Dipper? Or Alcor?

Part 10

  The next day Candy, Grenda and the rest of the gang asked Mabel to go swim for a while in the pool. When Mabel refused and they asked why, she said it was because she needed the fresh air. So, as soon as she finished her breakfast and fed Waddles she wandered out into the comfortable wilderness outside the Shack, she took off her shoes and stepped on the grass for a while, closing her eyes and just feeling the occasional breeze fly across her face. 

After about 4 minutes she put her shoes back on and went on a small exploration through the woods. At some point, she began to grow hungry, so she started to head back to the Shack until she realized something that she didn't think was possible. 

She was lost. 

How? Mabel wondered, she'd been through almost every inch of these woods, and she hadn't wandered that far, she could find her way back no problem. Yet, when it came to moving in one direction she hesitated, doubt and fear filling her head.

What if she couldn't find her way back?

That's when the panic began settling in. 

First, she started hyperventilating, then she started shaking so much she actually felt like she was experiencing a major earthquake. And soon she felt like screaming, but she held it in, who knew what was in these woods? 

After all, if it wasn't animals that heard her, it would be some sort of monster. 

Mabel tried to stave off her panic by taking deep breaths and counting to 20 repeatedly, eventually, after about 16 minutes she felt calm enough to try to think her way out of the mess she'd gotten herself into. 

Alright, on my way here I came across some weird rock formations, and before that I passed by a cleared area, if I can make it back there I can get back. She told herself and she began to make her way back home, moving carefully and in a straight line to make sure she didn't stray off her path.  

For a while, Mabel was confident she was going the right way, until the sun set completely and she wasn't any closer to the Shack than when she had started. 

Great. Fricking amazing.  

If she ever made it back to the Shack, she was grounded for the rest of her natural life. 

Then again, this was still better than Piedmont, at least here she wasn't constantly looked at as if she was a ticking time bomb of emotions, better yet, no one even looked at her here. 

Mabel was exhausted, so she stupidly figured it wouldn't be long until someone, or something found her then she could try to reason with them and get back home. That sounded like a good plan, so to pass the time (and to ignore the growing empty feeling in her stomach) she began fantasizing about what would her life be like if she stayed here. 

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Who knew how much time had passed, but the moon was almost in the middle of the sky before she heard any noise besides the crickets. 

It was a soft rustling, coming from the tall grass towards Mabel's left, she stood up on slightly trembling legs. She looked around desperately until she saw a sharp rock, which she quickly grabbed in place of a weapon to defend herself with. 

She had to be prepared in case it was a pack of rabid zombie squirrels coming to take her to their king. 

Ok, that sounded dumb but you never knew, they could exist. 

Fortunately, it wasn't a gnome, a crazed psychopath, or a rabid zombie squirrel. 

It was a sheep.