Weirdness and Wendip (Book 1)

Beaky A L'orange

Stan's point of view. I dedicate this chapter to myself because I'm great. Just kidding it's to Imogen who is nearly as good.

We ran back the way we had came, very quickly. I was quite surprised Mabel and Waddles could keep up. The creature had stopped quite a few miles away, so we had decided it would be best to get my car before continuing. I was shattered I hadn't done that much exercise in years. 

"Mabel, for the love of Christ, leave the pig here. I don't want to repeat the pterodactyl thing again. Curse my arthritic joints. " I huffed.

"But Stan this is an adven..." She began. I interrupted her.

"No Mabel, they're in danger and we don't need pork chops here! Think about Beaky as well." I hated telling her off.

We piled into my Oldsmobile and with a few turns of the engine we were off. Soos held the tracker and directed me.  During the drive we only took out a few dozen traffic signs (most citing the speed limit) but after ten minutes we arrived within a few hundred metres of our destination.

"Gravity Falls train station." Soos read "Oh, Mr Pines I remember this from when I was a kid, it was a great day out even if we never got to ride them." I sighed and pinched my eyes.

"Soos, that's highly unlikely seeing as a train hasn't left this station in over fifty years." I turned to Mabel. "Gravity Falls train station was where extra locomotives were supplied to help pull or push goods trains over the Wallowa  mountains, after more powerful engines were made though they re-purposed the station to become a passenger station until it fell into disrepair."

The station lay in darkness, so I pulled out three torches and after a quick shove from Soos and myself we were through the revolving doorway and then pushed our way through a creaking turnstile. We stood on the central platform and listened. A screech pierced the darkness, coming from the other end of the platform. I noticed Mabel jump in fear and Soos let out an involuntary yelp. Old newspapers blew along the platform as if responding to the noise, In actuality the building was in poor structural condition and the wind tore across the platfrom. Soos squinted at the tracker. I whispered to Soos.

"Soos, where is it?"

"I don't know, something's not making it work right. I've got the creatures range but not its direction."

"How close then?" Mabel said.

"Fifty metres, no more than that." Soos whispered back a little too loud.

From the far end of the platform, Beaky shouted.

"Chaps is that you? Come quickly I think it's still nearby." We rushed over Beaky was trapped inside a large clock which overhung the station. Somehow the creature had managed to twist Beaky into place so he could hardly move. Some of his yellow feathers squeezed out of the cracks in the metalwork. "Thank you for coming so quickly. Stan could you punch out one of these glass panels, if you do I should be able to squeeze out." 

With a loud smash I punched one of the panels out and with a flutter of feathers Beaky slid out of the contraption. "Thank you Stan, I was most awfully uncomfortable." Beaky said. "But we must move quickly that flying lizard will be back soon." Soos piped up.

"Dudes..." He said, a trace of fear in his voice. The tracker beeped furiously in his hand and his eyes widened with terror. 

"Split up." I shouted. Me and Beaky ducked down under one of the trains, whilst Mabel and Soos hid behind the ticket office desk. Click, click, click. Claws scraped against the stone platform and as well as this the creatures tail occasionally hit the floor with a thud. After a minute my eyes had become adjusted to the lack of light and I could glimpse the shadow of the beast between the carriages wheels. It was big, maybe twenty five feet long. From its sides stuck out massive protrusions, but not made of scales but tightly stretched skin between bones or the extension of the animals ribs. I couldn't quite make out the colour but it wasn't bright. With a huge sniff the creature smelt the air.

"Its tracking us." Beaky said. I'd seen this creature before in Ford's notes. What was it? It was much smaller but he was always interested in it as a kid. It didn't matter, what mattered was the creatures weaknesses. He couldn't shoot it. It was far too dark in here and the shot could ricochet anywhere. Suddenly it hit me. It was a Draco. A winged lizard. It's predators were mostly birds.

"Beaky, can you do your best bird impression, as loud as you can." Beaky glanced at me.

"Stan in case you hadn't noticed, I am a bird." Beaky whispered back. "KAWWWWWW, KAWWWWW." Beaky shrieked. The effect was immediate, the Draco scrambled up the metalwork of the building to flee the apparent danger. It's tail hit the carriage we were under causing it to buckle tremendously but the structure held. I sighed, it had gone and the station was silent again save for the rushing of wind which had started to blow through the old building. We regrouped on the platform, Mabel and Soos jumping back over the desk. Mabel was shaking in fear.

"It's all right Mabel, its gone." I said. "Now let's make our way back to the car as quickly as we can. If that was one of Bill's creations, we're lucky to be alive." Soos nodded.

"Thanks Mr Pines, I didn't know how we were going to get out of that. It was lucky that eagle flew overhead."

We pushed our way back through the revolving door and walked towards my Oldsmobile, when a shriek came from the station. The Draco was silhouetted by the moon and stood atop the station's glass ceiling. With another roar the creature extended its wings to their full span and glided towards us. It skimmed across the ground, kicking up dirt from the turbulence it created. Mabel and Beaky stood in shock whilst Soos had already dived to one side. I picked up Mabel and Beaky and jumped as far as I could bracing myself for the impact with the ground, behind us the creature smashed into my car. Glass flew in all directions. 

The Draco jumped to its feet and staggered after Soos until falling to the ground. It had hit its head very badly and blood oozed from an ugly gash. Soos had taken a cut to the chest where one of the creatures wings had clipped him whilst I was peppered in blood. Thankfully Mabel and Beaky were unharmed.

"Great." I exclaimed. "Not only is my night ruined so is my car. Arrrgh, any bright ideas anyone?" The car was clearly a right off. The driver side door was bent at a crazy angle.

"Stan, I may be able to help." said Beaky. He proceeded to take vast gulps of air, slowly inflating his body. Mabel ran back into the station and returned holding a fist full of feathers, which Beaky had lost earlier. She was clearly very proud of herself for following Ford's advice. Beaky's body must have been as large as a house before he instructed them to climb aboard. Now I have to add duck to my modes of transport I thought as we floated up into the sky.