The Missing Ciphers

1 - Pines

He layed the journal on the table, it's light gray cover already starting to wear from use, light blue aluminum Pinetree on the front.
His great uncle Ford had helped him put it together, it was where he put questions he had about the mysterious town in which him and his sister lived.
His first question, who are the two in the center of town?
"Dip-dot!! You ready to go yet?"
He looked up to his twin sister, her sweater was just a plain yellow one, dark green skirt to match.
"Hey Mabel! Have you seen my pen?"
She giggled, taking off her bag and pulling one out.
"Here ya go, I picked it up from the desk."
He grinned widely, taking the pen and tucking it in his pocket.
"Let's go! We have to find the magic waterfall."
He hopped out of the chair, both siblings taking off for the door.
"You two be careful! And be back before dark!"
"We will!"
They spoke in unison, both laughing as they sped down the porch steps and into the forest.
They're the same height, weight, and attitude, both loving the adventure this town brought.
Dipper and Mabel were twins, born and raised in Gravity Falls by their Grunkle Ford and Stan.
There was only one difference between them that they loved just as much.
Both easily became obsessed with something, for Dipper that was the mysteries of the town. For Mabel, it was the normalcy. And boys. She was always changing her obsession of the day, but one remained till the end, sweaters.
One sweater she was, in fact, wearing today.
And would probably get torn up during whatever happened.
She didn't care, laughing loudly as both siblings stumbled and rolled down a slope.
When they came to a stop, neither could stop laughing, both breathless as they laid there.
"That was awesome! Let's do it again."
Her statement only made Dipper laugh more, shaking his head.
"No can do, come on."
He got to his feet, scooping up his journal and tucking it in a pocket when he noticed.
"Hey Mabes, have you seen this place before?"
His sister stood as well, both peering through the forest.
It was a wide path, trees draping over it. Dried leaves littered the hard dirt path and silence ensued as they stared.
"No... It's really pretty though."
"Gimme my pencil, will you?"
He sat down, Mabel digging in his bag and handing it to him.
"We gonna go down the path?"
Dipper had already opened his journal, turning to the first blank page before he looked up at her.
A grin crossed his face, one that was quickly imitated by his twin sister.
"Hell yeah we are."
She quickly sat down, watching as her brother began the drawing. It was a quick and simple one, the basic things in it. The path, draping trees, and the shadows. Mabel added the leaf details before she wrote above it, 'where does it go?'
Then they closed the book, the Pinetree on the front shining.
"You brought yours right?"
She gave a smile, quickly nodding.
"Yup! That's why I have it!"
They had a joint deal to their journals, for when they went to find things their Grunkle Ford hadn't.
Dipper recorded the questions, keeping track of the locations everything was at.
Mabel kept track of the information they retrieve regarding said question. She liked feeling smart, like her brother, so they came up with the set up they have now.
Mabel pulled off her bag, pulling out said journal and pen.
It was a maroon red with a dark pink shooting star on it.
She was excited, as she always was when she got to right down information regarding this town.
"What if this is the path to the waterfall?"
Dipper shook his head.
"That was a different path. But maybe it could lead to it later on."
Mabel opened her join, quickly writing the possible path outcome.
'Possible Outcome; the waterfall."
She'd skipped a couple of pages to leave enough room for when they did find the waterfall. Dipper had already recorded that one in his, last time they'd found it, it had gotten dark and they had to return home.
"Okay, I'm gonna record whatever we see here."
Dipper nodded before both headed down the path, the dried leave crunching under their feet. After a bit, the crunching stopped, neither noticing it as they walked. The path kept going, both looking to each other before they kept walking.
As beautiful as the scenery was, neither had been so bored in a long time.
Mabel was growing tired when the path suddenly opened to a large area.
"Mabel, look!" In the center stood a loan shack, vines slowly crawling up the walls before Dipper quickly took out his journal.
Both took a seat, opening their journals ans began recording their separate sides of information.
For Dipper, he was drawing the shack. Question; what is this shack?
For Mabel, she was writing down where the path had gone.
'The pathway led us to a large area, a strange shack just sitting there. I wonder what it's for, we're gonna find out. The ground is green but it's not grass its-'
She paused, moving her notebook aside and leaning closer to the ground. Ever so gently, she grabbed a blade and pulled it out. It was a leaf. Her eyes widened before she looked at Dipper.
"We're on a tree!!"
He was confused, looking from her leaf to her before looking to the ground. Carefully, he reached down and grabbed one, pulling it out.
"It is a tree...did it grow sideways?
"How did we not notice?"
"How is it so big?!"
Mabel was beyond excited, quickly writing down the newly obtained fact down in her journal, then she closed it, putting the leaf between the pages.
She scrambled to her feet, taking off for the shack.
Dipper quickly added his new question underneath the Pathway and Shack.
'Is this a giant tree?'
Then he stood, taking off after his sister.