To the Nights in the Hold of Stone (BillDip)

Unable To Rest Your Head(9)

Dipper POV

Each book on the shelf was written in languages that couldn't be human, the cover and pages were old, really really old. The one that I picked up felt as if it could disintegrate into dust if I held it wrong or put it down too hard. It would be useless to try and distract myself with any of this. The rest of the room didn't hold much promise, the bed was nice and surprisingly soft coming from a man I don't think has ever needed a good night's rest, and the desk was cool but nothing more than pens and journals.

The closed door loomed pressingly on my mind, it'd slammed closed earlier without the distinctive sound of a lock and Bill did say I needed to explore this section of the Fearaimd.

Said door pushed open with ease and after looking both ways, up and down, the twisting hall several times to make sure the coast was clear, I stepped out of it. I did my best to mark landmarks for myself, short of leaving bread crumbs I'm not entirely sure how to not get lost in this place. The door across the hall and up the small step of stairs was the best landmark I have, I hadn't seen one like it in the halls before. Curiosity overtook me, engraved with geometric shapes and diagrams of space, looking to be cut from solid black garnet with bright yellow light glowing from around the edges.

Moth to a flame, I tried to open it, it didn't have a handle so I just pushed it, but it didn't budge. I curled my fingers into the edges of some of the carvings and pulled, and it still stayed in place. The notion that this inanimate object was laughing at my attempts washed over me. Stepping away, we'd come from the right. Right? Believing in my gut I tried my best to navigate my way backwards.

My first attempt failed miserably, I couldn't tell up from down in this damn place. I'd somehow ended up back in front of my door and the locked door but I'd come up on it from the other side of the hall, like the place did an actual fucking circle.

Bill was leaning against the door at the top of the stairs, picking at his nails. He'd taken off the gloves he'd been wearing. The large yellow jacket was missing too, the velvet vest hugged his slim waist. "Any luck?" His head tilted to one side, and his hair shifted showing off that glowing yellow and golden eye, his perpetual smile and pose reminded me of the Cheshire Cat.

"Not really." The door behind him was cracked open.

He shifted his weight to catch my eye, "You should rest, it's been a long day." He nodded to the other door, my room. "I'll promise not to do anything fun till tomorrow." Bill stretched his hand, pinky finger raised to me.

I laughed, "I'll pass." Ignoring the implications that a childish handshake would prove that a dream demon wouldn't break his word. "I want to see Wendy." His smile shifted into a frown, like he smelled something bad.

"She and Ana are busy."

"I don't care, I want to make sure she's ok." A little annoyed he was brushing me off and not wanting to feel physically talked down too, I joined him on the top of the steps. Standing on the landing put me a lot closer to him. He still stood a few inches taller than me, looking down his nose.

"Well then I wish you luck." The brush of his breath against my skin came with an alarm that sounded way too late. I was standing too fucking close to Bill Cipher.

Nose to nose with him. No backing down now Dipper, stand your ground, "Just tell me where she is."

He leaned in, "Would you go rest if I told you I'd take you to her in the morning?" Closer, "I'd rather you not get yourself lost, but I won't stop you. If you want to run around and get yourself in all sorts of dangerous situations, by all means." He was walking away, just as casually with his fingers interlocked behind his back, "I hope to see you in the morning." The sudden absence of his presence mixed with his words had me reeling.