Phantom Falls

Chapter 18

No! No! No! Mabel tried to scream but it was useless. She was so tired. She had been fighting Bill for hours now. She was aware of what was going on around her, both in the outside world and within her own mind. She knew Bill's basic thoughts and he knew hers.

You can't! Her consciousness yelled at him. Don't hurt him! Leave Dipper alone!

You agreed to this, Shooting Star. Now shut up and let me get on with it. Bill's voice answered back, though no sound was coming out of Mabel's physical mouth.

"Is this far enough?" Dipper asked, slightly behind MaBill.

"Almost," came the reply out of their mouth.

No! Turn around, Dipper! Go back! Mabel tried to scream yet again but it was no use. She didn't know exactly what Bill wanted with Dipper but she knew it couldn't be good. Before they had left the Shack, Bill had grabbed a knife and hid it in her sweater. He also had hidden one of Danny's thermoses in the woods, which Mabel suspected also wasn't good.

"Why do we have to go so far?" Dipper said, panting.

"It's a secret!" MaBill said with the faintest trace of sinister laughter. Dipper was too tired to notice. "Okay, we're here! Now wait just a minute, I have to set it up."

"Set it up?" Dipper asked, confused.

MaBill just smiled and walked a little farther into the woods, just so Dipper couldn't see where they went.

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Danny zoomed toward where he heard MaBill's distorted voice. He was almost there. He caught sight of Dipper, and, staying invisible, drifted forward. He passed into a clearing where MaBill was standing completely still, their back to him. He got ready to fire an ecto ray at them, but just before he shot, MaBill spoke.

"I knew you wouldn't be able to stay away, Deadman." They turned around, holding their arms behind their back.

Danny was so shocked that he turned visible again. He opened his mouth to retort, but MaBill cut him off.

"Listen, I can't have you interfering with my plans. I could easily defeat you, but frankly I don't have the time. This is much easier. See ya, Deadman."

Before Danny could ask what MaBill meant, he saw a blue glow in their hands. A beam of light shot out at him and he found himself being sucked into the Fenton Thermos before he could fight. He didn't even have time to scream.

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"Okay, Dipper, you can come in now!" MaBill called. Dipper came crashing into the clearing in response, looking slightly worried now.

"Mabel, is everything alright? I thought I heard something...."

"Everything's fine, Dipper. It's all coming together perfectly," MaBill reached inside their sweater, slowly pulling something out of the sleeve.

Dipper was even more worried by this. Mabel had never acted so... so sinister before.... And suddenly everything clicked as he looked into the eyes of the person who should be his sister. He stumbled back as he recognized the slit pupils- it was Bill!

MaBill laughed as Dipper fell to the ground. No more pretending, then. "Finally figured it out, eh Pine Tree?"

Dipper's eyes grew wide as he saw what MaBill was holding. It was a knife.

"Are you g-going t-to kill m-me?" Dipper stammered, too frightened to move.

MaBill shook their head, grinning evilly. Dipper saw, as if in slow motion, Bill move Mabel's hand up to her throat, the knife positioned to slit it in one move.

Dipper froze.

"Give me the journal, Pine Tree. Give it to me now, or she dies."