Daughter of Bill Cypher

Putting your mind to it

Dipper found his sister drawing pictures with the girl in the living room. He couldn't help a small smile, watching them for a moment. He also noticed the girl was actually smiling now, her back hunched as she held the marker in one hand and drew loops around the paper. A paper airplane sat next to her on the table.

Mabel didn't notice her brother as she watched the girl doodle for a moment before speaking again.

"You know, you can draw more than wavy lines. Do you have something familiar that you want to draw?"

The girl glanced up at her, her head tilted in slight confusion.

"I mean like, draw something you've seen, maybe like the trees from outside? Something you remember."

The girl was still for a moment, contemplating it, and then her eyes darted down to the paper. She picked up a yellow marker and started drawing.

Mabel thought she was fine, and turned back to her own drawing, which was just a picture of Waddles. Said pig was sleeping next to her, his face nuzzled into her side.

A minute later, Mabel looked over at the girl and down at her drawing.

The young woman stilled, her small smile fading to a look of concern.

On the paper was a picture of Bill in triangle form. It matched the drawing she once saw, when Ford drew it in an attempt to destroy the evil invading their world. It even had a circle around it and the symbols were exactly the same.

Mabel didn't notice the girl was done until she held up the paper to her. "Um..." she hesitated, shifting in her seat. The girl continued to stare at her.

"D-Do you know what that is?"

The girl nodded, pointing to the demon in the center. She then pointed to her eye, which still had a faded black circle around it. She than pointed to her bandaged arms and legs before gesturing to her back.

Mabel felt a small icky feeling growing in her stomach. "He's...did all of this to you?"

The girl nodded. She then brought the paper down and started drawing in an empty space in the corner. Mabel fidgeted, glancing at Dipper still standing by the doorway. Her brother also had a small look of concern.

When the girl was done, she held up the paper again. It was a crude but well drawn picture of a man with yellow hair, an eye patch, a yellow suit, and a jagged grin. His one eye was also yellow with just a thin slit for a pupil.

Mabel's eyes narrowed. "That's what he looks like?"

The girl nodded. She pointed to the picture again and placed a hand over her bruised eye.

'God help that bastard by the time I'm done with him.'

Mabel had no idea where that thought came from, but one look at the girl had her not regretting it for a second. Dipper also felt a surge of anger at the demon who terrorized them as children.

Mabel gently took the picture out of the girls hands, putting it in her lap.

"I'm sorry for what happened to you. You won't ever have to see him again. He can't hurt you anymore."

The girl shook her head, her eyes wide. Her hand went up again and her finger touched her temple, tapping it.

Dipper stepped into the room, noticing the girl's eyes flick to him and shift away. "He can go into your mind?"

She nodded timidly.

"Can he pull you in even when you're awake?"

Another nod.

"Can you fight it?"

She shook her head, looking down at her hands in her lap. Mabel slowly reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder, secretly calling it a win when she didn't flinch as harshly as she used to.

Dipper wandered out of the room, watching Mabel help the girl start drawing again on a fresh paper.

Maybe there could be a way to help her.

He went back to the lab entrance and stopped on the middle level. It opened up and he cringed for a moment at the pictures of Bill still sitting in the corners.

"Dipper?"

The young man yelped when Ford stepped out from behind one of the computers, his dusty glasses in his hands and getting cleaned.

"I thought I told you to help with your sister and the girl."

Dipper straightened, a bit of his pride killed by his reaction to being scared. "Uh, Mabel has that under control. I came down here because I had a theory."

"Oh? And what is it?" Ford asked, putting his now cleaner glasses on.

"Well, she kinda told us that Bill can go into her mind, like how he invaded our dreams before. But with her, he can actually force her into the dreamscape. I thought that maybe if we got that mind machine working again, we could see what it's like for her maybe even strengthen her mind enough to repel him if he tries doing...that again."

Ford listened earnestly, his hand under his chin as he thought. "That's not bad, Dipper. The machine is still pretty beat up though, I'll need some specific supplies to repair it."

He glanced at the shattered screen, and breathed in deeply.

"But I know where we can get it."

————
The girl looked up as Ford and Dipper walked past the living room. Mabel also noticed, and got up to see where they were going.

"Hey, what's up? Why are you acting like Grunkle Stan when he thinks the tax collector found him?"

Both twins went out the door. Ford was already at the truck, throwing a few blueprints and bags in the back.

"Me and Ford have to fix the mind machine. I think it could the kid."

Mabel's eyes widened. "Really? But how, I thought you said it got busted."

Dipper nodded. "Yeah, but Grunkle Ford said we might be able to fix it. We just need some things from McGucket."

Mabel tilted her head in confusion. "The hillbilly slash genius?"

"Yeah, remember he now lives in the Northwest mansion?"

"Oh, yeah! Well, I'm coming too!"

"Wait." Dipper grabbed his sister's arm before she went past him. "I don't think we should leave her alone. Even with Grunkle Stan, we both know he's not the most responsible caregiver."

Mabel glanced back at the shack before shrugging. "We're only gonna be gone for a little while. She'll be fine."

Dipper looked at the shack and let out a small noise of surprise when he saw the girl leaning again the door frame and staring out at them.

Mabel giggled for a split second at her scared brother before quickly walking back to the shack. "We're going somewhere to get some supplies. I promise, we'll be right back. Don't leave the shack, if you have any problems, just go to Grunkle Stan, okay?"

By now used to a lack of answer, Mabel hurried back down the steps and jumped into the truck.

Ford opened the window and stuck his head out. "Keep the door closed! Don't let anyone that you don't recognize in! We'll be right back." He called to the girl, using his hand to gesture her going back in. Slowly, she stepped back into the shack until the door closed in front of her, her arms slowly wrapping around her stomach.

The truck back up a bit before making a u turn and sped down the gravel road, heading into town.

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I need a vacation. I'm running on fumes right now.

You people keep me going! I love you!