A Deal with the Devil

Chapter 4

(Dipper pov)

I gasp awake in bed, the sun shining in through my window. I lean back against the headboard as I catch my breathe. I look at my alarm clock seeing it's like 10 AM.

I get ready to think it was all just a dream until I see the bruises on my wrists from where Bill grabbed me.

Gulping I get out of bed and rush quickly to the bathroom and look in the mirror seeing a hand shapped bruise on my neck. I gulp nervously as I trace it, remembering his words last night about him not being patient.

I open the medicine cabinet grabbing the bottle of my anxiety meds. I carry it downstairs since I needed water with it but stop on the stairs hearing Ford and Stan talking in the kitchen. Making sure to avoid the squeaky step I stand outside the kitchen door and listen to their conversation.

"Are you sure about this, Ford? I mean sure the kid is still messed up about what happened but so is everyone. It's only natural for him to be jumpy especially since he was dealing with that triangle longer then we first thought."

"I know Stan but you weren't down there yesterday. He could have set the whole lab on fire."

"It was one mistake. You made plenty of mistakes when you were his age."

"But he knows better then to make those kind of mistakes. I taught him better. If he had just fully read the instructions like I told him to then the mistake would have never happened."

"Maybe it's the meds you keep insisting on shoving down his throat. Those things have more odd side effects then I can name. Sometimes I wonder if those pills do more harm then good."

"What else am I supposed to do? Ignore it like you?"

"I am not ignoring it. The kid knows if he needs to talk to someone that I am always willing to talk. I at least am trying to let him know that he can still do things normally without feeling like there is something wrong with him."

"There is something wrong with him, Stanley! He is worse then ever and I have found drawings of Bill on the bathroom mirror multiple times with cryptic messages. Things that Bill would say."

"How do you know that he isn't somehow back?"

"Because if he was he would have tried to kill all of us already. And he wouldn't be able to write those things with the unicorn hair still protecting the shack."

"So you decide yourself that the boy is crazy and that's it? You just send him away like he's nothing?"

"I don't like this anymore then you. But he is becoming a danger to himself and others. I am only doing this to keep him safe."

"Sure, he'll feel safe once he's locked up with all the other nutjobs in that shit hole."

Putting a hand over my mouth I quietly make my way back upstairs.

Going back into the bathroom I look at all of my meds in there and I feel this sudden anger boiling over me.

I angrily throw all of my meds onto the floor before slamming the cabinet shut. I only took all of these meds because Ford said they would help but nothing is fucking working.

I angrily slam my hand against the mirror watching it crack. I watch as my blood from the cut on my hand stains the white countertop.

Getting an idea I dip my finger in the blood and use it to draw his symbol on the wall.

Not bothering to do anything about my hand I quietly go downstairs past the kitchen where I still hear them arguing about what to do with me.

I go to the gift shop putting in the code and head down to his lab.

I go to Ford's desk opening drawers until I find his keys with the spaceship keychain.

I unlock the cabinet and take out the rift, my blood staining the glass. I do my best to hide it in my jacket as I make my way back upstairs and head outside.

I hear the door open and cloes behind me again. "Dipper wait." I freeze and slowly turn around seeing Ford standing there looking confused and concerned. "What happened to your hand?"

"Nothing...."

"Show me what's in your jacket." I slowly take the rift out and he slowly tries to approach me but I just back away. "Please give me that."

".....you're going to send me away if I do."

"No I won't."

"Look me in the fucking eye and tell me that you don't think I'm crazy."

"I...." He manages to meet my eyes but I know that he can't say it.

I back away from him more as I let it slip from my hands and smash against the ground.

His laugh fills the air everywhere as the sky turns blood red. The wind whips around us as the rift tears into the sky again.

I feel him grip my shoulders from behind his laughter coming from right behind me. "Wow, Pinetree. I knew threatening you like that would make you hurry but I didn't expect you to act so soon. I made a good judgement call in choosing you."

"Bill." Ford's voice is full of disdain. "What have you done to him?"

"Oh nothing. Just made a small deal with him. A very delightful deal." His arms snake around my chest pulling me closer to him.

"We had a deal." I mumble making sure he could hear me. "I help you and you help me. Now hold up your end."

"I know and I will." He taps my forehead with one finger and I feel myself go limp as darkness overtakes everything around me.