Forest of Riddles (Reverse Falls, S1)

CC: Part Two

Pacifica had a dream that night.

She dreamed that she was running through a summer forest, calling for a name she didn't recognize.

Then the world under her feet tilted, and she fell onto the ground. When she looked up again, she was in a theater.

Pacifica couldn't get up. She was stuck on her knees, her hands glued to the ground, and tears ran down her cheeks - she couldn't stop looking at the thing on the stage.

There was a bright purple flash, a scream, a triangle with one eye -

~

Pacifica sat up, gasping for breath. She gripped her blankets tightly.

Home. She was home, in her blue-painted bedroom  -

No. She wasn't in California. She was in Gravity Falls, Oregon, and she had just had a nightmare about purple light and triangles.

She glanced outside the one window in her room. The sky was about to give way to the sun's path as pink and orange splattered across the blue sky like paint. The stars slowly started to disappear, resting from their long night.

Pacifica faced her covers again, breathing heavily. She'd had that nightmare before. She'd had it a long time ago, right after an annual Pines family gathering - she hadn't been much younger than nine.

Now she was thirteen, and there was no way she was getting back to sleep. Not after that freakish nightmare.

Pacifica crawled out of bed and slowly got dressed, pulling on a sweater to protect herself from the cold morning air. Then she creaked open her door, glancing over at her cousin. Gideon was sound asleep in his bed, snoring quietly, and he looked so peaceful that Pacifica didn't bother waking him up.

She crept downstairs, making her way to the kitchen. Maybe a glass of water would help her sleep - she was thirsty, after all.

She hadn't expected for the kitchen light to be on, though.

And for Ford to be sitting at the kitchen table, drinking a glass of water as well.

Pacifica stopped in the doorway.

Ford noticed her and set down his glass. He gave her a smile. "Can't sleep?"

Pacifica let her tense muscles relax and nodded.

"Nightmare?"

Another nod.

Ford patted the chair next to him. "Sit next to me. I'll get you a glass of water."

Pacifica numbly sat in the chair as Ford got up and prepared a glass of water. She stared at the table as she heard the faucet turn on, then turn off, and then a glass of water was placed in front of her.

She didn't take the glass, though. She just stared at it.

Ford's voice broke her out of her reverie. "So, want to tell me what your nightmare was?"

Pacifica relieved her dream - the purple flash, the triangle with one eye - and decided not to. She shook her head. She could barely understand what had happened, and she'd had the dream before.

"It's just -" Pacifica started twiddling her thumbs. "It's so strange."

"What, the town?" Ford chuckled. "This town isn't exactly normal."

"I guess," Pacifica said slowly. "The town."

She glanced up at Ford, who stared at her intently.

"How long have you been up?" she blurted.

"Just a little before you were," was the reply. "I couldn't sleep, either. In any case, it's handy to wake up early - Melody's usually here by seven."