Monster Falls

2: Mr. Mystery's Magic Water

"We're not leaving till all of the bottles are filled!" Stan shouted to the four people in front of him. Since the town's water system had gone down, Stan had taken Dipper's find as an advantage, and was now watching them bottle gallons of water, on what seemed to be one of the hottest days of the summer.

Wendy turned around. "Uh, Mr. Pines? Aren't you gonna help?"

"I'm old, it'll hurt my back." The teen turned back and mumbled something to herself.

Soos nudged the girl beside him. "C'mon, Wendy! Keep a good attitude! I got one and I'm not even getting paid!"

Mabel smiled, putting her arms on her waist. "Soos, you're right!"

Dipper raised his eyebrows. "I think I'm with Wendy on this one." He turned around. "Grunkle Stan, how long do we have to do this? I've filled like, fifty bottles already!" He felt kind of wary about doing this, especially because of Bill saying that the river had magical properties.

Stan raised his eyebrows and opened a bottle of water. He drank one sip and dumped the rest on the ground. "Oops. Now you have fourty-nine bottles! Fill more, kid."

Dipper groaned, sitting back down by the river. Great. He'd already been out here for at least two hours, his shoes were soaked, and his legs still hurt.

"How's your brother doing, Mister Pines?" Soos asked, filling up a bottle.

Stan looked down, becoming shifty."Uh, Ford? Uh, Ford's fine, I guess. Still mad, but fine."

Mabel frowned. "Did you even tell him we'd be out here all day?" She asked.

"No. It's not like he even cares, anyways." Stan sighed. "Get back to work. This is gonna make me so much money!"

Mabel took her sweater off. "Is it weirdly hot today?" She fanned her face. "Or is it just me?"

Dipper looked at her. "I think it's just you."

"Grunkle Stan, can I have some water?" Mabel questioned, turning around.

"Sure. Ya' have to fill more though."

Dipper sighed, glancing at Mabel for a second and setting a water bottle down. He really didn't feel too well. "Can I take a quick break?"

Stan rolled his eyes. "Normally I'd say no, but you're the one who found this place for us. Just be sure to come back."

The boy nodded, standing up. For a few minutes, he watched his friends and sister fill the bottles, before drifting off to his thoughts.

  "Dipper, dude, you okay?" The boy unfroze from his trance as he heard a familiar teenage voice from behind him. Wendy.

The preteen sighed. "Yeah, I guess," Dipper huffed, sitting on a rotting log, watching Stan disperse water bottles to Mabel and Soos, who were eager to continue their task. "I just have a really bad headache and my legs hurt a lot and I'm really itchy," the boy explained, scratching at a spot on his arm.

Wendy furrowed her brows, putting a hand to Dipper's forehead. "Dude, you're really hot."

Dipper blushed, knowing what the girl meant but thinking of it as another way. "I--uh--Maybe it's just sweat?" He stammered, feeling awkward.

"Nah, Dip, this is like, abnormally hot," Wendy explained, concerned for the boy in front of her. "Do you think you're getting the flu?"

Dipper sighed. If that was all this was then he would be relieved. "I don't know," he mumbled, staring out at the river. "I haven't really been feeling very well, so probably."