"Dipper, look how high I can climb!" Mabel exclaimed, hoisting herself onto the lowest branch of the nearest tree in the park and reaching out to grab another. She swung herself up, giggling. "This is a great climbing tree."

"Bet I can climb higher!" Dipper said, hurrying to crawl up the branches to reach his sister on her tree branch. This was a game they loved to play when they found a good climbing tree. So far Mable was up five to four; Dipper was determined to even the score today. He'd never live it down if she won twice in one day – this morning she'd discovered that she was taller than him, even if it was by only a millimeter, and she'd made sure to lord it over him all morning.

"You're on!" Mabel grinned, immediately grabbing the next branch. "Race you to the top!"

Occupied by the challenge, the twins didn't notice that from across the street, a pair of eyes were watching them as they made their way as high as the tree's branches would support them, patiently waiting for an opportunity. He'd been watching them for almost a month now, but they were always together, never separated. He only needed one chance, one opportunity…

Dipper just barely made swung himself onto the highest branch of the tree before his sister and felt a surge of triumph. "I win!"

"No fair, Dipper!" Mabel sulked, joining him on the branch. "My sweater caught on that branch down there!"

"It's your fault for wearing a sweater like that when you're climbing trees," Dipper said, gesturing to her knit sweater that was nearly two sizes too big for her. He refused to be guilted into nulling his victory. "Now it's five to five!"

"Fine," Mabel sighed, leaning back on the branch. "But I'll get you next time!"

"We'll see."

Across the street, their watcher saw his long-awaited chance. He narrowed his eyes, concentrating all his focus on the branch the twins were perched on. The girl was on the outside of the branch. If he just sent out the right energy…

Snap.

The branch split clean in half, right between the siblings, and Mabel screamed as she went plummeting to the ground, hitting several tree branches during the fall. Dipper had barely registered what was happening before she hit the ground, unmoving. "Mabel!" he yelled in a panic, immediately attempting to begin climbing down, but he felt himself yanked back into the tree. His vest was caught on a particularly sharp twig.

Dipper heard a car door slam and a saw a hooded figure in all black sprinting towards his sister from across the street. For a wild moment he thought they were coming to help. "Hey!" he shouted to them. "Call 911! Help!"

But the person ignored him, hoisting Mabel into his arms. He briefly looked up and Dipper froze with fear as the face beneath the hood grinned up at him; a demented smile beneath two glowing yellow eyes with slits for pupils.

And then the man was gone, hurrying back across the street, and Dipper began screaming for his sister, for anyone, as the man stuffed Mabel into his car and clambered into the driver's seat. There came the sound of the engine and the squeal of tires as the car shot into the street and sped off, disappearing around a corner.

And Dipper could only scream.

"MABEL!"

I'm not going to lie, I freaked myself out a bit when writing this, so much so that I couldn't sleep. Be on the lookout for the next chapter, it will be here soon.

Thank you for reading!