The doors closed. The elevator began to descend. Only Mabel's impatiently tapping foot filled the void of silence between them.

"So..." Mabel grinned at her brother. "What're we doing in the lab? Something on vampires?"

Dipper shot her a weird look; it wasn't quite angry, or worried. Somewhere in the middle.

"Well? You, haha, just gonna stand there?"

"I'll tell you in a second." The doors opened. "Over here, Mabel. Mabel?"

Garlic. Mabel never much cared for the smell, but now it was overpowering, it was mind shattering in its intensity, it was... Oh, my god. One sniff sent waves of pain shooting through her skull, another had her stomach churning enough to turn milk into butter. Mabel blinked hard, shook her head, opened her mouth to answer, but she just couldn't get it... that smell... out of her head.

Get it... Get it out... "Get it out!"

She couldn't get out.

Mabel could hear Dipper speaking, shouting, some words, from somewhere. She couldn't think, couldn't see, she just had to get out!

Panic. Running. Pain.

Darkness.

Mabel opened her eyes, and then immediately squeezed them shut. Her forehead pounded. Her eyes watered. Her body ached.

To put it simply, everything hurt.

"Ugh... What..." She stopped and swallowed a couple of times to get rid of a horrible dryness in her throat; it didn't go away. "What happened?"

After a moment, Mabel summoned up enough energy to force her eyes open. The first thing she saw was a pile of blankets, warm and fuzzy, drawn right up to her chin. Mabel smiled, snuggled a little tighter, and looked to the side.

Thick steel bars greeted her gaze.

"Wait, what?" Mabel sat up - her head spun, she took a moment to let it settle - and took a closer look. Yes, those were steel bars. She was in a cage. A cage with a nice pillow and fluffy blankets, yes, but still a cage. A cage in the underground lab.

"Uhh... Dipper?"Mabel gently rattled the bars. "Great Uncle Ford? Help?"

Nothing happened. Mabel frowned, gave the bars one last shake, and sat back, rubbing her head.

"Gotta... gotta get out... somehow..." She sluggishly sifted through the blankets. "Come on Mabel, do that thing Dipper does with his head! Think!"

Something rustled in between the sheets. "Aha! Paper! I can use this for a signal fire! Oh, wait, words." She squinted at the page; her headache was causing all the letters to swim. After a considerable effort, the message revealed itself.

Mabel,

If you can read this, stay put. You are safe.

The gas mask you used for the vampire sample had a hole in it. Ford is working on a cure.

Everything will be alright. I love you.

Dipper

With a horrible sinking feeling in her stomach, Mabel saw all the pieces fit together in her mind's eye. The speed, the sun, the garlic.

That dry, thirsty feeling in her throat.

"Oh no..." Mabel read the letter again; there it was, in unusually neat handwriting for her brother. "I mean, this is kind of cool, but I don't wanna be a vampire! I like the sun! What am I gonna do, Dipper?"

No one answered. Why wasn't anyone here? She wanted - no, needed - somebody to talk to. Where was Grunkle Stan? Were they all upstairs, while she was in this stupid cage?

She glared at the bars. There was something familiar about them... Yes, she recognised them! these were the ones she'd gotten stuck in yesterday!

"The perfect escape! Mabel, you are a genius." She faced sideways and carefully tiptoed through. "Turn the head... don't let it fall... don't let it fall... and yes! Freedom! Now to find Dipper; I'm sure he'll be so happy to see me!"

After a quick trip up the elevator, Mabel discovered the reason that nobody had been down there: it was the middle of the night. A clock by the cash register informed her it was past three in the morning.

Well, at least she could go upstairs and sleep in an actual bed. Mabel poured herself a glass of water and started up the steps.

She was light on her feet; none of them creaked.

The attic was dark, but Mabel could see the door just fine. Behind it she could hear breathing, soft, slow, sleeping.

She turned the knob. She pushed it open. She crept inside.

There. Sprawled out, face pushed into a pillow, neck exposed... the perfect moment.

Wait.

The perfect moment for what?

Mabel frowned; why was she thinking like that? When she looked at him... No, no, this was wrong, this was bad! Stop thinking that! No!

The cup slipped from her hands; it hit the ground and shattered with a harsh, high noise. Glass shards scattered across the wood and water seeped in between the floorboards. Mabel yelped, startled out of her frozen trance.

"Mabel?"

Only to be stunned once more.

Her throat burned, and she couldn't look him in the eye. Instead she focused on the bandage wrapped around his arm, stained with... with...

"I have to get out of here," Mabel breathed, backing away. Dipper jumped out of bed, so she turned and ran.

"Mabel, wait!"

Down the creaking stairs. Through the hallway. Out of the gift shop.

Into the forest.

Away from her family.