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Chapter 6- Oh, Go Step On A Fucking Lego

     My head hurts as I tag along behind Mabel through the mall.
    Not as in the melting headache I experienced last time I stepped foot in the building… but more of a “this is a shit ton to take in,” kind of feeling.
    Like, God…
    The Journals somehow magically appeared in my apartment after being tossed down the bottomless pit, and Bill denies taking any sort of part in the scheme. Not that I necessarily believe him…
    ...but I’m starting to doubt myself.
    Maybe, just maybe, there could be a little good left in him...
    But I’d need him to prove it to me first.
    I stand in an uncomfortable position towards the back of the Lego store, tapping my foot rapidly, obviously indicating my anxiety.
    I promised Mabel that I would bring her back to the tourist trap we’re wandering around in at the current moment. You know, since Bill absolutely fucked that last trip up for me.
    But, like the good twin brother I am, I’ve brought her back.
    Fortunately, since it’s a trap, the majority of the people poking around weren’t here to witness my sickening attack the last time I was here.
    Except a few of the staff members. One keeps giving me stiff glances from behind the counter. I’m beginning to feel very uncomfortable to say the least.
    I shake her burning gaze and scan the area, pinpointing Mabel at long last. She’s making a sad attempt to flirt with one of the other various workers who witnessed my excruciating experience a few days before. I sigh, agitated.
    If Mabel’s started flirting with some poor, random stranger again, I’ll be here for a while yet.
    I pull my phone from my pocket and start to scroll through my news feed, looking for nothing in particular. If anything, I’m trying to avoid making eye contact with other customers who dwell hazily around the room. I have nothing to offer them, so why would I want to interact?
    Hence why I’m getting lost in my phone.
    I yawn and a steal a quick glimpse at time. It reads 10:30.
    Jesus Christ… when does this mall close?
    I pay no attention and continue to scroll, allowing my mind to drift from reality.
    And, of course, the first thing it seems to land on is Bill.
    I can’t seem to wrap my head around why he’d think I’d ever free him from the Mindscape. What I need is a reason… a good enough reason to bring him back. Believe me, I don’t think anyone should be judged their entire life for one action, and I am certainly a man of second chances…
    ...But this, this was massive. End-of-the-world massive. How do you expect me to just let that slip?
    I can’t just let it go. Bill hurt me. Badly.
    He’ll need to fix my trust before I even consider freeing him from the Mindscape.

                                                                                       ***

      I trudge down the sidewalk behind Mabel, blinking drowsiness from my eyes. I haven’t had a good nights sleep in forever; I’m surviving off of a three hour power nap and four cups of that shitty coffee from down the street. I pick up the fact that Mabel’s ranting about, well… something, but I don’t know what it is, other than the fact that she got that unlucky worker’s number.
     And not that I care that much, either. If anything he’ll be the next Jeremy. And eventually we’ll be bounding around the apartment screeching “fuck you, Lego store janitor!” without a second thought.
     Then repeat process the next week.
     And the next.
     And the next.
     ...
     Life gets boring sometimes.
     Mabel and I begin to approach the apartment, and I exhale in relief. I rub the bags from under my eyes as she fiddles with the latch, leading up into the stairwell.
     I stumble miserably up the steps to our room, legs weak with exhaustion.
     We finally reach the inside, and as Mabel dumps her bags onto the kitchen counter, I collapse heavily onto the couch, groaning.
   Mabel blinks at me, frowning. “Do you seriously only sleep on the couch now?” she pesters.
    I yawn carelessly and roll onto my belly, grabbing Journal 3 off of the coffee table and squeezing it close to my chest.
    I’m not quite sure why I do it. I’m not specifically looking for Bill…
    ...it’s not like he answers this time, anyway.
    So I speak to Mabel instead.
    “I’m not moving, and you can’t make me,” I retort, sluggishly.
     Mabel shrugs, turns around, and begins to sift through her bags. “You sure you don’t wanna go back to your room?” she chants. “Isn’t the couch really uncomfortable?”
    She’s not wrong. This piece of shit chair was cheap as hell. And it feels like sleeping on a rock.
    But I can’t seem to scrape together the energy to swing my legs off the couch, and trot to my bedroom.
    “No, I’m good here,” I reply, voice muffled by the cushions.
    Mabel snorts sarcastically. “Whatever floats your truck, Dipstick.”
    I hear her flip the light switch and hike off to her room, leaving me alone in the ominous apartment. I shiver.
    I hate the loneliness. Not just now, but in general. I mean, Mabel’s a great sister, roomate, friend…
   But I still feel like something’s missing.
   Maybe I just miss that old thrill of adventure. Though I cringe at the mere thought of returning, I’ve felt sort of at a loss since we left the Falls.
    I feel sort of… empty.
    I shake my thoughts, close my eyes, and drift off to the world of dreams.
                                                           
                          ***

    My eyes flicker open, and I’m… I’m not in my apartment. I blink haziness from my eyes, and scan the area.
    Wait… my eye. I only have one eye.
     I suddenly leap up in shock, but it almost feels like the action was involuntary. I didn’t do it on my own.
    I shoot my gaze down to my hands, and…
    These aren’t my hands.
    I spin around, examining my arms and legs, pushing my fingers through my newfound soft hair.
    I’m wearing Bill’s outfit. I have Bill’s hair. I’m in Bill’s body.
    Holy fuck.
    I… or, in this case, Bill, leap back in a sudden wave of agony. My fingers sting slightly, and I can feel myself burning up.
    Panicked, I sweep my gaze around the area again, and I realise I’m back in the woods where I had met Bill a few days ago. Except, two things have shifted in the clearing.
   One, Bill’s statue has completely disappeared, without a trace. And two, the woods is on fire.
   I shriek as the flames start to lap near my toes, and I leap backwards, pinning myself up against a nearby tree.
   Shit. Shit, shit, shit.
   My vision is beginning to grow blurry, and I curl up into a helpless, pathetic ball on one of the roots. My heart is pounding out of my chest and the smoke is choking me.
     This is a dream, right? I won't burn to death, right?!
     I close my eyes, and let my senses slip away.
     This is it. Thanks a whole fucking lot, Bill.
     I thought maybe you'd changed.
     The moment this thought crosses my mind, I'm suddenly no longer wrapped up in my pathetic ball on the floor.
     What the hell...?
     I scramble to my feet, and realise I'm back in my sweaty, acne-infused body. My jacket is singed, and my face is covered in black ash.
      Frantic, I take a moment to dust myself off and survey my surroundings.
      I note that the fire has... stopped.
     Charred leaves float to the ground around my feet, and I breathe in the choking scent of ash and smoke. I stare fitfully at my hands, shaking with shock, my breathing ragged and heavy. Slowly, gradually, I turn my back to the trees... and my eyes seem to naturally focus on a shaking figure curled up in the ash and dust.
     An ice cold chill crawls up my spine like a spider one I realise it's Bill. Back in his own human body.
    And he's... crying?
    Bill Cipher revealing the slightest sign of weakness?
    ...something is extremely wrong.