To the Nights in the Hold of Stone (BillDip)

Whisper to My Delusions(23)

Dipper POV

Can you hear me?

The words rang through the pain, making me weep for a whole new reason. "Yes" I barely breathed into the darkness before realizing the voice was in my head.

I'm not sure how well I will be able to reach you while you're outside the field but I will keep trying as long as you do. Will you keep trying for me? His tone was so soft, so gentle against the burns. I would do anything for him.

Yes. I could only answer back. My head swayed low in the dark, eyes closed against the memory of Ford's grip on my wrist, the pokers and blades he held to my arm.

Dipper, what did he do to you? There it was again, Bill used my name. It sounded so foreign coming from him.

Please. It was all I could think, the craving bubbling up from my heart even louder in my head. Don't call me that. Please I can't-

Pinetree, tell me what happened.

I took in a breath, stronger than the last, rattling air through what might be broken ribs. He went after Wendy first and I could hear her screaming. He asked me questions but- Pain shot like a bullet through my skull, sparking stars against the darkness.

Bill picked up where I left off. He didn't like the answers. He's always been a stubborn man. He said it as a joke but the hard edge to the words was unmistakable.

I'm sorry. It slipped, from the deep recesses of my mind to front and center before I could really process what I was even apologizing for.

Don't. You have nothing to apologize about. The edge was gone instead, something soothing tipped into his honey tone. I won't push you to talk about it if you don't want to. I don't, I really really don't. But I do want to talk to you, I want you to talk to me.

I could do that, I could do anything to keep his presence close. I could be making it up, or it could be left over heat from the pain but I swear I could feel him here.

Talk to me. Please. I sighed, rocking back in the chair, trying to lean my head back or find any semblance of comfortability in it. The muscles in my arms and shoulders protested but the release of tension from my back was worth it.

What would you like me to talk about?

I would be happy with him talking about nothing at all, just stringing together words into an incohesive mess. Anything to keep the real world from creeping in. Anything to distract from this. Everything hurts right now. I couldn't put it to words, just searing, aching, singing pain eating me alive from head to toe.

Pinetree if you don't give me direction I will never shut up. I can, quite literally, talk about everything. There was something playful in his voice that hadn't been there before.

I let myself relax further into the ridged chair, By all means, tell me everything.

Something like a laugh rang just beyond my ears and I wasn't sure if I could hear it but it was a comforting thought. When he started talking he made true to his promise and didn't stop. He talked about everything. Slowly at first, his discovery of earth and humans then faster as he started talking about other dimensions he's visited. Even going so far as ranking them from most to least likely to return.

I got lost in it, I stopped opening my eyes at every little sound the house made. Bill told me about this one place, its inhabitants were all dogs, literal dogs, and his biggest upset about the place was that they didn't play fetch.