Never Trust Your Demons

10

I sit in my room late at night. It's been a couple weeks since those hallucinations and nightmares started. They've gotten more and more intense too. Bill's stopped showing up, though. Half of me wishes he would come back though.
Why am I not asleep already you ask? Goodness knows, I need it. There are bags under my eyes worse than Dipper's after an allnighter.
I haven't slept in a couple weeks. Not since the nightmares. They wake me up anyways, so what good would it do?
I spend more time in my room then out of it, and when I am out, I shake all over with anxiety.
Only Dipper and Mabel seem to have noticed my odd, secluded behavior. Dipper has repeatedly tried to ask me about it, but part of me-the part of me that's apparently in control-won't let him in. I'm scared that, if I let him know anything else, the nightmares might become a reality.
Lightning suddenly flashes, followed by loud thunder and my hand shoots forward in surprise, creating a large slash through my already shaky drawing.
"Ugh!" Frustrated, I shove the sketchbook off my lap and cross my arms, leaning back against the window as the lights flicker, then die.
Lightning flashes again, and I can see in the little light it creates a body. A bloody body just laying in the middle of my room. Most of me realizes it's just another hallucination, but again, the small part in control, thinks it's real.
Crack!
Dead Stan.
Bang!
Dead Wendy.
kra-KOOM!
Dead Soos.
Flash!
Dead Mabel.
Boom!
Dead Dipper.
Tears well up and I'm unable to pull my eyes away for a minute. Then I close my eyes and let all my weight fall against the window.
"Ah!" As the slight pitter patter of the rain grows stronger, my window swings open and I fall out, landing on the ground outside as tears stream down my face.
"It's not real," I mutter to myself. "It's not real, it's not real..." I cover my face with my hands as the rain falls around me harder and harder.
I feel the rain suddenly stop. I pull my hands away from my face to see a familiar yellow and black figure grinning down at me. The rain is still pouring all around us, but his cane has formed a sort of umbrella above us.
"B-bill...." I stammer. "I can't do this. I'm scared to go to sleep, I'm scared to open my eyes, I'm scared to do anything!"
It's quiet for a minute, the only sound being the rain and thunder as I stare up in his eyes, tears pouring out of mine. Then I gather up the strength to sit up and climb back in through the window.
Despite Bill showing up nearly an instant after falling out, I was soaked thoroughly. With a sigh, I pull off my hoodie and hang it on the coat rack.
I go to lay down again, but my head doesn't hit my pillow. Looking up, I once again am staring into Bill's cat-like eyes, my head resting in his lap. I feel my cheeks growing redder.
I still have barely any energy, so I stay there, closing my eyes as I try to force back tears
It feels somewhat... nice to have him here. Even though he's the cause of all this torture and anxiety, he knows what's happening and I'm not afraid of what would happen if I told him. It's comforting, somehow.
He plants a kiss on my forehead and I open my eyes in surprise. His mischievous grin has returned, and I half smile back before letting my heavy eyelids fall again. Before I know it, I've fallen asleep.

I wake up. Bill's gone, and when I look at my watch, I see it's nearly noon. Wow. I slept that long? And with no nightmares or dreams! Relieved and refreshed, I climb out of bed as my stomach growls.
"Morning, guys!" I walk into the kitchen with a smile for the first time in forever.
"Morning..?" Dipper watches in confusion my sudden change of attitude.
I hum quietly, pulling out a Pitt Cola. Hey, just because I just woke up doesn't mean it's not lunch.
"Doing better, are we?" Bill's voice enters my head. I try not to blush as I answer.
Yeah, thanks.
"Why do you do that?"
What?
"That blood rush to your face," I can hear the smirk in his voice as the blood in my face pounds harder to accentuate his point. "It happens whenever I appear."
It's just something that happens whenever I'm....surprised. Are the dreams....? I try to change the subject.
"Gone for good? For now, yes. And the hallucinations."
I give an audible sigh of relief as I close the fridge. I sit at the table where the twins are eating lunch.
"So what have I missed today?"
"It's Soos' birthday!" Mabel whispers.
"But..." Dipper adds. "He doesn't seem to like birthday parties."
"Apparently not for a while."
"Hmm..." I think. "Anything else he likes?"
Dipper and Mabel think for a second, then, in unison answer, "Laser tag!"
"Let's take him to Big Gunz Laser Tag!" Dippers adds. "He's got a membership and everything!"
"Fun!" I reply, standing up. Truth is, I suck at laser tag, so I'm not looking forward to this...oh well. Anything for Soos.

"Alright, guys," Soos says as we lead him into the arcade. "Blindfold me once, shame on you. Blindfold me twice- wait a minute," He stops and sniffs the air. He's cool, but I'm pretty sure somewhere along his family line he's part gopher. "Hot dog smell? Sticky floors? Future sounds?" "Laser tag? I-I love laser tag. How'd you guys know?"
"Um," Mabel glances away. "We definitely didn't rifle through your wallet?" She laughs awkwardly. Ah, so that's how they knew.
"Welcome to the year 8000. Society: collapsed. Fog machines: everywhere."
I laugh. "Uh, fourth wall much?"
According to Stan, the walls are mattresses because this used to be a mattress store. Guess that explains the "Mr. ZZZ's" part.
As Mabel and Dipper encourage Soos to give it a try, Stan, Wendy I get the gear.
"Prepare for laser battle in Three! Two!" A buzzer sounds as a billboard pops up with" GO!" written on it.
Stan and Wendy run in as Soos bends down to tie his shoelace. I start to run in after Dipper and Mabel.
"Wait, Police Box, stop!" I slow down a bit as I run into the arena, Bill's voice fading from my mind.. It's suddenly just a gray....box.
"There's no way fog machines and lights turn spray painted mattresses into this...,I look around. "Come to think of it, where are the fog machines and lights?"
"Whoa, this is even cooler than I imagined!" Mabel is a bit less suspicious than I am. "Look how real these laser guys are!"
I watch as she kicks at one of the guys she was talking about.
"Kick deflected!" Something says suddenly.
"Huh?" I look in confusion at the "laser" guys.
"Wait, what?" Mabel is just as perplexed as I am.
"Soos!" Dipper yells suddenly and Mabel and I turn to find the doorway growing smaller, Soos on the other side! The three of us run to it, but it closes just before we get there, becoming a solid gray wall like the rest. Mabel kicks it repeatedly, but one of the guys behind us starts speaking.
"Nice try, but that's solid time-tanium, kid!" We turn back to him. "There's only one way out of here..."
"Through me!" A disembodied head and hands comes out from the two... time police?
Oh, uh..." The head looks down, messing with the watch on one of the hands.