Through the Camera Lens (Dipper x OC)

The Key

"Is your house normally this empty?" Mabel asks.

"Yes. My parents disappeared a couple years ago, my sister is probably dead. It's just me"

She came around the table, crouched beside me and hugged me. It was weird. I hadn't had any human contact in so long, I had been alone, yet here were the Pines. I hugged back, we sat there shortly before she pulled away and went back to her spot.

"You've been all alone for a couple years?" Dipper asks.

"Yup. I got used to it being only me and nature"

We got back to reading. They each chose a journal and I read through the one I found. It had secrets about my house, they weren't very specific but they were there. One said 'I had to hide the key somewhere safe, nobody could be allowed to find it. The only person able to find it will be Emerald, she'll know where to find it. Em, think of me, you know my habits. Where would I hide a key? Especially a key to a room with your name written on the door?'.

With my name written on the door? No door in this house had my name written on it, unless she meant the door with the emerald handle... but then where would the key be? I'd have to search the house, something that'd take hours.

Subconsciously I bit my lip. It was something I did when I was deep in thought, I picked up the habit from my sister and never got rid of it. Some soft snores dragged me out of thought. Mabel had fallen asleep on the couch, her head hanging to the side, the book left open on her lap. Dipper was still reading intently.

"Just who was your mom?" Dipper asks me quietly, trying not to wake his sister.

"She was a brave researcher who didn't care about the danger she got herself in"

I stand up and stretch, stiff from sitting for so long. Dipper was looking at me from the corner of his eyes as I closed the book in my hand and tossed it on the seat I was just in.

"Do you want to take a break?" I ask him. "We've been at this for a while"

He glances down at the book, then his sister, finally back at me. "Sure"

My favourite place in the house was the balcony. It gave me a beautiful view of everything above the forest. Most of the pictures I took of sunsets and sunrises were taken from here.

"The moon's up, I didn't think we were reading that late" I say, stepping out on the balcony. "You should call Stan or Ford, tell them you're alright"

"I think we should be leaving now"

Dipper tried going back in the house but I grab his arm, stopping him. He turned back to me and waited for me to talk. I drop his arm just as a strong wind blows through the trees, making me wrap my arms around myself to keep warm.

"I-it's dangerous out there at night, you might get lost on the way back. I have some spare rooms you guys can stay in"

"I'm going to go call Stan"

I stood outside for a little while longer, staring at the stars. When I finally had enough of being cold I went back inside and heard Mabel and Dipper talking, not exactly quietly since I was just walking down the stairs.

"Ford said we can trust her" Dipper says.

"Good. I like her, I can see her being my new best friend!" Mabel said. "She's a lot like you"

"Mabel you aren't thinking what I think you're thinking, are you?" Dipper asks.

"Mhmm!" She exclaimed happily. "You should know me by now bro"

I made it to ground level and went in the living room. Dipper's cheeks turned pink a little when he saw me enter the room.

"What'd Stan say?" I ask.

"He agreed with you that it's dangerous at night and told us to stay"

"I'll show you your rooms"

All the bedrooms were upstairs. Mine and my sister's were across from each other and the spare bedroom and my parent's bedroom were across from each other. I showed Mabel to my sister's room, telling her my room was just across the hall, then I showed Dipper to the spare bedroom.

"You're letting us stay here. Why?"

"Trust has to be earned and even though I met you not that long ago I trust Ford and Stan, so I have to trust you. But you two seem trustworthy. Goodnight"

"Night" he replied.

I didn't go to my room immediately, I went to my parent's room to search it. There was nothing behind the paintings and pictures, in the dresser drawers, or in the desk. But there was a ventilation shaft, or something that looked like a ventilation shaft, under the bed. I removed the cover and found that there was a bottom, laying on the bottom of the hiding place was a small key.

"What are you doing?" Someone asked behind me.

They surprised me, making me hit my head on the wooden supports holding up the bed. I slid out from under the bed, rubbing my head where it was hit, and look up to see Dipper. He wasn't wearing the normal blue vest or hat he had on, leaving him with his orange t-shirt and jeans.

"I found something"

I go back under the bed and pull out the key that I dropped in surprise. I stood up in front of Dipper and held it in front of me. The light revealed a letter engraved in it.

"E?" Dipper asks.

I look up, smiling. "E. This, it unlocks the door in the basement. The one with my name written in it"

"What?"

"You'll see"