Sometimes Falling isn't Down

Chapter 8

-Reader~chan-

Your head spun round and round, the world surrounding you twisting and shimmering and searing an endless blue into your eyes, like a Ferris Wheel breaking off its track and careening into the deep blue sea. You had to wrench your eyes closed, your stomach flopping, this close to expelling everything in it, but blocking out your eyes didn't stop your other senses. Your body felt like it was melding and squishing like play-doh in the hands of a toddler who'd only just learned of its existence, your hands grasping wildly around for some handhold to steady yourself, but they would be searching forever.

Regret twisted through you. Did you act too fast? Should you have waited? Seen if Niann actually came back through? Refused to go through at all? Were you gonna be stuck here forever, being molded and unraveled until the very essence of "You" became part of the wind itself?

You hit the ground with a painful thump! Your thoughts jumped out of your head like a spilled chip bowl, your head spinning, not any less close to losing dinner. Trees swirled around you like a leering crowd and the choice to lay there until the world stilled was one you were tempted to entertain, but the recollection of Stanford running towards you crawled back into your brain and spurred you to your feet. You did the only thing you could think to do, swiping--or more like flopping--your arm through the portal, one end to the other, willing it to go away.

It did.

But not before Mabel and Dipper fell through it in a pile at your feet.

You recovered before them.

"What are you doing?!" you nearly shrieked, your voice much higher than you meant for it to come out. Your own voice made your head start spinning again and you had to grab a tree to keep yourself steady.

Dipper recovered next, on his feet in seconds. He stumbled slightly, but that didn't stop him from yelling in your face.

"What are we doing?? Stopping your stupid ass from getting killed! What are you doing?!"

Your mouth made use betraying you, this close to forming the words "Saving Will" before you snapped it shut and went for a different approach, "That's none of your business- and you shouldn't even be here!"

He shoved his finger in your face, "Neither should you! Jumping into a random portal Bill made like that-" he spat out Bill's name like it was a bug caught in his teeth. It made your skin prickle. "What are you thinking?! You're gonna get us all killed!"

You'd kept everything wrapped up tightly inside you this whole time, biting your tongue so hard it bled, but something about this made you explode, your face growing hot, "Listen here you ass- I'm sick of all this vague slander you guys keep spewing about Bill! He's done absolutely nothing wrong this entire time- something I can't say about you!"

Dipper reeled back like you'd physically reached out to slap him. His jaw flexed, his teeth audibly clacking together, his head starting to shake side to side.

He looked at you like you were already lost. Like you were too far gone for anyone to bring you back. Like you were crazy.

Maybe you were.

It didn't matter.

Every second arguing with them was another second wasted. You didn't wait to see if he had a response, spinning on your heels, saying, "I don't have time for this." before marching away.

"(R/C), wait! Let us explain!" Mabel must have recovered at some point for it was her voice this time.

You didn't turn when you shouted back, "You've had multiple weeks to explain," you ground your teeth, "I'm done waiting."