Dipcifica: New summer, New start...

Chapter 3: The Fire

Pacifica's POV: that night, 12:00 am

Pacifica awoke sweating from a horrible dream. The image of her enraged parents faded from her mind the moment she woke up, but the terror stayed. She leaned out of bed, sliding her feet into her slippers. Brushing a strand of her blond hair out of her face, she took a step. The creaky wood groaned, and Pacifica winced at the noise. Carefully, Pacifica selected the creaky planks and walked slowly around them. She had trained herself to know every plank, stair, door and window in her new home. To her, the house was like a maze. Or a video game where you had to keep trying (and failing) to figure out the right combination.

Pacifica stopped atop the flight of stairs. She looked down. Cautiously, she skipped the first step, walking another two before leaping over two more. The rest of the way down was safe.

Before she reached the bottom floor, a smell hit her nose.

Unfamiliar, but unmistakable.

Smoke.

Pacifica bounded down the last step, gasping as she caught sight of flames licking the stove in the kitchen. "MOM! DAD!" She screamed, not worrying about how she would be met but instead the matter of her family's life or death.

"Pacifica, SHUT UP!" came her father's sleepy but livid shout. "By god, it's the middle of the night! Get back to sleep NOW or face the consequences!" Pacifica gasped for breath as the smoke tore at her lungs.

"But father-"

"BE QUIET!"

Pacifica choked and let out a scared yell as flames lapped at her feet and cloths. She ran towards the exit, feeling pain wave through her entire body as she tripped on a chair leg and fell, hearing a sickening snap as a jolt of pain seared through her arm, and then went numb. She heaved herself up, bleeding from skinned elbows and knees. She she heard her parents shrieking upstairs, but screwed her eyes shut and slammed at the door with all her remaining strength, and burst through, falling flat on her face in the grass outside. Her breath came in shallow rasps, and her jacket, shoes, and pant legs were horribly burnt. Multiple wounds bled on her skin.

Letting out a groan, she flopped to the ground and fell unconscious.

Dipper's POV, 8:00 that morning.

Dipper rubbed his eyes, and glanced at the alarm clock. "8:00? WHAT?" He scrambled out of bed, putting on the buckskin hat and dashing downstairs. Mabel's upturned sheets signaled she was already downstairs.

The smell of butter and bacon and pancakes was strong and warm, and a bottle of fresh maple syrup sat on the battered wood table. "HEYYY, Dipper!" Mabel said, in a muffled voice, as she munched one of Soos's mom's pancakes. "You sure got up late today."Soos dropped in. "Yeah, dood," he said. "Once, I slept for a whole 78 hours." His eyeballs drifted off to the side. Dipper laughed. "Yeah, I forgot to set my alarm clock for 6:00."

Mabel snuggled Waddles affectionately. "Who's a good pig? You're a good pig!" She hid the bacon on her plate from the pig's view. "Want a pancake?"

Dipper got up, after he put his plate in the sink, to go to the living room and turn on the old TV. "Gravity falls news Channel," he said to himself. "Let's see what's new."

"Breaking news!" Came the reporter's voice. The screen showed an image of a burned down house. "The Northwest's new home severely burned in fire! Two dead, one missing." Dipper leaned forward.

"The Nothwests...Pacifica!" Worry welled up inside of him.

"Preston Northwest and Priscilla Northwest found dead this morning. "The only evidence we have left of Pacifica is some hair, scraps of her jacket, and her sliver earrings left in the bedroom," the reporter replied this breezily, acting as if the blond-haired girl's possible death meant nothing. Dipper's jaw dropped and he was surprised at the horrible sadness he felt. He had never liked the Northwests! And Pacifica...even though she had changed, she still wasn't his favorite girl around... but he still cared about her, and worried too. He hoped with all his will that she wasn't dead.

Pacifica's POV, 2:00 pm that afternoon

Pacifica dragged herself through the muddy, dark woods. She tripped on tree roots and got her face slapped by branches, but she kept pushing. All she had to do was reach the Mystery shack. Hopefully she would receive some aid there, maybe take a quick shower and get on her way. Plus, her arm was killing her. She felt horrible, Intruding in Soos and his mother's home, but she wouldn't survive another night without some help.

She kept walking a bit farther before she collapsed from exhaustion next to a mountain stream. She scooted to the edge and stared at her wavering reflection in the clear water. Carefully, she lowed one foot in. She sucked in her breath at the icy cold, but sighed in relief as her burns were cooled. Trying not to slip on the smooth stones, she waded untill she was chest-deep in the deepest part of the brook. She watched in amazement as all the soot, blood, and mud washed off of her into the water. Taking a gulp of air, she dunked her head into the water. She had to bring up up after ten seconds because she felt like the water was seeping into her brain and freezing it. After another painful trudge in soaking wet cloths she arrived at the Mystery Shack porch. Taking a deep breath, she knocked three times.