The Third Journal

Pages 9+10

Myself

As I've been cataloging these paranormal creatures, it has occurred to me that I have yet to turn the microscope on the creature with which I am most intimately familiar: myself. If I succeed in publishing my theory, I am bound to become something of a public figure, so I should perhaps touch on the subject: Who am I?

To put it simply, I am strange. I was born strange, I am attracted to the strange, and the strange has always been attracted to me. Where I grew up we were encouraged to follow rules and fit the mold. I recall bringing home a strange egg with me from Gravity Falls when I visited as a kid and brought it into show-and-tell. Every other student brought a football, a football trophy, or a book about football. All of these objects were thrown at me as I gave my report. If my sister hadn't shielded me and slapped one of the other kids, I might have spent the rest of the year in the hospital.

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When I was growing up, nothing I ever did was right. My grades were too high and my social skills were too low. Worst of all, I was born transgender: a boy trapped in a girl's body. Although my family tried to convince me that this made me special (and they did let me dress as I pleased), I was mocked and misgendered by classmates and shunned by girls. I would instead hide in the library, pouring over books about the supernatural and searching for other different people of the world like me.

I still recall reading about the Bermuda Triangle as a child. The thought of a place where you could just disappear into the unknown fascinated me. Perhaps it was luck, perhaps destiny, perhaps thanks to my parents, but I had found my own Bermuda Triangle: Gravity Falls, the place where I fit in. It is here that I will find my grand theory and maybe find myself in the process.