Running out of Time <A Gravity Falls Book>

17.Tick Tock

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Dippers POV

I finished eating the pancakes and looked at the time.
I was worried about Lilly.
Why was she so eager to get out. Like...rushed.

I walked upstairs into the attic and saw her sketch book was still in the middle of the floor.
I pick it up and saw something horrible...
Oh no...
I needed to find her...but How?
"Dipper...what's that?!" Mabel had crept behind me and saw the drawing.

"It's trouble..."

Lilly's POV

The next thing I knew. I was in the Mindscape again. But I was in front of a chess board.
But the pieces were different.
I gasped at the pieces. Each one was all of my friends and enemies were there.
They were set up completely different.

"Like the upgrade? Yeah ya do!" Bill interrupts my thought.
"Bill...what is this? I thought you said we were playing chess you stupid dorito?!" I say getting mad.
I wanted to fireball this freak.
But my powers would do no good here.

"Who said we were playing boring chess? This is the fun say to do it!" he said.
I rolled my eyes. I glanced at the pieces again.
There was dipper, Mabel, Stan, Soos, Pacifica, and even Gideon.

"How do we play." I say.
"Well, this is like...an entirely new game pretty much!-" he explains the rules.
"Simple enough but...why are they of everyone I know?" I asked.

"Oh yes! Thanks for the reminder! You see, every move you make effects that personin reality! Let me just... *snaps his fingers* there!" he says.
A hologram like screen popped up showing dipper, mabel, and everyone else in some sort of arena.
"What the-Bill! Where are you!" Stan yells.

"Make your move blue jay..." he says.

[ Instructions ]

It's really basic chess.
But the moves are like checkers.
So really it's basic checkers...
Yeah.
But each piece gets affected in either pain...or something like that.
Okay? Okay...

I looked at each piece. I was so nervous. Its just like checkers... How bad could you do?
I thought to myself.
"Depends on how you play!" Bill said.

"Get out of my head!" I yelled.
"Lilly?" I hear Dipper say.

I move dipper in front of Mabel.
Bill puts his hand under his 'chin.'
He moves Gideon on his side in front of his Stan.
This was going to be a long game...

Time skipped

We looked to be almost done with the game.
My Pacific was taken and she had gotten a sharp pain in her side.
I covered my mouth.
No...No...no.
I see a perfect spot to take two of his pieces. I do it with Dipper and his Stan and Mabel were taken. But no pain...good.
"I see..." he says.

"Bill let us go!" Dipper shouts.
I sighed.
I need to win.
"You look a bit anxious over there blue jay..." Bill mocks.
I roll my eyes.
"Just...hush!" I say.
Bill moves his Pacifica and then I see another opportunity.
Wait...
"What trick are you playing demon? You are obviously trying to lose some what... I know how you work Bill..." I say.

He just laughs.
"At least some one knows my working ways..." he starts.
"But no..." he finishes.
I was so confused.

Then I got a brilliant idea.
He didn't say anything about cheating....
I get an evil smirk on my face.
I move Mabel all the way to Bill's end. Immediatly crowning Mabel.
He looked astonished at first.
"W-what?! You can't-"
I stop him.
"Who said I had to play by the rules exactly?" I said mocking him.
He calmed.
Then crossed his arms.
"Well congratulations...you out smarter me...probably the first." he says.
I smile.
"But this game isn't over yet!" he says making his Dipper take my Stan.
He goes through the same pain as Pacifica.
"Alright...fine." I say.
I make Mabel take his Gideon and Pacifica.
"But just remember I was a board game champion back in California..." I state.
He just chuckles.

He takes his Dipper and moves all the way across the board...crowning Dipper on his side.
I bring Soos to his side crowning Soos.
He laughs evily.
He brings dipper to my Gideon. But doesn't capture him.
I see all the spots to hit.

It's win or lose Lilly...
I say to my self.

I got my Mabel to get his Soos AND his Pacifica.

His eye widened.
"Your looking anxious over There Bill..." I mock.
He moves his Dipper and captures my Gideon.
That left me with Mabel,Dipper, and Soos.
I moved my Soos closer but he decided to get all cocky and capture my Soos.
"Come on..." I say.
Things were tense.
I get dipper crowned and he captures Mabel with his Dipper.
"NO!" I say.

I tried so hard.
But I wasn't close enough to capture his...and he had mine...

"Well looks like i have some strings to pull! See ya soon blue jay!"
Bill said and without any second thought, I was at the shack again...
Dipper,mabel, and Stan were there next to me.
"Lilly! What just happened?!?!" Stan asked.

"Your no hero Lilly. Just another unwanted girl. Another failular."

Bill had chimed into my head.
I looked at Dipper who didn't look too happy.
"Dipper....I am so...Sorry." I whispered. A tear trickles down my face.

"I made a d-deal with B-Bill...again.
I thought I c-ould win. And I was so close t-too." I stuttered.
He shook his head.

"Lilly I can't keep supporting you on these deals you make?!" he says.
I was offended. "Well no one said you had to. Dipper." I said.
"Infact, you could have just hated me for the first dumb deal I made with him. And I would have been left to pick up the pieces by myself. But it was YOUR choice to stay by me NOT MINE." I explained.
Now he gave me this look of anger. "Well I'm your boyfriend! It's my job to stick by you!" he protested.

"NO! That is NOT an excuse! Your 'Job' is to be yourself with me no matter what! It's not to Watch my every move making sure I don't mess up! As if I were some 3 year old?! You never had a 'job' to support me! But you know what! Now you don't half to do anything for me anymore! Because if you can't trust me then how are we going to work?" I was beyond angry.

I understand I messed up... But this isn't right.
"I'm not just some priority or job! I am supposed to be your girlfriend! But for now..." I pause. He looked pained now.

"For now...were not even close to that." I finished. I ran upstairs in the attic again.
My things were still up there.
I grabbed my sketch pad and pencil then plugged in my earbuds.
I began to sketch the first thing that came to my mind...

Tick Tock Lillian...Tick Tock...

( whoa...that was...whoa.... )