The Secrets of Reverse Falls

~Prologue~

The moon shone high over the treetops that night, it's gentle rays for once not being hidden by the clouds. Everyone in Reverse Falls could see its beauty, and combined with the warm air and gentle breeze, the night seemed inviting almost. It was in fact the first night of summer after all, a time that every little boy and girl dreamed of from the moment school starts. However, all the little boys and girls knew that tonight was no ordinary night, if the shrill cry that pierced the still silence earlier was any indication. 

The man ran quickly, with heavy footfalls that thundered against the ground. His lungs ached and he feared his heart would burst from the exertion, but the sound of a twig snapping behind him steered him on. The light heat caused a sheen of sweat to form on his face, and dark spots to appear against his back. His hair was a mess, littered with leaves and dirt but he could hardly care. The moon illuminated his path clearly and just up ahead he could hear the clear bubbling of a stream.

'If I can just get to the stream I'll be safe...they'd never try to -'

WOOSH

The man staggered as a sharp knife whizzed by his ear, cutting the skin on his cheek before embedding itself in a nearby tree. His eyes could just barely make out the faint blue aura that enveloped it, and that only pushed him to move faster. His face stung and he began to feel faint but adrenaline coursed through his veins to keep him steady.

'H-how? There's no way they could have caught up so quickly unless...no! He wouldn't have!'

More knives sailed past, each one closer to its mark than the last. They sliced through his clothes and littered his body with shallow but effective cuts that made him stagger and trip. At any moment his life could suddenly end, one knife at the right mark would stop him in an instant. But the twins wouldn't be that merciful, no, they reveled in the fear they caused as they hunted him like dogs. They wanted him to know how powerless he was, how meaningless he was to them. Just another target.

Another victim.

Another casualty to add to their growing list.

The man was so deep in his own head he failed to notice the eerie blue envelop the tree root in front of him and raise it just a hair. Enough for his foot to catch in the small gap it created and send him tumbling to the ground in a hopeless mess. His jaw collided with the dirt and he tasted blood as his vision was filled with twigs and leaves. He barely had time to regain his bearings before a dagger sliced through the silence and pinned him to a tree, cutting through both his shirt and arm. He howled in pain, his voice echoing for miles on end and only being greeted by the sound of careful footsteps.

His heart hammered in his chest, his adrenaline rush now gone, leaving him with only his despair. He could only wait as the twins took their sweet time coming to him, their pride and assurance in their victory washing over him in waves. Suddenly, he began to thrash and scream even more, his mind fighting against his fate as he tried in vain to escape.

'No please...please no I...I don't want to die, please gods up above I beg of you...please....'

His flailing was met with the dagger violently biting and tearing into his skin, causing blood to spurt onto his face and then drip down into the ground and seep through. That was it, there was nothing he could do. His head sagged in bitter defeat as they finally closed in, the pure moonlight being overshadowed by the two demons that stood before him.

"Hmmm 20 minutes? I think that's a new record if I'm not mistaken, very well done Mr. Eckers!" the light and cheery voice praised followed by the slow clapping of her manicured hands.

"You're sick..." he muttered.

The girl put a hand to her chest in mock offense, then puffed out her cheeks, "Well don't say I don't try to be nice! This is what I get in return,"

Her brother stood beside her silently, looming over him with that same empty and unfeeling stare. Despite the warm air, he wore a thick cloak that kept most of his body hidden from sight. His hair was neatly combed and parted, and the brooch that sat on his throat shone with perfection and careful care.

"Mabel...don't take forever, we don't have all night here," his voice was deeper, darker. Unlike the false sweetness that Mabel's voice often held, his words and tone held no surprises. The very nature of the both of them was cold and calculating bordering on psychotic, and of the two he couldn't decide which one's disposition was worse.

Mabel turned to her brother, "I don't take forever Dipper," she stressed the word, "I just like to have a little fun and be creative,"

"You get carried away,"

"What can I say? The ideas just keep coming,"

The man looked between the two siblings discussing him as if he were a wounded animal and not a person. They hardly regarded until he made one last attempt to pull free, this catching the eye of Mabel who gasped.

"Oh where are my manners? Here sweetie let me help you!" Her smooth, pale hand closed around the ornate handle of the dagger, giving it a light twist before tugging it free. It did its job in deepening and widening the once simple wound as he cried out, tears pricking the corners of his eyes. Mabel giggled madly, licking his blood off the weapon while looking him the eye all the while. There wasn't an ounce of sympathy or remorse in those pale blue eyes that pierced through him, leaving the man helpless.

"Pl-please...just get it over with," he pleaded, his eyes heavy with tears.

"Oh? But we've only just begun, surely you can wait a little longer, yes?"

Another knife sailed into his thigh, missing his artery by a hair's width as he shrieked and let out all manner of ungodly noises. His vision blurred as bile rose into his throat and the world around him began to warp. Mabel cackled, a shrill sound that made his ears ring, and sent another knife through his side. It was too much, blood and vomit spilled from his mouth as his pupils all but buzzed out of his skull. The stench of it all made Dipper wrinkle his nose  as he merely turned his head at the sight. When the man had finished his eyes were bloodshot, faced stained with tears and leftover bile, dried blood caked over it all.

"Oh my! Now that's a look I haven't quite seen before!" Mabel snapped her fingers as the pendant atop her breast glowed and a polaroid camera appeared in her open hands. "Say cheese~!" she snapped a few pictures of the man's horrid face before tucking them away.

Dipper rolled his eyes, "Are you done?"

"Oh hush! Yes I'm done, I've had my fun and excitement for the night,"

"What will you do with the body?"

"Hmmm? Why not leave him here? He's bound to bleed out anyways, or make a rather nice snack for any stray animals don't you think?"

Dipper nodded,  "Yes we don't want to be wasteful after all. He's already dead anyhow, let's be off,"

The man could only watch as the two twins turned around and made their way back, leaving him defenseless as he succumbed to his wounds and bled himself dry. As his vision began to fade and the ringing in his ears died down, a dagger whistled past his ear, embedding itself in his forehead, thus silencing him.

Forever.