Leaves scattered across the ground, twisting into a swirling vortex, as the unnatural wind swept through the forest of Gravity Falls. The trees bended under its will, scattering small sticks and pine to the ground.
A figure, previously unseen by the mass of bushes behind him, stepped into the open clearing. His long, dark clothes tugged with the breeze until they were pushed back into order by a scarred hand.
The figure's features were undistinguishable; clothes wrapped around each part of his body, a wooden mask (similar to the face of a fox) covering his face. Only unkept, brown hair fell out of place in his appearance, almost reaching the edge of his jaw.
The stranger, in simpler terms, was in a state of disarray. His hands trembled, one of them clutching a worn tape measure in his hands. As his fingers dug into the metal, the entire object seemed to glitch, cyphers and runes replacing the silver metal for a quick second.
Slowly, the tape measure was lifted to the stranger's eye-line. It glitched again, beginning to become translucent in his palm.
"I don't have much time." He whispered, voice worn and strained. Plunging the object deep into his pocket, he began to stride through the bracken. His footsteps were sure, the path familiar to him. As he passed a triangular statue, he picked up his pace, moving to a brisk jog.
Soon he was running, panting heavily as he raced through the trees. He was agile, well experienced in the land that surrounded him, and he avoided the forest's obstacles with ease and grace.
The sun was beginning to rise, light spilling out between the tree trunks. As if alarmed, the stranger pulled out the tape measure again – only to push it back in his pocket at the sight of it glitching more frequently, as if it's existence in this world was defying the universal law itself.
"I'm running out of time!" The stranger gasped. But finally, the trees thinned, parting ways for a large shack.
The man stopped, crouching low at the sight of people moving around near its entrance.
"All night? Again, Mabel?" A female voice asked, concern lacing the tone. There was no answer, but the stranger's fingers dug deep into the bark beside him at the mention of the name.
"Mabel..." he murmured, his voice breaking into a whisper at the end. Slowly, he reached into his pocket, pulling out something beside the tape measure.
A piece of paper, folded neatly into quarters, lay in his hand. The name "Mabel" was scrawled untidily on the top, as if rushed.
The paper was brought to the stranger's chest, were he placed it over his heart for a few seconds. Despite the increased glitching of the tape measure, he took his time to gaze sadly down at it.
"Please." He whispered.
There was no sound in the forest, not even the stranger's footsteps as he quickly snuck closer to the shack. Carefully, he avoided the windows, eyes searching for something important.
"There." He hastily muttered at his discovery of the object, striding over to it. A worn book, simply titled "Summer Memories" was picked up in his free hand. The stranger chuckled at the sight of it, but it sounded more aching than happy. His fingers pulled open the book, tracing a picture of a teen grinning up at him.
"Mabel..." he repeated, flicking through the pages faster. The images showed the progressive ageing of two children, until the very last page created. His fingers paused, breath hitching in his throat.
A sentence written in large black ink (contrasting from the bright pink throughout the rest of the book) read:
Where are you, Dipper?
"I'm sorry..." the man whispered, stroking the page. "I'm so sorry..."
Suddenly, the tape measure gave a large flicker, growing more transparent on the ground which it fell. The stranger's eyes fell down to it, his movements suddenly becoming rushed.
"No!" He yelled as it glitched again. "I need more time!"
Quickly, he placed the piece of paper between the troubling page, making sure the tip poked out of the book. He stood, stumbling backwards.
"Hello?" A tired, female voice asked into the early morning sky. The stranger went stiff, pausing as he scooped the tape measure from the the floor.
"Mabel?" He whispered, searching around him.
"Mab –" he began to yell, but his call was cut off.
Where he once stood was now empty space, as if he had never been there. The wind quietened, trees stilling once more as the sun's light hit the shack.
Sudden, hurried footsteps broke the peaceful silence of the morning, a young woman rushing to where the stranger once stood. She stared around, desperation filling her hazel eyes.
"Dipper?" She called, shoulders slumping when she received no answer. Her shadowed eyes fell onto the brightly coloured book, features twisting to confusion as she spotted the note poking out from under the pages.
Gently, she tugged it out, unfolding it in her hands.
And began to read.
YOU ARE READING
No Matter What
Fanfiction"Thirty seconds, that's all I have?" Dipper breathed, laying his head in his hands. "That's impossible. I will never get there in time. I'm lost forever." The day is normal, at first - for Gravity Falls. Dipper leaves the house, Mabel in tow, and th...
