Forest of Riddles (Reverse Falls, S1)

SBP: Part Six

Two hours earlier

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After Mabel had left the Mystery Shack, Ford had locked himself in his room and analyzed his journal. The first page he flipped to was the page with the familiar symbols around the circle - and then he pulled from his pocket the drawing that matched the drawing in his journal.

Well, no. It almost matched the drawing - a few symbols weren't in the same places as when Ford had drawn the picture in the journal many years ago.

Then he had flipped to the one page he had thought of for many nights.

It was a page filled with lines and circles - it looked like it belonged to half, or maybe one-third, of a bigger drawing.

A thought crossed Ford's mind. He let out a groan, rubbing his face as the thought ran through his brain.

It would have to be done in order to finish his project, he supposed.

So Ford put the journal into a backpack, slipped on his trenchcoat, and unlocked his door, making his way outside. Before he left the house, he called out, "Melody, I'll be leaving for a few hours!"

"Gotcha!" Melody called back. Ford usually went on long trips by himself, so that wasn't unusual. But those trips were different than this one.

~

A car pulled into the driveway to a small and quaint white cottage, the cottage that was closest to the Tent of Telepathy. Out of the car stepped Ford, gripping his backpack strip in one hand and slamming the car door shut with the other.

He stopped in front of the house's door and pushed the doorbell. He wasn't going to enjoy this, but it had to be done. Besides, if Melody knew where he had been going for the past two days, she wouldn't have been happy.

(It wasn't enjoyable to face the wrath of Melody. Ford preferred to avoid it at all times.)

Minutes later, the door opened to reveal someone who looked very much like Ford.

His twin brother.

There was a moment of silence before Stanley Gleeful grinned.

"If it isn't my nerdy twin brother!" Stanley exclaimed, clapping a hand onto Ford's shoulder. "Just the person I wanted to see."

"I - excuse me?" Ford blinked.

"Come in, come in." Stanley gestured for his brother to follow him.

Rather reluctantly, Ford followed Stanley into the house. The sound of pots and pans clinking together came from the kitchen as Ford uncomfortably sat down on a couch in the living room.

"So -" Stanley sat on a loveseat and popped open a can of soda. "What's the news, Stanford?"

Again? "I told you, it's Ford," Ford sighed, slipping off his backpack and reaching into it. "I came to you because - first of all, the Pines are back in town."

"Saw them at the shows." Stanley took a sip of his soda.

Ford tried not to get irritated - this visit wouldn't end very well, then, just like the others - and he instead went on. "Priscilla and Preston's daughter and nephew found this."

Ford drew out his journal.

Stanley's eyes widened, and he set down his soda. "You weren't kidding?"

"No, of course not." Ford frowned, and then he busied himself by flipping through the journal. He stopped at the unfinished diagram, and then he held the book up so his brother could see. "Remember this page?"