Balenciaanswered:Maybe The Gang Meeting Aggie?

balencia answered: Maybe the gang meeting Aggie?

Gah, sorry this took so long! But writing endings are the hardest thing for me, and even now I'm not sure this was the best...

Regardless, I hope you enjoy!

“Hey guys… I found it! C’mere!” Coraline called, beaming as she waved her friends over and tossed the dowsing rod aside. She stood on the edge of a sinkhole, overlooking a crescent-shaped pool of crystalline water, its surface smooth as glass and the banks vanishing into the depths with no bottom in sight. Hopping about two feet down, she approached the water’s edge and peered in, noting the rock and sand lining the formation were pure white and devoid of algae; there weren’t any fish, frogs, or even insects inhabiting it either. Rustling behind her announced the arrival of the rest of the crew, and she grinned at them.

“Crescent shaped pond in a perfectly round sinkhole, right? And you thought the dowser wouldn’t work,” she said proudly, poking Dipper in the chest.

“I never said it wouldn’t work. I just didn’t think you actually knew how to use it,” he replied plainly, and she shrugged.

“Same difference. What matters is we found it.”

“So what does it do, exactly?” Lili said, kicking a pebble in and sending ripples sailing across the smooth surface. Dipper withdrew the journal from his vest and flipped a marked page open.

“The Spirit Well. After much research, I have verified this unique landforms’ existence in the forests surrounding Gravity Falls. Apparently bottomless, these springs are rich in minerals and nutrients, yet they fail to sustain life like any normal body of water. Local legend maintains they are links to the underworld, but I have yet to observe any supernatural activity at this location. Maybe I need to visit during a full moon like everyone says.

“That said, these formations are nevertheless intriguing. I have encountered three in this area alone, the largest being nearly ten feet in diameter, and the smallest a mere two—I nearly broke my ankle tripping over it. Perhaps there is something unique about the geology in the area that might explain the presence of these springs, but after everything else, I’m almost willing to believe they really are portals to some spirit world. Drinking not recommended. Or swimming.”

“Creepy,” Lili pronounced when he’d finished. “Just what we’re looking for.”

“Exactly. And unlike the author, we actually came here on a full moon. We ready to set up camp?” Dipper asked, looking to the group but most pointedly at Wybie, who’d carted their tent on his bike. It was a big, old-fashioned thing they’d found in the Mystery Shack attic and in surprisingly good shape; a little TLC from Mabel had patched the few holes that marked its olive brown canvas. With Raz and Neil’s help, Wybie unstrapped the cumbersome thing and they maneuvered it to suitable spot only a short distance from the pool. Mabel and Norman started unpacking the other things they’d brought on Norman’s bike—blankets to line the ground, lanterns, even a couple coloring books and snacks to pass the time. The first poles of the tent went up in minutes, and before long they had a welcome retreat from the bugs and a place to wait for nightfall.

When the sun finally set, Lili lit a campfire and they roasted marshmallows, sitting at the edge of the sinkhole and keeping a close watch on the pond as they ate. But as time wore on and the flames burned lower and lower, drowsiness crept in. Coraline dozed on a very awkward Wybie’s shoulder, and Raz and Lili were either asleep or having an intense telepathic conference—it was hard to tell sometimes.

Only Norman could be considered alert out of the group; for once he was grateful he was something of an insomniac and could keep watch even as his friends drifted off. The moon was right overhead now, and illuminated the pool with its pale beams as nocturnal insects buzzed softly in the cool night air. He watched a moth flutter lazily through the light, disappear into the shadows, then return the way it’d come pursued by a bat, the mammal’s leathery wings making a soft snapping sound as it pursued its dinner. Another, louder sound interrupted Norman’s thoughts—Neil was snoring, his chin on his chest. The medium chuckled softly; this wouldn’t be the first time he’d seen his friend fall asleep sitting up. He checked his phone, but the no service icon blinked at him, which meant he couldn’t even check what time it was. It had to be almost midnight by now.

He was almost ready to drift off himself when movement caught his eye. Blinking, he watched as the beams of moonlight seemed to become fog, their edges wavering and blurring. A layer of the fog collected on the pool’s mirror surface, building until it seemed almost solid at the bottom. But something else was forming too. The top of the fog collected into a column, then a figure, its features slowly resolving themselves like adjusting the focus on a pair of binoculars until there was no doubt who it was.

“A… Aggie?” Norman uttered, eyes wide. She clasped her hands, and nodded, a meek smile on her lips.

“But… you moved on.”

“Yes. And I never thanked you for what you did for me... for everyone,” she replied, bowing her head. Norman blinked; this had to be a dream. Ghosts didn’t come back once they crossed over, and she didn’t even look like a ghost anyway, at least not how he usually saw them. She wasn’t so much fog now as tenuous blue-white light, and a normal ghost was an eerie green. What was going on?

“So… wh—what are you doing here?” he asked, and she looked around as if noticing her surroundings for the first time.

“Like I said… I wanted to thank you. Everyone else who ever tried reading to me never did anything different. They never spoke to me like you did, never… understood. Thank you.”

“I don’t know if they even realized what they were doing,” Norman sighed, meeting Aggie with a sad look. “I didn’t know you were just a girl at first either… maybe the others never knew.”

She nodded softly, more in understanding than agreement, then looked around again. “Are these your friends?”

“Yeah,” Norman replied, brightening. “I know I said there’s always someone out there… turns out sometimes there’s even more than that out there waiting for you.”

“You must be happy,” Aggie said, bittersweet.

“Well… yeah. Aren’t you?”

“Yes. The afterlife isn’t quite what we all imagined, but it’s wonderful all the same,” she answered, smiling. “It’s just… one can’t help but wonder what life may have been like if it were a bit more like yours.”

Norman frowned sadly and looked at his shoes. “I wish it had been better for you too, Aggie. No one should go through what you did.”

“No… but it’s the past now,” she answered surprisingly cheerfully, “and… neither of us have to worry about it anymore.”

“Yeah,” Norman agreed, smiling. He was glad everything really had turned out for the best for both of them. “So… what now?”

“I… think I’d like to meet your friends, if that’s alright? I know they’re sleeping…”

“Um… okay,” he replied, glancing around at the dozing group, not sure where to start. “H… Hey guys?”

Dipper startled awake, then locked eyes with the wavering figure of Aggie and froze, dumbstruck. He managed to nudge his sister awake, and she groggily stirred, rubbing her eyes until she too saw the spirit hovering over the water. Norman gently shook his best friend awake, then reached around to nudge Coraline. Soon everyone was awake and in awe, and looking to Norman to guide them.

“Um, so... obviously you can all see her…” Norman began, both nervous and thrilled at the same time, and his friends nodded. “So that’s new. Anyway, everyone, this is Aggie.”

“You mean… the witch who cursed your town?” Wybie said, and Aggie and Norman gave him matching glares.

“Let’s not use that word, shall we?” Dipper said, making a cutting motion with his hand.

“R-right.”

“So… what are you doing here? I though spirits moved on once their earthly business was finished and all that,” Coraline asked, and Norman nodded, equally curious.

“You see… I did still have business though. I wanted to thank Norman for helping me,” Aggie replied dutifully. “And… check up on him, I guess. It’s not easy being alone…”

“I’m fine,” he said, smiling as he gestured to the others. “It’s not always easy, no… but it’s been pretty good so far.”

Aggie smiled warmly as she looked around the group. She could tell—by how the other kids held themselves, the looks in their eyes, the openness of their faces—that there were a lot of shared camaraderie and similar histories that bound them all together, and would keep them together. Some small part of her longed to join them, but her time here was coming to an end, and she’d defied nature far too much already. As her vaporous form began to falter, she waved farewell to the others and gave Norman one last meaningful look before dissipating at last.

Norman gazed at the spot where his long-lost relative had been, but his thoughts were soon interrupted by his friends who were abuzz with their encounter. Dipper was consulting with Raz and Lili about any psychic readings they might have picked up while Coraline stood by, listening in and nodding her head assuredly. Norman startled a bit when Neil patted his shoulder, but he was grateful for his friend’s moral support, and all three collapsed as Mabel tackled them in a giant hug. Heading back to the Shack this late at night would be pointless, so once Dipper had finished compiling his notes everyone piled into the tent and got comfortable. Their thoughts about the unassuming girl who’d ended up cursing her town and becoming a terrifyingly powerful supernatural entity, only to be brought her eternal peace by one of their own and how truly awesome that was would lull them to sleep.

Balenciaanswered:Maybe The Gang Meeting Aggie?

More Posts from Mysterykidsmisadventures