39
Pacifica

   My heart pounded so loud in my chest I could hear it ringing in my ears.

   Dipper was alive. But from what I'd heard, he wouldn't be alive much longer.

   "What do we do?" Gideon asked, his eyes darted wildly about the woods. "If Dipper's still alive. . ." he trailed off.

   "Isn't it obvious?" Mabel crossed her arms over her chest. "We have to find him."

   I looked to Mabel. "If we're going to find him, I need to know where you found your amulets. That's where Dipper is."

   "How do you know?" Gideon asked.

   "The information Dipper gave me." I stated. "He said that he was in the place where he first discovered magic. It has to be where he found the amulets."

   Mabel looked terribly concerned. "God," she whispered, covering her mouth with her hand. "I thought I'd never have to go back there."

   "Wait what?" Gideon shuddered and shoved his hands into his pockets. "What happened to you there, Mabel?"

   She shook her head. "It. . .it's a long story." She shot me a wary look. "One I'm certain that we don't have time for."

   I took Mabel's hand, forcing her to look at me. "Please, Mabel. It's not like we have much of a choice. We have a little less than seven minutes, unless you want your brother to die."

   Remembering what was at stake here, Mabel launched into focus mode. "Follow me."

   She ran off into a deeper part of the woods, Gideon and I close on her heels. The entire time, I could barely recall what was on my mind. Dipper had to live. He couldn't die, not here, not now. I wouldn't allow it.

   Gideon was running out of stamina quickly, I could tell. "Why don't we just draw the creature out to us? You could use magic, Mabel, and it would certainly come."

   I answered for her. "We dunno if it would come for Mabel, now that it has its eyes locked on Dipper. And we have no way of knowing for certain that it would bring Dipper with it. This is our best option."

   We ran for what felt like an eternity. My lungs were burning, I cursed at myself for not taking a gym class this past school year. My legs felt like jello, but the blood was burning in my veins. Was this adrenaline?

   Mabel halted swiftly at the entrance of a cavern. Barely out of breath she said, "this is it. This is the place."

   "Let's go." I started charging inside, but Gideon stopped me.

   "Wait! We don't have a strategy!" He exclaimed. "We have no plan, nothing. And since Mabel can't use her magic and you don't have the Journal, we have less than nothing."

   "It's all we have." Mabel muttered grimly. "Other than use my magic, I'm afraid we don't have a choice. And, like you said, it might not try to attack or mark me."

   "Let's go, then." I walked into the dim cavern and prayed that Dipper would still be alive when we found him.

   Darting through the dark place, I tried to think of anything I could do to help. I felt utterly useless and helpless. Gideon could come up with a plan, genius. Mabel could use her magic to potentially kill the creature. But what could I do? Hope it's like a Disney movie and kiss him to bring him back to life?

   I heard growling up ahead and I could only guess that we were nearing the point of no return.

   "You deserve to die a slow, painful death, Mason. For your crimes."

   What made my heart sink was the fact that I didn't hear a reply from Dipper. But there was no way that he was gone yet. He was a fighter, stubborn to the end. And as annoying as that could be when we fought, I was grateful for it.

   I ran into the clearing of the cavern and when I saw the scene before me, I could have cried. From happiness (the fact that Dipper was there) or despair (the fact that he could be dead).

   The creature, despite its all-knowing power, hadn't sensed my presence. I felt Gideon and Mabel behind me, and it dawned on me that I didn't have a plan.

   But we had to get the creature's attention off Dipper, that way that Mabel could get over there and heal him. I really hoped that she could.

   "HEY!" I yelled, praying for the second time in minutes that it would hear me.

   Sure enough, it did. It turned its two heads toward me, eyes furrowing into slits, mouth pulled back to reveal rows of teeth.

   "It appears the cavalry has arrived." It growled.

   I clenched my hands into fists. "What did you do to him?"

   "I had nothing to do with Mason's injuries." It explained. "Well, the broken bones in his chest, I had done something with that. But the internal and external bleeding is all on his own accord. Humans are quite careless when it comes to pain."

   I tried taking a step toward Dipper, but the creature blocked me.

   "Why try?" It asked. "He'll be gone in mere seconds now. It's useless to try to save him. Why not worry about yourself? Humans are always so selfish, taking things that don't belong to them, and only worrying about other humans when their lives are at stake. It's so terribly confusing."

   "Humans aren't all selfish." I argued. "And he will not be dead! Just let him go, he hasn't done anything wrong!"

   It snarled. "Anything wrong? He stole magic, and has been abusing its power for over a decade. Who knows what he could have done to the balance of the world if he still used its power! Selfish, fleshbags. I am simply righting a wrong, only one life has to be taken. Or. . ." it paused and sniffed the air. "Perhaps two lives."

And without warning, it charged at Mabel.