Are You Sure You're Free?

Chapter 16

The night air was relaxing. I needed this relaxation. I haven't had a peaceful night since Mabel's puppet show.

The wind blew my bangs back but I didn't bother pushing them back down. A chill ran up my spine. I leaned back on the rooftop and closed my eyes. I wasn't sleeping, just enjoying myself.

After a few minutes of crickets and wind blowing threw the trees, I heard rustling in the woods. They were calm footsteps coming this way.

"Who's there?" I called out to the stranger.

"Dipper?" A familiar voice echoed back. It was Wendy.

"Wendy? What're you doing here?" I stood up and began towards the ladder back down to the gift shop.

"Wait there, I'll come to you," she said and started climbing the nearest tree. Man, she was badass.

"You didn't answer my question, how come you're here so late?" I turned to her as she sat down next to me.

"I forgot my phone under the counter. I know you're thinking, 'how did you forget your phone?' Eh, I just wasn't paying attention." I listened to her go on about all the times she's lost her phone.

It was soothing to hear her voice without any distress. I wish it could always be like this.

"You okay?" She snapped her fingers in my face and I flinched back into reality.

"Huh? Oh yeah, I'm just listening."

"No you're not," she looked at me suspiciously. Dang, she always knows what's up.

"Okay, I was just thinking."

"About what?"

I turned back to the starry sky and pondered for a second. "I'm scared."

"What's there to be scared of?" She joked a bit.

"You remember Bill Cipher, right?"

It took her a second, but caught on. "He was that triangle guy, right?"

I nodded and continued. "You remember what happened at Mabel's puppet show right?" She nodded and I continued. "Well, after that, strange things began to happen to me. I've been having these weird moments where I'd get a sick feeling and one time, it got so bad, I had to go to the hospital. I know you remember that," again she nodded, "but I woke up, and I had this cut on my back. It was in the shape of Bill and ever since then, he's been returning more frequently. I'm really scared of what he'll do."

I didn't want to tell her what happened in the lab. I was afraid of how she's react.

"Sounds like you've got a lot on your mind. Literally." She looked to the sky. Her eyes sparkled in the moonlight. "I'm so sorry."

My eyes began to water. Without thinking, I grabbed her arm and pulled her into a hug, sobbing into her shoulder.

Wendy hugged me back. She wasn't crying, she was just there for me to cry on. "Dipper," she began, "I won't let that triangle bastard hurt you, or Mabel, or anyone else. Not on my watch."

I smiled and pulled away, rubbing my eyes. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

Here's the asshole you all love so much! Back with another short chapter. It's something. I know it's short but I feel like we needed this relaxing moment between these two. It's nice. 😌Well, thanks for 19k readers! Love you guys! ~Rachel