IV

                                    

                                          
AN: Full credit to the artist~~
                          
     "Wake up!! Bro-Bro, get up!! Come on Dipper!" I am shaken harshly and my eyes fly open. I suck in a breath as if I've never tasted air before. I pant heavily and Mabel's smile vanishes and she looks at me worriedly. "You okay Dipper?" She asks, slowly reaching a hand out to touch me but I flinch. She pulls back as if i burned her. I'm drenched in sweat and I feel sick to my stomach. I hold up a hand, silencing her before she speaks. My head spins and I try to get the world to stop turning on a top. I take deep breaths and steady myself. "You okay now?" Mabel asks after a minute of silence. I nod my head, and honestly I am better, physically at least. "S-sorry... Just a nightmare... Ma-Mabel... Will you... Will you bring me some w-water? ...P-please?" I ask, my voice scrapes against my throat and aches with every word. She nods quickly and runs from my room. I manage to sit up and set my feet on the floor. I place my head in my hands. 
                          
     Mabel bursts back into the room, "Here. I brought you some aspirin too!" She grins, like she had read my mind. I give her a weak smile and thank her. I take the medicine and drink the water greedily. "You wanna talk about it bro?" She asks, I shake my head. "I don't really remember" I mutter. A lie and she knows it, but accepts my answer anyways. As if shaking herself from a trance, she plasters a huge grin on her face and clasp her hands together. "Well, almost everyone's here! The party is about to start so get dressed!" She skips away and I do as i'm told, though I take my time. I don't bother brushing my hair, but I put on some dark jeans and a dark blue, long sleeve shirt that I roll up to my elbows and brush my teeth before joining the party.
                          


                          
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     The party flies by quickly, the food and sweets were wonderful, and I loved seeing everybody, but I felt like I was trapped in a daze for the entire thing. Only half-listening to conversations, constantly having people repeat what they said because I didn't hear it or couldn't focus. I felt eyes on me the entire time, but they seemed to come from every direction, yet nowhere either. I don't know what's happening, and my mind is completely occupied by the nightmare. My shoulder itches and I scratch it, sending a thread of pain through my skin, maybe I just scratched too hard.
                          
     We say our goodbyes as everyone slowly starts to leave. The party was a complete success, and there's lots of food left over for the week. I enjoyed cooking all the food for the party, but I'm glad it's finally over. I feel exhausted, but I'm too afraid to go to sleep. As Mabel and Stan argue over something trivial, I slip out the back door. The cool breeze ruffles my hair. I wonder if I should have grabbed a jacket... but I enjoy the biting cold for once, it clears my mind. I start walking with no particular destination. The sun had start to set, but oddly I feel safer out here than in the shack. It looked like the sky was trying to form a storm, but was failing. 
                          
     I don't know how long I had been walking for, and I didn't know where I was. I don't remember the forest stretching this far without any clearings... Honestly I didn't think too much about it and just kept going forward. Eventually I approach the lake and a shiver runs down my spine, but I chalk it up to the cold. I walk to the end of the dock and sit down, taking off my socks and shoes, dipping my toes in the chilled water, watching the silent and gentle ripples. The wind rustles the leaves and I listen to the beautiful sounds. I close my eyes and tilt my head up to the dark sky, taking a deep breath. The air smells sweet and I feel a chill as the fog rolls in. Something brushes up against my feet and I open my eyes, looking into the dark water. 
                          
     Three fish swim around my ankles, one nibbles at my toe and I smile at the small tickle. I wiggle my toe and watch it swim in circles, startled. I notice a strange reflection next to my head, and turn to look but there's nothing there. Maybe my mind is playing tricks on me, I am really tired after all, and that nightmare really unnerved me. There's a rock that sits next to me and I pick it up and throw it. I watch as it breaks the smooth surface of the water and study the ripples. As soon as the ripples start to smooth back out though, in the exact place the rock hit, a dark head starts to rise slowly. I freeze, unable to look away. The head slowly rises until the space where it's eyes should be is all that pokes out. It stares at me. A prick of fear stabs the back of my mind but I can't seem to tear my eyes off the figure. Why is this creature tormenting me, have I done something to provoke it? Is it a ghost? Did I run over it's grave and disturb it on one of our jogs? Why is this happening? Without thinking too much on it anymore, I stand up, grabbing my shoes and running into the woods back to the shack. Is nowhere safe from this thing?