the first thing dipper saw when he opened his eyes was a dusty old computer screen. when he moved to look around, not only did he notice that there were socks everywhere, but he noticed also that his whole body felt like a lead weight and his neck had a horrible crick in it. mabel was nowhere to be found, of course. dipper dragged his hands over his face, he’d probably just passed out while trying to figure out the password though it didn’t feel like he’d gotten even a second of sleep.
the day passed in a dream-like daze and next thing dipper knew he was sitting up on the roof of the mystery shack, endlessly typing password after password. every time he got it wrong, the computer would beep angrily at him. “ugh i can’t take that sound anymore!” he pounded his fists on the computer halfheartedly. “i. hate. you. sound.”
his grousing was soon cut off by a particularly dramatic yawn and dipper had to rub his eyes to keep his vision from going blurry. “there has to be some shortcut or clue. who would know about secret codes?”
the wind started blowing and an eye crept around the moon, bricks forming around it to reveal bill. color vanished from the world and dipper’s heart all but stoped in it’s tracks. everything went quiet, that is until a voice broke through, “I THINK I KNOW A GUY.” dipper may not have been screaming on the outside yet but he definitely was on the inside. “well, well, well. you’re awfully persistent, pine tree. hats off to you!” bill took his hat off and the world shifted, throwing everything sideways and upside down causing dipper to fall off the roof only to fall back onto it when bill replaced the hat on his head.
“you again!” he was sure bill would be grinning if the triangular dream demon had a mouth.
“did you miss me? admit it, you missed me.”
“hardly. you worked with gideon! you tried to destroy my uncle’s mind!”
“it was just a job, kid! no hard feelings! i’ve been keeping an,” bills eye grew bigger and his voice went lower, reminding dipper of those old exorcism movies, “EYE ON YOU,” and then back to his normal, grating voice, “since then, and i must say i’m impressed!”
“really?” dipper’s voice sounded tired and dubious with just an edge of adrenaline.
“you deserve a prize! here, have a head that’s always screaming!” bill clapped and a disembodied head appeared, ensuring more nightmares for dipper for at least another month. “hahaha!” bill snapped and the head disappeared layer by layer. “the point is i like you. how’s about you let me give you a hint, huh? i only ask for a small,” his voice got impossibly lower, even lower than last time and his eye and hand lit up with flames, “FAVOR,” then back to normal again, “in return.”
“i’d never do a favor for you! don’t forget who defeated you last time!”
bill rose out of the roof behind him, making dipper whip around so fast he almost lost his balance. “right, you “defeated me”. well if you ever change your mind,” he pretended to grab dipper’s brain, “i’ll be here for you, ready to make a deeaaall. hey, wanna hear my impression of you in about three seconds? AAAAAAAAAAAAH!!”
dipper woke up screaming from his spot on the roof, thank god he hadn’t actually fallen off. he dragged his hands down his face and groaned. of course bill had to get involved, why couldn’t anything be simple in his life? at least today mabel had promised she’d help. dipper trudged down to the kitchen to find it empty. he grabbed a soda and went looking for his twin, wanting to get this whole thing solved as soon as possible.
but of course that wouldn’t happen. not with his sister’s newest obsession, gabe, and his ridiculous (and a little bit creepy) obsession with puppets. mabel was bailing on him for a stupid puppet show! what happened to mystery twins? she’d even tried distracting him by tickling him which only served to irritate him more.
“okay fine! you know what? i’ll do it on my own!”
“passwords. passwords. mabel. is. useless.” dipper yawned though he only stopped typing for a second. then it happened. the computer flashed red and calmly informed him, “too many failed entries. initiate data erase in five minutes.”
“no! noonono! i’m gonna lose everything?! i only have one more try?!” time stopped and everything went black and white, which meant only one thing. bill.
“well, well, well. someone’s looking desperate.”
“i thought i told you to leave me alone.”
“i can help you, kid.” bill’s hand was once again engulfed in flame. “you just need to hear out my demands.”
dipper looked down at the computer, the screen showed he only had four 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?”
“yeesh, kid, relax. all i want is a puppet!”
“a puppet? what are you playing at?” dipper was far too tired, normally his mind would be racing at the possibilities of what in the world bill could mean.
“everyone loves puppets. and it looks to me that you’ve got a surplus.”
dipper frowned. “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’s voice starts to echo in the small space of the attic. “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?”
diipper looked out the window, down to where mabel was outside playing with her friends and then back to the computer that showed he now only had 30 seconds until everything on it was erased.
bill’s eye became a clock, ticking the seconds by. “tick, tock, kid.”
“uh, just one puppet? fine!” dipper grabbed bill’s firey hand and shook it. “so what puppet are you gonna pick, anyway?”
“hmm, let’s see. eenie, meenie, mynie…” bill’s voice dropped six octaves and echoed, “YOU.”
and just like that dipper is torn from his body, he’s stuck in the dreamscape looking like casper’s awkward brother. “huh?” he started panicking when his hand went right through his stomach. “this can’t be happening! what did you do to my body?!”
it was even stranger watching his own body stand up. “sorry, kid but you’re MY puppet, now! AHAHAHAHAHA!” the demon threw the computer to the floor and stomped on it, effectively breaking it. “AHAHAH!”
“oh my gosh, this can’t be happening. this can’t be happening!” dipper wanted to scream, seeing bill using his body as a meat suit was probably the most terrifying thing he’d ever witnessed. oh he couldn’t breathe, oh this wasn’t good, did he even have to breathe? did he even have lungs right now?
bill stumbled around, cackling before stopping in front of a mirror. “man, it has been so long since i’ve inhabited a body.” bill slapped himself in the face, “woo!”, then slapped the other cheek. “woo! haha! pain is hilarious!! and two eyes? this thing’s deluxe!” he spent a few seconds examining his eyes and pulling down his lip to look inside his mouth.
“i don’t understand! why are you doing this?! i thought we had a deal!”
“look kid, you’ve been getting way too close to figuring out some major answers. i’ve got big plans comin’ and i don’t need you gettin’ in my way. destroying that laptop was a cinch. now i just need to destroy your journal. race ya to the bottom of the stairs!”
dipper watched on in abject horror as bill toppled backwards down the stairs. he followed the demon quickly, rushing down through the floor and landing in the living room. “hey!” he zipped through the wall to chase after bill and found him in the kitchen, rummaging through the fridge.
“human soda! i’m gonna drink it like a person!” bill poured the fizzy drink into his mouth and all over his face, laughing. “where do you keep that journal anyway?” he shoved (dipper’s) his hand in the open silverware drawer and slammed it close on the appendage repeatedly. “it’s gotta be around here somewhere.” bill winced occasionally as he continued to slam the drawer on his arm. “boy, these arms are durable.”
“i’ve hidden it!” he visibly shuddered when bill stroked his chin, forks stuck in the flesh of his arm. “somewhere you’ll never find it in a million years!”
mabel popped her head into the kitchen. “hey dipper! i borrowed your journal to use as a prop in the show i hope you don’t mind I’m gonna go before you process this sentence okay BYEE!!” dipper face palmed, though the fear was real.
bill turned to dipper and grinned. “sure, sounds great, sister! i’ll see you at the show!”
“wait! no, mabel, don’t listen to him! that’s not me!” his non-corporeal form rushed after his sister but he didn’t reach her before she got into grunkle stan’s car. “you’ve gotta hear me! no, no! wait! stop!” but it was no use, the car was already driving away.
bill came up beside him with a shit eating grin. “heh! welcome to the mindscape, kid! without a vessel to posses, you’re basically a ghost!” it was then that soos and wendy came up, asking “dipper” if he needed a ride for the show. the demon grinned even wider and got into the car.
“i’m gonna stop you, bill! i’m gonna find that journal before you do and i’m gonna stop you!!”
“but how can you stop me,” he slowly turned to dipper, “if you don’t exist?” bill laughed maniacally as the car window rolled up, showing dipper’s horrified expression.
Dipper shot up in bed, gasping and sweating, his hands trembling. He was alone and he wasn’t sure if he was relieved by that or not. Shaking hands rubbed his face while he threw his legs over the edge of the bed to stand. His first attempt to stand had him falling back down to the bed, but soon his legs started working properly. He took a deep breath, running shaking hands through his damp hair, and searched the pockets of the pair of jeans on his floor for the last of his pack of cigarettes. Thankfully there was one left. Dipper shoved it clumsily between his lips and grabbed a lighter before climbing out his window and onto the roof. It might not have been summer but at least it was warm enough for boxers and a t-shirt. Dipper wrapped his arm around himself and pulled his knees up to his chest, lighting the cigarette and taking a long, deep drag. He was still shaking, sitting there on the roof, looking out at the town just barely lit by signs and streetlights. He hadn’t even looked to see what time it was, he was still surprised he’d managed to fall asleep. He wished he hadn’t. And since when were his dreams animated? And why the hell was Bill a fucking triangle? None of that was really important, though. It was just another of his many, many, many nightmares, right? Nothing out of the ordinary.
We all are living in a dream
but life ain’t what it seems
Oh everything’s a mess
And all these sorrows I have seen
They lead me to believe
That everything’s a mess
germansingergirl
titsay
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2087
snowghoul
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prguitarman
dailybridgerton
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