them in small, timid steps, "The original visor was cracked. I had to remove it for safety, but the rest is entirely uncompromised. As it turns out, Dipper and Mabel believe that the quality of this suit and the fabrication of a story will provide ample 'room to breathe' while I attend this party with them."
"I'll say," Arline nodded, reaching over and touching some of the suit material, "This is super cool! I'm touching alien gear! Suck on that, conspiracy theorists."
"Well, if he's going in his street clothes, why aren't you two going old school sci-fi stuff?" Grunkle Stan asked, "Skin tight latex, fish-bowel helmets, crazy clothes and... yeah. That stuff?"
"Because that's expensive," Dipper easily explained, "and this still works. Jedi, while not alien looking, aren't from our galaxy. That's pretty sci-fi."
"So," Arline grinned, pointing to Dipper, "We've got Anakin Skywalker and," Arline smirked as she started laughing at Mabel, "Obi-Wan Kenobi, do we?"
"Yeah!" Mabel leapt into the air.
"Wait, wait, wait," Stan lifted his hand, "That's not what either of them look like!"
Dipper raised an eyebrow at Stan. "What are you talking about?"
"Well for starters, Obi-Wan Kenobi is my age," Stan declared, "And Anakin Skywalker is Darth Vader! No one knows what he looked like as a young jedi-"
"What?" Dipper gasped.
"Grunkle Stan," Mabel interrupted him, "You do know that there are movies that were made after the first three, right?"
Stan blinked. "Huh?"
"And that those movies," Dipper continued, "Were prequels?"
Grunkle Stan's face went blank. He had a distant stare that could cross lightyears. The other five around him watched as his eyes stared deeply into the distance between him and his building. Somewhere, deep inside Stanley Pines brain, his entire world, nay existence, had been shaken to its core.
Grunkle Stan muttered, "Other… movies…"
Yuki inquired, ignoring Stan's mental blockage, "And what about you, Miss Hirsh? What costume shall you be donning?"
She shrugged. "Well, I wouldn't want to use my costume until entirely necessary. It's pretty crazy," she added.
Stan barked once at her, pointing at her face. "So that little quip about me not using a 'real costume' was just cover for you so that you wouldn't have to explain it first," He called her out, and Arline sighed.
"Hardly. I mean, whatever you've got planned probably isn't nearly as good as mine," she admitted.
Stan's mouth dropped, and he laughed slowly. "Ohh, hoho, You– You want me to do this, huh?"
"Sorry? Do what?" Arline asked, fluttering her eyelashes as she turned back to him.
"Alright, you punk-wannabe," Grunkle Stan sized her up as he fully faced her, "Let's make a real bargain out of this one."
"Ohh, can't pass on that one, now can I?" Arline asked him. "So, what's on the table?"
"Answers," Grunkle Stan demanded, "I scare more people than you, in any way I can manage, and you tell why you're really here."
"Grunkle Stan, not this again," Mabel groaned.
"I don't care if you trust her Mabel," Stan called to her, and his glare tightened on Arline, "I've got a feeling she isn't telling us everything."
Arline remained unchanged her posture as she listened to him. "Fine, I'll tell you whatever," she promised, "But if I win, you explain yourself to me. I know for a fact that you've got something else going on in your head. You use it to reason the way you treat me," she rounded on him, "So, if I win, you tell me the truth."
"Hah! Aside from your stupid face?" Stan barked, "Sure, whatever."
"Deal," Arline extended her hand.
"Deal," Grunkle Stan shook it, and the two stood before one another, slowly shaking their hands as they locked gazes.
Dipper added, with a look to Mabel, "And on that note, I think we need to be going."
"Yeah. May the force be with you, nerds," Mabel bowed as she, Dipper, and Yuki stepped away. Waddles made to follow, and Mabel bent down and smiled. "Aww, sorry buddy. You know at parties' people could step on you," she told him. Waddles snorted, and sat down. "There you go. Do me a favor though, okay?" she asked the pig, who tilted his head to the side. "Watch those two and make sure they don't go crazy trying to out-do one another, right?" Mabel asked. Waddles bent forward and bopped his nose against her cheek. "Dawww, you adorable pink spotted squishy love-ball!" She said, giving the pig a quick, crushing squeeze.
Finally, she let the pig down and ran into the passenger seat aside Dipper. Yuki had removed his helmet in the back, else he would have completely blocked Dipper's rear mirror. The car started, and Dipper was about to reverse when a knock came from his window. He lowered it, finding Grunkle Stan staring at him.
"What?" Dipper asked.
Stan asked, "Let's say gnomes invade the manor tonight; should I extend the call to the Northwests to get you down here?"
Dipper rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Just call my cell phone. Besides, the party isn't at the Northwest Mansion this year. Or their Yacht. Or their- forget it. It's at Zander Maximillion's place."
"You're having a party at the old Gleeful home?" Stan asked him.
"He did a whole lot of renovating on it," Mabel added, "It looks wonderful now."
"Heh. Whatever. Just keep your phone on you in case something happens, will ya?" Stan told him. Dipper nodded, and finally reversed the car, leaving Grunkle Stan, Waddles the Pig, and a retreating Arline behind.
"I must thank you two again," Yuki quietly mentioned as they left the gravely driveway and entered the main road. "Without your guidance, I may have been lost to assumption and older clauses of the holiday."
"No need to thank us, Yuki," Mabel told him, craning back as she played with her moustache, "After all, the ways of the force speak of benevolence and kindness. It was only our duty to help you."
"Great. She's getting into character," Dipper mumbled.
"Anakin, you must remember patience," Mabel turned to him, "Otherwise your actions will guide you, not the other way around."
"I hope Soos is playing the music really loudly," Dipper said, ignoring his sister's attempt at role-play.
"Soos is at the party?" Yuki inquired.
"Yes," Mabel answered, lowering her voice and softening it out, "He will be providing musical accompaniment, and will be accompanied by one 'Melody'."
"Melody is going to be there?" Dipper gasped, looking at Mabel.
"Who is Melody?" Yuki asked.
"Soos's future wife," Mabel wisely said.
"No – well, I mean, you never kn-" Dipper stalled himself and shook his head, "She's Soos' girlfriend. They've been doing a distant relationship for a while now. I don't know how they do it, but they're still together after three years."
"Affection and kindness," Mabel nodded, "While attachment is forbidden in the Jedi ways, I must admit the two are more than – gah!" Mabel pulled at the hair on her head under her robe, forgoing all attempts at staying in character, "Who am I kidding!? They're adorable!"
The rest of the ride was a pleasant mix of talk, either about Yuki's excitement, the twins excitement for Yuki, or the holiday excitement in general. Mabel flipped back and forth between her character and herself, leaving only her voice as an indication to when she wasn't trying to be a Jedi. Given fifteen minutes of chat, Dipper found himself a spot some two hundred feet away from the home, and parked. Mabe, who's nerves began to grow the closer she got to the well-lit and extremely decorated home, could barely speak.
"Ohgosh, doyouthinkthatZander'scostumewillbesupercool?" she roared through her words, "ormaybebecausehe'sjuststartingthisholidaytoothatmaybehe'sgoingtotakeiteasy?"
"Mabel!" Dipper grabbed her as they found themselves at the path that led to the front door, "Breathe." She took a very small, rapid breath. "Slower," Dipper eased her. She followed suit and finally nodded. "If you're going to want to talk to him, maybe being understood by basic human beings is a start."
"I would concur with Dipper's assessment," Yuki grinned, "Being understood at all is a great start in communication."
"Okay, I'm better," Mabel nodded with a quick sigh.
"Okay. To the party," Dipper grinned, and lead the walk forward. The closer to the front door, the louder the reverberation of the inside party got. The windows all had lit candles and drapes spilled around, and half-unearthed coffins were stuck in the gardens around them. "Bad memories," Dipper said as he shuddered, looking at one of the coffins in the dirt.
"Oh, c'mon Dipper," Mabel scolded him, "It's just decoration. No actual live zombies are here."
"Live zombies?" he asked her with a grin. Her response was to push him further ahead.
At the front door, Dipper knocked loudly, as he wasn't sure if anyone would be able to hear him from the ruckus inside. To his amazement, only a couple of seconds later, the door swung open, revealed a blonde woman in a torn work suit and dress, but had patches of fur all up her legs and arms.
"I was wondering if you two would show up," Pacifica said as she held the door.
"Hi Pacifica!" Mabel cheered.
"Hey," Dipper also waved.
"Well, c'mon in you – oh!" she gasped as Yuki turned around, having been staring at the decorations behind him, "Yuki! I didn't know you'd be coming!"
"This is my first holiday!" he told her. Dipper back-handed his stomach, and Yuki coughed. "Ugh– Oh– first American Holiday. Yes. That," Yuki then spied her costume. He grinned, and then laughed.
"W-what?" Pacifica asked, holding the lapels of her suit closer.
Yuki pointed. "She-Wolf! I know of this series!" Yuki told her, "It was televised out in... Canada," Yuki caught the sideways glance of the twins. "It is a great choice, and you have done a good job making it yours."
"Thanks! I love your 'Plant-Spaceman' look," Pacifica told him, eying his actual leaves on his head, "Very retro of you."
"That does... describe me well," Yuki sighed with a half grin, "Retro."
"Well!" Pacifica reached between the twins and pulled him inside, "This means you're stuck with me for the evening."
"Huh?" Yuki asked, taken aback at her forwardness.
"Well, who else is going to give you a personal tour of everything a Summerween party done right has to offer?" Pacifica told him.
"That would be my job?"
The twins turned towards the kitchen, where various individuals gathered food from plates and snack bars. Someone who sounded just like Zander Maximillion, but with a grave voice, strode forward, wearing an elaborate, Victorian like set-up. Long crimson jacket, wide-brimmed hat of matching color, and an undergarment of solid black suit with a red tie that had not one, but two bows.
"So, the mystery twins arrive, to save the party from any evil that might befall it," Zander said in a sinister voice as he approached them, his hair all but tied up into his hat. His eyes now were red, and when Dipper and Mabel said nothing, he laughed. "Yes! I told you this would work Pacifica," he said, grinning.
"Fine, whatever, old school still has it a little, I guess," she grumbled.
"Heck yes it does," Mabel nearly groaned as she sized up Zander. Dipper whipped to stare at her, and she fixed her tone, "I-I mean, it's wonderful! Count Maximillion!"
"Yeah, it really rocks dude," Dipper added.
"Thank you, Master Kenobi, Master Skywalker," Zander bowed to them, showing off his fanged teeth. "Hey Pacifica, keep at the door for now," he told the blonde, who groaned. "C'mon. Just for a few minutes, then you can dance with Yuki."
"I never said– that's just you– fine," Pacifica said, looking rapidly between those around her and Yuki as her face grew red.
"Come," Zander motioned for the three to follow. The twins each gave Pacifica an apologetic glance. Yuki smiled to her happily. "In here," Zander pointed, "All the fixings you could possibly want during a Summerween party! Watermelon drinks, hotdog zombies, Frankenstein tarts-"
"You've got a ton," Mabel awed as she looked at the fifteen-foot-long table, filled to the brim with unique foods.
"Well, Pacifica didn't like my style of shopping, so I let her take over. In retrospect, she really knows how to host parties," Zander scratched his chin and smiled.
"She's sort of a veteran about it," Dipper shrugged.
"That she is. I'll let you guys come back to food after this," Zander again motioned for them to follow. "Officers," Zander nodded to the sheriff and deputy, who had come to the party dressed as a conjoined dragon. They were too busy sampling each other's food to notice, and Zander chuckled. "So, in here," Zander pointed to his once-time living room, "Is the hall of horror!"
The many white couches and seats had been swapped out for scary looking cobweb-covered seats, mostly taken by costumed individuals. All those sitting faced away towards the uncovered wall, which caught the projections of black and white horror flicks. Dipper grinned in appreciation, as he knew exactly which sequel of 'Nearly Almost Dead But Not Quite!' was being shown.
"So, if you want to take a break from the backyard and eat, boom," Zander pointed to the movies, "You got the freak shows to do so. Now I got to show you to my second employee of the evening."
"You've got two?" Mabel asked.
"Of course he does," Dipper replied, "Soos is working here tonight."
"Yup," Zander nodded as he stepped outside the ribbon covered door, and out to the balcony overlooking the backyard.
No less than a hundred people danced to their fullest as remix of widely known horror theme played over huge speakers, all tied to trees in the woods. As Zander lead them around, the three quickly spotted Tyler Cutebiker, who was easily the most into the beat as he danced his hardest. Lazy Susan bumped around awkwardly as she pointed to the sky, calling out happily.
"And boom- zombie DJ," Zander stopped, letting the three file past him.
"Soos!" The twins yelled.
The DJ waved back. "Sup dudes!"
Soos was busy at the panel of the records, which he mixed and altered at his heart's pleasure. He was pale and had sickly dark eye sockets, a sight that actually caused quite a stir for the twins, as they had seen a similar look to Soos once, long ago.
"Soos, are you a zombie for Summerween?" Mabel asked.
"Yeah hambone!" Soos told them, "I figure I actually know what it's like, you know, being a member of the undead. So, when I'm off duty, I can perfectly replicate what it was like. So, it's kind of an easy way to slip into a costume, dawg. Oh!" he exclaimed, and turned his head, "Melody! The twins are here!"
Pushing out from the dance after a few moments, a girl with fake blood splashed over her face and shirt stepped out. "Oh my god, you two got really tall!" she exclaimed, and walked over, offering her left hand to them ,"Nice to meet you two again. I'm Melody."
"We remember you," Dipper said, and awkwardly shook her left hand, "What's with the left handshake?"
"Well," Melody grinned, and lifted her right arm. Dipper gasped and leapt back, as a chainsaw was in place instead of her hand. "Soos's idea. Groovy, isn't it?" she asked with a chuckle.
"Dang right it is!" Soos added.
"Alright you three," Zander told the twins and Yuki, "I'm going to relieve Pacifica so she can hang with you lot. If you need me, I'll be inside the house."
"T-thanks Zander!" Mabel called as the vampire-looking man strode away.
"So, who's your friend?" Melody asked, also extending her left hand to Yuki, "I'm Melody."
"Greetings Melody, I am Uki-Dohth. Soos has informed me of your pleasantness. It is good to note," he added, "He did not exaggerate at all."
"Hahah, thanks," Melody chuckled, "And nice 'in-character' stuff you've got going on. You must love vintage sci-fi movies."
Yuki hadn't an idea how to reply. "Uhh..." he trailed off, looking around/
"Soos, honey," Melody turned to Soos, "You want me to grab some food for you?"
"Ah, get me some of those basketville hounds. Those smoked hotdogs are the best!" Soos begged. Melody chuckled and nodded. With a wink and grin to the three before her, she started her climbing through the dancing crowd.
"She's so sweet," Mabel said with a small coo.
"Speaking of sweet, I'm kinda digging the idea of grabbing some of those candies from the kitchen," Dipper admitted.
"But we should wait for Pacifica," Mabel told him, "So she doesn't wander around looking for us."
"Indeed," Yuki nodded. "The sweets can wait."
"Fine, fine," Dipper nodded, "Hey Soos! How's the night been?"
"Party never stops, dude!" Soos called back, "I'm thinking of doing a dance competition- dance like your favorite horror monster the best and you win a prize! I have no idea what, but something like that," Soos shrugged, and continued to play music.
"Hey!" Pacifica leapt past a duo of dances and landed next to the group. "Finally. Zander thinks I need experience in everything these days, so he makes me do everything it seems."
"Isn't he just your music teacher?" Dipper asked. Pacifica looked to the three, and shrugged. "No?"
"He is," she admitted, "But, uh... I'm not really allowed back home... yet."
"What?!" Yuki and Mabel gasped as Dipper sighed.
"Dang," he said, putting an arm on her shoulder. "How bad is it this time?"
"This time?" Yuki gasped, "This is not the first instance of abandonment?"
Pacifica shook her head. "Last time the twins were here, I kind of directly disobeyed them, and they decided that booting me out of the house for two weeks would teach me a lesson, or something," she admitted, "And they're doing it again. I'll be able to go home in, uh, two weeks."
"That is improper!" Yuki declared angrily, "Discipline is one thing, abandonment is another! Should they seek to employ a method of teaching, 'throwing you to the wilds'," Yuki used his fingers for quotes, "Is not the correct manner!"
"N-no," Pacifica blinked as she stared at the visibly upset Yuki, "I... guess it isn't. Hey," she shook her head, "Yuki, you want to learn how to dance at an American Holiday like this?"
"I would be honored," Yuki grinned, "Who shall be my instructor?"
Pacifica burst out laughing, and stumbled forward, grabbing Yuki's hand and pulling him into the crowd. Confused and worried, Yuki glanced back to the twins. They waved farewell, letting him vanish into the crowd.
"She likes him," Mabel said.
"Definitely," Dipper added.
"And... you're okay with it?" Mabel asked, looking to Dipper.
Dipper gave the idea of someone else with Pacifica a thought, only to shrug again. "I kind of thought that she'd keep dating after me. So, no, not really bothered or anything," he told her. Mabel's eyes twinkled, and she reached out to put a proud hand on his shoulder. Dipper spotted someone in the crowd. "Hey, isn't that one of Wendy's friends?" he asked Mabel as he pointed.
"Yeah! That's... uh... starts with a 'T'?"
"Not Tambry," Dipper told her.
"Duh, I know what Tambry looks like. Thompson, his name is Thompson!"
The twins began to move over towards them, ready to greet them happily and speak to Wendy. Yet as they approached, the twins saw the entire group. There was Nate, the tatooed one, Lee, the tall lanky guy, and Tambry. Four of the five. There was no Wendy present.
"Hold up," Dipper said, putting his arm out to stop Mabel, "Could be weird."
"Huh?"
"If we just start chatting with them. Didn't Wendy say something about how she's not too close with these guys?" Dipper asked, still a good fifteen feet away from them.
"Oh... yeah... dangit!" Mabel asked, "Then where is she? This is the life of the town tonight," Mabel declared, "And she doesn't miss parties!"
"Who?" Someone asked. The twins turned to Zander, who was poking his head out from the doorway.
"Wendy," Dipper asked as he and Mabel stepped up to him, "Have you seen her tonight?"
"No, and I have great memory," Zander said as he looked around, "I would remember seeing her here. But so far... no show for W. Corduroy," he mentioned. "Maybe she saw me trying to pick out food and thought it wouldn't be a good idea to come!" Zander chuckled, "I mean, anyone who saw me at the groceries with Pacifica must have been worried!"
"Why?" Mabel asked as Dipper glanced around again.
"Well, I don't really cook at all, Mabel," Zander admitted, "So I don't know what people, uh, need for parties."
"Where is she?" Dipper mumbled, breaking the conversation between the two.
"Maybe you guys should give her a personal extended invitation?" Zander said, "Be my convoys?"
"Yeah!" Mabel shouted, "That sounds like a great idea!"
"Wait, we're going to go get her to come to the party?" Dipper inquired.
"Why not?" Zander asked, "It doesn't seem like her, and I'll admit I only know her from you two, but still... I have good instincts about people," Zander admitted.
Mabel looked to her brother, and found the boy in a near state of skulking. His hands were drifting near his rob pockets, and his eyes had drifted down to the floor. She clenched her teeth. Not tonight! Of all nights to get moody and sad, it would not be this one! Not their second favorite holiday!
"Dipper," Mabel grabbed his arm and spun him to face her, "We will go and get Wendy to come. She's our friend, and she'd want to be happy tonight as well!"
"But-"
"No buts, except yours, and then out the other door!" Mabel declared, and pushed Dipper past Zander.
Zander dived out of their way as Mabel bull-rushed Dipper through the house. As Mabel managed to go through the front door Zander called out after them, "Yo, just come back if you need backup!" He then closed the door behind them just as the wind began to pick up a little.
Grunkle Stan was ready. Spying through a corner in the front window, Stan noticed the coming group of trick-or-treaters were all about six or seven, making them prime targets of fear. He had waited for this, rubbing his hands together as he chuckled.
Waddles oinked next to him.
"Hey, I got this," Stan told him, "Don't tell me what I'm not ready for."
Waddles oinked again.
"Just watch me, got it? I'll show you," Grunkle Stan told him. He then checked his skin, giving it a little tug. A bit tore off, revealing deep red underneath it. His old trick- toilet paper and wax wrap under red-painted skin was about to be unleashed. He lowered his sleeve over the paper as a precaution.
The doorbell rang. Stan grinned his widest. Waddles snorted gently, and Stan pointed at him. "Shh," he said, being quiet himself. He tip-toed to the doorway, and with a stretch of his neck, he opened the door.
"Welcome to the Mystery Manor!" he declared.
"Trick or treat!" the party of six kids all said.
"Wow! Look at you guys- pretty scary, actually," Stan chuckled in his best act, "You know what's even scarier than that is?" he asked them. Most of the kids looked around to one another, uncertain to what they should say. Stan was ready.
"Skin!" he roared, and then pulled at his face. Years of practice had paid off, and what looked like his face had just been an elaborate wrapping. Huge chunks of would-be skin fell away, revealing bright-red underneath it, painted to look both skeletal and muscular structure. Four of the kids screamed instantly and fled. Stan bellowed with laughter. Yet he stopped, as two more kids glared up at him. "Oh, come on," Stan bent down to them, "That's genius! How can you not appreciate that!"
"That's an old internet trick, mister," one of them said.
"Dang it, Internet!" Stan declared, holding up a shaking fist to the ceiling, "once again you've-"
THUD.
The two kids jumped as Stan blinked. Arline had landed behind them. Had she climbed onto the rooftop? She was clutching her chest. Her face seemed wet, as if she was sweating. She stumbled closer.
"H-help me," she begged, "so... hot!" and then screamed.
The two kids screamed as well as Arline exploded with fire, the roaring flame swallowing her up perfectly. The kids by Stan had clearly not seen that done in the internet, and both ran past Arline as she kneeled on the ground, immolated. Stan glared at her, unconcerned for the fire-punching martial artists.
"Hah, fine, so you got two I couldn't," Stan told her as the flames instantly vanished once the kids had gotten far.
"Maybe I'm not so easy to beat as you think?" She told him.
Stan grumbled. "I'll give you that. But easy to beat and not able to beat are different things!" he reminded her. "I'll still win this competition, Hirsh!"
"Time will tell, you old coot," she grinned, and then leapt high into the air, actually making it back onto the rooftop.
"Show off," he grumbled.
Stan did a double take. He heard more footsteps coming up the road already. Running inside, he slammed the door and began to apply a new lining of toilet paper around his face. He scowled as he considered his luck had she not distracted him. He would have already been inside, and probably already had his makeup ready. Then again, had she not jumped down, he may be still dealing with those last two trick or treaters...
Stan checked the window for the status. He growled. They were all a tad bit older- somewhere around ten. One of them even was looking on his cellphone as he walked with his group of four. All the technology, de-sensitizing the kids these days. Stan hated it, but shrugged. He still had a show to put on.
THUD.
Arline startled Stan; she had already jumped down. Stan growled as he looked through the window. She was trying to steal his thunder, was she?!
"He-help me," she asked the group, who had all stopped, watching her.
"Are you okay?" the closest a small girl asked.
"I'm so... hot... burning up," Arline told them.
Before another word could be said, she screamed again, and fire engulfed her the exact same way it had before. She began to screech and scream her best, and Stan had to give it to her- she had a heck of a voice to be able to match the sound of the fire. Then, he laughed- the kids weren't running. They were stunned and panicking.
"Oh my god!" one of them shouted to the friend with the phone. "Do something!"
"I don't know what to do!" he said, "I don't know anything about spontaneous combustion!"
"Call nine-one-one!" the girl screamed.
Stan was ready. No cops would be showing today, not on his watch. "You and me, pig," Stan told Waddles, who nodded. They barreled out of the door, screaming as they ran to the kids. "RUN!" Stan told them, "It's infectious! Some disease makes you burn up! I'm– I'm melting!" Stan roared as he peeled his skin off next to Arline's blaze, and Waddles ran by a tree, squealing excitedly.
The kids turned and ran, screaming for their lives. This time it was Stan who stood up grinning and chuckling. Arline cut off the fire as soon as the kids had gone. She held something of a grin mixed with a frown. She looked over, glancing to Waddles.
"Picking sides, are we?" she asked the pig, who snorted. "Traitor," she grinned.
Stan snickered. "He just knows which side feeds him better scraps if he wins."
"Maybe. But best belly scratches are from my side," she told Waddles, who stared at her.
"Either way, Waddles on my side or no," Grunkle Stan told her, "I have this. You're in my town, playing my game, using my rules. What makes you think you have a chance?" he asked her as he ripped off the rest of the used paper.
"I like the odds," she told him, and turned away. "You're going down, old man," she said, and leapt onto the roof again.
"Anything that breaks under your foot, you pay!" he shouted to her.
"Here we are," Mabel said, after the thirty-minute walk to Wendy's home through the indecisive winds of a cool summer evening.
Dipper nodded, and swallowed his fear. Indeed, it was the Corduroy home; a lob cabin build in the middle of the woods right next to the suburban area. Many mighty pine trees still stood around the home, but Dipper's eyes focused on something not present.
Not a single decoration had been put up. Not a single light, nor melon, nor... anything in the spirit had been hung up this year for the holiday. Dipper looked to Mabel, who seemed to have noticed the same thing.
"Weird, isn't it?" she stated.
"Look," he pointed to a single, dark sign next to a small tree before the house, "It's... what?" Dipper gasped, "It says 'no solicitors, preachers, or Trick-or-Treaters wanted'?"
"Wow. What's up with that?" Mabel asked as she walked past the sign.
"Wait. Maybe I... ugh... should call her first," Dipper admitted, and Mabel grinned.
"Yes, listen to your sister now, about time," Mabel said with glee.
Dipper scowled and lifted his cellphone to his face. Sadly, he looked to the top of his flip-phone screen and found something also missing. "No signal here," he told Mabel.
"Maybe it would have been better to do that when we were walking here, instead of now?" Mabel reminded him.
"Okay, okay, calm down. We should go back and call her then," Dipper said.
"Why?"
"Because Manly Dan will think we're trick or treating if we show up. And I don't want to upset him," Dipper said, "He has a habit of breaking powerline poles with his fist."
"Oh shush, you big baby," Mabel told him, "I'm with you. And he won't hit anything that's cute and girly as I am? Or as cute and girly as you."
"Funny," Dipper bit at the word as Mabel stepped forward. Dipper did follow, but his mind lingered on the sign behind him. What would happen if they upset Manly Dan? As they met the door, Mabel cleared her throat, and knocked three times. Several loud stomps approached them from the other side, and the door was heaved open.
"What?!" a big, loud, angry, redhead lumberjack demanded.
"Hello, sir!" Mabel told Manly Dan, "We were hoping-"
Manly Dan snapped out, "What did my sign say!?"
"H-huh?" Mabel crumpled under the sudden accusation.
"What did my sign say?!" he shouted.
"No trick or treaters," Dipper said quickly.
"Then why are you two trick or treaters still at my front door!?" the Lumberjack growled as he bared down on the twins.
"Because we're not here to trick or treat," Dipper also said as Mabel struggled to find her voice, "We're here to find Wendy." Manly Dan leaned back into the building, his eyes suddenly empty of light. Dipper asked pointedly, "Is she home?"
Manly Dan's mouth twitched, and scowled. "Funny. I get it," he told Dipper.
"What's funny?" Mabel asked.
"Is Wendy home. You guys must have nothing better to do, if that's your game," Manly Dan told them with a scowl. His chest heaved, and he looked quite incensed. The twins looked quickly to one another. What had Dipper said that was so upsetting? Manly Dan said, a deadly warning, "You have two minutes to get off my property before I come at your with an axe-"
"Dad!"
From inside, a boy rushed out, only a few feet shorter than Manly day. Just as wide-chest and red-headed, the teenager was probably a year or two older than the twins, but his masculine features had long settled into his face and body. Manly Dan growled and stomped back inside the building, leaving his eldest son to talk to the twins.
"Sorry about that," the teen said, "He just gets cranky today."
"Why?" Dipper asked. The boy said nothing, instead rolling his eyes and looking away. Dipper looked to Mabel, who was exhibiting just as much confusion as he was. What the heck was going on? Had Wendy not only fallen out with her friends, but her family too?
"So, uh, sorry to ask you this then," Mabel started again, "But we're looking for Wendy?"
"Oh, that's why-" the boy cut himself off, and put a hand to his face, covering his eyes as he sighed. "Game. Funny. So, you'll find her down the street to the right. Then at the end, take a right, then a left, go up the hill, and you'll find her hangout."
"Her hangout? O-okay," Dipper said shakily, "Thank you."
"Just... don't come back here and talk to my dad about her, okay?" the teen asked as he slowly closed the door, "And, uh, Happy Summerween."
The twins couldn't get a reply in as the door shut before them. Dipper looked to Mabel. "Do you think her secret-"
"Dipper," Mabel sighed and shook her head as Dipper turned and walked away from the home, "Not now."
"Is that she did something to her friends and family?" he continued, "All this time, I thought she was hiding something from us. What if she was hiding it from everyone ELSE!?" he declared as they landed on the street. "What if-"
"Dipper!" Mabel shouted, "We're going to get her to party with us; not interrogate her."
"I wasn't going to," Dipper pouted.
"She still has a secret. Big deal. Oh well. Look, we need to let her be until she's ready to tell us," Mabel said as they walked down the street, aware that they were coming up to the turn in the road, where a horribly bent stop sign was present.
"Okay, okay, I get it," Dipper told his sister.
"Besides," Mabel put an arm on his shoulder gently, "Wouldn't it be great if you could dance with her for a bit?"
Dipper felt a strange warmth flood his chest. "Mabel-"
"I'm serious!" Mabel told him strongly as they turned to the right. "I know you, Dipper," Mabel said as she grinned, "Under all that serious thoughty stuff, you really have a big, squishy heart for her."
"I don't," Dipper pouted.
"Oh, c'mon," Mabel groaned.
"Not after she lied to us," Dipper sighed, "Look, just drop it, okay? She should have fun, but that doesn't mean I want to be in on her fun. Just want to make sure she isn't suffering," Dipper added as he put his hands in his robes.
Mabel shook her head and lead the way. Quickly she spotted the hill and left turn, across the street, that Wendy's brother must have meant. Up the hill, and through a good section of trees, the twins climbed, as Mabel watched her brother with concern.
He still hadn't gotten over the mistrust for Wendy. Mabel still remembered the trouble it had taken, the trials she had gone through that first summer to re-earn his trust after Stanford had come through the portal. Dipper had not wanted to share a single secret with her, and it had killed her each time he looked at her with those angry eyes. Mabel wondered if Wendy felt the same. Was this tension as poisonous for the both of them?
Maybe he could change, and learn to not be so tightly wound up, Mabel reasoned to herself. She had learned to take things more seriously. Sometimes. Not often- but she had learned that.
"Wait," Dipper said as they climbed over the hill.
Mabel came back to her surroundings and gasped. They had been here before.
They were overlooking the once-owned Valentino Graveyards, now over watched by Tallman Harker. Mabel gasped as she and her brother looked at the large black gate before them.
"Gravity Falls Cemetery," Mabel announced. "She... hangs out here?"
"I hope she's secretly not a Goth," Dipper mumbled. Mabel snorted and laughed, which caused his cheeks to flush pink. "I'm serious! That would be the lamest secret ever."
Mabel nodded, "But an easy one to get over. Goth fashion is cool," Mabel argued. The twins pushed past the high-elevation gates and down the path. Many candles and watermelons had been set up in the cemetery already. Flowers in holders still remained freshly watered. The twins continued past the graves, looking around.
"Wendy!" Mabel called out. Dipper gasped. He rushed over, and cupped a hand to her mouthed. "Dbbr," she mumbled through his hand, "whb gbs?"
"One sec," Dipper told her. He looked around, eyes scanning the dim horizon of candles and jackal-melons. When he seemed satisfied, he lifted his hand. "There."
"Dipper, what gives?" she demanded, "We want to find her, don't we?" she reminded him heatedly, "How are you thinking we do that if we can't tell her we're here?"
"I just got a feeling, that's all," Dipper told Mabel.
"Huh?"
"Someone is watching us," Dipper said quietly.
Mabel scoffed. "Like, maybe, Wendy? Hello? Earth to bro-bro?" Mabel scolded him, and Dipper glared back. Mabel rolled her eyes. "Or maybe Tallman Harker?" she added.
Dipper was less than satisfied with her answer. "Let's just look around a bit more," he decided, walking past Mabel with a few deliberate steps. Mabel sighed and followed suit.
The two passed many graves and stones, organized just enough to make great big columns that stretched on for hundreds of feet. Dipper scanned the many graves, and then would quickly look up, hoping for a figure moving in the distance. Nothing so provocative had happened yet, and he grew more frustrated.
"Dipper," Mabel called him over, in a hushed tone. Dipper turned, and found her some twenty feet away, down a row. "I... I spotted something I thought – but it's just–"
"Let me see," Dipper rushed over. He leant next to his sister, and the two of them on their knees read the candle-lit tombstone. Flowers had also been left behind.
Melissa Corduroy.
1966- 2001
May she rest in peace, as her children grow strong in this world, in her memory.
"Holy..." Dipper gasped.
"I never knew," Mabel admitted.
Dipper's mind reeled. Wendy never did talk about her home life much. Heck, Dipper recalled once that Wendy had said her family drove her crazy. It was one of the reasons she tried so hard to be chill everywhere else. But... her mother? Dead for twelve years? Dipper had no idea. He wondered if this had something to do with Wendy's secret. Then Mabel's' warning words hit him in his head. He could deal with the mystery another day.
He looked to Mabel, ready to leave. To his surprise, she had bowed her head slightly. Her lips moved silently, as she mouthed words. "What are you doing?" Dipper asked gently.
"Giving her mom a little thank you," Mabel said, and went back to praying.
"For...?" Dipper asked.
"For Wendy being here," Mabel answered, and continued praying. Touched, Dipper smiled; proud of being able to call Mabel his sister. Maybe she was a little nuts for thinking Wendy's mother could hear her, but it was enough knowing Mabel would do something like that anyway.
Dipper looked to his sister for just a second longer, and his eyes caught something on the tombstone next to the one they stood next to. He focused on the lettering, and thought he was seeing double. He read it again. Dipper's mouth fell open, and patted his sister's shoulders harshly.
"What?" Mabel demanded, "I'm almost-" Dipper pushed her head to turn to the left. "What is-"
Mabel also gasped. The two stood up, brushing off the dirt from their knees. The light of several candles lit the engraved name and date.
Wendy Corduroy
1997-2012
May she rest in peace, and her family always remember her.
The twins shook visibly.
It wasn't possible. There wasn't a chance this was real. Mabel actually reached out and touched it, only to recoil. Perhaps she had wished to see if it was fake, or an illusion. The stone was cold and hard to the touch. She held her hand as her lips trembled.
Dipper started to mumble, "If... if she's been... then... who have we-"
There was a rustle behind them. Mabel leapt into the air, hands out in combat stance. Dipper stumbled up, and reach inside his robe, withdrawing his own journal. He began to rifle through the pages quickly, begging to find something, anything to help here.
"Dipper, now may not be the time-" Mabel started.
"It could be a ghoul," Dipper said, as he turned passed the page, "Wait, no; they stink like corpses, and Wendy smells ni- anyway," Dipper flipped another set of pages, "or what if she's a ghost!?"
"We've touched her!" Mabel told him, as more distant rustling made them panic. "And I know what ghosts feel like! Trust me!"
"Then... zombie?" Dipper asked. Mabel said nothing. "They're thin, gangly... if they're smart enough and rise on their own, they can act like normal people and are often mistaken for-"
"No, she's not a zombie!" Mabel told Dipper.
"How could you possibly know that?!" Dipper demanded.
His sister rolled her eyes. "I just know, okay?!" she declared.
"Wendy – she doesn't need to sleep!" Dipper declared, "I bet when I was watching you as a werewolf, it was Wendy who watched me all through the night! Wendy... she never is hurt! Because she's already–" The rustling stopped. Dipper glanced around with Mabel as they struggled to find the source of sound.
"Dipper, I'm freaking out," Mabel told him.
"Me too!" he hissed, "This can't be! How- How-"
"Dipper, what if this is just some crazy prank?"
From the tombstones, a voice called out.
"It isn't."
The twins froze.
All the heat of the summer night had been siphoned away by two words, not spoken by either of them. Slowly, they both turned and looked back to the tombstone. Behind the face, just barely in the light, a figure remained in shadow.
Dipper recognized the outline. He had seen her many times in his life, through two summers, and in many dreams. Tonight, it was made nightmare. He called out, his eyes wide, "Wendy."
Dipper's words summoned her closer. In the light of the candles, she emerged, and stared at the twins. Her eyes looked so tired, her gaze itself seemed forced to lock on them. Somehow, without costume or makeup, Wendy looked like the scariest thing the twins had seen all summer. She looked down, to her own tombstone, and sighed.
Wendy glanced back up from her own tombstone, and said to the twins with the gravest of voices, "You found me."
Happy Summerween. (btw, one month early, but screw it. :p)
-EZB