A Human's Touch || BillFord (Gravity Falls)

Dreading June // The Bunker Accident

TW: Alcohol, blood

[Ford POV]

In a few weeks it'll be June. Fiddleford says the vitamin D will be good for me since I slept for a couple days straight last week.
Unfortunately that was actually due to my Muse, I'm not much of a drinker but he told me there was something I could have that would only intoxicate me in the mindscape, and he made it sound pretty good as well.
I don't remember much of what happened that night I just remember he wanted to sing some 70's pop music or something?? Fiddleford said he'd staid by my side during the nights just to make sure something wasn't wrong with me, which I found pretty sweet. 
The portal is almost ready, but I've been feeling a bit off lately so I might ask my Muse if I can take a break of sorts. There's a day coming up that I'm dreading, and I don't want F or anyone to try and figure out why or be worried about me.
It's, well it's my birthday. I've always felt uneasy around the day ever since S and I stopped talking. I think Fiddleford knows by now not to do anything for it but sometimes he still insists on making me a gift, which is sweet but I don't think I can take it much longer. I'd rather just pretend the day doesn't exist.
I made my breakfast and drank some coffee, then went into my study/the upstairs livingroom to  enclose myself in isolation. I tried to pass the time by reading or flipping through my journals even, but it got boring fast, and where boredom went the intrusive thoughts followed. I stared back at the bookshelf, then got up and paced around just trying to pass the time. Maybe I should just go back to sleep.
I sighed and sat down on the couch before full deciding to go back to sleep, I know F won't be pleased about this but I can't deal with this right now.

When I woke. I was in the basement with some tools in my hands. Was my Muse trying to get me to work? I know I wanted to ask him for a break but he could've at least asked me. I got up and dusted myself off, setting the tools down. We'll talk about it later I guess. Maybe F and I should go check on the Shape Shifter. I headed upstairs and Fiddleford was watching the TV. I glanced at the screen for a second and I swear, as he was flipping through the channels I saw a firmilair face in an advertisement.. Stanley? The name on the screen was fake, but I knew it was him. F noticed my uneasiness and looked up at me "Everything okay?" He asked. I jolted a bit and refocuses my attention to him "Oh, yes, I just um, lost my focus I guess. Anyway I was wondering if you wanted to come check on the shapeshifter with me" I asked. I looked like he wanted to say more but agreed.
We headed to our secret hiding spot, we've been kind of busy so we haven't spent time down here lately. Sometimes we'd sleep down here for weeks watching the Shapeshifter's progress. When we arrived and turned on the lights he seemed much larger. Maybe he just ate some strange bugs or something, Gravity Falls is quite an interesting place.. I mean, that's what I told myself but something still felt off. I told F I'd go down to take a look at him, and he agreed that he'd stay in the control room Incase anything went wrong. It shouldn't but he probably just wanted more time to work on his personal computer. I shrugged it off and went down into the lover level. I walked around and saw the cryogenic pods looked a little damaged, yet one seemed alright. I looked around more. It had chewed out of its cell, which means it's lose somewhere. I heard roaring in the distance which startled me, I turned around to see it fighting a large spider. I stepped back and reached for my gun just Incase. I thought it would just knock out the creatur or something but.. instead it tore it open, ripped out its tongue and began to feast on it.. it was horrifying to watch, I even almost considered leaving but he was slightly in the way. Is the experiment a failure? Should we have paid it more mind? When it finally noticed me it shifted into a perfect copy of me, it was almost creepy how realistic it was. "Woah. Uh, long time no see" I tried to communicate with it. Sometimes it speaks and sometimes it doesn't. "Long time indeed, where have you been?" It asked with a strange looking in it's eye. "I've just been doing some other experiments, I really didn't mean to be gone so long. I'd ask if you're hungry but it seems you've handled that.." I nervously spoke as I watched it wipe some of the spider's blood off it's face. "Experiments more important than me?" It mumbles. I was a little shocked, his words were creepy almost. Had it grown an attachment to me? I moved my hair back nervously "No! I just haven't had the time, you see, I'm building a large machine and it's taken almost a year—" it cut me off and punched me "DON'T HAVE THE TIME TO EVEN REMEMBER TO FEED ME? AM I JUST AN EXPERIMENT OR MONSTER TO YOU, LIKE THOSE IN YOUR JOURNAL?" It grumbled.
I wiped some blood off my lip. I backed up. "How did you know about my studies.." I gasped. I wish my Muse were here, the Shapeshifter's become unstable! It shifter into a large centipede and began to chase me through some tunnels it dug. "FIDDLEFORD DO SOMETHING" I yelled, hoping he was seeing this on the cameras.
Dying the night before my birthday wasn't in my plans. If this kills me now S will never forgive me.
I managed to hide behind a water pipe and it surprised past. I quickly began to head back, I could even see Fiddleford in the distance at the elevator, the ground was very moist, almost muddy, I kept silently praying I wouldn't fall or get stuck, and in doing so I almost did. I was about to say something whitty, making fun of myself for being such a clutz but something dug it's claws into my leg, and not like a cat either, almost THROUGH my leg! I screamed for help as the creature began to drag me, it was a new form, like some kind of large deranged mantis. Fiddleford came to my aid and almost screamed himself from all the blood. He threw his computer at the creature and it let me go, wailing at it's head from the direct hit. Fiddleford grabbed me and nearly dragged me into the elevator. He stopped for a moment. "What are you doing? Let's go, now!" I yelled, trying to ignore the pain of my gushing wounds. "Not yet" he replied. He started to head back "Stay here" he added. "Are you INSANE?" I yelled. He went back and sure enough the creature was ready to devour him. He grabbed a metal bar from the chewed prison and charged at it. He dug it straight into its liver. Its screamed and changed shape a few times trying to shake Fiddleford off but he stood his ground. Eventually he did let go and slide past the creature to grab his computer. Of course that's why he went back. The creature curried around the room and Fiddleford managed to trap it back in the chamber but weirdly enough it didn't fully freeze when we turned them fully on. He tended to my wounds while I made note of the dangerous encounter. He tore the sleeves of his shirt and tightly wrapped it around my wounds. He put his lab coat on to cover his shoulders and grabbed his computer "C'mon, let's get out of here" He offered me his hand. I smiled and he helped walk me back to the house. Its a shame things turned out that way with the Shifter, we had invested so much time into that place someone could live there for around a hundred years.
Strangely enough though, even if we could've died, it really did help me clear my head.
Fiddleford offered to make dinner but I said I just wanted to get some sleep. He looked s little saddened but understood. I limped as I shuffled upstairs and into MH study, relived to sleep the events of the day away.
In the morning I woke up rather early which was a bit irritating but at least I can get more work done I suppose. I shuffled down stairs and decided I could use some fresh air. I opened the door to the front porch and was about to take a step when I saw my name spelled in dead rats. What the fuck?! They aren't.. super decayed.. but still disturbing..