The Boy Who Cried Werewolf

A Conversation with Lee and Nate

Mable hung up, got dressed, then sat on the edge of her bed and thought. Who to visit first, she wondered. Gotta get done before Dipper gets back, too, she considered. Could I get this done all in a day? Mabel wasn't sure, but she was going to try. She went downstairs to breakfast.

"Hey, Hambone," Soos greeted her as she came down. "Want some eggs and bacon?"

"Yes, please," Mabel answered, preoccupied with the day's plans.

"What's up, dude?" Soos asked, draping an arm around her shoulder. "You look like you're worried and junk."

"Oh, just some stuff I hafta do. Research."

"What, like Dipper?

"Yeah, kinda..." Mabel fell silent as they sat down in the kitchen. Grunkles Stan and Ford were there

"Hiya, Pumpkin," Stan said, drinking coffee. "What's cookin'?"

"I'm gonna go into town to, ah, well- visit some old friends, and do some investigations."

"Oh, like your nerdy brother?" He put his mug down.

"Y-yeah," Mabel said. "What are you and Grunkle Ford going to do today?" she quickly added, trying to forestall any further questions.

"Oh, I'm glad you asked!" Grunkle Ford exclaimed from over his bowl of oatmeal. "Your Uncle Stan and I have a bead on a genuine Nineteen Eighty-Five Airstream A345 recreational vehicle!"

"Oh, yeah!" Grunkle Stan chimed in. "It's gonna be the Stan O War III! We're gonna travel all over the continent investigating paranormal weirdness!"

Ford leaned over and the elder twins put their arms around each others' shoulders. "We're gonna be like Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom!" Stan cried.

"Hey- Which one of us gets to be Marlin Perkins?" Ford whispered to Stan.

Mabel stared blankly at her great uncles, not understanding the reference. She turned to Soos.

"Soos? Could you please drive me into town this morning before work?"

"Sure thing, Mabel!"

"Hey Mabel! Good to have you back in town!"

"Aw, thanks guys," Mabel said. "I'm lovin' being back."

Mabel had turned up at their store, and they now sat in the back room over iced tea to renew acquaintances. One or other of the guys would peek out to see if anyone was needed at the counter.

"Here, Mabes," said Nate. He handed her a large bottle of dark amber liquid. "Have one on us. Like, a home-coming present."

"What is it?" Mabel asked. She squinted at the bottle, turning it this way and that. "It looks like syrup."

"That's exactly what it is," Lee said. "A bottle of our best, vintage Big Leaf Maple Syrup."

"It's not quite like the stuff we get from Vermont," Nate explained. "They use sugar maple sap, which makes a sweet, light syrup; but here, we use broad leaf maple sap- local to us here in the Northwest- for a dark, rich syrup."

"Thanks, guys," Mable told them. "I'll make pancakes for breakfast at some point this week, so I can taste it!"

"Awesome!" Lee and Nate exchanged high-fives.

"But, um, guys...?" Mabel continued, sounding suddenly more serious than the young girl they remembered from four years ago. "I'm here to ask you about something really, really, seriously important." The men ceased their boyish behavior, and focused warily on her.