The falls

chapter 27

The world around them shifted, swirling in and out of focus as Jessica, Neomi, and Lilien blinked and tried to make sense of their surroundings. It wasn't the Northwest Mansion, the Mystery Shack, or any place in Gravity Falls that they recognized. Instead, they found themselves in an enormous city made entirely of waffles. Buildings towered above them, syrup drizzling from their rooftops like waterfalls, and the scent of butter filled the air.

Neomi blinked in confusion, staring at the strange landscape. "Uh, guys? I think we're in my dream."

Jessica looked around, feeling the unreal quality of everything. "This... isn't normal. I've read about shared dreams before, but they're rare. Usually, they only happen when someone intentionally casts a spell to link minds. Whoever did this is using powerful magic."

Lilien crossed her arms, her brow furrowed in concern. "So, someone cast a spell to bring us all into Neomi's dream? But why?"

Neomi kicked a stray waffle on the ground, the squishy texture under her shoe reminding her just how bizarre this whole situation was. "Does this mean Bill is here? Is he messing with my dreams again?"

Jessica's mind raced as she considered the possibility. "Maybe. Bill is known for manipulating minds. But if we're all sharing this dream, someone must have a reason for bringing us together like this. It could be Bill trying to mess with us, or it could be someone trying to warn us."

As they ventured further into the dreamscape, they started noticing something even more strange—random messages scrawled across the waffle buildings, written in backwards frosting graffiti. The words twisted and curled in elegant loops, but they were nearly impossible to read without reversing them.

Neomi squinted at one of the messages, muttering under her breath as she tried to make sense of it. "Why is there graffiti here? Who's writing messages in frosting?"

Jessica carefully examined the message, her mind working through the puzzle. "These backwards messages... It's like the one you got in your dream before, Neomi. Bill could be behind this. He loves using codes and riddles to confuse people."

"But why waffles?" Lilien asked, her tone slightly incredulous as she glanced around the bizarre cityscape. "I don't get it. What does this have to do with Bill Cipher or the interdimensional rips?"

Neomi raised a hand sheepishly. "I... kinda have a thing for waffles. I guess my mind just... made them into a whole city." She paused, her eyes flickering nervously between Jessica and Lilien. "But the messages—that's not from me. That's gotta be Bill, right?"

Jessica nodded, though uncertainty lingered in her eyes. "It could be. But what's weird is that these messages are just like the others. Why would Bill use frosting in your dream? This doesn't feel like his usual approach—he's more direct when he wants to mess with someone."

They walked down a syrup-covered street, the sound of their feet sticky against the ground. The backwards messages were everywhere—on waffle walls, syrup fountains, even scrawled across waffle cars parked haphazardly around the city. Every now and then, Jessica would try to reverse one of the messages, but it seemed like gibberish, leaving them more frustrated than before.

As they approached what looked like the center of the city, a massive waffle tower stretching into the sky, Neomi's voice cracked the silence. "So, if we're here because someone cast a spell, who's controlling this dream? I mean, besides me making it all... waffle-y."

Lilien stopped, her eyes narrowing as she thought through the possibilities. "That's a good question. Someone has to be pulling the strings. Whether it's Bill or someone else, they brought us all here for a reason."

Jessica's mind raced again, connecting pieces of what they knew. "If someone brought us into a shared dream, it might be to warn us about something—or to manipulate us. But right now, it feels more like we're being shown clues. These messages, the fact we're in *Neomi's* dreamscape—it's all pointing to something we don't quite understand yet."

Neomi sighed in frustration, rubbing her temple as if that would help make sense of things. "I thought dreams were supposed to make sense, at least while you're in them. But this is just... a waffle fever dream."

Just then, a faint echo filled the dreamscape, a strange and distorted laugh that sent a chill down their spines. Jessica stiffened, her hand instinctively going to her pocket, though she knew no weapon would help them here. Lilien shot a worried glance toward her.

"Did you hear that?" Lilien asked quietly, her voice tense.

Neomi nodded slowly, her heart pounding in her chest. "That's Bill's laugh. I'd know it anywhere."

Jessica's eyes darted around the dreamscape, scanning for any sign of the demon. "We need to be careful. Bill could be lurking anywhere here. He's probably watching us."

As they stood in the center of Waffle City, surrounded by syrup and waffle buildings, they realized they might be in deeper than they thought. Whoever—or whatever—had cast the spell to bring them together had a reason, and that reason likely involved Bill's looming return.

"We need to figure out what these messages mean," Jessica said finally, determination in her voice. "There's something here we're not seeing. Something important."

Neomi nodded, though fear still lingered in her chest. "Right. Let's crack this waffle code."