The Haunted Love

Chapter 19

The morning seemed to arrive too soon for the group. As everyone prepped themselves and drank their coffee, Sabrina pulled Stan to the side. “I have to talk to you.” She said to him.

“What is it?” He asked, taking a sip of his cup.

“I know you were worrying last night.” Sabrina said.

“So?” Stan replied.

“You can’t let this get to you, Stan. Mean I get why you feel that way but-” He stopped her by lifting his cup up.

“It isn’t the whole robot thing or whatever the hell you think.” He sighed before turning his back to her. “I’m afraid of which one of us isn’t coming back. Being you, or the kids, or Clayton.” He stared into the remaining coffee in his cup, a grief reflection staring back. “Or me.”

Sabrina sighed quietly. It was pretty much a suicide mission. One of them may not come back. And it never really occurred to her. The wind blew around them, rippling at her jacket and scarf as the silence took them.

“Even so, Bill has to be stopped.” Sabrina finally said. They both turned to face each other at the same moment. “If you had a choice. Who would you rather not have?”

Stan was shocked to hear such a thing come from her mouth. Even if she wasn’t considered blood or anything else, she was still a family friend. And one his brother loved. He couldn’t take that from him. But she had a point. If it came down to it, he’d pick himself.

He couldn’t get the guts to reply. Instead, he started walking away. He left Sabrina there in the forest to her thoughts. All she knew is today was the day. It was the day she and Clayton have been waiting for. However it starts and ends – only fate would tell.

Sabrina let herself cool down, taking a calming breath before following the path Stan gone. All the faces she met along her way to the Shacktron were rearing to go. It was just a matter of waiting for the right moment and moving in now. Everyone had a spot and a purpose. Sabrina would be the one giving the first shot at Bill.

It wasn’t long before it was go time. Everyone piled in and took their positions. McGucket had the Gobblewonker, Grenda and Candy were the arms, Wendy was on top along with Sabrina, the others were inside the shack, pulling levers and what not. When the time came, the rescue team will go in and get Clayton. Most of the Mystery Shack gang were going to be that team, along with McGucket and Sabrina.

On their way, Stan seemed a bit distasteful about something. Dipper and Mabel apparently knew why already. He had apparently been complaining that this whole mission was about Clayton and how he was going to just be pictured as the hero. As much as Clayton can be a hero, Sabrina believed that there was going to be something bigger. The whole walk across the flattened town, she had a sickening feeling in her gut.

-

Clayton was being tortured inside the pyramid by the time the Shacktron was even seen. Bill had been trying to force Clayton into letting him back in or at least, give him the info he is wanting. Clayton swore he’d never tell. But Bill was seeing it as only a matter of time before he broke him. All Clayton could do was fight.

“Come on, Sixer. Tell me how to break the barrier.” Bill was getting some rather sickening joy from shocking Clayton. How he managed to survive through it, was amazing as it is.

Clayton weakly lifted his head, his body smoldering with smoke. He could feel his heart palpitating from the shock. “Never.” He managed to mumble out.

“Is this you wanting to die, Claytonsie?” Bill questioned while forcing him to look at him. “Mean if you want to die, I’d totally be fine with that. Just means a free body for me.”

“Bite me, Bill.” Clayton threatened.

Bill chuckled. “Oh ho, I will happily bite you.” He released another shock onto him, Clayton letting out a scream. Suddenly, he’d stop.

“Bill! Come out here and fight like a man!” Sabrina’s voice vibrated in Clayton’s head. Was he hearing things? He watched as Bill wasted no time to go investigate.

The Shacktron was nearly to the pyramid, only about a yard away as it came to halt. Sabrina was standing on the tip of its roof, a red and white microphone in her hand. She was expecting a reply back. “Come on Bill. I know you want to have a little chat. Then let’s talk.”

Bill just scoffed at the contraption they made. It was a shack, just with arms and legs. He turned his attention back to Clayton who was still mystically chained up. He snapped his fingers, the chains disappearing as Clayton got dropped onto his “throne” arm. Clayton rose to his feet slowly and met his enemy’s eye.

“You’ll never get the answer out of me.” Clayton replied sternly.

Bill narrowed his eye towards him. “You said you know my weakness.” He created a red spotlight with his eye on him, Clayton turning away nearly blinded. “And I know yours too. Its your family.”

Clayton’s eyes grew when he said that. “You leave them alone, Bill.”

Bill thought about it for a second, seeming like he was going to. Until he met Clayton’s gaze dead on. “Not today, Claytonsie.”

Clayton started feeling his legs locking into place as he was turning him into gold again. “No!” He yelled out before becoming completely coated. He went silent.

“Everyone, attack that piece of crap outside.” He ordered to his friends suddenly. They all clamored outside and immediately started on the Shacktron.

All the bodies inside the Shacktron, did what they could. Levers were pulled, fists were punched – it had turned into a real battlefield. Bill observed from a distance for a bit, before recognizing Sabrina was one of the people on top. She would soon disappear inside the shack, leaping in through one of the open windows.

“How we doing?” She asked everyone as she pushed her way past.

“We are punch up some monsters!” Grenda replied, releasing a hard punch on the teeth shaped creature.

She turned her attention towards Dipper and Stan who were in the control center. “It’s time. Let’s go rescue team!” She yelled out, Wendy sliding in through the window and Soos entering through the door. McGucket climbed down from his perch and met them at the bottom. Mabel came running up from the back, releasing Waddles and giving him a hug.

They all strapped on their parachutes Mabel made and slid their way into a tube each. “Is this really necessary?” Stan asked, his fear of heights taking hold.

“Relax. We’ll be there in no time.” Sabrina replied. She gave a thumbs up to the Gnomes as they pressed the launch button.

They launched straight up into the air a good hundred feet before pulling their chutes and gliding their way into the pyramid. It was a pretty rough landing for most of them. Stan losing his fez once he hit the floor face first and slid. Dipper had picked it up along with his hat and handed it back to him. They were now all inside.

The “throne” was before them, rising way above their heads as the hundreds of faces lined it. This was where the people turned to stone were put. There was one at the top that caught Mabel’s eye. “Hey, is that Clayton?” She said to group.

They all looked straight up to the towering amount of people before them. “How the hell are we suppose to get up there?” Stan asked.

“Hey, oh my! Hey!” A voice yelled down to them.

Mabel knew that voice. It was the one and only Gideon, who had a major crush on her. But he was pretty damn creepy about it. So she had said no to him many times. And the fact, he was no psychic at all.

“Gideon?” She said, finding him locked in a little cage. “Aw look at you, all locked up.” She teased.

Gideon just got red in the face. “Stop it!”

Dipper and Mabel laughed with each other. But shortly, returned to their task at hand. “Is our uncle up there?” Dipper yelled up.

Gideon nodded even though they couldn’t really see him do such. “Yes. He’s the gold one up here.”

“How do get him down?” Sabrina yelled up this time.

“You’ll need to remove the correct person from the bottom. It should be Mayor Cutebiker.” He replied back. They immediately found him and removed him from the stack. Down came a whole row of them, followed by Clayton at the end.

Due to the movement, most of the people were becoming unfrozen. They pulled Clayton off to the side as people had reunions and hugs around them. The gold on Clayton slowly faded away. “No! I’ll kill you-” Clayton paused once he realized who was in front of him. Without hesitation, he scooped up Mabel and Dipper and held them close. “Kids!” He cried with overjoy.

They both smiled and allowed the moment to happen. He then dropped them back down. Sabrina would approach him next. “Glad you’re ok.” She said softly.

He would grab her hands first before pulling her in. Sabrina let her arms wrap around him as they went up to his hair, her fingers sliding through it. His head backed away for a second, only for his hand to lift her chin up and their lips locking moments later. Both Mabel and Dipper held their mouths at a gape. Dipper looked away embarrassed while his sister basked in her utter excitement, jumping enthusiastically.

“About time.” She winked with her braces wide.

Stan was weirdly enjoying it. Once they backed away from their embrace, he slid his arm over Clayton’s back. He looked over with a pleased expression. “Look at you. Being a ladies man.” He squeezed him in excitement.

Clayton would only look back annoyed, picking his brother’s arm off and letting it drop. “Let’s just concentrate what is at hand now.” He walked away after that.

“Typical StanClayton.” Stan grumbled to himself, crossing his arms.

“What’s next?” Dipper asked the group. The room was starting to become crammed pack as most of those turned to stone were reverting back to normal.

Clayton glanced around among them as if in deep thought. The Shacktron was outside with Bill, fighting it out. He had gone out and taken matters in his own hands once they were being thrown around like rag dolls. They had a window open once the T-Rex pulled his eye right out of its socket. “Not the eye!” He yelled.

“Well we got a chance now to do whatever.” Sabrina commented, seeing Bill retreat back.

Clayton nodded. “Then let’s use it.” He pulled out a pair of black gloves, slipping them on. They were the same ones from when he came out of the portal. “I need something to draw with.” He insisted.

Wendy turned to Robbie, her ex who Mabel had tried to help earlier in the summer. “Yo, can I have your spray can?”

“Sure. Whatever.” He replied, digging into his pocket and pulling out a blue can of spray paint.

“Use this.” Wendy offered it to Clayton who took it.

He shook it, the can rattling as he did so. He’d spray a circle inside another circle nearly symmetrical. After adding a few more details and lines, they’d all step back to admire his work. He’d toss the can back to Robbie who failed clumsily at catching it. It was a cipher of some kind with ten symbols lining each box section. Clayton took his spot on the six-fingered hand.

“What is it?” His Great Nephew asked, walking around the outer circle.

“It’s an ancient zodiac I discovered during my time looking into Bill.” He gestured with his hands while explaining it out. “I believe this is our last shot at defeating him. But I need us all to cooperate for it to work.”

Sabrina was impressed. This must have been what Clayton was about to tell Dipper before Bill found them. Looking closely, she knew far too well that she wasn’t involved in this. But it was good while it lasted. She shared a glance between the group, Clayton looked directly at her while he explained it more deeply.

“These symbols all represent one of us.” He explained to the group. “Obviously the six hand is me. Mabel – the shooting star, Dipper – the pine tree, Peter – the crest.”

Everyone started taking their positions once they figured out who was who. Robbie’s hoodie was a massive giveaway, Soos was obvious too by his question mark shirt, Gideon took the star next to Mabel to her disgust. Pacific just groaned after realizing the llama was her, but fate had most likely planned for it. The last two of ice and the glasses, Clayton admitted took him a bit to figure out. But once Dipper said that Wendy was always chill in any situation, she took the ice bag and lastly, McGucket took the glasses – or spectacles as he’d say.

It would start glowing once Clayton told them to take hands. Sabrina took a few steps back, hoping to avoid what was coming next. Stan of course, was letting his stubbornness get the best of him. Clayton stood there awkward, his fingers feeling nothing between him and Soos. He glanced back sternly towards his brother who wasn’t wanting to participate.

“Peter, what are you doing?” He said annoyed while stretching his hand out towards him.

The others were all waiting with their hands held. They started cursing towards Stan for leaving them in such an awkward position. “Stan, get your ass in that circle.” Sabrina ordered with a tight fist.

He ignored Sabrina’s request, turning toward his brother. “We wouldn’t even be in this mess if it wasn’t for Brainiac over here.” He start pointing fingers towards Clayton.

“I’m sorry I caused this, I am.” Clayton apologized instantly. “But Peter, please. Just help us finish it. That’s all I ask of you.”

“Fine. But on one condition.” Stan replied, taking a step closer. “Say thank you.”

“What?” Clayton replied, his hair swaying from the power of the zodiac.

“You heard me. Say thank you for bring you back from who the hell knows where. Thirty years – I spend thirty years trying to get you back. Is that worth nothing to you?” Stan sneered.

Clayton clenched his extended hand before he sighed and put it back. “Fine. Thank you.” He said reluctantly, but as true as he could.

Stan accepted it, taking his place inside the circle and grabbing his brother’s hand. “Finally. See, now between him and me, I’m not always the bad twin.” He said to Soos beside him who wasn’t really paying much attention.

“You mean me and him.” Clayton corrected him.

“Hey, what did I say about correcting me?” Stan snapped, pulling Clayton out of the circle. The zodiac was severed for a split second as they begun to bicker with each other.

“Seriously? You got no time to fight over stupid stuff.” Dipper and Mabel broke their hands from the others, trying to separate the two brothers. Sabrina was about to help them until she got stopped in her tracks.

“Well, well, well.” They heard a booming voice above them. Everyone’s eyes instantly went up to the source. “What do we have here?” It was Bill, his new eye white as ever. “Oh, the zodiac? And all the people needed for it in one spot?” He clicked his tongue in shame. “Bad mistake.”

With a snap of his finger, a blue flame ignited and burned the zodiac away. Amazingly, everyone stood their ground to him. But he knew far too well he’d have to thin the herd. Glowing red arms grew from the ground suddenly, wrapping themselves around Stan, Clayton and Sabrina. They’d rise up above the others, just to the height of Bill’s eye. They all struggled and wiggled under the tight wraps. Bill then would chant something and release a blinding wave onto the group below. Only Dipper and Mabel remained as they glanced up behind them, finding the others horror expressions threaded into tapestries hanging on the wall.

“Ain’t this fun.” Bill said enthusiastically. He then proceeded to building a three-sided cage around the twins. “It isn’t too late to change your mind, Claytonsie.”

The twins ran up to the edge facing them as they watched their guardians levitate there. “No, Grunkle Clayton.” Mabel said.

“Don’t do it.” Dipper pleaded.

Bill just cackled. “I can’t believe you Pines. Your all the same.”

This is when Mabel noticed Robbie’s spray can had dropped. She jabbed her brother as they attempted to reach for it. “Try all you want, Bill.” Clayton commented, buying the twins time. Dipper would jump up and down inside the cage, tittering the can towards them. It would then roll into Mabel’s hand which she quickly drew behind her back.

“Hey, one-eye!” Mabel teased, making Bill turn towards her in agitation. When he got close enough, she pulled and aimed the can at Bill’s eye, spraying in it directly.

He let out a horrific screech, rubbing it with his hands. “Damn kids! I just got that eye!” He subconsciously released Sabrina and the brothers by mistake, while Dipper used his magical flashlight to grow the cage until they could just walk out of it.

They rejoined on the spot. “Now what?” Stan asked, lifted his sore self off the ground.

Dipper and Mabel shared a confident stare before nodding to one another. “We’ll distract him while you run.” Dipper insisted.

“No.” Clayton's deep voice stirred them. “It’s too dangerous.”

“We got this.” Mabel snapped as they both took off in a sprint, heading deeper inside.

“Kids, wait.” Stan called out to them with his hand out.

Suddenly, they all felt their air being squeezed out of them as Bill rose behind them with a shaky hand crunching. He then formed the cage again, this time around them and dropped them inside. “Enough!” He barked before turning a bold red, growing teeth and multiple arms. He transformed into only what Clayton could imagine he really looked like – a nightmare.

Stan grunted after being dropped hard again, his brother helping him up along with Sabrina a second later. “Leave those kids alone.” Clayton snapped towards the monstrosity before them. “Your beef is with me, not them.”

“Well duh. But I’m finding that there is only one way I’ll be convincing you.” The demon replied. “Be right back. I got some pest of kids to deal with.”

“No – wait.” Clayton gestured towards him, only to see him skitter away inside.

Stan knew this was going to happen. He just watched as the monster hunted the very thing he had been caring about all summer long. Clayton had his head down against one of the bars. “What are we going to do?” Clayton heard his brother mumbled under the heavy air.

Stan would then move deeper in and take a seat. Clayton lifted his head, joining him on the ground. Sabrina had been standing behind them, watching the two start falling apart at the seams. She turned towards them and slide down the side of the wall. There was an awkward silence among them.

“This is my fault.” Stan finally broke the silence. Clayton had pulled out a canister while sulking there, taking a slug and then offering it to his brother. He obliged, took a sip and returned it. “Dad was right. I am a screw up.”

“You shouldn’t take all the blame.” Clayton added. “I was the one who allowed Bill into my thoughts. Why was I so stupid?” He lifted his hand and stared at it. “You would of seen right through him.”

Stan scoffed softly. “Then we’re both screw ups.” He replied before his smirk dissolved away. “What the heck happened to us? We use to love playing pretend and talking to each other.”

“We only had each other. That’s why.” Clayton replied, his gaze meeting Sabrina’s across the way. “Until now.”

She found Stan also was looking at her, but not in the eye. He let out a deep sigh. They fell into an awkward silence again. “Those kids are too young to be in this crap.” Stan said.

Clayton nodded. “That they are.” He then rose to standing, going up to the bars and grabbing hold of them. “Why we need to protect them at all cost.” His eyes went down to Sabrina as he offered her a hand. She took it with a small smile, letting his strength lift her up. She put both her hands over his as he turned his attention back towards the hallway they had all gone down.

Stan would join them with a crack of his back. “So what’s the plan when they come back?”

“I’m going to let him in.” Clayton replied.