Return to Falls

Chapter 33

Too scared to talk or even move, the crew remained silent.

Dipper Cipher grew impatient and asked again, "Where. Are. They?"

Everyone knew which "they" he was referring to. The fact that he got right to the point only assured them that he knew of their plan and was intent on stopping it. A revelation that didn't ease their tension at all. Distracting him until Ford and McGucket were finished was no longer a viable option.

Cipher scanned the group back and forth until landing on Mabel who was the closest to the lab door. Without taking a single step, he vanished and reappeared in front of the door. Mabel turned to see him staring at the puzzle carved into it.

"What is this?" His voice seethed with anger. "A puzzle? Oh Ford, you never fail to disappoint. As much as I'd like to play along, I don't have the time." Cipher reached for the door handle, but immediately pulled back following a sound of sizzling food. He grunted in pain.

"You won't be able to get in, you freak. The door's protected with a magic seal. Not even you could break through." Mabel declared.

Cipher cackled, "Oh no? Then how did Ford get inside?"

"He added the seal after you took Dipper from us. Not that it's any of your business, but he left it open. You just weren't smart enough to notice." Stan didn't want to reveal anything to Bill, but there was nothing else he could do to slow him down.

Using Dipper's normal voice, Dipper Cipher asked, "Mabel, do you know how to break it? It's all right. You can trust me."

"Dipper. . ?"

Stan turned towards his great niece, "No, Mabel! It's not him. Bill's using Dipper's voice to get inside your head!"

Mabel wanted to listen to her great uncle, but she really missed the sound of her brother's voice. At that moment, she didn't know what to do. She was faced with a similar feeling when she saw an image of him at the Shack. "Dipper? Is it really you?"

Dipper Cipher turned around and faced everyone, "Yes, Mabel. You have to listen carefully: you don't understand what's happening in there. Right now, Stanford and McGucket are messing with a power they don't understand. If they mess up, even the slightest bit, the entire galaxy could be destroyed. If you let them go through with it, we'll all die."

"But", Mabel muttered. She twiddled her thumbs, holding her hands close to her body, "how else are we gonna defeat—wait. Did you just call Grunkle Ford 'Stanford'?"

Cipher remained silent. The innocence of Dipper's face disappeared and returned to the maniacal expression of the dream demon. An inhuman smile stretched across his face and his eyes returned to their shade of yellow.

Four blue flames surrounded Dipper's body. Out of each of them were the four journals. A sinister chuckle escaped his lips as Journal 4 opened up. Energy immediately sprang off the pages and encircled each of Dipper's friends. The light from the sun no longer shined on any of them. Neither of them could move and therefore couldn't protect the door to the lab.

"Ah! What is this?" Priscilla asked, trying to move her arms.

Soos followed up, "I can't move my legs!"

"Neither could I!" Candy shouted.

Grenda and Wendy grunted.

"Guys! The door!" Mabel shouted, noticing Bill summoning magic from each of the journals.

Dipper Cipher levitated a few inches off the ground. His body was surrounded by a shadowy aura that injured the eyes in a similar way when staring at the sun. He recited a curse incantation in a language unfamiliar to everyone. In their ears, it sounded like random sounds were coming from Dipper's mouth.