Darker Perspective

Chapter 16

Dipper watched his fire engulf the trees, calmly sitting on the rock a few metres away. Bill was beside him, laughing crazily.

"Look at that! Look at it go!" The demon shouted. All insanity aside, Bill did have a point – he found himself urging the fire on, wanting to see how big it could get before dying out. He wanted the flames to crawl higher and higher until they reached the sky itself.

Someone would notice soon, however, and then naturally people would come rushing to try and put it out. Dipper gave a small chuckle at the thought.

Good luck with that one.

The flames were uncontrollable, and it was evaporating the water in the stream.

However, attention meant people, and people meant questions. He was sure at least one person would ask why he was sitting on a rock (apparently on his own) and watching the forest burn. To that, he would say he didn't know.

"People are going to be here soon." Dipper voiced his thoughts to Bill (probably unnecessarily seeing as the demon could read his mind) and stood up. Blood was still running down his arms, and his clothes were covered in it.

"Yeah, you don't look too friendly right now Pine Tree." Bill's eye gazed at his bloody clothes. "You might want to change them."

"Why?" Dipper asked, surprised. "It's not like I want to go back near people."

"Well you're going to have to if you want this to work." The demon answered. Dipper raised an eyebrow.

"What are you planning?" He asked cautiously.

"Well, old Sixter has something I need to start Weirdmaggedon." Bill explained. Dipper felt his knuckles clench at the mention of his grunkle, the dark bruise throbbing on his wrist. Bill caught his expression.

"It's okay! It's just an in-and-out operation. All you need to do it grab the rift in his bunker and break it outside of the shack!" The triangle explained. "And then Weirdmaggedon can begin!" He finished excitedly. With a short nod, Dipper began to turn back towards the shack, dragging his feet across the floor.

"So you might not want to turn up in bloody clothes..." Bill suggested. Dipper looked down, giving another nod.

"You're right about that."

"I'm always right!"

Dipper narrowed his eyes, and with a snap of his fingers the blood was pulled out of the material and stayed in the air. The teen also decided to take off his coat, which was damaged beyond repair. Besides, he preferred his blue vest anyway, but the summer had been unusually cold so far.

"What –" Dipper suddenly said as he looked down at his arms. They were covered in symbols and ruins, each corresponding to each magical talent of his.

"Maybe I shouldn't have burnt the coat." Dipper hummed. The coat cracked in front of him, already done for. "Oh well. They know something's up. I can play it off long enough."

"Use that child-like innocence! Always fools them!" Bill advised loudly. Dipper smiled and nodded.

"It's better than turning up with –" Dipper cut off at the sight of his sister. She was standing opposite him breathlessly.

The two siblings stood in silence, one in suspicion and another in deviance. It was Mabel who spoke first, as always.

"Who were you talking to?" She asked. Dipper lied smoothly, knowing his sister wasn't hard to fool.

"Myself." He replied. "What are you doing here?" He made his voice lighter, less hostile.

"I was told to look for you. Grunkle Ford wants to see you." Mabel answered. Dipper searched her expression, and could tell that that wasn't all that Ford had said to her. She was hiding something, but after a quick glance at Bill, he decided to play dumb. This was his only way back inside.