(Mabel's P.O.V.)

(Tuesday, June 23rd, 2015)(The Mystery Shack, Gravity Falls, Oregon)

After burying Oscar, Grunkle Stan and I hiked back through the forest to the Shack. When we were almost there, I decided to strike up a conversation.

"If you are what you eat," I asked when we were approaching the front door, "are cannibals the only real people?"

Grunkle Stan stopped walking and turned around to face me.

"Mabel, what did I tell you about acid?! That stuff isn't good for you."

I shook my head.

"I'm not on acid, Grunkle Stan. It's just something to think about," I assured him. "Like, when you drink a can of soda, you're essentially just snapping its neck and drinking its blood in front of its family."

He was silent for a moment, then he shivered.

"I can never drink soda again."

When we got inside, Dipper was still nowhere to be found.

"Well," Stan said, "I've got to get to work. Let me know when your brother gets back."

He left to open up the Shack, and I took a seat in the armchair in the living room and checked the time on the owl-shaped clock. It was 7am exactly.

"Where could Dipper have gone for over two hours?" I thought out loud.

Suddenly, I heard my text tone go off. I pulled my phone out of my back pocket to see who had texted me. It was Pacifica.

"Hey girl!" The message read. "What are you doing tomorrow night? I really think my family and your family should meet each other. We could all have dinner together! Your place or mine?"

I thought about it for a moment. Tomorrow was Wednesday, June 24th. I was almost certain I didn't have any plans for that night.

"HEY, GRUNKLE STAAAAAN!!!" I screamed, hoping he could hear me from the museum.

"I'M TRYING TO RUN A TOUR!!!" He yelled back. "WHAT DO YOU WANT?!?!"

"CAN I INVITE PACIFICA AND HER FAMILY OVER FOR DINNER TOMORROW NIGHT?!?!"

"IS IT GONNA COST ME ANYTHING?!?!"

"NO."

"THAT'S FINE, SWEETIE. GO AHEAD."

"THANK YOU!!!"

I quickly typed out another text to Pacifica.

"My house. How does 6pm sound?"

She responded seconds later.

"Perfect. See you then!"

I slipped my phone back into my pocket as I heard the front door open. Waddles raced across the room and to the door, oinking and squealing, to greet whoever had entered.

"Hey, buddy," A female voice said. "What's up?"

"Nothing mu-oh, you were talking to the pig. I knew that," a male answered.

A few moments later, Dipper and Wendy came into the living room.

"Where have you guys been?" I asked.

"I couldn't sleep," Dipper explained, "so I took a walk through downtown..."

"...where I found him and asked him if he wanted to come with me to the grocery store..." Wendy continued.

"...where we got breakfast and went up to Lookout Point to eat it," Dipper finished.

I nodded, then snapped my fingers as I remembered something.

"Grunkle Stan wanted me to tell him when you got back."

I got out of the armchair, and the three of us went to meet Grunkle Stan, who was now in the gift shop, talking to a short, thin, young man wearing socks with sandals.

"How much is this scarf?" The man asked. "I'd like to get a souvenir for my mother."

"That priceless treasure is only $149.99," Grunkle Stan told him.

"What?! That seems pretty expensive for just a scarf."

"Oh, but it's not just a scarf! It's made with...uh..."

He scratched his neck.

"...magical fairy thread!"

"Fairy thread?!"

"Yes!" Grunkle Stan continued. "The thread has magical powers, that allow the wearer to...um...look young and beautiful forever!"

"Wow!" The tourist marvelled. "My mother would love that!"

"Normally," he explained, "this scarf would cost thousands of dollars. But I'm selling it to you for the totally reasonable price for $149.99!"

"That's a bargain! I'll take it!"

While Grunkle Stan rang the man up at the register, I walked over to the scarf display and read what was printed on one of the tags.

"Made in China," I read aloud.

After the tourist had left, Grunkle Stan came back out from behind the counter and approached us.

"So," he asked Dipper, "where did you go on your morning stroll?"

"I went with Wendy to the grocery store," he answered.

"Did you have breakfast?"

Dipper paused.

"Um...yeah."

Grunkle Stan narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

"What did you have?"

Dipper rubbed his eyes and looked over at Wendy. She looked back at him.

"Bagels," Dipper answered.

"Pancakes," Wendy answered simultaneously.

"You had bagels...and pancakes?"

"Um......."

"Well, you see," Dipper explained, "Wendy had pancakes, and I had a bagel. We just had...uh...different things."

Grunkle Stan nodded, but he still seemed unsure.

"Anyways," he continued, "I'm going to have Robbie to work the register today. Wendy, I need you to run my new attraction."

"New attraction?" I asked. "What is it?"

"Well, it's not really a 'new' attraction," he told me. "It's more of an updated attraction."

He reached behind the counter and pulled out a pair of matted, fur pants and a headband with ears on it.

"BEHOLD," Grunkle Stan screamed, "THE HORRIFYING..."

Dipper gasped.

"...TEENAGE WOLF-BOY!!!"

"NO."

Dipper stomped his foot on the ground and clenched his fists.

"Grunkle Stan, I am not putting on that ridiculous costume again!"

He stabbed his finger at the pants.

"I got hookworm from those last time!"

"This isn't the same costume!" Grunkle Stan insisted. "I got you a new one, since you've grown. And don't worry, I had it tested. There is no hookworm in this costume."

"Is there anything besides hookworm?"

He hesitated.

"There is no hookworm."

Dipper groaned.

"Grunkle Stan, I already have plans for today! Mabel and I are going to the lake."

Darn. I had totally forgotten about that.

"Dipper, I don't pay you to lollygag and play around in the lake."

"You don't pay me at all."

"That's not the point. And besides..."

Stan turned around and opened up the blind on the window next to him.

"...it's supposed to rain today."

"What?" Dipper exclaimed. "No it's not!"

As if on cue, we began to hear small drops of rain hitting the roof of the shack.

"Are you freaking kidding me?!"

Grunkle Stan handed the pants and headband to Dipper.

"Have fun, Wolf-Boy."

He left us and strolled over to a group of tourists in the corner of the gift shop.

"Now, who's ready to take a tour with good ol' Mr. Mystery?!"

The group cheered, and he led them into the main area of the museum.