Wayfarer [Bill Cipher x Reader] [REVISED]

Chapter Eighteen: It Was Gone

"Are you sure we're not lost?"

For the hundredth time, Bill's grating voice cut across the quiet crunch of asphalt beneath the tires. You gritted your teeth. God, would he please stop asking? "Yes. I'm sure," you replied. "Look, we're in the mountains now, aren't we?" Your arm swept out to indicate the shadowy peaks rising around you, fog-darkened conifers clinging to their sides. "That's good."

"Yeah, but are you suuure this ain't just another part of Texas? Awfully big state, you know."

"Of course I'm sure! That place we were in a couple of hours ago was practically on the state border. There's no way we're still in Texas," you shot back. "We're fine."

"Yeah, but will we get there in time?"

"Oh, we will. Just trust me, okay?"

"Only once you gimme a reason to."

Oof. "Hey, I've given you plenty of reasons to trust me!" you shot back. "I mean, I've gotten us to tons of other places without any problems. Why doubt me now?"

"Because that was back when the GPS was working. Pretty easy to navigate when you're being fed instructions. It's like coloring inside the lines. Now, though? It isn't. And after the map fiasco back there..."

"Hey, I can navigate without a GPS!" you said. "I'm not that incompetent, you know."

But despite your bravado, your mind wavered. There had been no signal the entire afternoon after you'd left that gas station, and frankly, driving out here right now was like blindly fumbling your way across the map, using the occasional road sign as guidance as you picked your way down the route. Why was the signal out here non-existent, anyways? Was it the storm clouds circling above? Or the remoteness of the area? Or both? Who knew. You just had to trust that you read the map and the signs right and keep on going, you supposed.

"You sure?" Bill asked. "I mean, you sure struggled measuring distances... "

"Oh, shut up! I wasn't off by that much. Besides, that guy back at the station said that my way was better. We're fine."

"He said that it was probably better. Key word, probably. That doddering sack of bones has never been up here. You really trust his opinion on this? 'Cuz I don't," he huffed. "Probably going senile and everything."

"Come on, don't talk about him like that. He was really nice to us! Do you have something against old people or whatever?"

He clicked his tongue. "When they're old enough to have their gray matter give out on them, yes, yes I do have something against old folks," Bill replied. "I'm not basing my travel plans off of what they say, for one."

"It seemed to me like he was all there. And anyways, he's all we have to go on right now, okay? So shut up."

Bill sighed and shook his head. "Shoulda got a second opinion."

"That would be a waste of time," you replied. "What were we going to do, ask everyone there for their opinion? That would take forever."

"C'mon, it'd take, what, five minutes? Five minutes wouldn't have hurt, would it?"

"Maybe it would," you shot back. "Maybe all their opinions would conflict, and we'd get even more confused." Still, the suggestion stung. "And anyways, it's too late for that—HOLY SHIT!"

You slammed the brakes. THUD. Something crumpled to the asphalt in front of you.

"Holy shit," you muttered to yourself. "Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit, holy shit!"