The Haunted Love

Chapter 13

They proceeded to make it to an outlook, where you could see the whole town over beyond. It was quite a view. Clayton went on to ramble about how the formation in the rocks was created by a legit spacecraft. This is when his key chain came into play as he dropped it once Dipper asked about it. They matched up pretty well. Dipper couldn’t even comprehend his words.

“Sometimes the strangest things, are right under our noses.” Clayton would say, pushing the rock he posed on back. “And our feet, this particular incidence.” He then proceeded to pull out his gun. “Now you might want to stand back. This magnet gun could rip the fillings out of a man’s mouth from a hundred feet.” He aimed it at the now visible metal plate in the ground and ripped it right off, revealing a ladder going down into the dark below.

“So this is where you got the portal parts.” Sabrina commented.

Clayton nodded. “On point, as always.” He smirked before tossing his gun to Dipper. “Don’t worry, been down here countless times. Nothing is alive.” He reassured them as he started his way down the ladder.

Dipper glanced up at Sabrina and gestured to the ladder. “Ladies first.”

Sabrina smirked. “What a gentleman.” She rubbed his hat as he bubbled up a chuckle. She would then climb down. Dipper would follow suit, putting Clayton’s gun away and making his way down.

The interior was incredible. It gleamed with a rather dirty shine. There was hundreds of symbols etched into the metal as Sabrina stroked her hand over them. She didn’t know if Clayton could read alien or not, but would be something to know what it all said. Dipper landed on the bottom finally, admiring the symbols as well. He would take a selfie with them at one point before rejoining Sabrina.

“Seems like you’re already enjoying yourself.” Sabrina said.

Dipper nodded. “Yeah. Pretty cool, if you ask me.” He adjusted his backpack. “Why aren’t all amazed?”

Sabrina glanced down at him. “I’ve seen this kind of stuff before. Can’t expect me to be amazed every time. I was with your uncle for many years, you know how he is. He has to study everything he sees.”

“What was it like?” Dipper asked.

Sabrina stopped and turned towards him. “What? The multi-verse?” Dipper nodded. “Well, it was many things. Mean there is a universe where you walk backwards, one where cake is a planet, opposites and so forth. Pretty much anything you could possibly imagine.”

“So is it true we exist in all those too? Like in the movies?” He asked as they started pushing forward again.

Sabrina actually wasn’t sure how to answer that. But mean, it was very plausible that they all each existed someway or another. “I’m gonna say possibly. There could of hundreds of us out there. I’ll let you decide if you want to believe it.” She replied as honestly as she could.

It seemed Dipper liked that answer as he smirked at her. “Thanks, Sabrina.”

“Thought you two wanted to help.” Clayton had his arms crossed when they got to him.

“We do.” Dipper answered.

Clayton pulled out another gun, activating it. “Then let’s go.” Without warning, he jumped off the side of a steep drop off. Both Dipper and Sabrina ran to the edge in alarm. Clayton had used the gun to snake his way down as it held on to the pillar like honey. Once he got to the bottom, he snapped one of their light sticks on, indicating he was alright. “Now it is your turn.” He yelled up to them in an echo.

Dipper was getting cold feet by what Sabrina could tell as he backed off. “You can do it, Dipper.”

He met her reassuring gaze before gaining some courage. He let out a deep breath and walked up to the edge again. “I can do it. I can do it.” He repeated to himself before pulling out his magnet gun and let it rip. He reeled down to Clayton no problem as he caught him at the bottom.

“I gotcha.” His uncle said, dropping him on his feet. Didn’t take long for Sabrina to slide down either. She actually seemed kind of graceful. “We all counted for?” Clayton asked the team.

Sabrina nodded. “Yup, we’re all here.”

Clayton nodded as he led the way to the next room. There was bunch of metal plates inserted into a machine. They approached it, Clayton lifting one up from its spot. “These most likely will house the adhesive. Now we just have to find it.” He said, examining the plate before putting it back.

Didn’t take long for them to find it. Dipper was the one who had pulled it up while they were talking. “Is that it?” Sabrina would point out, after realizing there was a substance on the back of the plate.

Clayton came over with his c****d brow and nodded. “It sure looks like it. Great job, Dipper.” He rubbed his hat happily.

Dipper was enjoying that Clayton was noticing. That is probably how his uncle was, now that Sabrina thought about it. Especially growing up. But Clayton was always a go-getter, even if he couldn’t get it. Hell if the man only had one leg, he’d still be traversing around like he does now.

There was weird humming noise suddenly. Both Sabrina and Clayton pulled their guns out. “What was that?” Dipper asked, taking a few steps back. “Grunkle Clayton, I thought you said nothing was alive still.”

“Yes I did. Unless we tripped – oh no.” Two giant, floating orbs suddenly appeared from the dark. They were made of a strange version of glass with a red triangular sensor.

“What the hell are those?” Sabrina whispered.

“There security droids that detect adrenaline. You simply have to not show any signs of fear.” Clayton replied as the three of them started moving back slowly.

“Good to know.” Sabrina replied.

Dipper was starting to panic in front of them. “Dipper, you have to relax.” Clayton snapped.

“I – I don’t know if I can.” Dipper said, biting his lip.

“Concentrate, Dipper.” They came to a stop as the droids hovered before them and scanned each of them. Both Sabrina and Clayton were rather calm, take it like a champ. Then there was Dipper. His anxiety was getting the best of him as one of the droids suddenly aimed to fire. It shot plasma towards them as Clayton managed to grab Dipper and combat roll his way out. Sabrina did the same on the opposite side.

“What’s the plan?” She said over to them.

Clayton had taken his shot, releasing a mag-pulse on one of the droids as it spun out of control and crashed. At the same second though, it shot and clipped his shoulder. It throw him back and nearly knocked him out cold. Dipper watched in horror as the remaining droid completely ignored Sabrina’s moves and released a mass of arms onto Clayton. He let out a scream as it begun to drag him in. Both Dipper and Sabrina tried desperately to grab hold of him. He tried to dig his nails into the floor, only to have no such luck.

“Dipper.” Clayton would yell out as he dug into his pocket and slid the rift towards them. “Take the rift and fix it with the adhesive. Save the world.”

“No, Grunkle Clayton!” Dipper yelled back. The droid locked Clayton inside itself and flew away quickly.

“Crap. Dipper, put the rift in your bag. We have to save him.” Sabrina said, forcing the rift into his hands. He did what he was told and put it in his backpack, zipping it up tight. “Let’s go!” She yelled to him as he joined her in the chase.

They chased it into a room with strange seed like shape crafts. There was a whole wall full of them. Clayton’s droid would enter one of these as it picked a place to take him and launched itself. “What are you two doing? Worry about the rift. Not me.” He would say to them as it started to get farther away.

That is when Dipper did the unthinkable. He dug into his bag, took his magnet gun and some duct tape and taped it to his hand. “What are you thinking, Dipper?” Sabrina asked, only to realize what he was trying to do. He was going to slingshot himself to the ship. “Your a genius.” She said as she took her own gun and taped it to her hand.

They both activated their guns, just in time to get a grasp on it as it passed. Clayton heard them both slam into the sides, trying to get a good look from his glass bubble. “Are you two nuts?!” They heard Clayton cry.

Sabrina adjusted herself to have a better grip as Dipper looked down at her. The speed it was going was a bit crazy as Dipper’s hat flew off. But he didn’t care about it at the moment. He was more motivated to get his uncle instead. The ship would suddenly start to weave around. When it went up at some point, Clayton hit his head, causing him to blackout.

“Grunkle Clayton!” Dipper screamed as he went limp inside his bubble. “What should we do now?” He turned towards Sabrina.

She thought for a second before her eyes went to their guns. Of course, they can fry the sucker from the inside. “Put your gun on mag-pulse.” She ordered as he followed. They released a massive wave of magnetic energy through the ship as it start sizzling and sparking. It would lose momentum after a few seconds and start plummeting towards the forest. “Brace yourself!” She would yell to Dipper.

Boom! They slid nearly five yards before it got wedge into its dirt pile. It had created a massive ditch when it landed. Sabrina and Dipper lied a few feet way, bruised and scrapped to high heavens. Dipper awoke and instantly rushed to Clayton. He forced the bubble open and gasped at sight of his uncle injured. “Grunkle Clayton!” He cried out, taking one of his hands and dragging him out. That is when he heard the weird humming again.

He turned around, only to find the droid Clayton had shot above him. It sparked while hovering there for it was damaged. “You leave my uncle alone! There is no way in this universe, I’ll let you take him!” Dipper said valiantly while aiming his magnet gun. It would pull out its own gun, aiming it at him as he prepared himself.

That is when he heard a violent hissing sound as the droid started to shudder and spurt. It would suddenly die on its spot, falling hard into the dirt below. Dipper lowered his gun, finding Sabrina standing behind it with her gun aimed. She was panting heavily as her face was scratched from the impact. He had never been more happy to see her.

His attention returned back to his uncle. “Oh no, Great Uncle Clayton.” Dipper said to himself as he started shaking him. “Please, please be ok.”

Sabrina ran up to their side. Clayton was motionless, his shoulder was raw red as the plasma shot had burned him. She grabbed his hand and held it close to her heart. Tears were starting to form in her eyes as she hoped to god, he’d squeeze her hand back. And he did to her shock as he groaned and rose to sitting. Dipper couldn’t hold back his excitement as he instantly hugged him.

“It’s okay, Dipper.” He whispered to him while patting his back. His nephew let go as they both helped him to his feet. “Thank you.” Clayton said softly before letting out a cough.

“How are you feeling? Anything broken?” Sabrina asked.

His six fingers were still intertwined with hers as he shook his head. “Just a bit sore.” He winched painfully when he tried to move his arm. “Except that nick. It burns like hell.” He tried to examine it, finding it to be a rather decent burn.

“We should head back to the shack and get cleaned up first.” Sabrina suggested, pulling his arm over her to use as a crutch.

Clayton agreed. “You’re right. The faster we get there, the faster the rift can be fixed.”

“We’ll have to worry about the rift later, Clayton.” She replied as she started to guide him. She glanced back after realizing Dipper wasn’t following. “Dipper, we have to go.”

Dipper stared at the now crashed ship. “What about that?” He gestured towards it.

Sabrina turned awkwardly toward him with Clayton’s arm still linked. “Don’t worry about it.” She continued forward as Clayton grunted with every step they took. He was limping a little also from what she noticed.

Dipper glanced back at the ship one last time. Who knows what would happen to it. Nature would eventually overtake it. And the ditch, well its a ditch. As great as it would be to look into, there was no point when too much was already at stake. Dipper pulled the rift out of his bag and just stared at it. What was going to become of them once it broke? Dipper was afraid they’d find out.