The boy cast a war gaze from behind a tree. There didn't seem to be a trace of his pursuer, at least for the moment. Now that the hunt seemed to have entered a lull, caution was of the utmost importance.

Slowly, he made his way through the thick evergreen woods. As he kept his gaze constantly peeled, the boy quickly hopped from root, to rock, and anything else that would prevent him from stepping foot on the layer of dried leaves and twigs that carpeted the forest floor. He didn't think he could afford so much as the softest crunch.

The tactic seemed to work. He moved like a living shadow through the evergreen woods. The loudest sound he made was the anxious pounding of his own heart jackhammering hard against his ribs. He felt a brief flash of relief when he reached a small rocky outcrop. Some forces of nature had long ago had forced one of the stones into an odd diagonal, With barely a noise he ducked beneath the improvised refuge.

He didn't let his guard down for an instant. No sooner had he ducked out of sight when he took a thorough scan of his surroundings. He couldn't see so much as the smallest flash of movement amongst the surrounding evergreens. Vigilant ears meanwhile detected nothing more than a slight breeze. It seemed at least for a few moments, he was safe.

Quickly he went about making the most of his brief respite. His mind raced a mile a minute as he drew hasty calculations in the dirt. After considering all the factors and potential variables, he kicked his plan into action. He went still and silent as the stones that surrounded him. The minutes ticked on by as he waited, still on high alert.

A strong gust suddenly blew in, whistling through the surrounding pines. It was just the opportunity he was looking for. Moving under cover of sound, he darted out from his temporary hiding spot-

"GOTCHA!" There was a triumphant cry, and a hand came down on his shoulder. Startled half to death by the ambush, the young boy reflexively let out a yell that went several pitches higher than he would have liked. His attacker bounced back, and the two of them both tumbled down to the ground.

Dipper's cheeks had already turned deep crimson by the time he sat up, now wearing a sheepish grin "Sorry. Really thought I was going to make it to base this time, and…"

He quickly decided to clam up. No excuse could help him worm out of this embarrassment. Mabel rolled her eyes as far back as she could before playfully hurling a handful of leaves at him. "You take tag way too seriously, y'know that?"

Hey folks! After a wee bit of a hiatus, I'm trying to get back into writing, hence I'm starting off with something short and small. Hopefully I'll get more up in the next week or so. - SGA