Reverse Falls [DISCONTINUED]

Tourist Trapped: Part Five

Tuesday evening found Gideon deep in reading the journal, looking at pages describing mermaids, trolls, you name it . . .

"Hey, Pacifica, your -"

Gideon glanced up - 

- and his heart sank. 

Standing in the doorway to the living room was Ford.

Pacifica looked up from her magazine and froze.

Ford's jaw dropped when he saw what Gideon had been reading. He grabbed the journal from the boy's hands and started flipping through it.

"I don't believe it," he whispered. He looked up at the cousins.

"Where did you find this?" Ford demanded.

Gideon and Pacifica shared a look.

"We found it in the forest," Pacifica started,

"There was a fake tree and a radio-thing with levers inside," Gideon added.

"I was chasing a butterfly and fell in a hole -"

"- and she fell on the book before picking it up -"

"- and it's very interesting to read," the cousins ended in unison.

Ford had switched his gaze from one to the other as the two rushed to tell him the story.

"A fake tree?" he repeated.

Gideon and Pacifica nodded.

Ford stared at his journal. "The tree," he breathed. "Right by the - but I lost this thirty years ago . . ."

"Could - could we have it back?" Gideon asked tentatively. "I read some of it and Gravity Falls doesn't exactly seem safe . . ."

Pacifica nodded in agreement.

Ford clutched his journal tightly. "I want to look through this," he said. "I promise you'll get it back, but let me study it again first."

Slightly disappointed, Gideon understood and nodded.

Then Pacifica started smiling. She grinned so hard that she gave a laugh that startled both Gideon and Ford.

"Uncle Ford," Pacifica began, smiling again. "We found your journal."

"Yes," Ford said, confused.

"It kind of popped out of nowhere, right?"

"I guess you could say that."

"Which means . . . you owe us a trip to the Tent of Telepathy."

Gideon burst out laughing. What a loophole! He hadn't even thought of that!

Ford dragged a hand over his face. "I didn't expect to find my - that was a metaphor -"

"You said 'unless'!" Gideon pointed out, still grinning. "Paz, you're a genius!"

Pacifica ignored her nickname for the time being and continued to look at Ford in a hopeful manner.

There was a moment of silence before Ford groaned and gave in. "Fine," he sighed. "I'll take you next Monday."

"YES!" Gideon and Pacifica cheered, dancing out of happiness.

As the cousins continued their celebration, Ford turned to walk out of the living room and muttered, "Let the summer begin."