22 Short Stories from Gravity Falls

Story 6: Lovely Night for a Drive

Summary: When Ford has trouble sleeping one night, he decides to take a late night drive into town to clear his head. But along the way, he runs into another member of his family, dealing with a similar problem.

Ford started up the stairs. He wasn't getting any sleep tonight. He knew that for a fact. He decided maybe a drive through town would help calm his nerves. He'd do that all the time while in college when he was stressing over exams. Maybe even get a donut and coffee while out too. As he made it to the top, he saw a familiar face coming down the stairs too.

"Mabel? What are you doing up so late?" he asked.

Mabel looked at him surprised, "uh...might I ask you the same thing?" she responded.

The two looked at each other for a bit before Ford spoke.

"I...I can't sleep. So, I was gonna go take Stan's car out for a late-night drive," he said.

"Oh, you too huh? Yeah, I haven't gotten any sleep at all since...well...you know," said Mabel.

Ford sympathized with her. After all, her Weirdmageddon fuelled insomnia was indirectly his fault.

"Wanna tag along with me, Mabel?" he offered.

Mabel smiled, "Sure. Where are we going?" she asked.

Ford thought for a minute as he looked out the window. An idea then hit him.

"I know just the place," he said, "But first, how about a donut?"

Mabel smiled even more as she ran out towards the car.

The two drive through the forest and into town. At 1 AM, on a late August night, Gravity Falls truly was a different place. The glow from street lights flowed over the car in a continuous pattern of light and dark. Very few people were out this late. Mainly street cleaners, security guards at the museum and the occasional tourist driving past, trading in sleep for time.

The two pulled up in front of a coffee shop and got out. Ford got a regular plain bagel and medium coffee. Mabel however surprised him by ordering the most sprinkle filled donut they had (which he knew she would), and also an extra-large coffee. He always had assumed she hated coffee.

"Oh no. I'm about as much of a coffee addict as you are Grunkle Ford. Normally I just mix it up into Mabel juice. It tastes better after a couple packets of sugar," she said humorously, before gulping down her drink.

"You really are a miracle of nature Mabel," said Ford as they continued driving.

The two soon reached their destination, a hill overlooking all of Gravity Falls.

"Here we are Mabel. Welcome to lookout peak," he said.

Mabel stared down into the valley in awe. Even this late at night, she could see everything clearly. The town of Gravity Falls which she had been calling home for these last few months glowed in the darkness like a beacon. The twisting one-way road leading from town towards a single glow in the woods signalled the location of the Mystery Shack. The cliffs carved out by the UFO towered over the valley with Trembly Falls gushing over one side into the lake below, where she, Dipper, and Soos went looking for the Gobblewonker all that time ago. Finally, there was the road. The long twisting road that stretched out beyond into the horizon on both sides. One-way lead towards Washington state while the other side ran all the way back to California...home.

"This is incredible," said Mabel, "How do you know about this place?"

"Back in my younger years when I was investigating this town, I'd come up here and watch the sunset and listen for the call of the eye bats," replied Ford, "Not much really has changed of that view since then. The Gravity Falls you know and love is still in many ways the Gravity Falls I chased after all those years ago."