God, this fic is so random.

The forest loomed over the pair of twins, who looked like tiny speaks against the enormous round evergreens. A sticky fog hung in the muggy summer afternoon air, reflecting the golden rays of the setting sun in abnormal ways. The mist gave the woods a gloomy and oppressing look, like those found in a horror movie.

"Took all day, but we finally found these woods!," Dipper exclaimed, his voice filled with excitement.

Mabel, on the other hand, was having her doubts. "A-are we really going in there?," she asked, her voice shaky.

Dipper took note of her sudden change in attitude. "Isn't that what we came all the way out here for? Was to put these rumors about this place to the test?"

Mabel played with her hair nervously. "Yes, but.. What if the rumors are true? I guess they just scared me..."

Dipper, a bit upset with this, made an attempt to comfort her a bit. "It's okay, Mabel. I understand. But I'm sure the rumors aren't true. Stan said that-"

"But what if they are true?," Mabel challenged. "Then what will happen?"

Dipper took a deep breath. He wasn't sure exactly how to answer his sister's question. "I guess this will be all for science..."

"Science?," Mabel suddenly cried, her voice a bit louder and angrier. "Is this what it all comes down to? Science? Is that more important than our lives?"

"Mabel! If we don't prove the rumors wrong, then who will?"

Mabel gave a shaky sigh. "I don't know, Dip. Maybe no one will. But I-" She sniffed back a thousand tears, but it didn't stop her voice from cracking. "I don't want to loose you, Dipper!"

As his sister let loose a few tears, Dipper couldn't help but to feel a bit sorry for dragging her out here. He was just so excited to have another mystery to solve... "I'm sorry, Mabel. You don't have to go in. Just wait out here and-"

"No." Mabel protested, shaking her head violently. "I want to go home. Right now."

"Mabel! We came all the way here! We can't just turn back now! We have to figure this out! Someone's gota put these rumors to rest!" Dipper was growing a bit angry now. "If you want to go home, then fine. But I'm going in the woods!"

Mabel looked down at her toes. "I just can't believe how much you're willing to give just to prove the town's people wrong," she muttered under her breath.

"Isn't that what manly people would do?," Dipper asked, crossing his arms in a vexed fashion. "Face what scared him, even if it meant death?"

"So this is what all of this is about? Proving that your manly by killing yourself?"

Dipper gave an annoyed sigh. "I don't get it! Just the other day, you and Stan were making fun of how weak and unmanly I was! And now, for once, I'm being strong and facing my fears, and you just disapprove? For once I want to prove that I am strong, and that I am brave to everyone! All you've done is hurt my feelings! I'm going in there, and I'm coming out a man!"

Mabel looked at him as if he had just slapped her across the face. Her eyes began to water, and this time she didn't stop the warm tears from flowing down her face. "Please," she pleaded. "Please don't go in there, Dipper. I have a bad feeling about this place. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you."

Dipper instantly regretted yelling at her. Seeing his sister's desperate, pleading face just destroyed him. He hated seeing his sister that way. "Alright, look. I'll just go in for five minutes. Only five. No more, no less. I can't go far in five minutes. Is that okay?"

Mabel sniffed and wiped her teared eyes. "Yeah I guess. But only five minutes. Then we leave."

"No more than five, I promise."

A single tear rolled down Mabel's face as she stared into the darkness before her. Why?, Mabel screamed in her thoughts. Why was the last thing we ever did was fight?

She quickly shook them away. She couldn't afford to think thoughts like that. She needed to have faith in her brother. He promised her that he would be back in five minutes, no more, no less. He promised me. And when Dipper makes a promise, he never backs down.

How long has it been? Two minutes? Three? Ten? An hour? Mabel quickly shoved those thoughts away as well. Night had fallen upon the girl a long time ago, but there she sat, waiting for her brother. Waiting for him to emerge from the woods unharmed and prepared to go back home.

But deep down inside her, she knew that five minutes had passed a long time ago. But she remained optimistic, telling herself that the five minutes was not over yet; that any second now she would be able see his face again. But she thought these thoughts to distract her from the painful reality that plagued the back of her mind.

The reality that Dipper wouldn't be coming back anytime soon.