Gravity Falls: Illuminatus

Chapter 2: The Return

Four years had passed since Dipper and Mabel's death. The town had thrown a memorial for the twins in their honor, and people from all over the state and even over the country had come to pay their respects. It was a dark day for the citizens of Gravity Falls, and they were in mourning for months. The Stans had come back from their trip for the funeral, and she hadn't seen or heard from them since.

Wendy still worked at the Mystery Shack full time, despite the painful memories it brought her. Soos and Melody had a baby on the way, and Wendy, in an effort to help them out, who had a harder time doing their job now that she was expecting, had moved into the attic upstairs. She didn't mind the extra work, as Soos paid her more and she preferred keeping busy. Though wanting to help her friend was the main reason she had done so, a part of her still wanted to be close to the memory of Dipper and Mabel. Her father had been against it, but nothing had dissuaded her.

She couldn't blame her father for being concerned. Most of her friends and family were concerned. After hearing about her friend's deaths, she locked herself in her room for days and refused to sleep or eat. When she did eat, it was very little, and her sleep was filled with nightmares. She had lost a dangerous amount of weight, so much that she had to be put in the hospital. After going to therapy, she was able to get herself back to a healthy weight (mostly thanks to Soos' Abuelita's practically force-feeding her) and eventually she was able to come back to work, but the Wendy everyone knew before the death of her friends was gone. She rarely laughed anymore, she didn't go out or see her friends, and seemed to have completely given up on the adventurous life she used to live. She no longer had interest in hunting for the weird or unexplainable anymore. Without Dipper, she felt there was no point anymore. Several times, Soos and Melody would go up to check on her in the attic to find her crying, clutching the old, beat-up pinetree hat she wore everywhere she went.

Soos and Melody were the only people who seemed to manage to get a smile out of Wendy every now and again. She enjoyed spending her time with them, and she could forget about all the pain she felt, but only for a little while. She and Melody would plan day trips to the spa on regular occasions, while she and Soos would play video games together. To her, their friendship was invaluable, and it helped keep her going through this horrible time in her life.

One night, after a particularly busy day at the Mystery Shack, Soos and Wendy were relaxing with a game of Tiger-Fist when Melody waddled into the room. She was getting very close, and it was hard for her to maneuver, so Wendy got up and helped her onto the couch.

"Thanks Wendy," Said Melody. "Soos, honey, do we have any ice cream left? I've got a powerful craving."

"Sorry, hon, I think you ate the last of it yesterday," Said Soos.

"Oh, that's a shame," said Melody.

"I can pick you up some more," said Wendy. "I need to go to the store anyway."

"Oh, would you?" Said Melody. "Thank you, that would be so helpful!"

"Yeah, thanks dude!" Said Soos. "I'll kick your butt at this game later."

"You wish," Said Wendy, chuckling. She packed up her wallet and grabbed her keys, heading out to the supermarket. It was 9 PM in September, so the sun had set an hour ago. She didn't like driving at night, but it couldn't be helped. She was almost out of her antidepressant medication, and the pharmacy closed in an hour. If she hurried, she would be able to --

Something collided with the side of her car, sending it careening over to the side of the road. Wendy felt her head hit the side of the window, causing it to shatter. She felt blood spilling from a gash in her forehead. Her vision doubled as she tried to get her bearings, and idly thought in the back of her head that she may have a concussion. She fumbled with the seatbelt and spilled out of the side of her car when she came face to face with what caused her to crash in the first place.