The falls

chapter 22

The morning sun filtered through the windows of the Mystery Shack as Jessica sat at the kitchen table, absentmindedly flipping through a book about local legends. Neomi, still in her pajamas, came stumbling into the room, looking both groggy and unusually distracted.

"You look like you've seen a ghost," Jessica said, raising an eyebrow.

Neomi shook her head and sat down across from her. "It's not a ghost, but I did have the weirdest dream last night." She leaned in closer, her eyes wide with urgency. "And it wasn't just a dream, Jess. It was... something more."

Jessica set her book down, now fully paying attention. "Okay, what happened?"

Neomi took a deep breath. "So, in the dream, I'm walking through this really foggy place—like, I can't even see my feet. And then I hear this voice, but it's talking all weird. I couldn't understand it at first, but then I realized..." She paused for dramatic effect. "It was speaking backwards."

Jessica blinked, now intrigued. "Backwards? Like... reversed?"

"Yeah! Exactly!" Neomi pulled a crumpled piece of paper from her pocket and slid it across the table. "When I woke up, I couldn't remember what the voice was saying, but it left me with this—"

Jessica took the paper and frowned as she stared at the bizarre scribbles. The letters and symbols on the page were clearly reversed. It looked like gibberish to anyone not familiar with the technique.

"It's a backwards message," Neomi continued. "I know it. Something, or someone, left this for me. It's a warning."

Jessica's eyes widened as she inspected the message more closely. "Whoever—or whatever—left this must be trying to warn us. And if it's backwards... I think Bill Cipher might've had a hand in that. He's tricky like that, always messing with people's heads."

Neomi furrowed her brows. "You think this has something to do with Bill?"

Jessica nodded. "Yeah. Bill's always been about manipulating reality. If there's a message hidden this way, he probably hoped we wouldn't bother figuring it out. But there's no way we can ignore this."

"Do you think he's coming back?" Neomi asked, a touch of fear creeping into her voice.

"Maybe. Maybe not. But whatever this is, it's a warning for sure." Jessica ran her fingers over the paper thoughtfully. "And that means whoever sent it doesn't want us to get blindsided by him."

They both sat in silence for a moment, the weight of the situation settling over them. Bill Cipher wasn't something to take lightly, and the possibility of his return was enough to send a chill down anyone's spine.

But then, as if trying to shake off the heaviness, Neomi let out a nervous laugh. "You know, it's crazy. Last week we were saving Christmas, and now we're getting cryptic warnings about Bill Cipher. How is this our life?"

Jessica chuckled softly, though the tension didn't entirely leave her. "Welcome to Gravity Falls."

Neomi then fidgeted with the edge of her shirt, biting her lip. "There's, uh... something else on my mind, though."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I still can't get over the fact that we went on an actual date the other night," Neomi admitted, her cheeks flushing a little. "Like, I know we joked about it, but we really... went on a date. Right?"

Jessica smiled at the memory of the Northwest mansion party and how casually Neomi had called it a "date" at first. But now that she thought about it, it really had felt like something more.

"I guess we did," Jessica said, her voice soft. "I mean... I didn't mind."

Neomi beamed. "Neither did I! But—ugh, I don't know, Jess. It's weird, right? I mean, we've been friends for a while, but now... does this mean we're more than friends?"

Jessica took a deep breath, feeling the warmth of Neomi's excitement but also the weight of the question. "I don't know," she admitted. "I never really thought about us like that before. But now that I do..." She glanced at Neomi, whose face was lit up with anticipation. "I liked the date. I like being with you."

Neomi's smile grew even wider, and she reached out to grab Jessica's hand across the table. "I like being with you too, Jess."

For a moment, everything felt lighter. The backwards message, Bill Cipher's potential return—it all faded to the background as they focused on each other. There was something about this new dynamic between them that felt right, even if it was unexpected.

"So... does that mean we're dating now?" Neomi asked playfully, her fingers intertwining with Jessica's.

Jessica couldn't help but laugh. "I guess so."

"Awesome." Neomi gave a small, satisfied nod, but then her expression turned more serious. "Just promise me one thing?"

"Yeah?"

"If Bill ever shows up... we handle it together."

Jessica squeezed her hand, her confidence bolstered by their growing connection. "Absolutely. We've got this."

As the morning sun continued to shine through the windows, the two of them sat there, their fingers still intertwined. The future was uncertain, and the threat of Bill Cipher's return loomed somewhere in the distance, but for now, Jessica and Neomi had each other. And that was enough.