To the Nights in the Hold of Stone (BillDip)

A Moment of Unease(4)

Dipper POV

I stumbled back hitting my knees on the edge of the chair I had been sitting in, falling back on my ass into it. Some of the people who fled minutes ago where back, Wendy and Melody where still standing over the sink chatting just like they had before Bill-

Shit Bill.

I scanned the kitchen quickly, once, twice, one more time just to be sure. He wasn't here and no one was acting like he had been.

"Dipper, are you ok dude?" Wendy came into my field of vision, which had I glued to the door waiting to hear the whistling again.

I shook my head no but quickly stammered out, "I'm fine, I'm fine. Something just startled me." I pushed unsteady out of the dining room chair, "I'm gonna go find Mabel."

If she said anything else to me I didn't hear it. I made my way quickly into the living room, which was even more crowded than the kitchen, but then again even in a crowd my sister is never hard to spot.

She, along with Grenda, Candy, and Pacifica, had taken over the armchair using it as a throne. They were in their own world, and the rest of the room was still in a happy and celebratory mood, both my Grunkles were drinking and chatting not far from my sister. No one in the room looked like they had moments ago.

I could feel the ache and pin prick of a headache forming right behind my eyes. A usual occurrence but really not a welcome one right now.

Soos, like always, was the one to see me standing awkwardly dying in the doorway, and as always he was very close but so far from the reason why.

"Dipper dude! You look like you've seen a ghost! Have you been drinking with Wendy again? You know she can drink you under at least three tables. Right?" He dropped his arm over my shoulders, giving me a hard shake to see if I could stay on my feet.

"I'm fine Soos I haven't been drinking at all! And that was one time!" I laughed, Soos is the closest thing I have to a best friend and can always get me to crack up. Even in the face of impending doom and the return of the dream demon that destroyed the town.

I didn't destroy the town. It's still here isn't it?

Ice poured down my spine and I froze, still tucked in Soos' arm. He was still laughing, had he not heard that?

Soos noticed the shift, he turned slightly to me and lowered his voice, "For real you good?"

He's just now noticing? Correct me if I'm wrong but, you haven't been "good" for a while now.

It was definitely Bill's voice, ringing clear in my ears, like he was standing right behind me. But Soos didn't react, he didn't hear it.

I decided to test it and thought out loud in my head. Are you in my head?

Duh.

Soos was still waiting, looking more and more concerned as I stood in silence. "Yeah, sorry I just need fresh air. It's a lot you know, I haven't seen Mabel in so long." I lied shitily, ducking out from under his arm and backing away towards the door.

"Ok dude." Soos waved off, watching me as I went. He's a good friend but I'm glad he didn't follow me.

No one else noticed me leave, which is pretty normal, I was able to get out the front door without anyone else stopping me or following me. Outside, I just start walking.

I was waiting, listen for if Bill would say something to me again, but he didn't. My head was only spinning with my own thoughts and confusion, rethinking everything that just happened. I took off into the woods, not wanting to talk to people in town, who all knew that Mabel had come back today.