I see the light

Chapter 7

(Dipper pov)

As it gets dark I follow Bill to the docks. He tosses a bag of apples in front of Max. Max gives him a look. "What? I bought those." He waits untill Max starts eating them to add. "Most of them at  least."

He gets in  the canoe before holding out his hand to me. I  take his hand as he helps me into the book, it rocking unevenly beneat me.

"It's okay, just don't lean towards the sides too much and you'll be okay." We take our seats as he uses the oars and takes us to the middle of the lake.

"Where are we going?"

"Well I thought for the best day of your life you would want the best seat." As we get to the middle of the lake, I pick up a flower that was used in decorating the boat, frowning as I look down at it. "Pinetree? What's the matter?"

"I have been waiting for this moment, 19 years. What if it's not like I imagined?"

"It won't be. But I promise it will be far better than you have imagined it."

"And if it is? Then what do I do next?"

"I guess you could find a new dream."

".....I'm still not sure if I want to go back....."

"That's okay. We can take a few days to decide if you want me to take you back. If you don't want to go back, I can help you tour the world. I know all the best spots after all."

I look up at him, smiling, when I see something in the sky above. I stand up, my eyes open in wonder as the flower falls out of my hand. The sky is lit up with thousands upon thousands of the lanterns. It is even more beautiful than the view from my tower window. Lanterns drift all around us before they rise up into the sky again. It's like magic. I take my seat again as I look in wonder all around me.

"All those days watching from the windows
All those years outside looking in
All that time never even knowing
Just how blind I've been
Now I'm here, blinking in the starlight
Now I'm here, suddenly I see
Standing here, it's all so clear
I'm where I'm meant to be

And at last I see the light
And it's like the fog has lifted
And at last I see the light
And it's like the sky is new
And it's warm and real and bright
And the world has somehow shifted
All at once everything looks different
Now that I see you"

I look over at Bill, him holding two lanterns in his hands. They are already lit. Where the hell was he hiding those?

"I got something for you too." I reach into my bag pulling out his satchel. I see he's slightly surprised at me giving it to him like this. "I wanted to give it o you last night, but I was scared to.....only I'm not afraid anymore. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah, it makes total sense."

I set the satchel down as he hands me one lantern and we both send them up into the air. I glance to my right seeing another lantern coming close to the water. I reach over and push it up into the sky again.

All those days chasing down a daydream
All those years living in a blur
All that time, never truly seeing
Things the way they were
Now he's here, shining in the starlight
Now he's here, suddenly I know
If she's here, it's crystal clear
I'm where I'm meant to go" I look down feeling Bill holding my hand. I smile as I take his other hand in mine, him smiling back at me.

"And at last I see the light

And it's like the fog has lifted

And at last I see the light

And it's like the sky is new

And it's warm and real and bright
And the world has somehow shifted
All at once, everything is different
Now that I see you

Now that I see you"

He cups my cheek in his hand, leaning towards me as I lean closer. He abruptly pulls away from me, his eyes looking at something over my shoulder. I turn around, seeing an island in the lake not too far off. I look at Bill again, a look on his face that I can't read.

"Bill?" My voice seems to snap him out of it. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah....just....do you mind if we make a stop at that island real quick? I promise it will only take a few minutes."

"Um....okay, I guess."

He paddles to the island and we land on the beach of it. He slimbs out of the boat as he pulls on the satchel. "Just stay here. I'll be right back."

"Okay. Just hurry back."

He takes off further down the beach. This island is kinda foggy so it's hard to see clearly where he went. I get out of the boat and just stand near it, biting my thumbnail nervously as I wait for him to come back.

What if he just took the satchel and crown and took off leaving me here? No no, he wouldn't do that. He wouldn't just leave me here like this. That isn't like him.

Looking up I see his shape coming back in the fog. I sigh in relief with a small laugh. "I was just starting to think you left without me."

As he gets closer I see it's two people. It's those guys that were chasing me and Bill yesterday,

"He already did."

"What? No....no he wouldn't....."

"See for yourself." He gestures behind me.

Turning around I see Bill's back on a small sailboat, the crown in his hand as he steers away from the island. I don't know how to react, it feels like everything in me is breaking.

"A fair trade. A crown, for a boy with magical hair. How much do you thing someone would pay to stay young forever?"

The air around me feels cold as the reality of the situation hits me. I feel a strong arm wrap around my throat tightly cutting off my air. I claw and struggle desperately, biting down hard on the arm and tasting blood. He yells as he lets go and I instantly start running from them as hard and fast as I can.

I lose them in the fog, tripping on a log and falling onto the sand, the hat falling off my head and my palm scraped up a little. Hearing yells and grunts I look behind me, trembling in fear as I weakly scoot back.

"Dipper? Dipper are you there?" I hear Ford's voice. I weakly get to my feet, holding my hat as I slowly go through the fog and see Ford, him holding a thick stick. Both the men lay knocked out at his feet. He drops the stick and hugs me tightly before holding me by the shoulders and looking at me. "Are you okay?"

"I-I think so....h-how...."

"I was worried so I followed you. And then I saw those men chasing you and I....we need to get you home. Now."

I look back at Bill's shape that is vanishing in the fog feeling tears stinging my eyes.

"Dipper...."

I turn and cling to Ford tightly as he wraps his arms around me. I hold nothing back as I cry against him. "You were right....."