Summer with the Pine Twins: Summer's Coming to an End

A Tale of Two Stans: Part 4

Grunkle Stan's p.o.v.

"It's a trans universal gateway. A punched hole through a weak spot in our dimension. Grace and I created it to unlock the mysteries of the universe but it could just as easily be used for terrible destruction. That's why it was shut down and we've hidden the journals which explain how to operate it. There's only one journal left and you are the only person we can trust to take it. I have something to ask of you. Remember our plans to sail around the world on a boat?"

I smile, hoping he's going to ask what I think he's going to ask. "Take this book, get on a boat, and sail away as far as you can, to the edge of the Earth. Bury it where no one can find it," He turns away from me and I snap.

"That's it?! You finally wanna see me after twenty-five years and it's to tell me to get as far away from you as possible?!" "Stanley you don't understand what we're up against, what we've been through!" "No, no! You don't understand what I've been through! I've been to prison in three different countries! I once had to chew my way out of the trunk of a car! You think you've got problems? I've got a mullet, Stanford! Meanwhile, where have you been? Living it up in your fancy house in the woods with your girlfriend and your foster kid, selfishly hoarding your college money because you only care about those two and yourself!"

I accuse him and he gets defensive. "I'm selfish? I'm selfish Stanley? How can you say that after costing not only me but Grace's dream school! I'm giving you a chance to do the first worthwhile thing in your life and you won't even listen!"

"Well listen to this! You want me to get rid of this book? Fine! I'll get rid of it right now," I pull out my lighter and turn it on, putting the flame under the book. "No! You don't understand!" Ford shouts, tugging the book away from the flame. "You said you want me to have it so I'll do what I want with it," I say, pulling the book out of his grasp and once again putting it above the flame.

"Our research!" I hear before being tackled to the ground, he races toward the book when I trip him and grab it first as he shouts "Stanley give it back!" We tumble into the lab as we were pushed and shoved into machines. 

"You want it back? Then you'll have to ty harder than that. You left me behind you jerk! It was supposed to be us forever, you ruined my life!" "You ruined your own life!" He kicks me into a hot part of meta and I feel heat sear the skin on my shoulder and I scream, my hand going to my shoulder, my brother quickly at my side.

"Stanley! Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry are you ok-" I punch him in the jaw and we stumble once again into the room with the machine, Grace soon running in shouting "Stop this! Stop this right now you two!" 

We didn't listen and continued to fight when a lever was pulled and the machine turned on. "Some brother you turned out to be. You care more about your dumb mysteries than your family? Then you can have them!" I shove the book in his chest and he starts floating. "Woah, what's going on? Stanford!" Grace runs past me, trying to grab hold of him as he called for help as they both were sucked into the portal. "STANLEY!" "(Y/N)! Please! Take care of (y/n)!" 

There was a flash of bright light and they both were gone, all that was left was the journal and their glasses. "Stanford? Grace? You guys come back! I didn't mean it!" I shout, banging on the machine with my fists before tugging on the lever again. "I just got them back, I can't lose them again! STANFORD! GRACE!" I scream.

"I lost them. I didn't know if they were dead or alive in some distant galaxy but I knew their journal must have the answer to getting them back somehow. While I was panicking (y/n) had run away into the snowstorm and even though I went looking for her, I never found her. I didn't get much sleep that night or the night after that. I tried for weeks to turn that dumb machine back on but without the other two journals it was hopeless."