Forest of Riddles (Reverse Falls, S1)

MI: Part One

Pacifica woke up drenched in sweat.

She took deep breaths, slowly sitting up in her bed. She was in her bed, she reminded herself. She had just been asleep.

She wasn't facing Mabel Marvelous.

Just thinking of her name gave Pacifica a chill. This was the second night in a row she had woken up covered in sweat, feeling hot and clammy from nightmares. Her recurring dream of a one-eyed triangle and a purple flash had disappeared, but it had been replaced with a pink flash and Mabel's terrifying scowl.

The color pink seemed so evil now.

Pacifica glanced at the clock; it was almost five in the morning. She lay back down on her pillow, pulling up her covers to her chin. She closed her eyes, but sleep didn't come.

The night before yesterday had been a disaster. Gideon had led Pacifica back to the Shack and explained to her parents that they had gotten lost, couldn't find their way back home, and Pacifica had . . . gotten very tired, Gideon said, and started freaking out. (Pacifica had calmed down from defeating Mabel, but she was still shaken up.)

But Pacifica hadn't been able to sleep that much. She kept dreaming of pink flashes and of the amulet falling to the ground, but never shattering. She had been absolutely exhausted the next morning.

Pacifica wriggled under her covers, willing herself to get some sleep. She tried to focus her mind on what today was supposed to be: today was the day that the Pines would go on a hike.

~

When eight o'clock rolled around, Pacifica finally got up and dressed in her usual lilac shirt and black leggings. Gideon was already out of his bed (his side of the attic was just a little messy, like always), so she made her way downstairs.

And she found the Mystery Shack in complete chaos.

Pacifica stood paused at the bottom of the stairs. Robbie zoomed past her, chasing who looked like a runaway toddler from a tourist group; Melody was trying to balance several large boxes at once; and Pacifica's eyes widened when she saw her father and Ford struggling to move a couch out of the way.

She gingerly tried to move through the chaos and made a beeline for the kitchen, where Priscilla was setting out boxes of cereal along with bowls, spoons, and glasses.

Pacifica moved to the table and started pouring herself a bowl of cereal. "What's going on?"

Priscilla sighed and faced her daughter. "I'm sorry, but I don't think we'll be able to go on a hike today."

Pacifica's jaw dropped, stopping an overflow of cereal in her bowl just in time. "But -" she began. "You said -"

"I know what I said, but the Shack just got a giant tourist group. We needed more souvenirs, Robbie's on babysitting duty, who knows where Gideon is, and your father and Ford are trying to move a couch out of the museum." Priscilla poured a glass of orange juice and slid it across the table for her daughter. "We can't go on a hike today, Paz. I'm sorry."

Pacifica's heart sank to her toes. "But you said -"

"I know, Paz." Priscilla managed a smile at her daughter. "Right now's a bad time."

Pacifica slammed the box of cereal down on the table. "This is supposed to be a vacation, but all we're doing is working," she muttered.

"Ford can't run a business by himself with one tour guide and an underage teenager, so we're going to help out." Priscilla glanced at her daughter. "I really am sorry."

Pacifica didn't reply and instead sat down, stabbed her cereal with her spoon, and angrily started to eat.

It wasn't long before Gideon sooned joined them. "Good morning!" he sang brightly, pouring himself a bowl of cereal as well.