Dipper's POV
I stood in the inky darkness. I heard very, very distant shuffling and decided it would be best if I kept moving. I took a nervous step forward, and shivered. I know I'm paranoid, but it felt like someone was watching me. Probably Bill. I breathed in, stressed. I started trudging forward, my eyes feeling heavier by the minute. I suddenly caught my foot on some sort of ridge, and flopped over on my face. I touched my hand to my face. Warm. Wet. Oh, no. I flicked on the flashlight I suddenly remembered I had, and glanced down at my feet. I stood, and whipped my head back up. I turned around, and aimed the flashlight at the area I fell at.
"What...?" I whispered. My flashlight revealed a deep crevice, curling up at the edges. That's what I fell on. Judging by the blood stains on the ground, I was a few inches away from falling into an abyss of who knows how many yards. I wiped my hurting face on my sleeve, leaving a red stain. When I faced the road ahead, I noticed a faded light. Could it be? A way out? I headed toward it, keeping my light pointed at the ground, incase of any more holes. I finally reached the source of the light. It was right behind this corner. I limped around it. I glanced at the wooden doorframe that read "23-5-12-3-15-13-5 16-9-14-5 20-18-5-5" I reminded myself to decode that later. It was a... A candle?
Mabel's POV
Grunkle Stan nervously paced back and forth. Stanley stood in one place, crossing his arms, as he had been waken up as well. "Worrying about isn't going to help you or the boy," He murmured. Stan whirled around.
"You should be caring more, he's your grandson, and I'll have you know- he's more than capable of causing trouble!"
Grunkle Stan pointed accusing at Stanley, who narrowed his eyes at him.
"He's not my responsibility, I wasn't the one Thomas gave them to!"
I covered my ears, and started to tear up again. I was doing that a lot these days. "Please, stop! I can't stand to see you two fight each other!"
Tears were streaming down my face now, and my great-uncle and his brother stared at me blankly. I suddenly grew angry.
"Stop staring at me! I can't cry like every normal human being? Do you expect me to be like-like everyone else? Do you expect me to be... to be happy all the time?"
I broke down again, and bawled into my knees. Grunkle Stan knelt down beside me, and rubbed my shoulder. I pulled him into a hug. "I miss him," I said to Stan, my words slightly muffled by his shirt. He knew exactly who I was talking about. "Yeah, yeah. So do I."
Dipper's POV
Soon enough I noticed a piece of paper held down by the candle, a note. It read:
"If you have discovered this, it may already be too late. I must hide this note, so I'll make it short and sweet. Never, at all costs, trust Bill Cipher. The Cipher Wheel must be activated. Now. Only when the Portal is activated will the door to this room be open. Once the Portal is open, Bill has ultimate power. Whatever you do, don't make any deals with Him, especially after this happens. Good luck.
Signed, Stanley Pines"
Ultimate power? Too late? The most confusing of all, what the heck is the Cipher Wheel? These questions overwhelmed my brain as I left, disappointed there was no way out. The path just seemed to go on and on. I looked up at the ceiling. I saw a bit of carving on the cave walls. I remembered what Wendy did when she had scraped herself. I tore off the cuff of my shirt sleeve, and tied it around my forehead, where it felt like the majority of the scrape was. I got a grip on the cave wall, and lifted my foot to the next opening. I directed my hand from the one it was on to the rock above it. I continued until I could read the carving.
"G-N-I-H-C-T-A-W S-I L-L-I-B." I read aloud. I stared at the code until it hit me. It was just backwards! "Bill is watching..." I read aloud. I took a step back. Watching...
The drama's just getting started! I squeezed a few feelzy moments in there, hope you enjoy them. If you bother to decode the A1Z26 code, I'll give you a shoutout and a like spam, cuz I'm just like that. Also, thanks so much for over 200 reads! I never dreamed my story would get this far! Later! Don't forget to vote for my story!
