Abnormal Gravity: A Parapines Fanfic

Coffee Break

The three kids stopped at the front door of the Shack and waited. Dipper breathed deep and turned to look at his companions

"Alright, so we know the plan: me and Norman find the ghost and distract it, Mabel heads upstairs and gets the ghost catcher, she comes back and nails it while it's distracted. Got it?"

Two heads nodded in agreement.

"Good, and be careful. These ghost's attacks may be some kind of illusion, but we don't know exactly how much of an illusion they are."

"Yeah. That stuff burns." Mabel said. She was wearing her sweater again as it almost spotless now.

"Right. So, let's not take any chances." And with that, Dipper grasped the handle and pushed slowly.

The Shack was extremely quiet this early in the morning. Opening hours were a little ways off. The exhibits were still and as unnerving as ever, but nothing looked out of place.

"You said it was in the kitchen, right?" Dipper whispered cautiously.

"Yup," Mabel replied, just as cautious, "He's prolly still there."

They slowly walked through the museum, heading towards the kitchen, passing through and past doors. They continued until they passed a set of stairs.

"This is me." Mabel said, "I'll get the Catch-a-Ghost 3000 and be right back."

"The what?" Dipper said, but she was already silently scampering up the stairs.

"The ghost catcher," Norman said, answering for her.

"Oh yeah, duh."

Now one member short, the two continued towards the kitchen, which was in sight now, light pouring from it. Large coffee stains could be seen coating the doorway and floor leading into the kitchen. Dipper and Norman approached the door and peered inside.

The kitchen was in disarray. Not as chaotic as Rosie's, but still pretty bad.
Coffee stains were splattered haphazardly everywhere, covering nearly every surface. Some cabinets were open, their contents spilling out and littering the floor. There were several utensils stuck in the cieling and and walls. But, most prominent, was the malevolent, crimson-red ghost who had caused this destruction. The evil spirit was now in the process of it's most despicable act yet...

Sitting. 

The sinister force of nature was currently seated on the kitchen table, staring at nothing in particular. It was the ghost of a rotund middle-aged man wearing very square glasses, a button up shirt and shorts. He was glowing faintly red, but the color was so faded it looked almost pink. His face was expressionless and he bore no ghoulish qualities. The ghost sat so placidly you'd think he was waiting at the doctor's office, or waiting for his number to be called at the grocery store.

"You see anything?" Dipper questioned, reminding Norman that only he could see the strange scene before him. Dipper eyes scanned the kitchen. He could see the carnage, but not the cause of it.

"Um, yeah. The ghost is there, but..."

"But what?"

"He's not doing anything."

"What do you mean?"

"Hecs just sitting there on the table. Staring at nothing."

"What. Why?"

"I dunno. Maybe he got bored."

"Then why didn't he leave? Why stay?"

"No idea."

The two carefully retreated from the doorway. Dipper breathed out and gave Norman a smile.

"Well, this makes our job easier."

"Yeah." Norman returned the smile to the best of his ability.  

The two boys stood across from each other a few feet from the kitchen door. Norman stood at an angle from the door where he could take quick glances at the ghost without being seen as easily.

Other than that, it was just him and Dipper, who was now checking something on his phone. Norman was never one for idle chatter, but he liked talking to this new, strange boy. Dipper was friendly and had a curious air about him, like he was always trying to solve a puzzle, but still managed to be dorky in a charming way. He didn't make Norman feel like a an outsider like most people. He reminded Norman of Neil, his first real friend back at Blithe Hollow. Although, Dipper wasn't nearly as... round.

After a few moments of wracking his brain for a good conversation starter, Norman opened his mouth to say something, a noise from upstairs interrupted him. It was a solid thump, like something heavy had been dropped, followed by a yelp of pain. Mabel.

Norman and Dipper looked up then at each other in unison. As silently as possible, they both dashed to the kitchen door and looked inside. 

The ghost had noticed as well, and was now hovering about a foot above the table, looking up. He had snapped out of his passive state and now resembled a proper poltergeist. His watered down pink glow had turned into a vibrant, angry crimson. His clothes were now tattered, his skin was bubbling and bulging in places, and his glasses were gone. He began to slowly rise up, obviously intent on locating the source of the noise. 

Dipper, apparently able to see the ghost now, caught on quick and straightaway caused a distraction.

"Hey!" he yelled. He stepped into the messy kitchen, Norman following. "Over here!" 

The ghost looked down immediately, his eyes glowing red and white. He stopped rising.

Who are you? he asked in a raspy voice.

"I live here," Dipper answered defiantly. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small stone. "And you're trespassing!" Dipper hurled the stone at the ghost, which hovered unfazed as it passed right through him. 

"Tell me, child," the ghost said, completely ignoring what just happened, "Do you drink coffee?" He said "coffee" with a certain repulsion, as if it was the worst word anyone could ever utter. He lifted his hand and a half-filled coffee pot rose from behind the table, though Mabel's story indicated that the Pines's coffee pot was destroyed, and Norman doubted they had a spare.

"No," Dipper answered flatly, "I think it tastes weird." 

The ghost narrowed his eyes, and seemed disappointed with the answer. He focused on Norman next, and the coffee began rotating slowly in midair, as if it was getting impatient.

"And you?" 

Norman, clearly flustered, responded "W-well, I mean..."

"A-HA!" the ghost cried with glee, his ghoulish face splitting from an even more ghoulish grin. The coffee pot starting spinning furiously, and more appeared and floated up to join it. "You like coffee, don't you? Well, here..."

Norman and Dipper stood aghast as the ghost glowed a more vibrant red, turning the kitchen a bloody red. The four floating pots suddenly stopped spinning, the spouts pointed directly and Norman. The coffee inside was boiling madly. The sudden stop in motion snapped Dipper out of his stupor. He grabbed Norman's shoulder just as the ghost raised his hands, preparing an attack.

"HAVE SOME!"  

"Run!" Dipper shouted while pulling Norman out of the kitchen as jets of boiling coffee shot at them. Norman quickly gained his footing and started running with his companion. He looked back. The ghost was floating after them, but not quite as fast. They rounded a corner just as a coffee pot was hurled at them. It crashed into the wall behind them, scattering coffee and glass in all directions. 

"Geez..." Dipper said without looking back or slowing down, "Why didn't you just say no?"

Norman felt a little guilty, but instead of focusing the coffee-crazed ghost now loose in the house, he tried to appreciate the cute boy now tightly holding his hand.