After Dark

Chapter 12 - Altered

An uneasy feeling crept up his spine without warning. Dipper shivered as he wondered what caused it. Dipper who had been searching from room to room on the lower level whispered to himself, "Screw this." He decided it was well time to regroup with Pacifica and Mabel. He texted them both.

Sir Dippingsauce: 8:13 pm 2 People (Mabel  & Pacifica Northwest)

 Meet me where we entered. It's time to leave. I don't have a good feeling about being here anymore." 

8:13 Pacifica Northwest

Yeah, this house gives me the creeps. I'll meet you there.

Dipper employed a great deal of caution and stealth as he made his way back to the greenhouse. He started to get a little anxious when he realized he was almost to the greenhouse and Mabel had not texted him back yet. When he got to the greenhouse door he slipped inside and found Pacifica inside. She looked nervous, but a smile of relief broke over he face when she saw him. She then asked, "Where is Mabel?" Dipper replied. "I had hoped she was with you. She should have been back here already or at least text me if something came up."

Dipper's phone went off. Releif flooded him knowing she probably was hiding somewhere and didn't want to give her position away. Then looking down at the screen he saw the message was from an unknown number. The message said it was from Mabel's Dorm roommate Heather.  Mabel must have given her his phone number. The message said that her sister was acting very strangely and then all of a sudden she had lept through a glass window and fell two stories crushing a car beneath her feet before she ran away into the night in a speeding blur." Dipper showed Pacifica the message as his mind puzzled over what it could mean.

Then worrying about Mabel again Dipper's heart rate began to pick up. He felt the spike in cortisol as the fear began to prickle up his spine. He called Mabel's phone knowing it was on silent or vibrate and would not give her away. It kept ringing till it went to voicemail. Dipper cursed under his breath. Worry began to cloud his judgment. What if something had happened to her?

Dipper shook his head. He was just being paranoid for the umpteenth time.  Then Dipper looked up at Pacifica in excitement. She was now showed signs of worry as well and latched onto his hopeful expression. Dipper spoke up clearing his throat, "We have each other's phones geo-tagged. She can track me and I can track her. I'll just look her up quickly. She probably is already outside and I'm worrying for nothing." Dipper launched the app and waited while the phone fetched the triangulated geotag's location from the real-time server.

Within ten seconds it had tagged it literally a few feet from him. Dipper now realized she must still be upstairs somewhere on the third floor. Dipper called her again. It went to voicemail after the allotted number of rings. Dipper was beginning to feel a numbing sensation creep up his spine. He turned to Pacifica as he swallowed his fear. "I'm not leaving without her." He looked down formulating a plan. He took Pacifica's hand and said, "trust me!" Pacifica nodded and took his hand. Dipper Marched straight down the hall and then down the master staircase heading towards all the people. Pacifica took a side glance at him and saw he had a fire in his eyes. All fear had been banished from Dipper's mind and one thought remained. If they had harmed her sister there was hell to pay.

Dipper marched straight up to the girl he recognized as the Sorority president, Trisha. She was talking with one of the other guests visiting the Sorority house. Dipper double-checked the geotag's location one more time. It had not moved. Dipper pointed an accusatory finger at Trisha. "What have you done with my sister!" Trisha looked at first confused, and then angry. Meanwhile, the girl that had been talking to her said, "I was talking to her you little $h!*" Pacifica gave the girl a hostile look and commanding said, "Back off!" Pacifica had her face a mere inches from the other girl's who backed up now somewhat intimidated by the Blue-eyed blonde's hostility and fierceness.