Weirdness and Wendip (Book 1)

Bubble Trouble

Chapter dedicated to Dale for like Dipper he was always a hit with the ladies. No one's point of view the chapter works slightly better this way.

The four residents of Gravity Falls (plus a pig) walked down one of the many trails dotted around the Oregon countryside, interlaced through the forest as if holding everything together. It was peaceful, true there was the soft rustling of leaves as unseen animals scurried through the undergrowth accompanied with the grunting of Waddles but all in all a perfect day to go adventuring.

"What do you think we'll find inside these things Ford?" Dipper enquired.

"Who knows. I imagine the more unlikely it seems the more probable it becomes in these infernal bubbles." Ford shuddered just picturing many of the atrocities he'd seen that past week.

"As long as there not too much like Mabel's bubble I'm all well and good. That place was just too much of a good thing." Wendy paused. "No offence Mabel."

"None taken sister, I should probably thank you again for coming to rescue me from that place. Even if it did have all the smile dip in the world. Thanks guys." She pulled Dipper and Mabel into a close hug. Dipper and Wendy's eyes met mere inches from each other. Dipper smiled. Wendy smirked. Ford rolled his eyes.

Ford spoke "Enough with the Disney bulls... rubbish already. There's a slight glow coming from that cave, just the kind of place a bubble get stuck." He pulled a device from rucksack and extended an antennae. "The L.O.W 1.3 constructed before I left and ready to go." 

Wendy stood at the edge of the cave squinting inside, a soft glow pulsated at the rear of the cave, flickering from a lime green to a somewhat unsettling red. "Guess there's only one way to find out what's inside there." she said as she was joined by Dipper and Mabel.

"Yes, with proper tests and study over the course of multiple days and then cross checked with my other data on weirdness inducing geometrical objects." He turned around. "They really are their other grunkle's great nephews." The plateau outside the cave was bare.  

(Inside the cave)

With the group reformed and torches lighting the way they continued through the cave approaching the throbbing orb now a luscious deep purple. The bubble stood at the edge of a large room, almost like an amphitheatre. Water dripped from the ceiling making a slapping sound as they made contact with one of the many pools. Dipper glanced up and received a particularly large droplet in his eye. Wendy giggled as her admirer promptly walked into the wall whilst trying to regain his vision. 

"Quit it you two, you can half flirt in your own time. Right now we've got tests to run and data to collect." Ford spoke. Two drips hit the surface of the bubble, the first bouncing off the membrane with a soft donging sound and the second appearing to boil on contact with it. 

"Can this be one of the tests." Mabel shouted as she picked up a rock and threw it straight at the bubble (now a sickly yellow colour). The rock plopped through.

"Jesus Christ Mabel, it's like you've learnt nothing in all your time in Gravity Falls. Besides you forgot to weigh it and note it's chemical composition." The bubble appeared to visibly pulsate as if reacting to this attack for a full ten seconds as they backed away. Dipper and Wendy's' hands met and clasped hold of the others as they remembered driving through several of these things.

Suddenly an egg rocketed out of the bubble as if shot from a canon hitting Ford on the side of his face. Yolk splattered on his coat and trousers giving him a more yellow appearance and an impressive dry cleaning bill. 

"Ha ha Ford, it looks like you crashed into the back of a hen." Dipper joked as the tension cleared and the bubble resettled back into position. 

"Right, new rule designed especially for Mabel. No throwing things at things you don't understand." Ford wiped crushed egg shell off himself as well as most of the white and yolk. "Though I will say this bubble does a particular sense of humour, that was funny just not again." Ford continued. Wendy and Dipper chuckled again at Ford's expense then recoiled as soon as they realised they were holding hands again. This wasn't lost on Mabel who smirked.

The rest of the day was spent largely without incident, and was mostly dedicated to setting up remote recording equipment, sensors and measurement apparatus. The only thing worthy of note was the amount of surprising small object located around the base of the bubble. Lego bricks, peas, blue tac, small amounts of food and sometimes small animals including a lady bird, house spider and woodlouse. Upon closer inspection these were often the excretions of the bubble after water or small pebbles fell upon it. 

Dipper sighed and rested against the wall of the cave in a somewhat comfy way. It had been a hard day but he had learnt much about Ford's equipment and the proper way of scientific study. He ate half of his last sandwich and tossed the rest to Waddles who was positioned outside the cave system. Wendy joined him.

"I've had fun today." she said as she sat down. "Hang out with friends, and I'm getting paid for the privilege."

"Hard work though, I'm sleeping well tonight." Dipper joked provoking a chuckle from Wendy. "We better go finish this though it's almost sunset." They walked back to the bubble now completely surrounded with humming electronics. 

"Erm, listen Dipper, I'd prefer it if we didn't hold hands at times. Just one of us with feeling is awkward enough as it is." She turned away to ask Ford what to do next. Why would she say that Dipper thought, it wasn't too cringey was it? Besides they'd mutually agreed not to discuss their feelings for each other at the bunker.

"Wendy!" Dipper called. Wendy turned around too sharply and slipped on some now quite smelly egg and fell. Fell right towards the glistening lagoon of the orange bubble. The world stopped for a moment, fear in Wendy's eyes as her hand first pierced the globule. Dipper looked on in horror. Ford reached out to prevent her fall but wasn't in time. Mabel watched from behind a system of monitors. Outside Waddles finished the sandwich. 

Time started again. Wendy was gone. The bubble moaned as if digesting the teenager, pulsated and ash was thrown out from the bubble. Laying on the floor of the cave. Dipper cried. She was gone, his first love. Taken away before this very eyes. Ford walked around the ash towards him. 

Ford coughed. "My boy, you went through dozens of these things not a week ago. We'll get her out in no time. " Mabel clearly very shaken up though still maintained her composure as she'd spent the longest inside a bubble. She squinted at the ash on the floor.

"It say something, get your torch over here Ford." Ford left Dipper.

"You're right Mabel. What's this, ah there we go right orientation. Normal English. The text reads. 

We'll meet again."