Betrayal

Chapter 12

~Dipper's POV~

It turns out that Bill wasn't ready for his plan yet. Bill didn't trust me enough to let me roam free, so he chained my hands together to the wall above my head.

A hundred different scenarios kept rushing through my head of what Bill could be talking about when he said he would show me something that I'd wish I was dead. Oh, and I wished that I didn't know what Bill was capable of. If I had no clue, then my thoughts would probably wouldn't be so morbid.

I tugged uselessly on the chains.

My arms were starting to get numb from being held up for so long. At least I'm alive, I thought, trying to stay optimistic.

Someone grabbed my chin and forced me to look up.

"How's it goin', Pine Tree?" He asked.

I gritted my teeth and jerked my head out of his grip. "Fine, no thanks to you."

"Well, anywho," Bill started. "I just need a tiny piece of information from you."

I froze. Oh no. He wants to know where the journals are hidden!

"Bingo!"

I narrowed my eyes. "Why would I tell you? Isn't my life already on the line?"

Bill grabbed my jaw and pressed me against the wall. "Pain can sometimes be worse than death, kid."

Suddenly, everything seemed to disappeared and was replaced by pain-no, agonizing pain! Did I scream? I probably did. I can't remember.

It all subdued almost as fast as it had come. I went limp and started shaking. "How ya feeling? Ready to tell me?"

I bit my lip. Somehow, I found the strength to stay quiet.

Bill narrowed his eye. "You're stronger then you look, Pine Tree." He forced my head up by pushing on my forehead to lean my head against the wall. "I'll give you that. But even the strongest humans can take only so much pain."

It started again. It was even worse than last time and it was even longer too. Tears were running down my face when I could think clearly again.

"I'm going to ask you one more time," Bill said in a deadly calm voice. "Where are the journals?"

Before I could stop myself, one word slipped out of my mouth. "Stanford...." Then everything went black."

~Mabel's POV~

The sleepover was fun, until Dipper started to act weird.

First, he started muttering to himself. Like, not his normal just talking to himself, he was having like half a conversation with all the actions and facial expressions.

I glanced at my friends. They looked just as concerned. I stood up and walked cautiously towards my brother. "Hey, Dip...you okay?"

He didn't answer me. He didn't even stop muttering to himself. It was like he didn't hear or see me. Did he just fall asleep and his eyes were open?

He winced and shielded himself from nothing. Then he slowly put his hands down and nodded. Then he stood up and walked out of the room without an explanation.

"What was that all about?" Grenda asked.

"I have no idea," I said.

~

I woke up the next morning to Dipper's face.

"Ahh!" I yelped in surprise.

Dipper pressed a finger to his lips and stepped back.

I sat up and rubbed my eyes. "What the heck, Dipper? What time is it?"

Dipper shrugged.

"What was going on last night?" I asked him.

He still didn't say anything.

"Dipper-"

I was cut off when his hands were suddenly engulfed in flames. I screamed and backed up from him until my back was against the wall.

He quickly closed him hand. "Oops," he murmured.

"What...who-Who are you and what have you done to my brother!?"

Dipper, or whoever this was, gave me a lopsided smirk that just didn't look right on my brother's face. "Oh, Shooting Star, but I am your brother."

~Bill's POV~

Stanford

The author.

Of course.

Of course the author would have the books! Why wouldn't he? I contacted my minion.

"I know where the books are," I told him.

"Really? Where?"

"Have you seen a man named Stanford?"

He nodded.

"Well, he's the author of those journals. You have to look for the books where he sleeps."

My minion nodded again. "Uh, sir?"

"Yes?" I asked impatiently.

"When is this plan of ours going into action?"

"Hopefully sooner rather than later. As soon as I get those books, the plan will already be in full motion."

"W-what if I can't find the books?" He asked me. "What if they discover me? W-what if this plan fails? Wha-"

"This plan is flawless!" I yelled, making him wince. "And you know better than to question me! You will find those journals and no one will get in our way."

I disappeared with a flash.

Our plan fail? Psh! Who'd have a thought like that? I've thought through every scenario, and I've always found a way to fix it!

I turned to Pine Tree. He was still limp and pale in his chains. I was almost glad that I didn't kill him. Almost...

He seemed to always get in the way. The factor no one knew what to do with. It would be so easy to kill him now...at his weakest....

No, I told myself. The boy's done too much to you for you to kill him now. He needs to have the same feeling of loss and misery and pain as you did. Who knows, maybe he'll turn out a demon, just like you...

If I had a mouth, I would've smirked at myself. "That was just a pinch of what you're going to feel, kid. Enjoy the calm."

"Here comes the storm."