Guided by demons

Smashed

The boy sat in his bedroom, staring into the mirror.
'Useless'
'Weak'
'Disposable'
The words swirled around his head, telling him all he'd ever hated about himself. His reflection looked scared, then determined, as a fist went flying at the mirror, shattering it within an instant. His hand bled, but he barely noticed it.

At least he didn't have to look at the failure he was anymore.

A knock on the door brought his attention. "Everything alright in there kid? I heard something break..." Stan opened the door to see his nephew standing by a pile of broken glass, with his hand badly cut and bleeding. The boy just smiled and gave what would be a cute wave with his other hand...but given the situation, it almost seemed sinister. "Uh, kid? Hey, let's get you cleaned up, and you can explain what happened." Stan walked the boy downstairs and into he kitchen.

"It's really not that bad, Stan. It barely hurts...actually, it's kinda funny, in a weird way..." he sighed. "And there's not much to explain. I punched the mirror out of frustration. I didn't expect it to break...I'll pay for a new one, I swear!"

"Save it. It's not important anyway. I just wanted to make sure you were okay, what with all that's happened to ya recently..." Dipper looked sad for a moment, disappointed in himself...the boy quickly shook off the feeling. They sat in silence as Stan wrapped bandages around his great nephew's hand.

"Thanks, Stan. I...I appreciate it." He stood up, and walked up to his room again. He paused by the door. "I really...really do." He closed the door, just as he heard Mabel walk in with Pacifica...although it sounded like the latter left shortly after coming in.

"Hey, bro? You up here?" Mabel's voice rand from the bottom of the stairs. "Yeah..." his voice croaked a little as he called back. Truth be told, while he was still dead-set on not being Dipper anymore...it scared him who he was going to be instead. Someone who smashes mirrors? Who yells at his sister for a mistake? He didn't want to be that person...

The door opened. "Hi.." she sat next to him. "Look, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been so mean, and I can't believe it took me that long to find you. I don't know what happened, but I'm here to help. I promise. If you don't want me to call you Dipper anymore, that's fine. I mean, the name probably brings back negative memories, huh? I was just a little too insensitive, an-"

Suddenly, Dipper flung his arms around Mabel. He hugged her tight, and she just sat in shock, staring at the broken glass on the floor, the broken mirror frame and her brother's own hand. He soon let go of her, pushing back down the Dipper side of him, the happy, weak boy. He didn't want to be him. Not now.

"Mabel, I...you don't have to apologise, okay. I was kinda overrating...." he sat in his bed and looked at his sister, who was still staring at his bandages. She put her hand upon them, and held his hand gently.

"What...what happened?" He looked over at the glass shards.

"I think I broke something. Actually, a lot of somethings. But...I'd really appreciate your help in fixing it." She walked over to the mirror pieces, before he quickly called "not that! Um...something else..." she looked at his face and smiled.

"Bro, you're not broken. Maybe just a little lost. But I'll help as much as I can, I promise." She hugged him once more, and he almost hugged back.

Almost

"Mabel, I punched a mirror because I disliked what I saw in it. I'm not feeling that 'whole' at the moment...no offence to your judgement." Mabel sighed, and reached in her bag and gave him the journal back.

"I know how you feel, broseph. I really do...um, just have your book back." She smiled at him, a sad tint to her eyes. "I just want everything to be okay again..."

She walked back to her own bed, her face still stained with a subtle melancholy. Her brother turned away, ashamed to look at what he'd done. "Me too..." he looked at the glass. At the smashed mirror sitting beside his smashed dreams.

Break, break, broken.
Its all you ever do
The only thing you're good for
Breaking her heart...
He silenced the voice and instead just stared at the ceiling with a head as calm as the eye of a tornado.

Neither twin turned out the light that night.

Why bother, when neither slept a wink.