Hello, thank you so much for clicking on this story! Gravity Falls is one of my favorite shows, and after watching Spirited Away and Kamisama Kiss, inspiration hit me. Dipper is such an interesting character, and I wanted to dedicate a story to him in another zany circumstance. Now, this story is only inspired by those animes, nothing is going to be a copy and paste. This story is from my heart, and I hope you, reader, will enjoy it, especially in such scary times. I hope this story will be a nice distraction.

I own nothing!

Please review and enjoy, stay safe!

"Reality is just an illusion and the universe is a hologram." – Bill Cipher, Gravity Falls

It's a common notion that the soundtrack to a family road trip is not from a radio but rather incessant arguing from said travelers.

"I spy with my little eye something green!"

"Mabel, dear, we are in a forest. Everything is green!"

"You can't say that, that's cheating!"

"Honey, please stop turning off the A/C."

"I don't want to be driving an igloo!"

"Ugh, I hate today's music. What happened to the classics?"

"This music gives me purpose!"

The only Pines that remained silent for the entirety of the trip was eighteen-year-old Dipper Pines.

Tired of rereading a bulky sci-fi novel, he tried to tune out his family's silly bickering by counting the amount of times his sister squealed when they passed a woodland animal. Seven times, eight if you counted the roadkill they passed. His deep brown eyes flicked to his parents' hands on the armrest that were close enough to not raise questions, but far enough to be safe from each other.

Beside him sat his cheery twin, Mabel. The rainbow glitter on her pink sweater bounced the sun's rays in all directions, imitating a disco ball. Mabel's excuse for the sinful amount of neons, metallics, and glitters that graced her sweaters was she was trying to compensate for Dipper's "so horrendous your clothes give me nightmares" style of cargo shorts and ill-fitting graphic t-shirts.

"Are we almost there?" Dipper grumbled.

His dad caught his eyes in the rear-view mirror.

"Oh, he speaks! And he chooses to ask the most cliché road trip question!"

An obvious attempt at a joke, but Dipper coldly turned his gaze to the trees they passed.

Thankfully, with Mabel near there would be no awkward silence.

"Seriously, are we in the middle of horror movie? There haven't been any signs. Are we going to die?"

"Finally, this trip would be worth it," Dipper griped.

His mother gave him a stern frown.

His dad explained, "My old man drew me a map to this place. It'll be good to see Uncle Stan again."

"I still can't believe we're just showing up uninvited," Mrs. Pines sighed, staring at the passing greenery. "It's so rude."

"Uncle Stan wouldn't pick up the phone, dear." The pet name sounded anything but affectionate. "I doubt he even paid the phone bill. I didn't want to pass up a cheap vacation just cause my uncle is a penny pincher."

"I just find it weird, this place isn't on any maps," Mrs. Pines pointed out.

"Maybe because there's hidden treasure that's being protected!" Mabel squealed.

"Or maybe we're going in the wrong direction," Dipper said.

His dad clenched the wheel. "We're not."

"How would you know?"

"Please, fellas, let's not fight on this trip!" Mrs. Pines intervened.

The two Pines men settled into uneasy silence, while Mabel and her mother chattered about school.

This whole family should be used to fighting by now, Dipper thought glumly.

First day of summer routinely began with the parents arguing serving as an alarm clock. Dipper's dad stormed into his room with suitcases. "Pack your bags!" he barked, red in the face. "Your mother and I have decided this family is kicking off the summer with a road trip!"

Without much say in the matter, Dipper reclined himself to a sulking, scowling position in the car.

Even Mabel, with all her jokes and smiles, couldn't make the car ride the least bit enjoyable.

Fortunately, he was done with school for a little while. Any reprieve from that hellhole was a godsend. Reaching into his trusty, worn backpack, Dipper grabbed his stack of college pamphlets and began shifting through them. Mabel teased him for looking like a college recruiter, but Dipper paid no mind. The sooner he found an escape plan from his town the better.

"Ah ha!" The Pines father shouted, triumphantly. "See we made it." His eyes immediately met Dipper's as if to say, In your face, kid.

The ivy-covered sign near the road had some missing letters so it read, Welcome to Gravy Falls instead of Gravity Falls. Dipper shared an unimpressed look with Mabel.

"Kids, you'll love this place," Mr. Pines now smug with his accomplishment was in a talkative mood. "I came here almost every summer to visit my uncle for a little while. It's a small town, but it has its charm."

Mabel rolled down her window. "It smells like sadness and mud."

"It's not much charm."

Even though she wasn't speaking, Dipper could tell his mother shared his skepticism for this town. The brick buildings were small and practically falling apart. There was not one that had an uncracked window. A few rusty cars sat still and empty in the road. Each shop had a unique name (Mabel cackled at Sassy's Sassy Pants Store) with an open sign clearly displayed in the window. It was a relatively quaint town, but an uneasy feeling crept along Dipper's neck.

"Where is everyone?" the Pines boy asked, looking around the place.

His father ignored him and continued chattering. Mrs. Pines stared at the map with her face drawn in confusion.

"This map is drawn just to the town, not to the Mystery Shack. We need to pull over and ask for directions."

"We don't need directions," Mr. Pines waved her off. "I've been there plenty of times. My muscle memory will kick in."

"You really think you can find it by yourself?"

"I just don't feel the need to question everything every two seconds."

"I don't feel the need- "

"I never said you did."

"You implied it!"

Mr. Pines threw his hands in the air. "Ok, fine! Since my perfect family is just so wise, I'll pull over!"

He yanked the wheel and swerved to side of the street, causing his family to scream in surprise. Red faced, he flung open the door and stomped down the street with his family trailing him.

Mabel pressed her face against every window they walked past. "This store's empty too!"

Dipper's uneasy feeling remained. "This place look like everyone just stopped what they were doing and left."

"We're definitely in a horror movie," Mabel whispered, wiggling her fingers at her brother and tickled his sides. His first laugh of the trip felt unnatural leaving his throat. Has he really been so unhappy? A glance at his father's back confirmed his answer.

Mrs. Pines walked out of a nearby shop. "This place is empty too. I don't think anyone is in this town, dear."

Mr. Pines shook his hand dismissively, "Nonsense, I bet there's, like, a town meeting going on or something. Everyone's probably off discussing how to make this eyesore look prettier."

He pulled his cellphone out of his pocket and checked his screen. "No signal."

"Expecting a call?"

The man rolled his eyes at his wife. "I'm trying to be helpful."

Shouting again. Their bickering faded into the background.

Something tugged on Dipper's mind. The wind blew harshly around the skinny boy, almost like nature itself was shoving him in a certain direction. He turned and stilled in curiosity at what he saw. On the tallest hill some ways away from the town sat the most pristine house, hell, a mansion Dipper had ever seen. Mabel calling his name vaguely registered with him.

Dipper's attention remained on the mansion on the hill. Even from afar, its magnificence shined proudly like a large diamond on a pile of coal. Straight from an Edgar Allen Poe story, the mansion loomed over the city like a dark emperor scrutinizing his subjects ready to punish. Goosebumps pebbled along Dipper's arms, and his feet urged him to go explore.

"Hey, I'm going to check that place." His voice even sounded far away to himself. Not waiting for his parents to answer, he went.

He didn't realize Mabel had been following him until she pushed him away from the large golden doors of the massive building.

"You dummy, don't you know it's rude not to knock?" she tutted. She knocked once . . . and then ninja kicked the door open.

"Oh yeah, cause that's much classier," Dipper snarked, but followed her into the dark room.

The Pines twins were not prepared for what greeted them.

They were standing in a grand ballroom. The thick, red velvet drapes on the multitude of windows blocked the sunlight, but the golden floors and walls refused to let the dark diminish their brilliance. Painted white cherubs smiled at the twins from their silver clouds on the ceiling. Vibrant plants proudly stood in their marble pots. A grand staircase teased the promise of many rooms all leading to an enticing mystery. It was as if Michelangelo produced this room from his very own imagination.

But the room's beauty was not what shocked the Pines twins.

In the middle of the room like a jagged rip on a priceless painting was a floating, spiral of blue light.

"What the-?" Dipper wondered aloud while Mabel scanned the room, confused.

"Um, hello!" Mabel shouted into the empty room. "Rich people, I think your lights are broken, and . . . and it's making this weird ball!"

Dipper quickly assessed the room to find there was no source of the light. It was simply existing on its own.

Mabel tugged on Dipper's t-shirt. "C'mon, Dip, let's go tell Dad. He may know what this weirdness is."

Dipper yanked her off him. "Like that jerk will have any clue, he got us lost in this ghost town."

Mabel's puckered in a sour expression. "Don't say that about him! Why are you always picking fights with dad?"

"You wouldn't understand!"

"Drop the whole tortured teenage soul routine, Dipper," Mabel demanded with her hands on her hips. "Maybe I could understand why you're always so angry if you tell me!"

"I'm not angry, Mabel!"

Dipper turned from her completely, attention zoned on the spiraling blue light. "We're not telling dad. Something like this would scare him."

He felt that chill graze his spine like icy fingertips. "I'm going to get a closer look."

Mabel went to grab him again. "Oh no, you're not!"

Dipper tried to shake her off. "Let me go, weirdo!"

Mabel fought back. "Everyone just wants to have a happy family road trip! I'm not letting you ruin this!"

"As if this family could be happy!"

A full out wrestling match broke out between the siblings. So lost in their fight, they didn't notice they were rapidly rolling closer to the light almost as if it was sucking them into its luminescence.

Wait a minute . . .it was pulling them in!

Dipper broke away from Mabel. "Mabel, Mabel! We need to get away!"

Mabel tried to stand but failed. "Dipper, I can't!"

Screaming, the two fell into the light, and their cries faded into oblivion. It was as if no one had entered the room at all.

Footsteps and whisperings woke Dipper.

"They just appeared."

"They look so . . .pink?"

"Why is the male so sweaty?"

"They smell delicious."

Am I dreaming?

Strange, distorted faces greeted Dipper, and his heart almost stopped.

They each had twisted faces with long saber fangs and claws. The full spectrum of colors served as skin tones. When he noticed one creature had black batwings and two heads, terror shocked Dipper back to reality.

"Get away from me!" Dipper crawled back. They were still in the ballroom of the mysterious mansion, but now it was fully illuminated with life and light, but not in a positive sense. Odd creatures spilled from every corner in the once empty room. Something wet dripped on Dipper's hand.

Glancing up, the sight of a large spidery creature with long spiky legs hung from the ceiling. Its skin was transparent, and Dipper could clearly see the distinct existence of muscles, veins, and tendons that made up its body. From its mouth a six foot human tongue dangled from its mouth, a line of drool spilling onto Dipper.

The teen screamed in disgust and rolled away, making the monstrosities howl in laughter around him.

Mabel was a few feet away from him being ogled by some pitch-black demons.

"Your fangs are made of silver," one crooned, pointing at the girl's braces. "I want to sell them."

"Haha, you're so funny," Mabel giggled, slapping the creature unaware that it was reaching for her mouth. "I get them off next week!"

"Mabel!"

"Oh, Dipper, you woke up! Haha, these guys are a riot!" She unsuccessfully tried to whisper, "I think they like me!"

A claw reached for Dipper's leg. "Tasty smelling mortal."

Dipper kicked the drooling monster away. "Mabel, run!"

They never got the chance. Different sets of claws, paws, and hands grabbed the twins and began dragging them away.

"Let me go, you funhouse freaks!" Dipper demanded.

Screeches and howls of laughter answered him. Drool from more than one monster dripped onto Dipper's forehead, and he could sense the ravenous desire emitting from each of these unknowns.

"Bless my little diddly dee spirit."

Dipper was immediately dropped.

The source of the giggly Southern accent stood at the top of the grand staircase, overlooking the scene before him in curiosity.

"What do we have here?"

Relief flooded Dipper's frail body. This one looked human. A powder blue, Wild Western influenced suit adorned the short, round boy, and strange gems of various colors decorated his coat and white hair. A bolo tie around his neck held the largest blue stone made of material Dipper had had never seen in any book or science class.

"Hiya, could you tell us why you guys are celebrating Halloween early?" Mabel called to him. The stranger's eyes simply glowed at the brunette.

"Well, hello, little darling," he giggled. "What's your name?"

"Mabel Pines, and that's my brother Dipper."

The white and blue boy didn't look at the male Pines. "Mabel," he sighed her name.

"You are a glorious sight to behold. You must have entered through my portal."

Dipper raised a brow. "Your portal?"

With a flourish of his hand, the blue light disappeared. Dipper's jaw dropped. Was this kid one of those creatures?

The stranger began to descend the stairs towards Mabel. "We've been waiting for ages for a newcomer to come through my portal. Everyone here is so dreary and boring."

"But you," He glanced at her sweater. "You look full of life."

Mabel chuckled awkwardly. The boy was noticeably shorter than her, barely even reaching her collarbone. The once terrifying creatures trembled as he approached. Dipper frowned as some even scurried out the room.

"Uh, thanks," Mabel took a step away from him as he rubbed a strand of her hair between his fingers. "But my brother and I should be leaving now. Our parents are waiting for us in town."

The boy's blue eyes glazed in adoration and excitement. "Oh sweetness, if they're in town then they're not here."

Dipper didn't like how he said that.

"Why don't you come with me?" the pastel colored male grabbed Mabel's hand. "Let the servants take care of your brother."

Mabel shoved him away. "I'm not going anywhere without Dipper."

It was then the stranger turned his attention to the Pines brother. His eyes were blue, but unlike any blue Dipper had seen. They seemed to glow with an eerie light that resembled blue fire being stoked to extreme ferocity.

"We're certainly in for quite the hoedown." His hand grazed Mabel's cheek. "Maybe, he'll let me keep you."

"N-no one is keeping a-anyone anywhere," Dipper growled. His cheeks bloomed at his voice crack.

The stranger snapped his fingers, and two gargoyles appeared on either side of Dipper and grabbed his arms. The teen thrashed violently in their grasps, while Mabel made a mad dash to assist him.

"Oh no no no," the strange blue boy giggled, his hand grasped his bolo tie. A blue hue covered Mabel, and suddenly she was thrust into the air and dangled like a worm on a hook.

"What's happening!" Mabel shriek. "I can't move!"

The boy gasped as if he just remembered something important. "Dear me, how rude. I haven't explained who I am."

Shrill, delighted laughter wracked his body as he stared at Dipper and Mabel with pure unadulterated glee.

"My name is Gideon, and you're both in the spirit world."