Trust Me, Won't You?

A bright light flashes in front of my eyes.

Well, not in that way, I suppose, but then again…

Lying flat on my back, I literally can't do anything else, but stare at the light fixtures hanging overhead. I struggle to turn my head; my neck restricted by the stock holding me in place. The same structure also clamps my hands as well. I notice the light reflecting off my glittering fingernails; only mere inches away from my face. I think of how much work Mabel put into helping me get ready for tonight.

I attempt to look down towards my current situation. I was coerced into this long and narrow yellow-reddish box that currently covers my somewhat tall frame. On the other side, my ankles are also fortified by a form of restraint. I attempt to slide my legs out. After all, that is how the "experts" on TV escape this thing, right? As I pull, I feel something else yank my feet back into position, keeping me secured to the other side of the table. The draft in the room breezes against my soles, quickly reminding me that I am barefoot.

I lower my head back onto the table. I can feel my long, bright red hair hang off the edges. Any way you look at it, the answer's the exact same:

I am utterly and totally trapped, through and through…

I struggle to fight the rising sense of nervousness flowing throughout my body. My breathing begins to become heavier and heavier as I began to realize the seriousness of my situation. My heart beats at 300 miles per hour. I'm not a claustrophobic person, but I won't lie. This sense of being stuck is starting to get to me…

With great effort, I turn my head to the left. I see the first of the Pines twins (or as I like to refer to them, "my partners in crime"). Wearing an adorable tuxedo getup, I watch as the pint-sized Mabel stands with great confidence and moxie as she addresses the crowd in front of her. With a braced-filled smile, she turns towards in my direction, acknowledging my presence with a gesture of her arms. I can barely make out her address:

"…and now, our brave damsel will be sawn in half! Against her will, of course; after all, that's half the fun!"

The audience chuckles at my predicament, while beads of sweat begin to drip down my forehead. My palms and the bottoms of my feet become clammy. All of a sudden, someone to my right whispers my name.

"Wendy?"

I try my best to turn to see where the voice is coming from. I look straight into the dark, yet gentle brown eyes of the second Pines twin, Dipper. He is draped in the same tuxedo outfit as his sister. A great look of concern is spread across his face.

"Wendy…are you okay?"

I attempt to hide my panicked state, offering a brave half smile, "Never better, dork…"

His expression doesn't change at all. He's not buying it. He can see my worry. Dipper tries to coax it out of me once more.

"Nervous, huh?"

Somewhat tired of hiding, I lower my eyes to the twelve year old loyally standing by my side.

"Dipper…" I whisper back. "Are you guys sure you know what you're doing?"

The small adolescent begins to display a look of confidence; a look that is somewhat rare in Dipper's case.

"Of course, Wendy! Why would you think otherwise?"

I begin to come clean with my concerns, "Well, it's just that we haven't even talked about how these tricks are performed! I have no idea what I'm doing, or what exactly I'm expected to do!"

I wiggle my confined limbs, demonstrating to the boy my helpless state.

"I can't move, Dipper…" I continue explaining. "For real! There's absolutely no way I can get out of here!"

Despite my unease, Dipper offers a calm smirk. "But Wendy…" he argues. "That's kinda the point! We have to show the people out there that you really can't escape…"

"But, Dipper, how is this going to work?"

After my plea, I watch as Dipper comes closer and grasps the restrained hand closest to him. A warm feeling, somewhat different from the anxiety I felt earlier, begins to grow in my stomach. As odd as it may sound, Dipper's simple act of reassurance actually took some of the pressure off.

"Wendy? Do you really think I'd let anything bad happen to you?"

I look away from my cohort's eyes for a moment. I turn back and reply, "Of course not!" The small voice at the back of my head adds, "…at least, not purposely…"

As his brown eyes meet my emerald green ones yet again, I feel Dipper gently squeeze my stocked hand once more. He pledges to me a form of mantra that I would hear again and again throughout the course of this long and exhausting night:

"Then, trust me, won't you? I promise: everything will be alright…"

I smile and nod my head at his words. Despite the overwhelming situation I had been placed into, there was something in Dipper's eyes; his voice that eluded that he truly believed it to be so. Regardless of the "common sense" alarms ringing in my head; against my better judgment, I had quickly come to a decision:

I will put my faith in Dipper. After all, the way I figure it, I would want him to do the same…

Suddenly, I hear Mabel call out to her brother, "C'mon, Dipper! The crowd is getting restless…"

He turns back to me and whispers "Gotta go! Good luck, Wendy!"

I watch as the boy runs out of my perspective. After a few moments of quiet (besides the random audience chatter), I begin to hear a sound.

Being the daughter of the town's lumberjack, it is a distinctive noise that is like second nature to me: it is the sound of wood being sawed through!

Helpless to do anything else, I return my head to its previous position. I stare once more up at the rafters, where a bright flash blinds me yet again.

I take a deep gulp, and silently hope to myself that it's only the stage light hanging overhead that I am seeing. I begin to reflect silently to myself about how I ended up in this position…

"THIS IS THE LAST STRAW! THIS TIME, YOU KIDS HAVE GONE TOO FAR!"

I am standing in front of my irate and extremely grouchy boss, Stan Pines. Known as the "Man of Mystery," (at least, in our sleepy, little town of Gravity Falls) Stan dedicated his life to his rugged tourist trap called the "Mystery Shack," where he exploits any or all aspects of the paranormal and oddly in order to gain a quick buck.

Unfortunately for me, it is literally the ONLY place where a fifteen year old can find semi-steady employment. Yet, considering I do the bare minimum of what one would call actual work, I'd say it's a halfway decent gig.

However, after tonight's events, I was beginning to doubt that this was going to last much longer…

I glace at the elder figuratively exploding in front of my face. I have seen Stan mad before, but not like this. His usually pasty face was now a deep, beet-red. I continue to listen to his rants:

"I CAN STAND YOU EATING ME OUT OF HOUSE AND HOME…I CAN STAND ALL OF YOUR BABBLING ABOUT MONSTERS AND GHOULS OUT IN THE WOODS, BUT THIS…"

He turns and points at a side paneling of the wooden interior of the Shack using his custom made 8-Ball cane. However, the big difference from any other day is the fact that there is now a Mystery Shack Cart sticking out of it. Literally! As if it is hanging partway in midair. To me, it kinda looks like the Planet Hollywood sign.

Unluckily, it was a cart that I was driving only moments ago…

"THIS…" the enraged senior continues to vent. "THIS IS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE!" He turns towards me once more. He bellows, "NOW, WHAT DO YOU THREE HAVE TO SAY FOR YOURSELVES?!"

As the word, "three," flows from his lips, I look down at the other two "perpetrators" next to me. I can only watch as the two Pines twins tremble at the stern figure snarling at them. Usually, I would try to comfort them, letting them know that Stan's bark was way worse than his bite.

Again, this time around, I wasn't so sure what to think. Suddenly, Dipper, the young boy at my side, (who seemingly appears to be always by my side, for some reason…) tries to reason with his great uncle:

"Grunkle Stan, I'm…" Dipper stops to look up at me. His soft brown eyes meet my dark green ones. But for what reason? Comfort? Support? Either way, I give him a tiny grin and lightly nod my head to show him that for whatever is he about to say next, I'll be right behind him (in the good way, I mean; not a hiding in cowardice kind of way).

"…I mean, we're sorry about the mess, but it really wasn't our fault. You see, Mabel and I were being chased by this huge monster…"

Removing his glasses and pinching his huge pink nose, Stan rudely interrupts the young pre-teen, "…and here we go…" While I can understand Stan's frustration, I think that he should at least give the kid a chance to explain himself. Heck, if anyone deserves the benefit of the doubt, it should be poor Dipper!

Another voice comes from next to me. The high-pitch, yet somewhat nasally voice argues back in defense, "But Grunkle Stan, there really was a monster!" I return my eyes to floor level to see the second Pines twin, Mabel, starting to mount her own defense. She rambles on, wildly flailing her stubby arms to better describe the situation at hand, "…it had glowing, yellow, eyes, and a scary, pointy set of fangs!"

I have to bite my cheeks in order to stop myself from giggling at Mabel's silly expressions. I watch as she stands with her lower jaw extended, revealing a set of jagged teeth, trying to emulate the horrid sight that she had seen earlier that night.

Judging by his expression, I could easily tell that Stan wasn't convinced just yet...However, his expression quickly changes from furious to a more serious tone,

"Ya know…" he starts, rubbing his shoulder, "Maybe it wasn't the best idea to have you two over here for the summer…"

I watch as the light falls from both twins' faces.

"…maybe we should just call the rest of this summer visit off…"

I hear Mabel gasp as Stan finishes his sentence. Using a lower voice than usual, she addresses her great-uncle.

"Grunkle Stan?" Mabel questions with drops of sadness in her tone, "Are you saying you want Dipper and me to go home?"

Stan stood back silently, with arms crossed. He turned away from the small girl, as if he didn't even acknowledge her question…

Her brother, still frozen in shock, simply stares at the floor. I look at Dipper, thinking to myself, "No! He…I mean…they can't leave just yet!"

I narrow my eyes towards my livid employer. I get that he has EVERY right to be mad, but he doesn't have to break the twins' hearts in order to prove his point. However, this act of simple defiance swiftly places a bulls-eye on my back as he shoots his vision up and sees me staring through him. His anger instantly returns.

"AND YOU, WENDY!" Stan thunders while pointing his cane straight at me. "WHAT'S YOUR ROLE IN ALL OF THIS?!"

Taking a big gulp, I step forward, shielding the wounded twins. I begin to explain my perspective:

"Well, I was driving around the main path from the forest; you know, just finishing my rounds for the night when these two surprised me, literally hopping into the cart besides me. They were screaming about something chasing after them…"

I turned around to see the twins reflecting their sad expressions onto me, following my every word, "while I'm not going to say that it WAS a monster, whatever that was after them was definitely huge – and extremely fast!"

I begin to use my hands to help describe my driving skills. "I put the pedal to the metal, and sped away until we reached the clearing…" I quickly lower my eyes to hide a bit of my embarrassment.

"…that's when I lost control of the cart! We spun out, and hit a bump, and that's how…" I leave my sentence purposely unfinished, choosing to finish my story by gesturing towards the vehicle that noticeably sticks out into the storage room's interior.

Stan immediately lowers his eyes at me, "So, it's YOUR fault…"

Once again, I look back at my cohorts, still shaking in their boots. While I hate being the center of Stan's rage, part of me is glad to take some of the pressure off of the twins.

"Well…yeah, I guess," I finally admit to Stan. I try to make a quick joke to lighten the mood. "Look at this way, Mr. Pines. Now, you have the perfect spot for that drive-thru that you always wanted!" I flash a tooth-filled grin in hopes that my natural charisma kicks in.

The eerie silence stemming from the old man in front of me ensures me that I have failed…miserably. All of a sudden, Stan address me again, using his calmest and non-threatening voice,

"…And I figured you to be "the adult" here…"

I think to myself, "Wow, Stan! Way to rub salt in the wound!" I listen to him once more,

"…however, that crack is the cherry on top…"

Slowly, he walks towards me until we are face-to-face. He begins to yell in my face with such ferocity that his booming voice literally blows my hair back!

"THAT IS IT, LITTLE MISSY! YOU'RE THROUGH! WENDY CORDUROY…YOU'RE FIRED!"

I can hear both Pines twins gasp in shock at the sudden announcement. While I find it shocking that both tweens seemed to be more devastated by my fate rather than their own, I do admit that it was nice to see a sense of "brand loyalty" amongst them.

As Stan walked away, I simply stood frozen in my tracks. Maybe the sensation didn't hit me, yet. Then again, as I admitted earlier, I didn't exactly put my best foot forward when it came to work. The way I figured it, sooner or later, this moment was going to come.

However, it was Stan's next remark that hit a nerve.

He turned around and screamed, "And don't think for a second that your father isn't going to hear about this!"

I could feel my heart jump into my throat and fall down into my feet. Without thinking, I cry out in a panic:

"But…but you can't!"

A sly smile grows over the old coot's face. "Watch me!" he brags. I should be kicking myself right now. In my fear, I easily gave Stan a tell. He now knew that he had me in his clutches.

A wave of nervousness begins to rise throughout my body. My breathing begins to become more and more rapid. The phrase, "What am I going to do?" keeps flashing in my subconscious. Suddenly, my thoughts are broken by gentle tugs on my green plaid flannel shirt. I look down to see two pairs of sympathetic eyes staring up at me.

Mabel is the first to address me, "Wendy, we don't understand…" She takes a moment to look at Dipper, and returns her attention upwards to me. "Why is it so bad if Manly Dan finds out about the accident?"

I lower myself to my knees, so I can meet the duo at eye level. I take a deep breath, remembering that there are sides of me that they don't really have a clue about. I roll my eyes as I stumble to find the proper words:

"Umm…let's say that at times, I'm not exactly the best Wendy that I can be…"

Mabel looks at me with a shocked, wide-eyed expression while Dipper maintains his concerned view. I figured that he already knew better. After all, I would expect that from Dipper…

"There are a LOT of things that I do in which my family doesn't really…uh…approve of. Mostly matters concerning my other friends, and some involving Robbie…

As I mention the name of my boyfriend, I can hear Dipper coughing repeatedly, interrupting my story. I instantly stare daggers at the sarcastic boy, letting him know that this was neither the time nor the place for that.

"Anyways, my dad is kinda tired of the entire ruckus I cause around town, so he threatened that the next time I got caught doing anything that he considered to be stupid…"

The twins stood on edge, listening to every syllable that came out of my mouth.

"…he said that he would ship me off to military school…"

Instantaneously, Dipper sports the same stunned, yet astonished look that his sister previously wore. I turn to see tears forming in Mabel's eyes. To my surprise, the small metal-mouthed girl rushes up and wraps her arms around my mid-section. I can feel her sobbing (messily) on my shoulder. I cradle her small frame in a motherly fashion, in hopes of calming the sniffling girl. I can barely hear her muffled cries, "We're sorry, Wendy…so sorry…we didn't mean to get you in trouble…"

While holding Mabel, I glance up to see how Dipper is doing. Still dumbfounded, he is simply shaking his head back and forth, as if he was silently rejecting this new information. He appears to be deep in thought…but of what exactly?

I close my eyes, reflecting on the moment at hand. I couldn't tell in which I felt worse about: the impending fate that hung over my head, or the fact that these two unnecessarily loyal kids were heartbroken over the situation. They blamed themselves when not one ounce of me would! How could I? After all, this little "experience" was a mere blemish on the long and winding record that was my life.

I open my eyes to see that Dipper's demeanor has vastly changed. His watering, sad eyes were replaced with dark ones that burnt like fire. His sights locked on me, but not in anger. I know this look. The wheels in his head were turning, trying to crank out an idea. The part I admire most about Dipper – the hidden adult locked inside of that small form – was struggling to burst out. This was the same adult-minded-Dipper that had previously saved me from a ghostly encounter at the Dusk2Dawn. Maybe…just maybe, it was attempting to do so yet again…

As if he was violently struck by lightning, I watch Dipper rise up and head back towards Stan, who began to head back out of the room. I guess he isn't one for sentimental moments. Or perhaps he was that bent on sending me to my doom as soon as possible. While continuing to embrace Mabel in my arms, I can overhear Dipper:

"Wait! Wait! Grunkle Stan! If…if we can make enough money to pay for the repairs to the Shack, will you let Wendy off the hook?"

I hear the footsteps stop suddenly. Again, I thought it odd that Dipper would be more concerned over my fate rather than his own. I listen as Stan tries to counter him,

"Oh, really? And how are you going to pull that off? Are you going to go out and find some sort of mystical money tree, or something like that?"

"Umm…umm…"

I can tell by the sound of his voice that Dipper is becoming flustered by this confrontation. I bite my lip and silently cheer him on. I urge in my mind, "C'mon, Dipper! You can do it!" However, I can't decide if I'm hoping he'll succeed for his sake or my own…

Dipper springs into action once more, "What if I said that we could put on a show here at the Shack in a few days. Make it a big event! Huge crowds, meaning more people willing to spend money! Heck, I'd guarantee we'll make repair money, and even moreso…"

A small smile begins to spread across my face. I could tell that Dipper almost convinced him…

"…plus, you won't have to lift a finger! We'll do all the advertising, all the setup, and run the entire show. The only thing is left to do is for you to kick back and count the big bucks rolling in…"

My smile widens as I nod my head In agreement. Free money without any work involved? There was NO way that Stan was going to walk away from that…

"Alright, kid. You've made your sale…"

"And Wendy?"

"Yeah, yeah…your Wendy's departure is postponed…for now."

As I ponder the label of being "Dipper's Wendy", I watch as two silhouettes displayed against the wall appear to shake hands. I glance down to see Mabel raise her head from my now-soaking-wet shoulder. As she pulls away from me, I notice that a trail of slime now stems across my side.

Mabel, still sniffling, looks back at me in embarrassment. I give a warm smile and shrug my shoulders, "Hey, it's already a green shirt." The pun makes the downtrodden girl giggle, which is something that I definitely need to hear right now.

We both look as once more, footsteps begin to come from the hallway. Dipper appears with his head slightly lowered; a blank expression on his face. You'd think that he'd be a bit more excited by his victory.

"DIPPER!" bursts the petite girl next to me. She races across the room and nearly tackles her brother in a bear hug, making him blush in embarrassment. I stand back and cross my arms, deciding to let the two have a moment uninterrupted. I think to myself about the cute scene before my eyes; of how Dipper tries too hard to act more mature than he really is (since generally, it tends to backfire on the little guy). I'm not saying that it's a bad thing, but something that is really unnecessary; at least in my eyes.

After a few moments, I join in on the celebration. As Mabel sees me coming, she scoots over, leaving behind a closed-eyed, yet deeply redden Dipper. I quickly drop to one knee and take over where Mabel left off, squeezing the little hero (my little hero) who fearlessly went to bat for me. At first, Dipper is unaware of the change, as I feel his noodle arms clinch me back. I turn towards Mabel, who is standing behind me with mouth covered, trying to fight the snickers rising from within. I inaudibly "shush" her with my lips.

All of a sudden, I feel Dipper's arms move slightly. He is noticing the change in "Mabel's" size and shape. I smile as he calls out with eyes still shut,

"Wendy?"

Trying to fight my own case of the giggles, I attempt to keep a straight face as I reply,

"'Sup, dweeb…"

My grin deepens as his eyes shoot open in shock. He looks up in my emerald green eyes with a loss for words. After forcing an awkward moment of silence upon him, I start again,

"Hi, there…"

I watch as Dipper turns yet another shade of red, forcing himself to stutter out a very broken, yet modest, "Hi…"

I lower my eyes at the pre-teen, "Y'know, Dipper. It was very cool of you to do that…"

His face lights up, "Really?!" A moment later, he seemingly gains control of his nervousness, trying a different tone fill of confidence and bravo,

"I mean…no problem…after all, you saved us first. And the last thing I'd want is to see something terrible happen to my Wen…err…."

I raise an eyebrow as he stops himself. Quickly, he motions towards his sister standing next to me.

"…to our Wendy…"

I stop for a second to think about his comment (as well as the one Stan made earlier). Was I being left out of some sort of hidden joke? I push the thought to the back of my mind, as we had more pressing matters at hand.

"Dipper, while I appreciate the save, what exactly are we going to do?"

I watch as the boy bites his lip and turns away from me for a second. The nervousness returns. This probably wasn't going to be good news.

"Uhh…actually….I was going to ask if you girls had any ideas?"

Mabel and I shoot each other a confused look, and quickly turn towards Dipper. He buckles under the pressure.

"Oh, come on, now! There's gotta be something here that can help us out! I mean, Stan has decades of junk back here! We're bound to find an answer!

I look back at Mabel, and simultaneously, we shrug our shoulders in sequence. All three of us quickly disburse and begin to rummage through the ancient wares in the Mystery Shack storage room. As I begrudgingly shift through piles of dust filled garbage, I hear Mabel loudly gasp and call out,

"Hey, you guys! YOU GOTTA SEE THIS!"

Dipper and I hurry towards the girl pointing into a corner. Being the brave explorer that he is, Dipper carefully heads alone into the pile of junk. He goes so deep that he literally disappears from my sight. After a few moments without hearing any noise, I become a bit concerned.

"Dipper! Is everything okay?

I receive no response. A sense of nervousness begins to rise in my chest. I have to do something!

Abruptly, the piles of rubble begin to shake violently. I look forward to see something heading our way. I take a deep breath of relief as I see Dipper pushing a huge object into the clearing. It was a really long table with a reddish-orange box attached to the top of it. The whole piece was blanketed with cobwebs and layers of dirt.

After studying it for a few moments, I ask aloud, "So…what exactly is it?"

Mabel pipes in, "It's one of those magic box-thingies…you know; they cut people in half with these things…"

"Ah…" I reply with a hint of interest. I wonder to myself, "What the heck was Stan doing with something like this?"

Dipper rushes next to me and goes into further detail,

"Yeah, you guys wouldn't believe it! There are a WHOLE lot of different devices and contraptions like this!" I can see that he is oddly excited at this discovery. But why?

Dipper looks to see my confusion. He begins to narrate,

"Wendy, don't you see? THIS is the answer we were looking for!" I watch in awe as he turns towards Mabel, using his arms to illustrate his vision in the air,

"We'll create a magic show using Stan's old props! We can get Soos to help us fix this stuff up! Mabel, you can whip up posters for this event...the people of this town will be blown away by a display of real magic!"

Mabel hesitates, "But Dipper, we don't know how to do any of this stuff! We don't know the first thing about magic!"

Determined, Dipper begins to correct his sister, "Ah, but Mabel, we do!"

She gives a confused look back, "We do?!"

Dipper gives a stern look, and for some odd reason, pats his right side of his blue vest. I could see something brown sticking out of it, but I really can't make it out. He repeats himself, "Yes, we do!"

Mabel raises her eyes, "Ohhhhh!"

I think to myself that I'm missing something here. Somewhat tired of this game of "back and forth," I question Dipper,

"Sooo…what's my role in all of this?"

Dipper looks up at me, with a huge smile on his face. "Wendy, you have the most important role of the whole event!"

Engrossed, I raise my eyes at the small mastermind, "Really? And what's that?"

He quickly replies, "You're going to be the Magician's assistant!"

"WHAT?!" I shriek at the boy. "Are you kidding me?!" I look back at the reddish orange box that recently came out of storage. I shudder, thinking about being locked into the structure.

"But Wendy…" Dipper argues back, his proud smile vanishing quickly. "You HAVE to, literally! You're the only one tall enough to fit in these things! Mabel and I are WAY too short!"

I struggle to find the words to talk my way out of this. I see Mabel out of the corner of my eye slowly nodding her head in agreement.

"Great!" I think to myself. "It's now two-against-one!"

Mabel seemed to notice my obvious displeasure at Dipper's idea. Using her sweetest, most innocent voice, she attempted to shine her own light on my situation,

"Well, it definitely beats getting up at the crack of dawn and doing push-ups until infinity…"

That last comment really hit home. The girl by my side probably could have chosen better words, but she was correct. I hate it when that happens!

I switch my vision back and forth to the double set of brown eyes staring up at me. It is only after a few moments that I finally give in...

"Well, I guess that settles it, then!"

Overjoyed, Mabel lets out a high-pitched squeal of glee. She instantly bolts out of the room, already fiendishly plotting towards the future event.

As the reality of the task at hand begins to set in, I feel a hand on my shoulder. I turn to see a frowning Dipper staring up at me. Is he as worried as I am?

"Are you okay, Wendy?"

It was like he could tell my extreme discomfort about the situation. Before I can say anything, I feel him squeeze my shoulder.

"I promise, Wendy; everything seems messed up now, but in the end, it'll be okay…"

In gratitude, I offer a brave, yet encouraging smile in which he quickly returns.

"Trust me, won't you? I swear; it'll be okay…"

A few days passed, and everything has been as Dipper planned. Soos worked with Dipper (after hours, as to not incite Stan's wrath) to restore the articles that the young boy that pulled out of storage. They even designed a decent stage outside where the spectacle would take place. Mabel spent her time designing and placing posters all across town as well as in the clearing of the woods. I still can't believe she had everything finished within twenty-four hours!

I helped peddle pre-sells for the event while maintaining my cashier duties at the Shack's gift shop. I really couldn't believe that so many people were actually interested in this thing! Maybe Dipper was right…

In the meanwhile, Stan was more quiet than usual. He was true to his word, and left me alone to my own devices. However, I couldn't help shake the feeling that he was secretly watching over the three of us. Was he expecting us to fail?

The night of the event, I arrive at the Mystery Shack a few hours before scheduled. Mabel requested that I'd come early, so we could get ready together. I knock on the "family entrance" of the Shack. A few moments later, the door opens and I let out a surprised gasp!

Mabel stood before me in an adorable tuxedo set-up, complete with bow tie and tiny cuff links. Her long brown hair was perfectly straightened to a fine point. She wore a pair of black sneakers with short white socks in lieu of her regular slip-ons. However, upon looking at me, the young pre-teen's smile vanishes, being quickly replaced by a humungous frown.

"NO!" she cries out in disappointment. The pint-size figure begins to circle around me, analyzing at every angle,

"NONONONONO!"

I raise an eyebrow at the girl's behavior. "Hey, buddy? What's the problem?"

She reaches over and pulls on my flannel. "THIS!" she exclaims. Mabel then tugs on my blue jeans and points at my brown boots, "And THAT! And THESE!"

I continued my confused look, "I'm not following you…"

"WENDY!" the girl chastises me. "You were supposed to be dressed-up for tonight!

I stand back, "Well, this IS dressed-up for me!" I look down at my newly cleaned flannel shirt, my pressed jeans, and my polished lumberjack boots. What more did Mabel expect from me?

Disappointed, Mabel gives herself a face palm. Ironically, the action makes me think of her great uncle. A moment later, she grabs my hand and drags me into the house. She glances up at the clock mounted on the wall. The young female twin turns back to me and proclaims, "Great! We still have time!"

"Time for what, exactly?"

"You'll see!"

A minute or so later, I am led into an area located right near the storage room where the twins had previously found the magic props. Mabel pushes me behind a curtained area. Seconds later, I see an object fly over the curtain. Naturally, I jump up and catch it. I look down to see that I am now holding a long, yet very elegant emerald green dress. Before I have a chance to think, Mabel screams from behind the other side of the curtain:

"Put that on, NOW! We have to hurry!"

I slip off my clothes and slither the green garb over me. I take a second to look down and admire myself. I couldn't tell when was the last time I wore anything this fancy. Once more, Mabel calls out to me,

"Are you decent?"

Still shocked by the actions of the rushing pre-teen, I reply, "Yes, but…"

Without a second thought, the small hand reaches through the curtain and finds mine again. I am yanked towards until we reach a piece that resembles a dentist's chair. I figure that she must have found it amongst the horde that Stan kept. Mabel asks me to sit and "make myself comfortable." I gladly accept, grateful to be given a moment to sit and relax after being rushed around. I look up to the spider webbed covered ceiling and let out a contented sigh.

All of a sudden, I feel the socks being removed from my feet. I look down to see that Mabel is lowering one foot at a time into a tub filled with a milky substance.

"Mabel!" I question. "Just what are you doing down there?"

She answers without even looking, "Everything and anything!" She finally gazes up at me, "They're gonna need time to soak, so in the meantime…"

With incredible energy, the pint-sized pre-teen leaps onto the chair, just barely missing my lap. Before I can react, Mabel snags one of my hands. I struggle to sit up straight in the reclining chair. I can barely make out her actions. Finally, after several seconds of maneuvering my neck around, I am able to get a clear view.

Using remarkable speed and dexterity, the older Pines twin is painting my fingernails. She replaces my flesh-colored ones with a shade of sparkly emerald green. Eerily enough, the darken tone seems to match the elegant dress that Mabel forced me to don. I watch in astonishment as the young girl uses her almost-ninja-like skills to hop to the other side of the chair, quickly securing my other hand. As I began to feel Mabel work on the second set of nails, I bring the finished hand close to my face, admiring the handiwork. Suddenly, she turns to me without stopping her progress,

"Careful! They're not dry yet! Blow on them!"

Not wanting to anger the adolescent that had literally tossed me around for the last half-hour, I obediently nod and begin to dry the wet paint. A few moments later, Mabel dives from the chair's arm back onto the ground, leaving behind another perfectly manicured hand.

As I alternate attempting to dry both hands, I think about how while this "bossy" side of Mabel shocks me, I'll be the first to admit, I kind of DID like the feeling of being pampered; even if it was in fast forward. It's just something that I don't really get a chance to experience…girl-wise.

My thoughts are abruptly interrupted as I sense two tiny hands clasp around my ankle. My view moves downward as I see Mabel lifting a soaking-wet foot from the murky tub. She analyzes it with a quiet "Hmmm…"

Her brown eyes meet mine looking at her inquisitively. Mabel explains, "They're not too ' prune-y'…" I can feel her grip tighten as I watch the plucky tween reach down for a tiny, yet very hard-looking brush. As Mabel holds it beneath the bottom of my foot, I attempt to stop her, immediately knowing what was coming next:

"WAIT, MABEL! DON'T!"

I scrunch my face as the bristles scrap against my sensitive skin. I nearly buck out of the chair, almost kicking poor Mabel in the head. Not being deterred, a metal-braced smile forms on her cute pie-face.

"Oh? A squirmer, eh? I'll fix that!"

Before I can react, Mabel dives towards both of my pale feet, trapping them in an arm lock. I can only see her backside now. All at once, a multitude of sensations flow throughout my body. They range from horribly, super ticklish to intensive, prickly pain, as the brushes explore my soles. Fighting to maintain my composure, I attempt to reach for the somewhat stubborn twelve year old torturing me when at the last second, she turns in my direction, (as if she knew I was coming…)

"Don't YOU dare!" she commands me with a sharp, stern look in her eyes. "I don't have time to fix your nails if you mess them up! Now, sit back and try to relax! We're almost done!"

Sitting back in defeat, I stare at the girl as she returns to the task at hand. I do what I can to fight the feelings making my body spasm involuntarily. I close my eyes to avoid seeing the world's most antagonistic pedicurist in action. I bite my bottom lip to stop the giggles and chuckles struggling to escape from my chest and lungs. I grip the sides of the chair (minding Mabel's warning about using my nails) to attempt in maintaining some control over my flailing body.

After an eternity passes, I feel both feet gently placed on the bottom rim of the chair. The cold metal sends a chill up my spine. I shortly sense something fidgeting at the tips of my toes. I open my eyes to that Mabel had placed toe separators on each foot, once again using her cunning swiftness to coat my nails in the same emerald green as before.

I wonder about the reason behind the color. Don't get me wrong; I LOVE green, but why was Mabel so bent on using it over and over again? There has to be a reason, right?

Mabel shortly stands and addresses me, "BRB!" then dashes down the hall. I look down to see ten reflective sparkling green lights shining back at me. I shrug the dividers off my feet. Again, I have to admit that the kid did flawless work, considering the rush that she was in. Yet, I think to myself, this was insane! I am already exhausted, and the show didn't even start yet!

Moments later, I hear the pitter-patter of tiny sneakered feet. I raise my head to see Mabel heading in my direction, carrying a huge box that was nearly twice her size!

I raise an eyebrow to the young girl's intentions. What was she up to now?!

She carelessly throws the box on the ground, and pulls the top open. Mabel is moving so fast that I can barely keep up. I see her grab a huge metal object from the box, and sprint towards the electrical outlet behind my chair. She races back and pulls a smaller, white case out of the giant container. Mabel picks at several objects and once more, bounds into the chair besides me.

Standing face-to-face with me, Mabel pulls her hand back. I happen to notice a giant powder puff in her grasp. She looks down at me with a warning, "Deep breath, now!"

"Wait-a-sec…"

I am helpless as the hyper-active child repeatedly strikes my face with the cushion. I let out a series of coughs due to Mabel catching me off guard. Before I can fully recover, she uses her small fingers to literally shut my eyes. I can hear the squeaky, high-pitched voice inches from my face bark more orders:

"Try to keep your eyes closed, Wendy! I'll go as fast as I can!"

I can feel brushes stroke against my eyelids as well as bristles edge towards my eyelashes. While I do as Mabel asks and keep my eyes shut, I begin to worry. Doing nails is one thing, but actual makeup? While I do trust the twin whom I see as the sweet, wacky little sister I always wanted (coming from the eldest of an all-boy family), I can only hope that I don't end up looking like a circus clown…

"Okay! You can open them now!"

I open my eyes to notice; to feel that something had definitely changed. However, I won't know for sure until I find a mirror. Hopefully, that will be before anyone else sees my "new look." I turn to see Mabel standing before me, with bright red lipstick in her hand.

"Wendy, I need you to "pucker" your lips; like this." She gives me an adorable demonstration. Mabel quickly adds to the tutorial, "Just pretend that you're kissing Dip – I mean, Robbie!"

After displaying a sly smile, I extend my lips as requested and a moment later, the young pseudo-beautician spreads the red texture against my flesh. After she finishes, I press my lips together, trying to ensure that the lipstick had been spread evenly.

I glance at the little helper before me, "Okay, ' my captain'…are we done yet?"

Mabel shakes her head at me, "Not yet!" She quickly runs her hand through my thick red hair. "Now, we have to do something about this!"

"What's wrong with my hair?" I quiz the shorten pre-teen.

She flails her hands in the air frantically, "Are you kidding me?" I cry out in pain as she quickly runs a shorten hand through my red locks until she reaches a tangle. "We NEED to do something about this frizzy mess…"

My face changes to a frown as I thought about Mabel's criticisms. I mean, I don't really do the whole "nails" thing since I'm super rough on my hands; plus I'm not really a "barefoot" person (unless I have to be, like my short stint as a lifeguard), but I do pride myself concerning my hair. Even since I was little, I have ALWAYS my hair long. I couldn't even remember the last time I had a haircut. Granted, I left it messy at times, but I'm more of an "au natural" type of girl. I know that Mabel is only trying to help (exactly why I'm not sure of…), but to be honest, she was starting to hit a nerve…

Mabel leaves me for a moment (allowing me to take a well-deserved sigh of relief) only to return with the metal object she was cradling earlier. At close range, I realize that she had plugged in a hair straighter. Before I can react, Mabel steps onto my lap (with steaming device in hand) and immediately starts clamping down on my hair. As I feel the heat nearing my skin, I warn the kid,

"E-easy there, Mabel! You're cutting it kinda close!"

"Oh, relax! Don't be a baby…"

I shrink back, embarrassed of being rebuked by someone half my size. Again, I have to remind myself, "In her own way, she's only trying to help…"

After a few moments of silence, not counting Mabel humming sweetly to herself as she went from place to place around my head, I decide to break the silence. Hopefully, she can answer some of my concerns.

"Hey, Mabel; level with me. Does Dipper really know what he's doing?"

I can feel the girl release my hair for a split second, bringing in a pause of cool relief. She laughs in my ear,

"Wendy…Wendy…Wendy…You know that Dipper loves that supernatural/magical-y stuff, right? If there's anything he can do, it's that stuff!"

She then pushes the issue further in a teasing voice, "You're NOT worried, are you?"

I scoff at Mabel's taunt. "No way! I was just asking!" I give her a deadpan look to add believability to my "little fib." Suddenly, a thought jumps into my mind. This would be a perfect time to try to get some more info from the bubbly stylist before me. I think back to the comments made earlier by Stan and Dipper…

"…besides, I know Dipper well enough to know he wouldn't hurt me intentionally. After all, I am his Wendy…"

I stare straight towards as I can sense Mabel suddenly stopping work on the other side of my head. I beam as the girl gulps. I had her! A split second later, she continues on as I once more feel the heat against the side of my head. With renewed valor, she starts the conversation again, careful to side-step the issue I secretly addressed.

"Yeah, that's Dipper for ya! Super-loyal and everything! Look at it like this, Wendy: in his "line of work," there are some things that are better left a secret…"

I give Mabel a tooth-filled smile, as I nod in approval of her response. I figured already that I wasn't going to get the answer I was looking for. However, her next comment nearly knocked me off the chair…

"Besides, Wendy; that's a WAY better label than 'Private Corduroy…'"

I shoot the sarcastic artist a severe expression as she laughs at her own counter/joke, as if to say, "Touché, short stuff…" However, I think to myself, "That's strike two, kiddo!" She was truly her great-uncle's niece; not hesitant to bust anyone's chops. Regardless, I easily maintain my cool.

"C'mon!" I implore. "Share a secret with me…oh, I know! What's Dipper's real name?"

Once more, I am laughed off by the stubborn twelve year old, whom merely shakes her head.

Finally, I hear the words I have longed to hear:

"And…finished!"

In a blur, Mabel hurdles down to the floor, and turns around to yank me to my feet. I have to lift the emerald dress with my free hand to avoid tripping over myself.

In an instant, the small powerhouse forces me to a stop. Using my hand as a guide, Mabel physically turns me towards a giant mirror nearly as tall as I am.

"Soooo…tell me what you think!"

I am left in awe as I study the girl staring back at me from the mirror. A gorgeous shade of purple eye shadow brings out her bright green eyes. Her styled eye lashes seem to add to the illumination. Her face, especially her dimpled, freckled cheeks, is neatly and evenly powdered throughout. Her lips, surrounding a toothy smile, radiates with a bright red lipstick. Her long, red hair, reaching down her backside, is straightened to perfection. A long and shimmering dress, the same tone as the girl's radiant eyes, covers her slender frame. I reach out to touch the mirror's surface to further confirm my disbelief.

The beautiful stranger in the mirror IS ME!

I notice Mabel at my side again. Still a bit shell-shocked, I glance down at her, trying to remain dry-eyed (can't ruin her hard work after all). I don't have to say a word. I can tell by looking in her eyes that she already knows my thoughts, and more importantly, my gratitude. She reaches for my hand yet again, leading it into the mirror's path.

"You see?" She claims excitedly. "Your fingers and toes match the dress, which also matches your eyes. It all fits! After all, you are going to be the center of attention! You HAVE to be YOUR best!"

I glance down along with Mabel to see my wiggling, emerald-tipped toes sticking out of the edge of the dress dapping against the cold floor. Any and all doubts about the pre-teen have instantly flown out the window, leaving me in a form of regret. The sight brings about another idea to the hyper-active girl's mind. Her hand leaves mine once more, as she runs off, mumbling about "forgetting something…"

I return my attention to my reflection. Looking around to make sure I'm not being watched, I slightly lift the dress, and playfully twirl around on my balls of my feet. I giggle to myself playfully, still in doubt of the "magic" that Mabel had performed. After all, this is a side of me that I really don't reveal to the world quite that often. I wonder what everyone is going to think. Will they think it's not "plain ol' Wendy," but someone totally different? As I ponder such things, I hear Mabel return.

"Sorry for the wait," she apologizes. I feel her hand on my shoulder. "Bend down, please…"

I carefully position myself on one knee, taking extreme account not to catch my dress. To my horror, Mabel starts to choke me! I cry out, "HEY, *GAG* WAIT!"

I raise my hands to my throat to try to stop her, but I shortly realize what was happening as I gaze into the mirror. The tween had wrapped a gorgeous black choker, complete with shiny, golden buckle, around my neck. The nervous lump in my throat swiftly goes back down in a sigh of relief. Looking at my reflection, I begin to see Mabel's intentions. The item did add a touch of class…

Still kneeling, I feel my dress being lifted off my legs. Once more, I can feel tiny hands fidgeting with my bare feet. I turn around, struggling to fight another case of snickers, to see that Mabel was outfitting me with a pair of dark black pumps. I watch as Mabel stands back up with a sense of pride on her face.

"I had to guess what size you wore…hopefully, they won't pinch!"

She rushes back to my side and offers me her hand. I struggle to regain my balance. I turn back to the mirror to see that the high heels have added another three inches to my already-super-tall form. As I continue to admire my dressed up state, a horrifying thought came to mind:

"What was Stan doing with all of these women's clothing?" A shudder travels down my back as I thought of an abandoned corpse lying somewhere, unceremoniously robbed of all its belongings. After all, in Stan's case, anything and everything to make an easy dollar…

Mabel reminds me of the tasks at hand, "C'mon, Wendy! We're gonna be late! Everyone's waiting for us!"

She takes my hand and begins to lead me out of the passage. Involuntarily, my feet slip out from beneath me. "WHOA!" cries Mabel as she helps me regain balance before I hit the hard ground. As she helps me up, she turns to me with a sense of realization.

"Wait…you don't know how to walk in heels, do you?"

I offer a sheepish smirk to the young girl, who simply sighs in disbelief. I'm just not that kind of girl…

Not one to be defeated, Mabel tightens her grip on my hand, "Okay, then; quick tutorial…"

She begins to demonstrate my expected movements using her sneakered feet, "It's like this, Wendy! Heel-toe…heel-toe…heel-toe..."

I follow her instructions, taking baby steps to avoid stumbling. So far, so good. After all, I couldn't let the twins down; not after all of the hard work that they put into this night. The last thing that I was going to let stop me were a pair of weak arches!

As we head towards the stage, still hand in hand, I repeat Mabel's mantra to myself to avoid falling, "Heel-toe, heel-toe…" A squeaky, pre-pubescent voice cries out in worry:

"Where have you been?! It's almost show-time, and…"

I turn to my side to see a completely paralyzed Dipper stuck in place. He is dressed in the exact same outfit as his twin sister: black tuxedo, bow-tie, and matching gym shoes. His short brown hair is neatly combed and slicked back. I'd tell him that he reminds me of a younger version of his grand-uncle, but then again, I didn't want to break the kid's heart. His mouth was frozen in an "O" shape. I chortle at the young boy staring at me starstruck. I guess I was right about people seeing me in a new light.

However, the look he gave off seemed to tell a different story. Not only were there senses of astonishment and wonder in his dark brown eyes, but a hint of shock as well. It was almost as if he had seen a ghost (or something like that…)

I see Mabel leave my side to go rejoin her brother. I smile at the twin magicians, especially the still mystified Dipper. Even when he attempts to act super-serious, he usually ends up being incredibly adorable instead (much to his dismay). I watch, still trying not to stumble over my own two feet, as the twins quietly whisper back and forth to one another. I can only make out a cryptic message from Mabel:

"…it's like In your dream, right?"

Dipper's trance is broken as he realizes I had heard that last part. He gently elbows his sister, "MABEL! SHHHH!" I hide my laughs, trying not to embarrass the pre-teen any further. Gathering his courage, Dipper finally approaches me.

"Wow…just wow, Wendy!" Dipper looks me over from head to toe. "I don't even know what to say…"

I grin at the nerve-wrecked boy, reaching over to give him a celebratory punch in the shoulder, "Thanks, doofus! You clean-up pretty well yourself!" I watch in glee as Dipper's pale cheeks are quickly turned rose-colored. Mabel stands behind her brother, covering her mouth.

As I look over the "gentleman" in front of me, I begin to notice something about him is off. I glance at his styled hair, noticing his shiny, yet blank forehead.

"Dude, what's that about?"

"Huh?!" Dipper gives me a confused look.

"You know…" I begin to motion across my brow to demonstrate, "your Dipper mark-thingie…"

Dipper reaches over in humiliation, trying to shush me. His eyes plead for my silence. He stands on his tip-toes, and whispers to me,

"I had to dress up, too, but I didn't want anyone to see my birthmark…" He turns to his sister, who happily waves back. "So, I had Mabel cover it with makeup…"

I have to stop myself from laughing at the serendipity of things. It turns out that I wasn't the only one who had been tormented by Mabel's "beautification" processes…

"So, please, Wendy…don't say anything about it, please?"

I remember the story he originally told me about the birthmark. The endearing mark for which he was given his trademark nickname. Yet, I remember his recollections of how it brought him nothing but trouble and ridicule. Despite my own feelings on the matter, (or how the story kinda brought us closer together on a personal level) I offer my worried friend a bit of reassurance.

I take my two fingers and make a "zipping" motion across my lips. He happily returns the motion with a smile forming on his face, knowing that his secret was (once again) safe with me.

I offer a hand to each twin, "Come on, guys! They're waiting for us!"

I feel a squeeze on both hands as the twins look up at me admirably. Together, we walk hand-in-hand outside, to where a huge and impatient crowd was awaiting our efforts…

I walk onwards into the light. Considering the fact that the event was at night, I figure that there must be some displays nearby, shining our way to destiny (or fate perhaps?) In each hand, I hold a Pines twin. I can feel the bounce and spring filled with energy with every step Mabel takes on my left. On my other hand, I sense the total opposite; a gentle and somewhat calming response. I glance down to see Dipper looking up at me, his brown eyes locked on as if they were mesmerized. I think back to Mabel's comment from earlier, of how I looked "like a dream." His dream to be more specific… I wonder if that's what Dipper was thinking right now…

As I turn the corner, the breath is literally taken out of my lungs by the sights before me!

There is a giant stage towering before the three of us! I look around to see the finished result of Soos and Dipper's efforts. I thought at most, there would be a halfway decent, somewhat lob sided bit that I would be afraid to set foot on.

How wrong I was…

The structure, expanding the length of the Mystery Shack itself, is carefully balanced by a series of studs and properly secured bearings elevating from the ground. On each side was a staircase allowing easy access on- and off-stage. Every aspect was properly sanded to a fine finish. Bright lights hang from extensions reaching towards the night sky, illuminating the scene below. A huge purple curtain at the back of the platform cloak several objects in shadow.

How the heck did they do all this in a matter of days?

I look down to see that Dipper's eyes had finally left me. I follow his perspective to see Soos out in the distance, arms crossed, giving the young boy a nod of approval, as if to say "Go get 'em!"

I smiled deeply at the scene, returning a nod of thanks to the gentle giant. Just how many people had this kid corralled in the name of my so-called "rescue?"

Suddenly, a shout interrupts the scene:

"HEY! COME ON, ALREADY! WE'VE PAID GOOD MONEY FOR THIS! DO SOMETHING!"

I look to the other side to see rows upon rows of restless patrons, who follow suit with the complaint. I can't even see how back far the crowd goes.

A lump begins to form in my throat. I realize that nearly everyone in town is here!

I shake my head to clear my thoughts. Looking at each twin, I begin to urge them towards the staircase, "Ready?"

Shamefully, I put my full weight on the pre-teens with every careful step on each stair. I do so to avoid stumbling in my black pumps (heel-toe, heel-toe…). The last thing I needed at that moment was to slip and end up with my skirt over my head! I feel extra support on my right holding me up. I glare down at Dipper, who seemingly already knows my burden, even without me mentioning my handicap aloud. Again, I sigh to myself, "It's just like him…"

The three of us gather towards the center stage. My vision is blurred by the lights hanging overhead. All of a sudden, Dipper's hand wiggles free from mine. Without a sense of hesitancy, he steps up in front of Mabel and me. I listen as he takes a deep breath, and shortly begins to address the crowd.

"Go-o-o-o-d evening, Gravity Falls! This is your old friend, Honest Dipper, along with…"

He jumps to the side, using his arms to motion towards his twin sister,

"…my partner in crime, Marvelous Mabel!"

Mabel gives off a metal-mouthed smile and waves wildly to the audience with her free hand, "Hi, everybody!" She looks back with me at a great sense of pride across her face. I return the gesture, making the girl giddy. I catch out of the corner of my eye as Dipper flies across the stage once more, only this time, he is presenting me to the audience:

"…and this, friends, is our Darling Wend…err…Daring Wendy!"

I shoot the pre-teen a look as if to say, "Nice save!" Way to be somewhat subtle, Dipper!

Dipper continues with his dialogue, "Tonight, it is our pleasure to present to you an evening of whimsy and wonder, filled with new twists on your magical favorites…"

I step back and admire the wordy, little spokesperson in front of me. It is eerily reminiscent of when Dipper had to stand in for Stan when Mabel was running the Shack for the weekend. I think now what I did then: he did have a bit of his great-uncle's showmanship in him; even if he'd never cough up to it…

Dipper began to motion towards me once again, making me take notice.

"…all of this made possible by our willing victim…I mean, assistant, Wendy!" The audience laughs politely as the boy's forced mistake. I roll my eyes at his truly lame joke. Suddenly, he turns back towards me, and yells back to the crowd, "Let's give her a hand for her bravery, ladies and gentlemen!"

A spotlight comes down on me, leaving me totally stunned. Dipper has guessed this, for he snatches my hand and leads me closer to the edge of the stage. I lose myself in staring into the distance of applauding townsfolk. My hearing is deafen by countless cheers, roars, and even a few catcalls here and there. I feel Dipper squeeze my hand. He whispers to me, "Take a bow…"

With a great smile on my face, I place my free arm in front of me, and bow for the crowd, making the applause level rise even more so. I close my eyes, and take a moment to listen for all these people cheering, just for me. I know it may sound trivial to bask in all of this, but at the same time, I have never felt that kind of positive attention before, (maybe with the exception of Dipper, but that's a different story…) and perhaps, I may not ever again…

With my head still lowered, I begin to recognize a particular cheer; a familiar chant coming from the front of the crowd:

"WEN-DY! WEN-DY! WEN-DY! WEN-DY!"

My eyes shoot open as I realize the source of the sound. Mabel does as well, for she taps my shoulder and points out,

"Aww…look, Wendy! Your friends are here to support you!"

I look in horror as the entire first row is filled with the likes of Nate, Thompson, and Lee shouting and whistling their hearts out. Tambry is silently cheering with her nose buried in her phone (as usual). I see Robbie sitting at the corner of the row, with hoodie pulled over his head. His arms were crossed across his chest while he shook his head back and forth. Was he embarrassed for me or of me? My humiliation quickly becomes anger. Didn't he realize that I really didn't have a choice in doing this?

As if he sensed my discomfort, Dipper gently pulls on my arm,

"You alright, Wendy?"

With that, my resentment is immediately lowered. I force a grin to my supportive friend,

"Just peachy, kiddo! Let's get started, right?"

I notice that Dipper's vision is not locked on me, but towards the crowd; more specifically, at my somewhat disapproving boyfriend. I know Robbie and Dipper secretly hate each other, and that they both think I'm totally clueless to the fact. They pretend to co-exist peacefully for what they believe is my benefit, but I know better than that. At the end of the day, it does make things WAY easier, instead of having me choose between the two. At times, I'm not sure if I could…

It is kinda ironic. I care for both boys, yet as silly as it may sound, I admire how their personalities are vastly different. Robbie is foolishly arrogant and overconfident, radiating with a form of macho (using the term lightly) charisma where Dipper is fairly hesitant and careful, always trying to take the "smart" approach to life. To put it another way, one's weakness and fault is the other's strength and benefit. However, I try not to focus on such trivial things. After all, I wouldn't want someone who loved me to dissect every single flaw in my psyche. For this, I appreciate them without judgment the same way I would hope they'd do for me…

After the stare-down that seemed to last forever, I am gently led back to the center of the stage by Dipper. He releases his grip, and motions with his finger to wait a moment. I watch as Mabel rejoins her younger brother at the dark purple curtain in front of me. Both twins disappear behind the drape as I turn around to face the anxious crowd alone. I chuckle in uneasiness as all of a sudden, I see a familiar sight come rolling from the drape.

Dipper and Mabel were pushing the reddish yellow box that we had found in Stan's storage room a few days ago. However, I notice that it had undergone a humungous change. The paint job was deeply restored, with every aspect of dust wiped clean. The rough edges were smoothly and evenly sanded down finely. I figure Dipper and Soos did so painstakingly to avoid me ending up with a splinter in my backside. A huge part travels down the midsection section of the box, continuing through the base of the table. I guess that is where the piece separates (with hapless damsel included in the equation). I notice a set of black pillories on both sides of the box itself. The top parts, meant to hold the neck and wrists seem awfully small, while the leg restraints appears to permit a bit more spacious. I figure all the better to allow a slender escape during the act. After all, that's how the illusionists do it on TV. Besides, I couldn't see a pair of "fake" feet anywhere in the device…

I gulp as I further examine my future prison. I know it may sound silly, but the idea of me being locked into such a thing left me a bit unhinged. I mean, I know magic isn't real. It's all a bunch of tricks, illusions, and instances of sleight of hand. At the same time, I speak of such tasks performed by trained and well-practiced experts, rather than a pair of twelve year olds whom decided to do this on a whim. I know that sounds terrible, but in truth, I was leaving myself in an extremely vulnerable position. All it would take is one accidental, wrong move and I would be left with a fate worse than death (or military school, for that matter…)

I look back at the two brunette twins, their beaming eyes filled with appreciation, admiration, and trust locked onto me. I take another swallow as I realize the truth. After everything that has happened, how could I back down from this? I couldn't let them down; I wouldn't…

Dipper begins again, gesturing towards the newly-revealed prop,

"And now, Daring Wendy will attempt a new variation on an old classic, as she graciously allows us to saw her in half!"

He takes a look back at me, still somewhat stunned, and quickly flashes a quick, yet devious tooth-filled grin. Dipper returns back to the audience, "Quite a gal, isn't she, ladies and gentlemen?"

Once again, the night sky roars with ovation dedicated to me. I blush at the scene before me, not just because of the cheers, but the possibility that Dipper meant more than he led on by his comment. Part of me wonders if it was just for show. I could tell by the expression on Robbie's face that he is thinking the same thing.

I turn around as I hear *CLICK* after *CLICK.* The twins have unfastened the several latches of the box, leaving it gaping wide open. As strange as it might sound, it was almost like it was inviting me inside. Once more, I feel Dipper and Mabel gasp my hands and lead me towards the front end of the box. I turn around and hoist myself onto the table. I gaze down with a quizzed look as I feel a twin at each foot. They are removing the torturous black heels from my feet. While my aching arches wanted to thank them for the action, I wonder what exactly was the point of doing so? I quickly remember the barely dressed, yet incredibly lanky women on television; or to be clearer, how that lack of clothing was actually beneficial to easier movement while entrapped. The duo probably figured as much as I did that it would be difficult to slip free while donning three inch pumps.

Dipper swiftly grips my hand to begin gradually lowering me into the box's frame, when a voice bursts from the crowd:

"WHAT IS THIS CRAP?! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU PEOPLE ARE CHEERING FOR THIS!"

I immediately sit up, realizing whose tone was echoing through the audience.

Robbie, now un-hooded, is standing in the front row, addressing the other customers. My other customers! The boys are in sitting next to him, pleading to stop making a spectacle of himself. Tambry, sinks deeper into her seat, trying to block her face with her phone. Perhaps she was just as humiliated as I was…

Without warning, my gothic beau charges the stage, climbing up the right-hand staircase. While I sit speechless at his actions, Robbie continues his tirade:

"COME ON, PEOPLE! WE ALL KNOW HOW THIS IS GONNA END! WENDY'LL GO INTO THE BOX, AND MAGICALLY, FAKE FEET WILL POP OUT THE OTHER SIDE! IT'S THE OLDEST TRICK IN THE BOOK!"

I am dumbstruck of the sight before me. He is ruining everything! And why? Because of a cute, little comment Dipper made? If only Robbie knew the damage that he was causing. Heck, the way things were going, he might as well pack my combat boots, camouflage gear, and hard hat for me…

Unexpectedly, the sound of reason breaks the tension:

"Alright then; YOU do it!"

I turn to see Dipper standing by my side, with arms crossed and eyes blaring, addressing the ruffled teenager looking down on him. He brings the crowd back into the action, "After all, what is a good magic show without a skeptic or two to be proven wrong? I promised these fine people that this event would be unlike anything they have seen before. What says you guys? Should this guy put up or shut up?"

Tons of jeers and taunts begin to come from the irritated sightseers. I watch as the angry expression disappears from Robbie's face, only to be replaced by a look of sheepishness. Without raising a fist or even starting an argument, Dipper has totally disabled Robbie's misguided efforts. The "hidden adult" I love so much triumphs yet again.

In a spiteful manner, Dipper steps aside and motions to Robbie a clear path to my side. Robbie approaches me with slight hesitancy. He knows he's in trouble. I stare daggers as he gives me a small, nervous wave. I lower my brow at him,

"Jealous, much?"

He clumsily clutches my right hand, and picks up where Dipper left me, dropping me into the enclosure. Robbie loosens his grip a second too soon, making me fall back and bang my head roughly against the table. I cry out in agony. I perceive regret on his face, but Robbie doesn't say anything. However, Dipper instantly rushes to my aid,

"WENDY! Are you alright?!"

Biting my lip, I look up at the brown eyes of the younger Pines twin, and give a quick nod to let him know my condition. Without me asking, Dipper helps me up to a sitting position. I see Robbie at the foot of the table, where Mabel is instructing him on how to use the ankle restraints. With two rough tugs, he pulls my feet towards the end of the table, ensuring that it is my legs sticking out of the box. I feel Robbie hastily lower the stocks onto my ankles, making me yelp aloud as they pinch my foot skin. I listen to the latch being fasten, meaning that my legs are properly secured (at least, until I wiggle out later on…)

Dipper runs back towards the other side of the table, where he addresses Robbie and the awaiting crowd again:

"So, tell us, Robbie. You locked Wendy in yourself…Was there any tricks or mirrors or fake legs hidden inside?"

The challenged goth scoffs back at Dipper, "At least nothing I could see…"

Dipper continues, "So, you can confirm that these are really Wendy's feet that we see before us?"

Robbie approaches the front of the back end of the table. All of a sudden, I feel a fingernail drag against the bottom of my foot, making me tremor in reaction. I grit my teeth, attempting to fight the involuntarily snickers trying to escape my body. The last thing I wanted to do was to giggle, especially while I'm still angry (even if I didn't have a choice in the matter).

He turns back to the audience, "Yeah, I guess so…" They begin laughing at my predicament. Suddenly, I'm starting to deeply regret being the center of attention.

I see the tip of Dipper's slicked back head stop right next where Robbie is standing. A tiny digit is tracing against the arch of my other ped, making me heave against the fixtures that held my legs still. I think to myself, "Oh, Dipper! Not you, too!" I can hear his squeaky chuckles mix with my own unwilling ones.

In reflex, I toss my head back, only to force myself upwards once more. I warn the teasing males, "Just you two wait until I'm let out of here!"

My reactions only increase the response of the speculators looking at the scene in front of them. They probably think that my torture is part of the show…

Thankfully, another pint-size hero comes to my aid. I see Mabel's "binky" sticking up from the edge of the box, as she pushes against the two boys (and more importantly, getting them away from me!) The braced pre-teen addresses the crowd with a sigh, "Ugh…boys! Just like them, isn't it, folks!"

The crowd claps for the braced girl who came to my aid.

Rubbing the back of his head, Dipper slowly walks back towards me. I can easily tell that he is somewhat fearful that I would bite his head off. (Good!)

"Sorry, Wendy…" he whispers to me. "I guess I just got caught up in the flow of things…"

I widen my mouth to yell…only to close it a moment later. While his actions did annoy me a bit, at least he had the decency to apologize, unlike some other people. I give Robbie a disapproving stare, making him look away in response.

Dipper offers his hand to me, with a sincere expression on his face. After a moment of reluctance, I accept. Using his free arm, he holds my backside, gently lowering me back onto the table.

"Easy does it…easy…"

I look up to see his brown eyes looking down on me with extreme care. I turn my head to see that he is standing on his tip-toes in order to reach over the structure. I figured as much, as I couldn't make him out over the edge a few moments ago.

Dipper asks me to lift my head slightly. Using kid's gloves, he pulls my lengthy red hair back, careful not to yank too hard, so that it is not restricted (or could get caught) in any way. Next, he asks me to hold my arms up to my head. As I do so, Dipper takes the front stock and begins to slowly lower it against my neck and wrists. Where Robbie basically tossed me like a ragdoll and slammed the restraints painfully down on my feet, Dipper was using a feather's touch, stopping with every inch to ensure that I didn't feel an ounce of pain or discomfort (at least, anything unnecessary).

"How about now? No pinching or anything?"

I shake my head at the overprotective boy, smiling at his concern, "Uh-uh. I'm fine, Dipper. Really!"

As I hear the latch close on the front end, I come to a conclusion. Dipper is instantly forgiven for his hand (mind the pun) in my torment earlier. After all, at least he didn't make me bang my head against the table!

Still maintaining his gentle grin, Dipper nods at me, somewhat relieved that I'm okay. I wave a trapped hand at the young "magician" to further ease his worries. With that, he turns away and is shortly out of my sight. Seconds later, I can hear him addressing the multitude again:

"And now, without further ado, we – "

Dipper is immediately interrupted yet again. I try to turn my head to hear a bit clearer.

"AND WHAT EXACTLY DO YOU TWO THINK YOU'RE DOING?"

Within seconds, despite my limited vision, I can see the towering shape of my boyfriend backing the pre-teen away from the center stage. I can tell by Dipper's voice that he was getting fed up with the interference. This time, I had a feeling that Dipper wasn't going to side-step this, and make it a part of the show…

"What's your problem, man?"

"YOU know exactly what "my problem" is, junior!" He points his finger directly into Dipper's chest. "You dress MY girlfriend in that skimpy outfit and parade her around for everyone to see…"

He lowers himself to meet Dipper face-to face.

"…Well, guess what, kid? THAT stops here and now!"

Instead of backing down, Dipper moves in closer,

"Do you want Wendy to be sent away? Keep acting like a moron, and that's exactly what's going to happen!"

"Who do you think you're talking to, you little punk? If it wasn't for you freaks, Wendy wouldn't have to jump through hoops like this!"

I watch as Dipper turns a shade of red. I couldn't tell if he was ashamed by Robbie's accusation, or if it made him angrier.

"Isn't that the pot calling the kettle black…"

The two boys begin to enter a shoving contest. I am left helpless as the crowd begins to jeer and boo the dueling adolescents. Finally fed up, I try to chastise them,

"Knock it off, you guys! Do you hear me?! Quit it, RIGHT NOW!"

I wiggle my hands and kick my feet, only to be reminded that I am held fast. This time, there was no way I could stop them…or could I? An idea pops into my mind.

"MABEL!" I scream, turning my head back and forth as much as the stock allowed. "Where are you?"

A moment later, the tuxedoed hyperball bounces towards my side, "Present!"

I use my limited motion to point at the arguing duo to the side of me, "Can you take care of this for me?"

She doesn't respond, but simply gives me a smile and a respectful salute before taking off into the purple curtain once more. While waiting for Mabel, I continue to hear the boys fighting. I am starting to get nervous now. When were people finally going to have enough, and just up and leave?

Finally, I see the curtain move out of the corner of my eye. Mabel comes zooming past my head and towards Robbie and Dipper. She bravely stands in front of her downtrodden brother, only to become another target in Robbie's wrath. He points a finger straight at her,

"And what do you want, twerp number two?"

Using her ninja-like speed, Mabel places an object upon Robbie's extended finger with a trademark *WHOP!* It was long, multi-colored cylinder, to which one side had latched itself tightly onto his digit.

"Hey! What the heck is this thing?!" He struggles to yank it off his finger with no success. He lowers himself to the pint-size girl, screaming in her face, "GET IT OFF ME, NOW!"

Mabel, cool as a cucumber, laughs in the goth's face. "Silly, you have to stick the other hand in to trigger the release…"

Without thinking it though, Robbie shoves his free index finger into the other end of the device. He lets out a series of grunts and groans as he attempts to yank his fingers free. I can tell that he was starting to become panicked.

"How do I get out of this thing?!"

Mabel hurries to the front of the stage, and gives a quick wink to the audience watching in awe of the events unfolding in front of their eyes,

"Ancient Chinese secret…isn't that right, ladies and gents?"

With that, the humored roars and praise return from the patrons. Mabel had single handedly saved her brother (and me) from Robbie's ignorance. As a final insult to the show stealer, the young girl literally pushes the entangled teen off the stage.

All three of us laugh (along with countless others) at the situation at hand. Dipper suddenly turns towards me. His expression changes to one filled with regret. He knows that he messed up bad by giving into his anger; that in this case, he was no better than Robbie.

"Wendy…" he silently mouths to me. "I – "

I stop him before he finishes. "I know…" and offer a heartfelt smile. A sense of confidence returns to his face, and shortly after, he vanishes from my sight once more. Don't get me wrong; I definitely disapprove of Dipper's actions. He allowed himself to be lowered to Robbie's level, yet I can't totally blame him. Dipper did have my best interests at heart, and what else could he do with Robbie's enviously goading him, literally forcing him into a corner? Still, as silly as it sounds, part of me kinda expects more from Dipper. If anyone could have found a better way, surely, it would have been him.

My thoughts are shattered as Mabel loudly addresses the restless townsfolk yet again,

"Sorry for the wait, folks! However, our "gatecrasher" does bring up a good point. You guys and gals DO deserve a bit of reassurance that the feat you are about to see is not a mere illusion!" I then see the short twin extend her arms to display an object to the onlookers. Due to how I was angled, I am unable to make out what exactly said thing is! As I can hear the crowd "Ooh!" and gasp, I figure it must be something serious.

Mabel disappears from my view in a blur. Before I get a chance to ponder over the mysterious item, I hear two *CLICK* sounds echo throughout the stage. For some reason, I can sense something grasping my ankles tightly, but then the feeling suddenly fades away. I chalk it up to my imagination. As time passes, it seems like that this box prison is closing in on me, constricting tighter and tighter around my body.

Lying flat on my back, I literally can't do anything else, but stare at the light fixtures hanging overhead. I keep struggling to turn my head as my neck is restricted by the stock holding me in place. The same structure also held my hands as well. I notice the light reflecting off my sparkling green nails; only mere inches away from my face. I remember how much work Mabel put into helping me get ready for tonight, despite my objections.

I try to look down towards my current situation, only to have my vision blocked by the long and narrow yellow-reddish box that currently covers my somewhat tall frame. On the other side, my ankles are also detained. I attempt to slip them out. After all, that is how the "experts" on TV escape this thing, right? For some reason, I can't do it. Something else is yanking my legs back into position, keeping me secured tightly to the table. A cool draft breezes against my exposed feet, making them curl in reflex.

I lower my head back onto the table as my long, bright red hair hangs off the edge. Any way you look at it, the answer's the exact same:

I am utterly and totally trapped, through and through…

A sense of nervousness begins flowing throughout my body. My breathing begins to become heavier and heavier as I realize the seriousness of my situation. My heart feels like it's beating at 300 miles per hour. I'm not claustrophobic, but being stuck like this is starting to take its toll…

With great effort, I turn my head to the left. I see the tuxedoed Mabel standing with great confidence and moxie as she addresses the crowd in front of her. With a braced-filled smile, she turns towards in my direction, acknowledging my presence with a gesture of her arms. I can barely make out her address:

"…and now, our brave damsel will be sawn in half! Against her will, of course; after all, that's half the fun!"

The audience chuckles at my predicament, while beads of sweat begin to drip down my forehead. If they only knew what was running through my mind right now… My palms and soles become clammy as I gulp once more. All of a sudden, someone to my right whispers my name.

"Wendy?"

I try my best to turn to see where the voice is coming from. I look straight into the dark, yet gentle brown eyes of Dipper. A great look of concern is spread across his face; not for himself, but for me.

"Wendy…are you okay?"

I attempt to hide my panicked state, offering a brave half smile, "Never better, dork…" The last thing that I wanted was for Dipper to start questioning himself. It would not end up good in either of our favors.

His expression doesn't change at all. He's not buying it. He can see my worry. Dipper tries to coax it out of me once more.

"Nervous, huh?"

Somewhat tired of hiding, I lower my eyes to the twelve year old loyally standing by my side.

"Dipper…" I whisper back. "Are you guys sure you know what you're doing?"

The small adolescent begins to display a look of confidence; a look that is somewhat rare in Dipper's case.

"Of course, Wendy! Why would you think otherwise?"

My anxiousness starts to betray me. I come clean with my concerns, "Well, it's just that we haven't even talked about how these tricks are performed! I have no idea what I'm doing, or what exactly I'm expected to do!"

I wiggle my confined limbs, demonstrating to the boy my helpless state.

"I can't move, Dipper…" I clarify to the young boy. "For real! There's absolutely no way I can get out of here!"

Despite my unease, Dipper offers a calm smirk. "But Wendy…" he argues. "That's kinda the point! We have to show the people out there that you really can't escape…"

"But, Dipper, how is this going to work?"

After my plea, I watch as Dipper comes closer and grasps my right hand. A warm feeling, somewhat different from the unease I felt earlier, begins to flow in my stomach. As odd as it may sound, this simple act of reassurance actually took some of the pressure off.

"Wendy? Do you really think I'd let anything bad happen to you?"

I look away from my cohort's eyes for a moment. I turn back and reply, "Of course not!" The small voice at the back of my head adds, "…at least, not purposely…"

As those brown eyes meet my emerald green ones yet again, I feel Dipper gently squeeze my trapped hand once more. He pledges to me the same mantra that he made earlier, when I originally questioned his motives the night of the cart accident:

"Then, trust me, won't you? I promise: everything will be alright…"

I smile and nod my head at his words. Despite the overwhelming situation I had been placed into, there was something in Dipper's eyes; his voice that eluded that he truly believed it to be so. Regardless of the "common sense" alarms ringing in my head; against my better judgment, I had quickly come to a decision:

I will put my faith in Dipper. After all, the way I figure it, I would want him to do the same…

Suddenly, I hear Mabel call out to her brother, "C'mon, Dipper! The crowd is getting restless…"

He turns back to me and whispers "Gotta go! Good luck, Wendy!"

I watch as the boy runs out of my perspective. After a few moments of quiet (besides the random audience chatter), I begin to hear a sound.

Being the daughter of the town's lumberjack, it is a distinctive noise that is like second nature to me: it is the sound of wood being sawed through!

Helpless to do anything else, I return my head to its previous position. I stare once more up at the rafters, where a bright flash blinds me yet again.

The sound of wood being shredded becomes louder and louder. How were they doing this? The image of Dipper and Mabel standing on their tip-toes, hoisting a giant saw back and forth through the reddish-yellow box holding me hostage is imprinted in the back of my mind. I close my eyes, and bite my lip, waiting helplessly for the surge of unconceivable pain and agony!

Without warning, I feel a thin scratch against my stomach. I think to myself, "That's it?" A split second later, two *CLANG* sounds pierce my hearing, and something incredibly cold rubs itself against my navel. The chill travels through me from head to toe. I get the impression of someone wheeling me around in place. The audience begins to erupt with thunderous cheers!

Someone is standing over me, gently whispering in my ear,

"You can open your eyes now. We're finished…"

I do so, to see Dipper smiling sweetly over me.

"How do you feel, Wendy?"

I wiggle my fingers and toes. I still have sensation in all sixteen digits (thankfully)! I raise my head towards the boy,

"Dipper…what just happened?"

His smile deepens. "See for yourself…" With that, he turns the table so that I have a better view of the situation. I stare at another reddish-yellow tinted box right across from me. At the front, I see a large silver panel acting as a form of separator. Was there one on my side of the box as well? If so, it would explain the icy chill leaning against my tummy.

Popping out of nowhere, Mabel appears at the other side of the structure, "Oops…wrong side!" She quickly grabs a hold of the table and turns it around completely. A second later, I am facing a pair of tiny, yet super pale bare feet sticking out of a black edged box.

Just viewing the disembodied limbs makes my body tremble with nervous twitches. With dread, I look on to see that the peds in front of me are mimicking the same movement. I also notice the tops of the toes glimmering in a familiar shade of emerald green.

I shortly come to a horrific conclusion: the severed feet jolting in front of me ARE MINE!

The sense of uneasiness returns to the pit of my stomach. How did they do this? I frantically begin to shift my head, looking for the duo that sentenced me to this condition. Seeing my anguish, Dipper returns to my side.

"Wendy! What is it? Are you alright?!"

"Dipper!" I exclaim loudly. "How did…I mean why…those are really my feet over there!"

He leans on the table holding my head, "Well, yeah…that's how the trick works, Wendy! What did you expect exactly?"

To be honest, I didn't have a good answer for the earnest pre-teen. I mean, I have heard about the different ways of performing this trick: fake feet, hidden compartments, loose shackles, reflecting mirrors, and so forth. But this…was truly unreal.

"Dipper…I…I didn't expect…THIS!" I can see his smile fade as he sees me freak out at the sight. "How are you doing this?"

He closes his eyes, with a guilty look plastered across his face, and begins to explain…

"Nuh-uh!" I turn to see Mabel jumping in front of her brother. "Magicians can't reveal their secrets!" Dipper instantly stops in his tracks as the bubbly twin approaches me,

"What's the matter, Wendy? Don't believe it's real?" She runs to the other section of the table. "See?" Mabel begins to gloat as she pokes and prods at my foot bottoms. "BEEP, BOP, BOOP!"

I accidentally let out a few chortles before I lean over and warn the overzealous twin, "Don't you start that again!" I can hear the crowd find amusement at my (somewhat empty) threat. Again, they believe that this is all part of the show…

As I shuffle my legs, I begin to notice something shiny hanging around my feet. I strain my eyes to gain a better perspective. From a distance, it looks like the twins had given me cute little anklets. Upon closer inspection, I realize the truth.

Mabel had placed a pair of handcuffs on my feet! That was the odd "clamping" feeling that I noticed earlier! I try to pull my legs out of the trap, only to see the connecting chain preventing me from retracting inside the box.

I think to myself, "So, that's why I felt so stuck…" I also make another discovery. There was a tiny release at the top of each cuff. My mood changes slightly as I grill the kids over this fact, making sure I speak loud enough so that the onlookers can hear:

"Wait, so you guys couldn't even shell out for the real deal; you used trick handcuffs? Like the kind that you find at a pharmacy as a last-minute, really crappy birthday gift for a kid?" I can hear the audience laughs at my observation. About time that they take my side…

Dipper points out the obvious, "Well…they did fit the bill nicely…"

I look back at my restrained ankles. Dipper did have a point. It would only take a mere flick of a latch to release me from my shackles…if I had a free limb.

He gazes back towards the crowd, "What do you think, folks? Our Daring Wendy 's suffered enough, right? Let's say we put her back together!"

Dipper takes a moment or two to let the audience cry out for my safe return. The queasiness rushes back to my center.

"Dipper…"

Within a split-second, he hurries back to my side, and retakes my shaking hand.

"Hey…it'll be okay, Wendy. Remember, the hard part's over. Just close your eyes and I'll let you know when we're through."

I nod at Dipper's guarantee. In the darkness, I can feel my body being rotated several times. I can hear numerous *CLICKS*, *CLANGS*, and *SNAPS* from every which way. The cold feeling is taken away as well as the weight against my neck, wrists, and ankles. I am able to breathe easily again! A few moments later, Dipper whispers in my ear,

"…Finished!"

I open my eyes and immediately try to sit up. The top of the box was already unlocked, allowing me to move without any restriction. With my legs free, I rise to my feet, and turn to face an eerily silenced gathering. As I stare at them with eyes-wide-open, my friends and neighbors begin to shower me with standing ovations. Dipper gives me a nudge as I continue to look, frozen by my experience,

"Psst…Wendy! Take a bow!"

Once more, I nod, and bow towards the crowd who only increases the velocity of their applause. I raise my eyes to see the gang resuming their chanting of my name (including Tambry, who had finally removed her cell phone from her face). I chuckle as I watch a puzzled Robbie still trying to escape the Chinese Finger Trap that Mabel had locked onto him.

Mabel runs to the edge of the crowd and begins another announcement,

"Thanks again, everyone! There will be a ten minute intermission until the next performance. We'll see you then!"

I raise my eyebrow at the young girl's words. What exactly did she mean by that?

Once more, Dipper waits for me at the edge of the table with helping hand extended. I bend down and reach for his arm, as he begins to help me off the dreadful illusion,

"Watch your step…"

I reach the floor, nearly tripping over the discarded black pumps. I ignore them, instead choosing to comfortably tread around barefoot. As Dipper leads me off the stage in a gentleman-like fashion, I decide to ask him about Mabel's comment,

"Hey, Dip? What did Mabel mean by "the next performance?"

He stops in his tracks and meets my emerald eyes with a confused look of his own, "Well, she means ten minutes until Soos can set up the next illusion…"

I immediately stop him in his tracks, "WHOA THERE, SHORT STUFF!" I lower myself to meet him eye-to-eye. "No one said anything about more illusions! We talked about the magic box thingie; that's it! I did that! End of story!"

Dipper maintains his sadden look, "Wendy…you did read the flyer, right? I mean, you had to! You've been selling tickets for this thing all week!"

With that, my heart slowed to a crawl. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a flyer on the ground by my right foot. Bending down to retrieve it, I begin to read the description until I come to the part that makes me recoil in horror:

"PLEASE JOIN US FOR THREE MAGIC-FILLED EVENTS FILLED WITH MYSTICAL WONDER!"

The air is instantly taken out of my lungs, as if I had just been sucker-punched. I slump to the grassy floor in despair, crossing my arms at my knees and lowering my head downwards. "Oh, man…" I moan silently to myself. I barely survived this first gig; how was I going to be able to withstand two more?

A moment later, I feel a tiny hand on my shoulder…

"I'm sorry, Wendy…I thought you knew; I really did! Don't worry, I'll help you though this…"

Instead of feeling comforted, a surge of anger began to flow through my body. I raise my head, and my eyes dart towards the unexpecting pre-teen.

"That's the problem, kid! Every time you try to "help" me, you end up making it ten times worse! Heck, Dipper, if this is you'd call "helping me out," I'd really hate to see if you were actually trying to hurt me!"

With that, I can tell by looking into the boy's eyes that I had just shattered his soul. What I didn't see while in rage-induced narrow-sightedness was that Mabel had appeared to witness my outburst at her younger brother's side.

Dipper glances briefly at his sister, then lowers his eyes to the ground.

"I…I…I'm going to…to…go grab a Pitt Cola…"

I watch as Dipper sulk away into the Shack as bits of regret started to form in my mind. I turn to see the second Pines twin, with arms crossed, staring daggers at me.

"What?!"

"You know exactly what!"

"Look, kid…"

"YOU LOOK, MISSY!"

I am silenced by the menacing twelve year old moving closer, pointing a finger straight in my face. I have to admit; she has guts to stand up to someone who was easily two times her size.

"All that guy has been thinking for the last few days is "What's gonna happen to "poor Wendy?" "Wendy this" and "Wendy that!" He doesn't even worry about what will happen to him, to us, if we get send back home. You're all he cares about!" I can tell that she says this with a bit of resentment in her voice. Was Mabel jealous, or merely being overprotective about her brother?

Still having a bit of fury residing in me, I scoff at the girl's claims, "As if he cares that much…"

"Are you really that dense?"

I raise an eyebrow at the metal-mouthed child, "Excuse me?" Mabel had a right to be upset, but she was beginning to push it…

"No, you're NOT excused, lady! It's painfully obvious to everyone except you, about how much Dipper cares for you. I know it! Stan knows it! Soos knows it! Even Robbie knows it, and he's an idiot!"

I look over the chastising adolescent a few yards to see Robbie continuing to struggle to free himself from the Chinese Handcuffs. So, that's one point I can't argue with Mabel about…

"…so what does that say if all these people can figure it out, and you can't? Y'know, Wendy, if you want to be mad at Dipper or me about crashing the cart into the Shack, that's fine. But don't you take it out on him just because you're afraid of all of this, and don't wanna say so!"

I lean over, ready to lay into the pestering tween in front of me. I open my mouth and raise my finger, only to coil back a split second later.

She was 100% dead-on. I look down on Mabel, reminiscing of the time she tried running the Mystery Shack for the weekend Stan took off on a vacation. I tried to take advantage of her kindness, only to be put in my place when I pushed too far. I feel the same guilt now as I did then.

"Mabel…" I begin to lower my defenses, "You're…right. You're right. I admit it. I got scared. I didn't know what was happening on stage. It just freaked me out...and all the stuff with Robbie just made it worse…"

I sink back down to the ground and hold my head between my legs,

"What did I just do? Dipper didn't do anything wrong. He was just at the wrong place at the wrong time. I didn't mean to do that to him…honest…"

Once more, I feel a small hand being placed on my shoulder. I look up to see that Mabel's demeanor has totally changed. She is smiling at me.

"Well, go tell him that! Make it right! It's not too late! I'll help Soos finish the setup here."

I nod and regain my balance, "Thanks, Mabel…"

She uses her hands to shoo me away, "Don't worry about that now! Hurry!"

Turning on my heels, I begin to head into the Shack in search of Dipper. I look back at the young, yet extremely forgiving girl definitely much wiser beyond her years. Just another thing to admire about her…

"Dipper!" I call out, stepping into the dimly-illuminated building. Usually, this place is teeming with busloads of eager and money-filled customers, but with all the commotion outside, it obtained a creepy, yet somewhat macabre atmosphere. Determined, I continue onward.

I hurry up the staircase, careful not to catch my dress on a step, and knock on the twins' attic bedroom. "Dipper, are you there?" I appeal gently. I open the door to see two still-made beds.

Rushing back down the stairs, I head towards the back of the Shack. "Dipper, please! Where are you?!" I am starting to get frightened. Walking around with a guilty conscience, the last thing I needed was to find out that something terrible happened to him because I chased him away…

As I pass the storage room, where Mabel had earlier prepared me for the event, I begin to hear signs of life radiating from the area. However, the noises made my heart sink deeper into my gut.

It was the sound of a child sobbing and sniffling.

I slowly enter the room, trying to pinpoint the source. I hop from foot to foot as the cold, gritty floor sends shockwaves through my bare soles. Tip-toeing through the area, I search high and low for the source of the clatter. I pass the curtained off area, where Mabel made me change into the emerald colored dress. Once more, I hear the heart-wrenching whimpering. Curiously, I silently peek into the shade.

Dipper is sitting on the floor with his back facing me. Cradling himself, he is gently crying into a clutched can of soda. He alternates between moaning to himself, and taking small sips of his beverage. He involuntarily quivers repeatedly, although I am not sure if it's due to his fried nerves or the frosty floor.

I silently observe the troubling scene. Only one thought flashes repeatedly through my mind, as if it was a form of silent alarm:

"You did this to him... "His Wendy" did this to her 'little hero'…"

Struggling to fight my own tears, I calm myself, and take a deep breath. I gently call out to him, "Dipper…"

Without turning around, the surprised boy literally jumps up with a shriek. He swiftly wipes his face, takes a deep breath, and turns to face me. Despite forcing his tears back, his brown eyes are now a pinkish-red. His cute, little nose glistens with dampness. He bravely forces a surprised smile,

"Oh, um…hey, there…

I pull aside the curtain and take a careful step towards my distraught friend. As I do, he begins to literally shake in his boots…err…sneakers. I utter a subtle "Hey…" of my own.

We stand there in what seems like forever, caught in a perpetual form of stalemate. In his fretfulness, Dipper lowers his eyes to the floor.

"Look, I'm sorry I got you mad…I know things aren't working out the way you wanted…"

My heart rips in two as I can hear his voice starting to break as he continues on.

"…but you gotta know, Wendy. I am trying my best…even if it's not perfect for you…"

I couldn't take it anymore. I literally drop to my knees in front of Dipper. Before he can say anything else, I gently put my finger up to his lips, in hopes of silencing him.

"No…" I hush him. "Not another word…"

He stares at me with eyes wide open, hanging on my every word. I place my hands on his shoulders.

"If there is one thing that you shouldn't be, Dipper, it's sorry. After all, you're not the one acting like a prima donna while her best bud is going all out trying to save her hide!"

At long last, I can finally start to see his dark, heart-broken brown eyes begin to lighten…

"I am so, so, sorry for screaming at you, Dipper. I really mean it. You're the last person that deserves to be treated like that. It's just that – I'm not excusing it, but - tonight kinda has me on edge…

His saddened face changes to that of concern as he raises an eyebrow towards my comment.

I decide to go further into detail since he looks confused, "I mean, Dipper. What happened on stage was so crazy. I can't even begin to describe it…"

He offers a sympathetic ear, yet his expression remains the same.

"I thought you said that you trusted me…"

"I do, Dipper! I swear I do! It's just that…"

I hesitate, feeling the edge of embarrassment creeping through my essence. I look down at the small boy in my arms, and roll my eyes, trying to find the right words.

"I didn't like the feeling of "everything", Dipper. I know it sounds weird, but while in that thing, I felt totally helpless and vulnerable. I hated feeling like that, Dipper. It…it was frightening…"

Dipper breaks the tension, "So…I scared you?"

"Yeah, but I know you didn't mean to…" I can still see a shocked expression on his face. However, his next comment takes me for a loop:

"To be honest, I find that a bit funny…"

I give him a deadpan look, as if to say, "YOU WHAT!"

Dipper immediately puts his hands up in defense, waving them wildly, "NO! NO! Not like that!" he exclaims. He looks back at me and starts to explain,

"I mean, I'm more surprised than anything, Wendy. After all, you're, like, the most fearless person I have ever met!"

My eyes widen at his admission.

"…you're always jumping into adventures and crazy experiences feet first, without a moment of uncertainty or worry. I dunno, Wendy. It may sound silly, but I wish sometimes, that I could be more like that…"

I am left totally speechless by Dipper's admiration of me. If he only knew the price of living a life under those ideals; for example, the recent threat of military school hanging over my head. I struggle to keep my eyes from watering once more (even if I did deserve it). I think to myself, "Jeez, Dipper, how many times are you going to tear my heart in two today?"

Taking control of my emotion (and trying not to smear my eye makeup), I squeeze Dipper a bit harder. "Trust me, Dipper; you really wouldn't want to be like that…" A smirk appears on my face, "Besides, I like you better the way you are now!"

Dipper accidentally lets a *SNIFFLE* out. "You…you do?!"

"Yeah, man! As long as we're being honest with each other…well…sometimes, I wish I was a bit more like you!"

The boy's pale complexion changes to a tomato-red. "You're just saying that…"

I shake him a bit, "Like heck I am! You're like super-smart! You know what to do in a pinch despite the danger and risks. It's one thing to jump carelessly into danger, but it's another to pull yourself out!" Images of Dipper selflessly defending me at the haunted Dusk2Dawn flash throughout my mind. Another batch displays him taking the heat from Mr. Poolcheck for us goofing off while we were lifeguards together.

"You aren't afraid to do the right thing, even if it causes you pain or embarrassment…" I compare his adorable "Lamby Lamby Dance," to that of me being laughed by the Gravity Falls townsfolk while trapped in that darned box. I think to myself if the "closed-in" feeling I experienced tonight was a form of claustrophobia or just mere humiliation from being openly mocked in front of a crowd.

I went on, "And besides…"

Dipper gives me a quizzed look.

"…you're extremely caring and loyal; to a fault even. If anything, I would want to be just like that!"

I close my eyes in exhaustion after pouring my heart out to the small pre-teen. Suddenly, I hear a tiny whisper in front of my face:

"But Wendy…you already are!"

I open my eyes to a smiling, yet apparently healed Dipper.

"If it wasn't true, you wouldn't have come looking for me…"

After thinking about his remark, I return the smile that he gives to me. I lean closer to Dipper.

"Sooo…does that mean I'm forgiven?"

Dipper stands back, closes his eyes, and offers his hand to me, "Yeah, we're cool…"

My smile deepens as I look as the unsuspecting adolescent before me. My actions might seem funny, but I just had to be sure that things were really okay…

I put my hand into Dipper's as if to shake it…only to grasp it tightly and pull him towards me! Dipper is yanked off his feet with an astounded "WHOA!" and is flown straight into my arms. I wrap my hands around his tiny frame and embrace him tightly. I shut my eyes once more as he simply stands still. Maybe he's still in shock. I take a deep breath, hoping my hunch was correct. I also notice that in spite of being a shade under thirteen, Dipper still has a "new baby smell" to him. Just as I am about to let go, completely and utterly defeated, I finally feel it…

I feel Dipper's arms travel around my torso in response. Despite their miniature size, they begin to cuddle back tremendously. As his head rests on my shoulder, I can make out a quiet, yet really relieved sigh.

Now, I know that "everything is cool," as Dipper put it…

After a few moments, we both look up, complete with matching grins and blushing cheeks. Once more, Dipper and I head back to the stage hand-to-hand, a gentle calm filling the atmosphere. All of a sudden, he breaks the silence.

"Wendy, I don't want to get you upset again, but what about the other two illusions?"

I glance down at the curious pre-teen. In all of the commotion, I nearly forgot all about the tasks at hand! On the other hand, it made me realize that at the moment, my number one concern was Dipper! As odd as it may sound, the thought actually makes me feel good on the inside.

"What about them?"

"Well…" he started to explain. "I'm not going to lie; they are kind of like the last one…"

The sense of uneasiness begins to rise in my consciousness once more. I struggle to remain calm. For that, I stay silent. After all, I just got done fixing things between Dipper and me. I couldn't – I wouldn't let my freak-outs ruin our bond again.

Apparently, Dipper must have noticed my dismay as I sense him squeeze my hand a bit harder. I wish at that moment that I was a bit better at hiding my concern. Suddenly, he stops…

"Wendy, I know it may seem like you're on your own up there, but I want to promise you two things…"

I raise an eyebrow at Dipper's words.

"First, I know that these things look unsafe, but I promise that you are in no danger at all! I swear!"

"Okay then, what's the second thing?"

"Well, the other thing I promise is that throughout the rest of the night, I will be by your side no matter what!"

Dipper looks ahead towards the lit up arena, "I just wanted you to remember that, even if it doesn't seem like much…"

He attempts to move forward, but I keep my feet firmly placed, stopping the tween in his tracks. He looks back at me,

"You know what, Dipper?"

A look of worry spreads across his face again, "Y-Yeah?"

"You are wrong in saying that; it does mean a lot to me! In fact…"

His eyes are shining up at me. I bend down and playfully poke his cute pink nose.

"…that's exactly what I needed to hear right now. Thank you for that…"

With that, his concern is replaced by a sense of pride and contentment. Suddenly, the moment is interrupted by a shouting voice:

"THERE YOU GUYS ARE!"

Mabel sprints towards us at a neck-breaking speed. When she arrives, she pants exhaustingly, only to spring back up after a few breaths.

"WHERE HAVE YOU GUYS BEEN?! IS EVERYTHING OKAY?!"

Dipper and I look at each other, and then, back at Mabel. He gives a simple response.

"We're fine, Mabel. I think we're ready to go…"

Standing outside of Dipper's perspective, Mabel and I make eye contact. Silently, I mouth the words, "Thank you," to the protective little girl in front of me. Not wanting to alert her rejuvenated twin, Mabel merely nods her head and smiles at me, as if she approved my actions. She turns around, and waves for us to follow.

"C'mon then!" she shouts. "Soos just finished! We're ready to go!"

Dipper and I continue walking arm-in-arm until we reach the stage again. The crowd behind us cheers and applauds for our return. We both offer an affectionate wave with our free hands.

I gaze up at the stage to see that the accursed reddish-orange box that plagued me earlier has finally been removed! In its place, I see two huge shapes hidden behind different colored coverings on each side of the juncture.

Gulping at the possibilities that lied in wait for me, I come to a decision: "I'm going to go through with this; I gotta go through with this. If I won't do it for my own sake…"

I quickly shoot a glance down to Dipper at my side, still looking up at me with admiration and appreciation.

"…then I will for his!"

I gaze at my awaiting doom(s) on the wooden stage before me. I can only imagine what lies beneath the two giant, blanketed objects set on display. A chill travels down my spine as I start to get cold feet once again.

However, a sense of warmth begins to flow from my hand. I look down to see Dipper staring back at me, his soft brown eyes radiating with affection and support. This image is locked into my mind; a necessary reminder of my goal. As Mabel stated earlier, it wasn't just my hide on the line. If I was to back out now, I would be not only condemning myself to a horrid fate, but the twins as well. I think of Dipper especially, who forsakes his own fortune to worry more about my own.

How could I let that down?

A moment later, I am being led back up the well-finished staircase leading onto the stage. Dipper, acting like the perfect gentleman, takes extra time for me to make it carefully up each step. With my free hand, I lift the front of my emerald green dress to avoid snagging a foot as I march on. The last thing I needed right now was to step on the cloth and tear it.

Finally, Dipper and I reach the center stage. I hear Mabel quickly bouncing up the other set of steps to join us. Once we were united, Dipper shied away from my grasp, and resumed his position of barker for this act.

"Sorry for the wait, folks! Now, feast your eyes as Daring Wendy is set into the next illusion!"

With that, I watch the energetic boy race to my right, and with a swift stroke, yanks the first of the covered objects.

The audience gasps and murmurs to themselves as I turn to see what was hidden away.

I look to find a giant black slab sticking out of the stage floor. I walk around the object to see what the setup was. The post was a foot or so taller than I was, with a small viewing window in the center of it for some reason. I pushed against it gently to discover that the article was firmly bolted to the stage itself, preventing any sort of movement.

As I move back, I accidentally stub my toe. While swearing to myself in pain, I glance down to see what I tripped over. There was a black bar, similar to that of a track stemming from the slab back towards the second covered item onstage. I go to peek under the curtain when I am intercepted by Dipper and Mabel.

"Come on, Wendy! We're gotta to get you ready!"

Before I can say anything, both pre-teens take a hand and lead me back to the black wedge. I ask them, curious about my role in all of this:

"Sooo…what am I supposed to do here?!"

Mabel leaps with an answer, "Simple, Wendy! All you need to do is step back and look down the window…"

I wiggle away from the tiny hands griping mine and proceed to look out the opening. Oddly enough, the gap is perfectly level with my face. I peek out the breach to see the other edge of the stage.

A sigh of relief escapes my lungs. Perhaps this wasn't going to be as bad as I thought. I can feel the twins reach and hold a hand. I smile deeply at the support they were offering me. Besides, Dipper knew I was a bit uneasy about the remaining sets, so the small token was sincerely appreciated.

After a moment or two, I began to feel weird. We haven't done anything. What exactly was supposed to happen? I scan down at the two tweens still holding onto me…only to discover they were missing!

I try to raise my right arm, only to have it pulled back. Starting to panic, I turn my head and attempt to lift my left. It, too, is stuck!

What is going on?

Glancing down at the side of the device, I find my answer. The Pines weren't holding my hands in a supportive manner. They had strapped me into a pair of restraints. Each wrist had a dark black Velcro cuff wrapped around it. It was similar to those found on exercise machines you'd find at the gym. The manacles were connected via a nylon rope to the obelisk. I pull on each cord, only to find that my hands are only able to move an inch or so before the tautness held me back.

A second later, I feel the same grip around my ankles! "Hey, wait a sec-!"

My vision shoots down to see Mabel, with a devious smile plastered across her face, shackling my feet to the floor. I go to step back, only to find the same restrictions as with my hands. I can't even stand on my tip-toes to gain a bit of leverage.

I have been fooled once again by the adorable pie faces that had led me blindly into this trap. How did I miss noticing these things hanging from the platform? They do kind of blend by being the same color. I lower my head into the glass, (forcibly) standing defeated. I turn my head to see Dipper watching me. Unlike his sister, who looked quite pleased with her deception, a shade of extreme guilt hung over the boy's face. I recall Dipper's warning about the upcoming illusions, of how they were similar in nature to the magic box trick. I predict that it was a sort of a necessary evil to leave me like this, but at the same time, why not warn me beforehand? Did they want my shocked response to be genuine (at least, in the audience's eyes)?

Earlier, I would have guessed that this constant "scaring me" was a form of petty revenge, but simply by looking into Dipper's sympathetic eyes, the thought is quickly perished. I can't say for sure, but I highly doubt that was the last thing on Dipper's worried mind.

Mabel rushes over to his guilt-ridden brother to wake him from his trance, "Come on, Dipper! We have get going…"

I am helpless to do anything but watch as the young boy is dragged off by his slightly older sister. With that, both twins are gone from my sight.

Left alone, I re-examine the shackles holding me in place. I lower my head, trying to see if I can use my teeth to pry the Velcro cuffs open. I struggle to reach my wrists. ("almost…got…it…") Unfortunately, they're too far away! My current peril makes me think of the "trick handcuffs" of the last illusion. These soft restraints (which I guess is Dipper's doing, so I don't hurt myself by accident) might seem like a joke, but without a free hand (or foot) to free myself, they may as well be the real thing.

My legs fall asleep as I wait for the kids to return. I attempt to shuffle my feet to get my blood flowing again, but my fetters won't budge. I look towards the crowd, who appear to be as restless as I am. All of a sudden, the Pines twins rush back to the front of the stage carrying some sort of light green banner. With Mabel on the left and Dipper on the right, they began to encourage the crowd,

"COME ON, EVERYBODY!" Mabel explodes onto the crowd.

"YEAH!" Dipper continues behind his sister. "WENDY NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT, SO CHEER HER ON!"

Both twins lift the banner above their heads. Suddenly, the spectators break out into a chant; a chant that begins to tug at my heartstrings:

"GO, WENDY, GO! GO, WENDY, GO! GO, WENDY, GO!"

Despite my dire circumstance, I couldn't help but display a brighten smile at the horde cheering my name. Dipper looks back towards me, with a small, yet sincere smirk on his face. Perhaps this was his way of offering extra reassurance. I'll give the kid credit; it was working… (a little bit).

The twins turn towards me so that I can fully see the display. Bright red letters displayed against a lime green backdrop spelled out, "GO, WENDY, GO!" So, it wasn't just a catchy rant… The more I thought about it, the more questions arose in my mind. There was NO way they came up for this at the last moment. Was everything (including my own worries) premeditated by the two little masterminds standing before me? Then again, how could they have guessed I'd react this way?

Before I had a moment to figure things out, the twins (still carrying the banner) started to head towards the second, covered object set onstage. With a quick tug, the blanket flew off, revealing something that made me gasp in shock (with the on-looking townsfolk doing the same).

Beneath the drape stood another black pillar attached to the stage. It was very similar to the one I was attached to, except for one big difference…

Rows upon rows of deadly, jagged spikes were placed onto the column. Dozens of needle-tipped points were aimed straight at me! Things started to make sense really fast. The black line leading from one end of the stage to the other was really a rail. It was only a matter of time before it would lead the spiny rows into my backside, instantly turning me into the world's tallest pincushion!

However, I thought to myself, "No way that's real! " I mean, there's gotta be an angle or a trick that the duo has to be playing? Perhaps the spines were made of rubber…or perhaps they'll retract as they move closer. After all, they wouldn't put me in real danger, right?

Mabel begins to speak to the shocked viewers, "And now, watch as our beloved Daring Wendy attempts to survive the dreaded "Spikes of Death!" She runs across the other side of the second pinned block, still clutching the green banner. I hear a switch being thrown, and quickly thereafter, the rumble of a motor sends vibrations beneath my bound feet.

I turn my head as much as I can to see the spikes coming closer. I watch in horror as the overstretched sign is torn into pieces as the needles recklessly plow through it. Cheers and hoots begin to rise from the crowd, seeming pleased that the danger heading my way was entirely real! I even hear one loud patron yell to the top of his lungs, "Get 'er, get 'er!"

Once more, I struggle with my cuffs. I wiggle my hands and kick my feet to no effect as I remain completely secured to the mound. I cry out in anguish. I don't even have to turn around to know that the wall was coming closer; I can feel the tremors moving closer and becoming much louder. I thought about turning towards the gathering and pleading for help, in hopes that a kind-hearted bystander would release me from this,, but I knew it wouldn't do me any good. If I was to start freaking out, they would probably think that I was trying to "ham it up" for effect.

As I begin to panic tremendously, my body tensing up, once more, a familiar voice whispers to me,

"Wendy?"

I look down to see Dipper yet again by my side.

"Dipper…I-I can't…"

I can tell by his face that he already knows what I'm thinking.

"Wendy, do you remember what I said earlier?"

Fighting the rising anxiety flowing through me, I stumble to recall his guarantee. After a second or two, it comes to me,

"You…you said, "trust me…"

"Trust me, won't you?" Our voices harmonized over the simple mantra.

He came closer to me, "Yeah, that's right…Wendy, I know you're scared, but it's not real!"

I glance behind me at the upcoming spikes mere seconds away from me. I think to myself, "Yeah, right! This coming from the kid who's not strapped down to this monstrosity!"

"But, Dipper…"

"Wendy, I know how it looks, but listen to me: it's not real!"

I watch him run to the front of the black slab. A second later, I jump as something taps the other side of the window I am latched in front of. I look through the frame to see Dipper standing up on his tippy-toes so that he can meet me.

"Ok, Wendy. This may sound stupid, but I want you to concentrate on me right here. Ignore anything else!"

Out of instinct, I go to see the progress of the spiky wall when Dipper interrupts, "DON'T TURN AROUND!"

I compliantly return my attention to the young pre-teen in the window. He offers an encouraging smile. "Please, Wendy, you gotta trust me! No matter what you hear or feel, just focus on me, okay?"

Dipper then places his hand against the window, as a sign of support.

"It's like I promised you before: You aren't alone in this. I am here with you…always."

With that, all of the fearful and doubting voices in my head, screaming and crying for help and assistance were hushed. At that moment, the only thing I regret was that I was not able to bring my hand up to meet his against the windowpane.

As I can literally hear the dreaded machinery right on top of me, I close my eyes and prepare for the worst. A split second later, I begin to feel it, but it wasn't what I was expecting at all. I can sense several pokes traveling from the back of my head to the base of my heels. It wasn't painful really; it feels more annoying than anything. You could easily compare it to acupuncture or a shy kindergartener who pinches their secret crush. I can hear the roaring applause stemming from the gathering. However, I continue to keep my eyes shut, still afraid to move from the spot. I start hear the machinery traveling further away. Blinded, I call out,

"Dipper! Is it safe yet?"

I hear a whisper coming from my side.

"Yeah, Wendy. It's all over! Give us a second, and we'll get you outta here."

I open my eyes to see Dipper fumbling with the Velcro cuffs around my wrists. A second later, I feel something brushing against the tops of my feet. I gaze down to see Mabel unwrapping the fetters that bound me to the floor.

After being freed, I leap away from the black pillar. I try my best to look behind me, checking for puncture marks. There isn't one single wound or hole remaining on my body.

I glance down at the two smiling twins looking up at me with a sense of wonder and admiration.

"You did it, Wendy! Whoo!" Mabel exclaimed.

Still somewhat shocked from the experience, I turn towards Dipper.

"Dipper, how did you – I mean, why did – what just happened?"

The tween rubs his shoulder in uneasiness, "Well…"

Once more, my well-deserved explanation is delayed again, as Mabel interrupts us.

"Hey, guys! The crowd is getting restless! Let's take a bow!"

Dipper and I look at each other. We both knew that this discussion had to wait (yet again…)

Coming up the middle, I hold a Pines twin in each hand. We go to the edge of the stage and all together, take a swift bow, only to have the ovation increase tenfold! I gently raise my head to see all of my friends on their feet, cheering and rooting for me. Even Robbie looked somewhat impressed, as he attempted to clap with his digits still locked inside the Chinese Finger Trap.

Mabel address the mass once more, "And now, we're going to take another short – "

Upon hearing that, I immediately jumped in, cutting the small girl off,

"Whoa! Just wait a minute here!" The twins stopped and looked at me in confusion. I turn to the congregation to see that every single face in the crowd has done the exact same thing!

The reality of the situation starts to hit me, but I take a deep breath and continue onwards.

"Look, I'm not saying that this isn't fun," I explain, with a sarcastic roll of my eyes. "…but I would rather just hurry and wrap this last thing up!" I return my attention to the awaiting people staring up at me. "What says you folks?! Should we keep going until the end?"

Multitudes of applause and cheers echoed throughout the night sky. I feel a gentle tug on the side of my dress. I glare down to see the concerned eyes of Dipper. He has a look of profound worry marked upon his face.

"Wendy, are you sure you don't wanna take a quick break? You know, recharge your batteries or something like that? I mean-"

I shake my head at my troubled partner, "Uh-uh, little guy! No offense, but I want to finish this ASAP!" All after, there was only so many times that you can give a girl a heart attack over the course of one night!

Dipper turns towards Mabel, who shrugs her shoulders and gives a confused expression. Together, they return focus to me, and nodded at my request. With that, they rush off in tandem back behind the dark curtain. I scan the audience, whom is waiting as patiently as I am for the next piece of the puzzle.

Shortly after, the twins come charging back, carrying an usual object along with them. It was an extremely huge white coat. They stop at my feet.

"Here, Wendy! Put this on!" urged Mabel.

I raise an eyebrow to the young girl. I am already dying under the incredible heat from the lights shining down on the stage, and for some reason, they wanted me to throw on more layers? I was going to melt!

Seeing my hesitance, Dipper steps forward,

"Please, Wendy?" he pleads sweetly. "I know it seems stupid, but it's part of the trick…"

And with that, I give in to the demand and hold out my arms. I don't know how he does it, but Dipper has a mean "puppy-dog-stare" to him at times. I find it funny since I thought only girls did that…

Both tweens leap up and pull the covering into me. Strangely enough, it really didn't add as much extra warmth as I thought it would have. However, as the cozy article reaches my shoulders, I start to realize that something is wrong! I try to push my hands through the arm sleeves…only to find that there aren't any holes are all. I examine the ends to discover that they have been sewn shut!

As I start to run the different possible reasons through my head, my arms are suddenly yanked backwards, plastering them against my chest. I struggle to break free, only to find that they are locked into position. Suddenly, everything becomes crystal clear.

I have been tricked by these little clever cherubs yet again. Without noticing it, I let them walk me right into a straightjacket! The Pines twins pop up in front of me, as if to admire their handiwork. Mabel gleams up at me, with a huge braced smile on her face, almost like she was saying "Gotcha!" Dipper, on the other hand, tussles to make eye-contact with me, as I can see remorse rising back to his surface.

I reflect on Dipper's words before the last event begin, of how he wanted me to rest for a second or two. Was he planning on letting me in on the secret (as I requested?) I begin to regret cutting the boy off by being impatient. Confined once more, I can only dread what horrid fate awaits me for this final illusion.

Trying to find humor in this situation, I playfully begin to jester the two pre-teens before me, speaking loud enough for the viewers to hear:

"Man, what's with you guys today? You always seem to want to tie me up?"

I face the crowd and give off a tooth-filled grin as they begin to laugh (and even give off a wolf-whistle or two) at my comment. I see out of the corner of my eye that Robbie, the only person not entertained by my joke, stops trying to free himself in order to shoot me a stern look. My smile deepens and I quickly wink at him, hoping it'd be enough to calm him. Then again, how much trouble could he cause with no free hands? I go to face the twins once more.

Dipper is turning all different shades of red in total embarrassment (much to my amusement). The boy staggers to dignify a reply:

"Oh! Um…no, it's not like…I mean…I don't…but…it's nothing personal…"

He lowers his head, his face becoming a much, deeper red, as he finally gathers enough courage to muster up a response:

"Um…no comment…"

The crowd erupts at the shy boy's answer. Without malice, I simply shake my head. While part of me feels bad for putting my (somewhat) overprotective friend on the spot, the other is glad that it's not me being laughed at (for once tonight!)

Mabel, on the other hand, appears totally nonchalant. She merely wobbles her hand slightly back and forth, and shrugs, "Meh, I'm impartial to it…"

As more laughter comes from the audience, the twins vanish from the stage again. A few seconds later, they reappear from behind the dark drape, pushing a somewhat familiar object to the stage.

"Hey!" I exclaim. "I remember that thing!"

It's one of Stan's rigged props from the Mystery Shack fair that was held a week or two ago. He designed it as a sort of dunking booth to encourage people to spend their hard-earned dough to try to knock him into its freezing depths. However, it was purposely fixed to never drop its owner no matter how hard it was hit. Unfortunately for him, Stan egged on the wrong person, and as a result, found himself with a broken attraction, as well as a chilling taste of his own medicine. It was just my luck that I wasn't around to witness his comeuppance.

I begin to circle around the device, wondering to myself what exactly I was going to be subjected to this time. I notice that a small, yet sturdy stairwell was wrapped around the back end. It starts at ground level and leads up to the base of the tank. Still, clear water fills four-fifths of the container.

Continuing to stare in awe at the object in front of me, I am unable to guess what exactly this was going to be used for. I give a suspicious glance to my partners in crime,

"Ok…I give up. What are we doing with this thing? How does this one work, huh?"

Mabel quickly chimes in, "Well, I guess that depends on how long you can hold your breath..."

Dipper chastises his twin, "MABEL!" giving her a gentle elbowing to her side. He proceeds to take a step closer, in order to whisper clearly to me. Dipper stands on his tip-toes to reach my ear.

"Okay, so, this is the plan. Pretty much, you jump into the water. You stay in there for about two minutes, and then, we pull you out. How's that sound?"

I pull my head back, "That's it?!"

He nods and smiles back at me, "That's it…Heck, I've even used warm water, so it'll feel like a bath…"

Despite Dipper's pledge, something seems WAY off. It's not that I don't believe him, but after everything that has happened tonight, it just sounds so…easy; too easy!

Regardless, I take a deep breath, and prepare for this final task that stands between me and an one-way ticket to military school. I lower my eyes to the twins standing by for my response,

"Alright…I'm ready! Let's do this!"

As they start to run off for their own preparations, I call after the duo,

"WHOA! Wait a second, guys! I'm still going to need your help!"

Dipper and Mabel stop in mid-step, and look up at me needing clarity.

"Well…" I illuminate, demonstrating my pinned arms. "I can't use my hands, so I'm going to need some help climbing those stairs…" The way I see it, if I got my feet tangled in my long emerald dress, it would be a long, painful journey back down the stairwell.

Both kids slightly lift a side of the front of the dress as I take it step by step up the pathway. Occasionally, I bite my cheeks in pain as I feel a tiny, sneakered foot accidentally stomp on my bare ones. I ignore the stings, forcing myself to remember that they're doing the best that they can.

As I step foot on the top, It also feels as if I'm about to walk the plank. Oddly enough, I notice two black medicine balls on each side of the tank, but I gawk at the awaiting crowd instead. Dozens upon dozens of eyes focus on my next move.

On the right side, Dipper gives me a quick nudge,

"How are you feeling?"

I give the compassionate tween a quick smirk, "About ready to go home and sleep for two days straight…"

He giggles at my comment, "I hear ya on that. My nerves are shot!"

I blow air through my lips in sarcasm, "Kiddo, you're preaching to the choir!"

Dipper turns towards me once more, "Yeah, you've pretty much had everything and the kitchen sink tossed at you today, huh?"

I nod at his words, strangely enough with a sense of pride in my tone, "Yep…"

"Well…" he eased. "…we're almost done, so…"

Suddenly, Mabel interrupts our chit-chat by issuing another statement to the crowd,

"And now, ladies and gents, prepare yourselves as our Daring Wendy attempts to survive the extremely dangerous, incredibly infamous "Water Torture Cell!"

Unlike the last illusions, there weren't any cheers or other signs of encouragement to be found! A hushed silence captured the mass instead. All I could make out were several hushed whispers and murmurs. A random voice shouts out through the gathering, perhaps louder than they intended:

"What?! But she's just a kid?!"

With that, all of my moxie and courage immediately flies out the window! A queasy rumbling begins to form on the pit of my stomach. Dipper sees the change in my demeanor, and quickly places his hand against my tied arm for comfort. I see him open his mouth, but I already know exactly what he's going to say:

"I know, I know; ' trust me, won't ya', right?!"

He blushes a bit, and rubs the back of his head, "I guess it's getting a bit old, huh?"

I am two seconds away from blurting out, "Yeah!" but I immediately pull back, making an effort to be considerate of Dipper's feelings. Besides, he IS trying to be supportive, so I shouldn't knock him for that! However, I simply can't ignore the grim response of the townsfolk in front of us.

"Dipper…" I start to confess my worries to the loyal pre-teen, "…what if they're right?"

He closes his eyes, while embracing my arm, bidding to find the right words to relax me. All of a sudden, they shoot open, and Dipper gives me an answer,

"Look at it this way, Wendy…" Dipper clarifies his opinion. "This is a cakewalk compared to everything else you've been put through today!" Despite being supportive, I can sense a bit of remorse in Dipper's voice.

"Besides…" he starts again. "Even if they don't think you can do it…I…I do!"

I glance down at the young boy, who has turned away from me; his natural shyness obviously coming into effect here.

"I know you can do it, Wendy. I have faith in you…" With that, he finds the courage to face me still staring back at him, "I'll always have faith in you…"

A red shade begins to spread across my pale complexion.

"…and maybe, just maybe, that's enough to do it…"

He turns away once more, seemingly defeated by his personal belief. I call out, making him come around.

"Dipper, I – "

Suddenly, my words of thanks are postponed as I feel something heavy and cold grip my ankles. My vision shoots down to see Mabel crouched down by my feet. She hops back towards the edge of the tank. I gasp at the realization of what has happened.

Two metallic bands are now wrapped around my slim ankles. Attached to each one was a thin, yet strong chain link leading back to the "medicine balls" placed next to me. My pirate analogy earlier comes back to haunt me as I realize that a pair of ball and chain devices have been locked into my legs!

I turn towards Dipper, who is busy arguing with Mabel over her sneak attack. He peeps over at me, testing the limits of my cuffed feet, "What is this?" I yelp out in distress. He frowns and gives a few details, "They're just props, Wendy. Nothing to worry about!" Dipper goes back to his sister.

"Geez, Mabel! Did you have to be so rough?" It seems like he didn't like having "our moment" being interrupted as well.

The metal-mouthed girl reflects an annoyed stare, "Oh, MEOW, MEOW, MEOW!" she mocks, using her hand to simulate a mouth. "First, you guys want to hurry up. Now, everything's in slow motion! Make up your minds!"

Mabel begins to drag her brother off of the top of the tank (and away from me). He fights to escape the grasp of the tiny grappler, but I can tell he is losing the battle. He looks into my eyes, and blurts out some final minute encouragement,

"Remember, Wendy! You only need to last two minutes! You're going to be okay!"

I smile at his inspirational statement, yet it didn't feel right. Dipper persisted staring straight at me. It was like he was waiting for something else to happen. I lower my eyes at the struggling boy, as if I was asking, "What's the matter?!" Dipper seems to understand this. He breaks free from Mabel's grip to run back towards me and whisper:

"Please tell me you'll be okay…"

His words shock me to the bone. This was the first time tonight that Dipper actually seemed unsure about the task at hand. Without a second thought, I deliver a brave grin, and bend down to give him a sweet hushing of his own:

"I'll be okay; it'll be okay. Don't worry…"

Upon hearing that, Dipper finally gives in, satisfied with my answer, and lets Mabel take him away. As they disappear from my sight, I can still hear the irate tween reprimand her brother:

"Oh, come on, Dipper! Don't be a wuss! Wendy's a big girl! She'll be fine!"

It was at that moment that I was beginning to understand. It wasn't that I had to be brave for Dipper, or that he has to be brave for my sake. We have to be strong for each other! It was the only way we could get through this (together)…"

Trapped on top of the tank, I can hear Mabel shout to the crowd,

"All right, we're ready to go! Daring Wendy will attempt to escape this lethal threat with her life, but first…"

I see the tiny girl raise a silver object above her head. It reflects off the lights hanging over us.

"…the key to her shackles!"

With that, Mabel throws my only hope of escape into the crowd, making them gasp in astonishment. I look down at my silver restraints, wishing that they were fake (like the others used in the last two illusions).

The tiny barker unexpectedly shouts to me, "Are you ready up there?"

I become lost trying to find the right words. I'm not exactly sure what exactly is it I'm supposed to do!

Mabel goes on without me. "I'll take that as a "yes!" Get ready…in 3…2…"

Out of nowhere, Dipper screams at me, "WENDY, TAKE A DEEP BREATH!"

"What?!"

"DO IT!"

As I follow Dipper's suggestion and take a long, deep inhale, the floor gives way beneath my feet. A split second later, I am submerged over my head in freezing water!

"COLD! COLD! COLD! COLD!" flashes through my mind. Didn't Dipper say that he warmed it? But then again, I can only guess how long the tank was covered in the shade. At least he tried, I guess…

I force myself to a gentle calm. My dimpled cheeks are puffed, struggling to withhold precious oxygen. Ironically, swimming is one of my favorite pastimes. I loved playing around in the water so much that my dad used to call me "his little mermaid." As a kid, I was more than capable of making it from the beach of Gravity Falls Lake all the way to Scuttlebutt Island without as much as getting winded. So, the way I see it, sitting still in a tank really isn't too challenging.

Then again, I wasn't bound and chained during my previous aquatic-based adventures…

I look forward to see Dipper on the other side of the glass tank. An expression filled with severe distress and burden once again encompasses his face. He places both of his palms against the frosty layer, almost like he was wishing he was sharing my plight with me. It was somewhat fitting that the more Dipper appears to be worried about me, the more frightened I actually became. What if this wasn't as simple as he made it out to be?

My rising tension forces me to accidentally release a few air bubbles. Despite Dipper's promise, I had to at least try to get out of here. After all, wasn't that the whole point of the trick?

I start rotating my shoulder blades, trying to slip free of the straightjacket. It feels like I'm about to pop a joint out of place, but it's way better than doing nothing. I bite my lip to fight the pain, but I let out a few more bubbles in the process.

A moment later, a miracle happens! I feel the slack loosen from behind my back! I wiggle my arms a bit more, until finally I am able to slide them out from the jacket! It slowly slumps to the bottom of the tank. I look to the outside a ray of hope splashes across Dipper's face. I give my shaken friend a thumbs-up to let him know everything's going to be fine.

I see Mabel come up and shake her brother. While I am unable to hear exactly what they're saying, I can tell she is yelling at him. Mabel points straight at me, then immediately towards the audience. She reaches for his hand, and physically pulls him away from the tank.

As I wonder where they're off to, a burning sensation begins to sting my lungs. I wonder how long I have been in here? Dipper did say I only needed to stay here for two minutes, right? I glance up to see that there is an air pocket between the trap door and the top of the water; an air pocket filled with the sweet, delicious oxygen that my small frame desperately craved. Would it count as cheating if I sneaked an extra breath?

I sink to the bottom of the tank, and use the soles of my feet to press off, launching me upwards. As I am about to break the water's surface, I am yanked back under by my ankles. Shocked, I glance down to see what's stopping me from escaping.

The cuffs! I hit myself in the head for my stupidity. I can see the chains keeping me firmly tethered to the heavy medicine balls on the tank's floor. How could I have forgotten about them?

Once more, I lower myself to the floor and start to examine my restraints. Except for a thin keyhole (which wasn't an option anymore), there were no other latches, switches, or releases on them! I can't believe it! Of all the times that the twins had to get the genuine article, they choose here and now! Another thought creeps into my head: what if they didn't know about this? What if they were expecting me to slide off the cuffs any minute now and rejoin them on dry land? More importantly, what were they going to do once they realize that I couldn't?

I begin to panic more so. I keep trying to kick up towards the surface, only to be ankle-tackled at every attempt. The iron balls planted on the ground don't even move an inch, no matter how much I wiggle or pull away. The burning sensation in my lungs increased tenfold! I started to become light-headed. In pure stubbornness, I shake my head, clearing away the fuzziness. There had to be a way out of this!

At long last, I see the twins come back, pushing a curtain set on wheels. They quickly cover the tank from the view of the public eye. Now, at least my friends won't be there to witness me in the throes of death. I rapidly bang on the glass tank with my fists. Dipper immediately turns towards me and heads for the tank. While still pounding on the glass with one hand, I point to a shackled foot and demonstrate lifting it to show that something's not wrong. His response totally floors me.

Instead of looking freaked or upset, he simply pulls back his tuxedoed sleeve and looks at his wristwatch. He glances back at me, and holds up a hand, palm facing me. I am going out of my gorge! I think to myself, "What is he doing?" As cliché as it may sound, shouldn't he try coming to my rescue or something like that? A second later, he lowers a finger, extending three digits towards me. Next, two remained. Then, only one remained.

I resume thrashing against the glass once more as amazingly, a bright light comes straight from Dipper's hand. I was completely blinded! And yet, I am no longer in pain or discomfort. I sigh as I feel hands lifting me up, removing the weights binding me underwater. I am able to take deep, comfortable breaths without any pressure on my chest.

Am I…dead? Is the white light leading me to the next world?

Before my questions are answered, the lights are cleared from my eyes. My ears are rattling with the deafening applause of countless people. I regain focus to find myself sitting on top of the water tank, unbound, and facing a standing ovation consisting of nearly the entire population of Gravity Falls! Trying to regain my balance (and finding out what exactly just happened), I slide off the tank and land hard on the balls of my feet, making me cringe in throbbing pain.

Still stumbling around in dizziness, I see my friends standing out and cheering their hearts out…for me! Even Robbie is on his feet, whistling at me with his still-free fingers. I offer a small, shaky wave to thank the crowd for their support. The idea of "support" makes me instantly think of my two helpers. Where did they run off to? It was kind of weird that they wouldn't share the kudos along with me.

I began to hear the echoes of someone (or something) knocking. I turn towards my former prison and laugh loudly at the sight before me:

Dipper and Mabel swam inside of the tank, both donning matching, yet adorable wetsuit outfits, complete with goggles and scuba masks. They happily wave at me to which I return the favor.

"So…" I think to myself, "I know who to thank for getting me out of a watery grave, but how exactly did they do it?" So many questions flew through my mind:

Just how did they get me out with so small time?

Exactly how did they find the strength to do so?

Didn't Mabel throw away the only key to my chains?

Simply thinking about such impossible tasks made my brain want to split into two. I needed to get away from here; just get some quiet time all to myself. I take one last bow to the crowd, and quickly whisk away from the stage. Hopefully, the twins will understand if I don't wait for them.

As soon as I walk off the staircase, I receive a hardy slap to the back, nearly knocking me over.

"HAHA! I don't know how you did it, kid, but that was amazing!"

I gaze up to see the gloating, yet seemingly excited face of Stan Pines. I figure that he's so happy due to the all of the money that we racked in for the Shack (and probably, then some…).

Weaken by his "appreciation," I hack out a response,

"Thanks…*COUGH, COUGH* Mr. Pines…"

He raises an eyebrow at me, "So, I had the idea of maybe making this a regular thing. Whatdya, say, kid? We'll split the profits, 70/30?"

I give the coot such a dirty look that I could swear it was burning a hole straight through his head.

"Okay, okay…60/40?"

My green eyes narrow further into the soul of the greedy elder.

"Alright! Forget I asked! Geez!"

As Stan begins to walk away, I call out to him, to ensure that this whole spectacle was worth it.

"Mr. Pines?"

"Huh?!"

"Am I off the hook?"

"Oh…yeah…yeah…whatever. Let's just forget the whole thing…

"Forget the whole thing?" I ask myself. Now, I can tell that we definitely made more than enough cash to cover things.

"And Dipper and Mabel? Can they stay?"

"Yeah, I see no harm in that…as long as I don't get any more "drive-thru windows" in my Shack. Got it?

I nod and smile at Stan's official change of heart. As I lower my head, I can see my emerald green dress overflowing with water. Come to think of it, it is his dress after all.

Rubbing my head nervously, I apologize to Stan, "Sorry about ruining your dress, Mr. Pines."

His eyes widen at the comment, "Kid, what are you talking about?"

"Mabel said all this stuff was yours…" I begin to explain. "She found it in some junk in that storage room."

"Odd…" He looks surprised by my claim. "I've never seen that before in my life…"

"Really?"

"Yeah, Wendy. To be honest, I thought you brought that little number from home. After all, it fits you like a glove."

The old man did have a soft spot in that stone cold heart of his! "Thanks, boss!"

"Besides, the only article of women's clothing I have is the pair of open-toed heels Mabel gave me for "Great-Uncle's Day."

I rub my hand against my chin as I hear Stan's story, "Interesting…"

"Did ya say something, Wendy?"

"Oh, it's nothing. G'night, Mr. Pines…"

A few moments later, I find myself in my secret hiding spot on top of the Mystery Shack. I sit at the edge of the roof, staring into the full moon. I feel like that it's shining just for me, bathing me in warm blue light in an attempt to dry my damp clothes.

I sit and think about all the crazy – and somewhat incredible things that I have experienced tonight. I lose count of how many times I should have died this night, and yet, as if some guardian angel was watching over me, I didn't. But how? And why?

I begin to add up the "oddities" that occurred throughout the day; all of the strange coincidences and coinky-dinks that managed to align themselves ever so neatly. No matter how many times I replay it in my mind, I can only find one solution; one common link that unites them all. However, the answer is simply impossible! How could one person…

A voice beckons for me through the night sky, breaking my concentration.

"There you are…"

I don't even have to turn around to know who my visitor is. I smile slyly and reply,

"So, however did you track me down, 'Mr. Detective?"

Dipper steps down from the rooftop into the moonlight were I can see him clearly.

"Actually, I just followed the "clues" you've left behind." He points to the floor.

I can see a trail of soaking wet footprints leading to my current position at the edge of the roof. I throw my head back and laugh. "You've got me!" Dipper returns a simple giggle of his own.

"So…"

"So…"

Dipper looks at the ground and begins to shuffle his feet in tenseness,

"I just wanted to see where you disappeared to."

I gaze towards the brightly lit sky, "Just up here, thinking about things…"

Dipper responds with hesitation in his voice, "Oh, okay, then. Sorry. I didn't know you wanted to be alone…"

As he goes to leave, I call out to him, "No, wait…"

I look back at Dipper, patting the area next to me. "Come sit with me, Dip…"

Dipper carefully crosses by me to plop down at my side. There is a serene calm as we watch the stars together. This quiet between us, while pleasant, seems to stem for eternity. As much as I didn't want to, I decide to break the silence:

"Dipper, can I ask you a question?"

I hear the boy gulp to himself, "Uh...sure, Wendy! What about?"

"About tonight…"

He looks up at me with a nervous smirk. "Umm…"

"Dipper, how were you able to do…everything?"

"You mean, like the illusions, right?"

"Not just that though…" I turn and focus my green eyes on his brown ones. "Dipper, I KNOW you pretty much had a hand in everything that went on tonight!" I use my hands to further illustrate for the tween, "Sure, I know Mabel helped, but you planned it all out earlier, didn't you? The tricks, the dress, the whole lot!"

Dipper is struggling to find the words to explain himself, "But…"

I press on, "What I don't understand is how you were able to do all of these things…or better yet, why?"

He looks back towards the moon. His silence is his guilt. I lean closer to make contact with his eyes once again. He wasn't going to wiggle out of this one!

Finally, Dipper gives in to my interrogation. "It's not that I don't want to tell you how, Wendy…"

I raise my brow at his response.

"…it's just that, I'm not sure you'd believe me if I told you…" I notice that he pats his vest pocket in response. From his pocket, I can make out the base of a hardcover book. It sorta reminds me of that creepy, old journal Dipper seems to carry around with him. Did that have something to do with it?

He rambles on, "…can't we just say that there are some things that are better left a secret?"

His words stun me as I recall Mabel using the exact phrase earlier when I quizzed her about Dipper. For some reason, (perhaps being afraid of pushing too hard) I let up on the small wonder sitting next to me.

"Fine, then…"

After a brief moment, Dipper whispers to me, "As for your other question…"

My eyes broaden with growing interest.

"…I'm surprised that you already don't know why…"

As he describes more and more, his voice begins to become clearer and more serious. The "hidden adult" is making his return.

"After all, it was our fault – I mean, my fault that you were placed in this position…"

I go to correct him, "But, Dipper…"

He reaches for my hand and lightly takes ahold. His action hushes me, making me blush as well.

"…yeah, all of us would have been in trouble, but, it's different…"

I continue to hang on his every word, unsure of his intentions.

"With Mabel and me, the worst that would have happened was that we'd get sent home early, our parents would yell and be angry for a day or two, and then, would just forget about it until next year. But with you…"

He squeezes my hand tighter, and looks back into my eyes.

"…with you, Wendy. It would have been a totally different case. Gravity Falls is your home, and the last thing I wanted to do was take you away from it…to ruin your life…"

I notice that his eyes are glowing during his little speech.

"I was going to do anything and everything to prevent that from happening. I didn't want you to remember me as 'Dipper – the boy who destroyed my entire world'…"

Overwhelmingly touched, I put my arm around the small pre-teen, making him smile. I just hope he doesn't mind getting a bit wet by me doing so.

"Still…"

I observe my partner in crime cradled in my arms.

"There was one thing that didn't go according to plan…"

"Oh, really?"

He turns away in shame. "It's what we were talking about before…I really didn't mean to scare you, Wendy…"

I wave away his worries with a wave, "Hey, it's all over with now…"

"But it's not the point! I'd see your face while doing the illusions, and it was like a living nightmare! At times, I couldn't tell if I was doing more harm than good…"

Just hearing Dipper's over-exaggeration made me frown. The guilt from chewing him out earlier was quickly returning.

"That's exactly why I was looking for you, Wendy. I wanted to…make sure you were alright, especially after that last event."

With that, my grin promptly reappears. "Hey, I'm still here, aren't I? And you did keep your word, you know. You were by my side the entire time, like you promised."

"Yeah, I guess you're right…"

As I analyze the restored Dipper in front of me, I once again notice something "off."

"However, there is one thing that has been bugging me all night, Dipper…"

His happy persona vanishes upon my questioning, "R-R-Really? What's that?"

Still clutching the little guy, I take my free hand, and lick the palm a few times.

"Wendy?!" Dipper questions my action. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Just a sec-"

I take my now-dampened hand, and rub it gently against Dipper's forehead.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

"Stop struggling, Dipper!"

After a moment or two, I pull back and admire my handiwork. Dipper's trademark "Big Dipper" birthmark has reappeared on his forehead.

Dipper looks back at me with opened, deeply confused eyes, "I don't get it, Wendy. Why would you do that?" Was his embarrassment coming back?

I sneak in closer, placing my hands on his shoulders. Face to face, I whisper to Dipper, "So, I can do this!"

Holding him tight, I plant a short, but sweeten kiss on his forehead; on the birthmark that I adorned so much, leaving behind a bright red stained reminder.

"Thanks for everything…my little hero!"

And with that, Dipper's most hated spot on his body is NOW is his most cherished.

I pull back to see my partner in crime totally and utterly paralyzed. Trying to stop myself from snickering at the sight, I poke Dipper to make sure that I didn't shock him to death.

"Hey, Dipper! You still alive in there or what?"

I watch as his pale face instantly becomes tomato red. "That…that…"

He glimpses up at me with affectionate eyes, "Um…thank you, I guess…"

I shake my head at the easily-wowed young boy, "What am I going to do with you, kid?"

We laugh at the moment, only to resume our star-gazing. Abruptly, our stillness is broken once more by screaming. I look past our dangling feet to see Robbie running off into the wilderness with his fingers still bound together.

"Wendy! Dorks! Big Dude! Mr. Pines! Anyone!"

Dipper and I cover our mouths, to avoid having our laughter give away our secret hideaway. To my surprise, Dipper actually feels sorry for my gothic boyfriend.

"Shouldn't we…you know…help him out?"

"Nah! He'll be fine!"

"Are you sure, Wendy?"

I move closer to him, and give an encouraging wink.

"Hey, trust me, won't you?"

Dipper responds without words, offering me a wide, tooth-filled smile instead.

Once more, we return our attention, arm-in-arm to the evening sky, its tender glow reflecting upon our forms. I look past the moon to see two brightly shining stars. They burn so closely together that they almost appear to be one tremendously radiant light…