It's Where My Demons Hide

Chapter 46

"All rise for the honorable Judge Kitty Kitty Meow Meow Face-Shwartstein."

As Judge Kitty Kitty Meow Meow Face-Shwartstein emerged from his hole in the bottom of the cat-scratcher, the crowd of fancy animals and talking toys clapped their hands with sick glee. Wendy made a face.

The room she was in was tinier than she expected after years of watching movies and courtroom dramas. Wendy surveyed around and spotted Soos in the midst of the crowd of talking toys. It gave her a sense of relief. To be honest, the whole thing was ridiculous, but if winning a trial was what it was going to take to Mabel to come home, then so be it. With renewed determination, she stood firm.

The judge cleared its throat and began, "We are here to try Wendy Corduroy in the case of Fantasy v. Reality. The final decision will be made by a jury of your peers. If Wendy Corduroy wins, Mabel Pines will return with her to the real world. May all of you behave or I will tell my bailiff to remove you from the courtroom and take you to the lockup – yes, we have a lockup."

There was a movement beside her and she turned around to see one of the brightly colored duos standing up.

The gaudy clothed man opened his arms wide, and began, "My case is simple: this very unrighteous girl thinks that reality is better than fantasy, but reality is bogus, lame, and whack."

"Objection your honor, that was a conjecture," Wendy snapped. "Not a fact."

Judge Kitty Kitty Meow Meow Face-Shwartstein narrowed its eyes. "Meowverruled."

The man smirked. "I, Xyler, would like to present you the reality that Wendy, the accused, loves so much, and show you how it has wronged my client, Mabel Pines."

Wendy scoffed.

Xyler motioned Craz, the other bright guy, to stand by. "Exhibition A. Fourth grade," he said curtly. This time, he took out a sparkling scrapbook. "February 14th."

Mabel gasped.

"Valentine's Day."

Wendy was confused. "What –"

Before she could even finish her sentence, she found herself in a classroom of children who could not be older than ten. They were seated across, listening to a woman (a teacher, perhaps) telling stories. The children and the teacher did not notice Wendy standing, which she found it weird because she was certain this was not real. Wasn't she in a courtroom the moment prior?

"How many valentines did you get, Dipper?" A familiar voice asked, startling Wendy from her senses. She looked down to see Mabel, in her pink sweater, holding a bag full of Valentine's cards. Dipper, who was sitting beside her, shook his bag, but nothing came out. There was a sudden ache in Wendy's heart.

"Oh, hey, Dipper didn't get any!" shouted a kid beside the twins. He pointed towards the empty bag and laughed. "And here I thought I was the class loser. Hey, everyone, Dipstick didn't' get any!" The rest of the kid followed, laughing and chanting the word "dipstick."

"You say that again and I'll kick you to another dimension," Wendy spat. She knew the kid would not hear her anyway but she did not care less.

Apparently, the kid was not finished. He turned to Mabel. "I can't believe that kid's your brother."

They watched Dipper stand up and run out of the classroom, tripping over a trash bin while he was at it.

"You must be so embarrassed."

And with a thud, Wendy was brought back to the courtroom. Hot Belgium waffles, what was that about? She ignored the whispers behind her back. She was definitely reliving Mabel's memories, but what was the purpose of it?

Xyler was not fazed by the commotion. "Allow me to present you Exhibition B." He took out a torn textbook that had probably seen better days. He raised it high enough so that everyone could see.

It's my calculus textbook, realized Wendy.

"Calculus is one of the subjects that have ruined many lives of prospective students, causing them to be labeled as 'stupid' since young. This is reality, everyone! In fantasy, you would not need to suffer from excruciating pain and suffering. You will forever be free from strict parents with high expectations, social pressure, and career stress. No bullies, no dangers, and no negative emotions. Is that the reality you want to return to?"

Having said that, Xyler turned around and faced the jury. By stressing each syllables, he asked again, "Do you want this reality?"

The legal team, which turned out to be a bunch of Mabel replicas, shook their heads vigorously. Wendy, on the other hand, wanted to smack their grin off their faces. Using calculus as their exhibition was a rather weak argument for their cause, but it did seem a teensy bit logical. Tempting as it is to forever be away from school, Wendy knew this bubble was a huge trap. How could Mabel not see it?

Craz took her silence as a yes to his question and grinned even more, his teeth glistening under the bright light. It was an eerie sight.

Xyler wore the same grin. "Is your life any better now? Heartbreak, disaster, and broken promises. That is reality for you. Out there, it's nothing but cruel people out to destroy your lives. But in here, anything you want? There is no stopping you from getting it."

"Well, I think we're ready for a verdict," said Judge Kitty Kitty Meow Meow Face-Shwartstein.

Wendy gaped in disbelief. "Wait! I have not even presented my case!"

"Do you even have a case?" the judge retorted, scratching his gavel. "I think we have already made a point here. Do remember that further interruptions would not be tolerated."

There were screams outside the courtroom.

The judge growled, "I SAID, NO INTERRUP–"

It was too bad the judge could not finish its sentence, as there was a huge blast that blocked everyone's five senses. The wind thrust Wendy against the fence that separated her and the audience, and whatever forces were behind the work, it stopped a second after.

She did not see this coming.

As the smoke cleared, what was left of Judge Kitty Kitty Meow Meow Face-Shwartstein was now a pile of grey yarns. Everyone, apart from the figure who now emerged from the gaping hole, screamed. Soos's was the loudest of them all.

The figure snorted. "You know, for a judge, you are so judgmental."

She recognized that voice.

"Dipper?" Wendy's eyes widened to the size of giant saucers. "How did you find us?"

Now that the smoke was clearly away, she could see Dipper clearly. Instead of the orange jail uniform, he was wearing a navy blue suit with brick patterns that seemed to be constantly changing. It was mesmerizing to watch.

"It's a five-minute walk here," said Dipper, swiping the dust off his suit. He kicked the debris. "And you guys are not practically subtle with your traces. You should really work on that."

"There were so many questions she wanted to ask, but she settled with an "oh."

"Okay, enough with this chit-chat." Dipper clapped his hands. "This was not how I pictured our reunion, but when life gives you lemons, you need to squeeze the life out of it. Now follow me."

Wendy looked at Mabel and Soos, and their eyes met. Whatever was going on, they would do it together. They quickly followed suite, leaving the disgruntled moans of battered toys and the pile of yarns in the courtroom which now had a giant hole.

•••

Okay.
For your information, I love calculus.
And as always, thank you for reading!
105k views, you guys are superb!

Posted: 2019.6.15