Mystery Kids Au - Tumblr Posts
If i had a nickel for every time a preteen kid solved a multigenerational traumatic event with kindness and supernatural powers, I'd have two nickels
Parallel Curses
The memory played out as though Raz were in Norman’s place—clinging to the side of the old courthouse’s peak, buffeted by a chill fall wind as unnatural purple clouds swirled above. Below, a mob chanted, and what little he could hear sounded... awful. Jeering, goading, they were blaming Norman for all this—the zombies, the storm, their own irrational actions.
They wanted him dead.
And yet, as Raz could feel in the emotions playing out, Norman was more determined to end this than ever. He reached the top of the ladder, and something swirled from the clouds. An enormous, wicked face emerged, luminous yellow eyes splitting the dark--
Raz choked. For a moment, he was frozen in his own fear. Cold water lashed him, he was alone against a foe his heroes had all failed against and she was going to drown him his own family was going to—no, no, get a hold of yourself Aquato! It was cold wind, this wasn’t then, this wasn’t Maligula—this was Norman’s memories. He shook his head out in time to see the wicked face reel back, laughing. He’d missed whatever Norman had said to it, and now—
Now it rushed at him, screaming, and a bolt of electricity struck him from the tower.
...
“Ugh…” Raz woke up slowly, the small bedroom fading into view. His body—at least, the psychic projection of it—ached, and he pulled his goggles up to rub at his eyes. Then, he turned to the other boy. “You too, huh?”
Norman squinted. “...What?”
“Family member with a scary witch form with giant, glowing yellow eyes?”
“Oh. Wait, you too?”
“Guess I know why they gave me this mission. They don’t normally let people go into kid’s minds, but Sasha said you might relate to me better than anyone and I might have better luck. Come on, I’ll explain on the way out.”
Norman followed, wearing a look of utter bafflement.
An Exchange
Raz: “Hey Mabel, have you heard of All Paul? They’re this old mermaid-themed boy band I think you’d really--”
Mabel, shaking Raz furiously by the shoulders: “WHAT?!“
Heya. I was the writer/project organizer for MK: The Nightmare Mirror and, well...
I apologize for dropping the project without so much as a word. I wasn’t experienced enough at the time to organize something as complicated as a group-made animatic, and it fell apart as people got busy or burnt out by other things going on in their life, myself included. I was having a tough time enjoying the fandom after people I had respected trash-talked it, and tbh I still have a bit of a hard time enjoying it fully. but...
The script was completed, and I’ve sometimes considered posting it just so people could see what we were trying to do. I think I still have access to the blog we made for it, but I don’t know whether it’s worth posting there or on this--my main MK blog.
if people are interested in reading it, i’d be happy to share. I definitely think I could have done better now, but hey, maybe it’ll inspire someone y’know? ^^
I was wondering if you have any information about mystery kids the nightmare mirror or if they have been stopped. I checked their tumblr but nothing since 2016. do you have anything to do with that episode?
As far as I know they did completely stop a long time ago. Before we started this project I believe.
I got more interest in seeing this posted, so!
The first act of Mystery Kids and the Nightmare Mirror will be posted tonight!
Yooo you should share the script!! I remember being excited for that project a long time ago and Ive been dying to know what the plot was going to be
haha, alright, we've got one vote so far!
it probably won't take much more convincing really, i just want to wait and give my response to @themysterykidsreturn time to circulate and reach as many people as much as it's gonna, if that makes sense ^^
Mystery Kids and the Nightmare Mirror: Act One
I’ve decided it’s finally time to release the script for the cancelled animatic; I know I had co-writers who helped develop the story, but they were unfortunately left uncredited and therefore I cannot name them, or even find out if they want to be credited. So for now, just know that I did not write this alone, and that I appreciate the input my friends had back when this was still in the works.
This story directly follows the original episode of Mystery Kids, but uses more of my characterization and headcanons, so some of the kids might feel a bit different--but, I hope I still kept them true to both their original canon as well as the story decisions we made for the first MK episode. I’ve also left it largely unedited, so it’s still in basic script form, with scene breaks and the like.
But, without further ado:
Act One
Act 1, Scene A
-The scene opens dramatically on Gideon looking furious as he rants.
GIDEON: (Threateningly) “Hear me now, Pines family! The days of the Mystery Shack are numbered! Soon, everything you love will belong to lil’ ole me! Surrender now or face my wrath!”
-Things cut to the interior of the living room of the Mystery Shack, where the kids are having a lazy day. Gideon’s tirade is muffled and ineffectual; while some of the kids look up curiously, only one speaks up.
RAZ: “Uh… should we be worried about that guy?”
DIPPER: (Dismissive) “Gideon? Nah, he’s literally never succeeded at this.”
CORALINE: “Sounds like you guys have some history with him. I’m guessing there’s a story here…”
DIPPER: “You have no idea.”
MABEL: (Weary) “Ugh, yeah. First he wanted to date me, and now he wants to destroy us and take over the Mystery Shack. He’s totally creepy, like from one of those ‘Charlie’ haunted doll movies.”
-Norman stifles a laugh.
DIPPER: “I still don’t get what he wants with this place. I mean yeah, it has some secret rooms and stuff—”
-Coraline wears a wide look of do not want fear.
DIPPER: “—but nothing he’d want. It’s just a bunch of junk.”
MABEL: “Yeah, he has his own little tourist-y thing, the Tent of Telepathy biz. I love the Mystery Shack, but I don’t see why he would.”
LILI: “Wait… telepathy? He’s a psychic?”
RAZ: “Ugh, and exactly the kind no one likes.”
DIPPER: “Except that he’s not actually psychic.”
LILI: “…That’s even worse! People like him make it hard for us real psychics to be taken seriously.”
GIDEON: “Come out now or I’ll take matters into my own hands!”
MABEL: “Hey Dipper, you wanna bet he’s got like, a horde of angry forest mice or something?”
DIPPER: “While I like the odds, he’s used so many other things we’d better go see what he’s up to.”
-The kids get up to confront Gideon in front of the Mystery Shack’s back entrance. Gideon seems surprised to see more than just Mabel and Dipper emerge, but doesn’t change his tirade much.
GIDEON: (Mocking) “Well, well, Pines; looks like you’ve found a few more freaks for your little circus here.”
-Raz’s eyes narrow.
GIDEON: “Of course they’ll be put to better use doing what I have planned for this town, but never you mind that.”
DIPPER: (Annoyed) “Get lost, Gideon. What are you going to do this time? Attack us with, I dunno, cursed craft supplies?”
GIDEON: “You wish that was the fate I had in mind for you! Don’t you worry your little heads, I’ve got something that will totally—”
CORALINE: “You don’t actually have anything, do ya short stuff?”
-Gideon splutters, his bluff called, and with a nod from Dipper, Lili telepathically lifts the little pest and deposits him all the way at the side of the distant road. He’s too stunned and flustered to do anything more, so he hustles off.
RAZ: “Looks like Gideon is Gide-gone.”
MABEL: “…I like the way you think.”
(Intro)
Scene B
CORALINE: (Skeptical) “Well, that wasn’t nearly as exciting as I thought it’d be. You sure this town is full of weird supernatural stuff?”
DIPPER: “Oh-ho, believe me, it is. Let’s see…”
-Dipper takes out his journal and flips to a page. The others gather around curiously.
NEIL: “A…Glowwyrm?”
DIPPER: “The Glowwyrm: This mysterious reptile uses its luminous saliva to navigate and mark its prey in the caves where it lives. Highly dangerous, approach with caution and wear goggles.”
RAZ: (Confident) “Hah! Got that last part covered, and I’m sure we can handle the rest. Me and Lili are trained professionals.”
LILI: “Who almost got our butts handed to us by a dentist in a robotic car, but there was more going on there than just Loboto. I bet we could take on anyone—or anything—now.”
CORALINE: (Eager) “Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go find this thing!”
-The kids head out and eventually find themselves in a misty part of the forest, trudging through a shallow swamp that comes up against a cliff wall and features the entrance to a cave overhung with moss. The entrance is totally filled by the stream that feeds into the marsh, and Raz isn’t exactly pleased.
RAZ: (Nervously) “Uh, oh boy. Um, I’m gonna stand guard outside. Y’know, in case the monster isn’t actually… home at the moment?”
NORMAN: “It’s not a bad idea.”
DIPPER: “Good thinking Raz. Alright, everyone else, follow me!”
-Raz and Lili exchange a meaningful look before the rest of the group ventures under the draping moss and into the cavern. It’s totally pitch black until someone finally turns on a flashlight, and the large, ornamented interior is revealed—it’s fully decked in beautiful stalagmites and stalactites and columns and crystals, and the kids gasp in collective awe.
MABEL: “It’s so… beautiful… how could some slimy old worm live in here?”
CORALINE: (Warily) “Sometimes things that look nice hide something rotten. Keep your eyes open.”
DIPPER: “You said it. Come on.”
Scene C
-They venture further into the cave, investigating every nook and cranny, occasionally finding grim evidence there is a creature living here: bones of animals it’s probably consumed. Neil and Norman are searching one corner together; Norman picks up a long bone and grimaces as a trail of clear slime drips off.
NORMAN: (Disgusted) “Eugh…”
NEIL: “I sure hope I’m not allergic to that…”
-A clatter comes from somewhere above, and the two look up, frightened. The Glowwyrm is perched on a ledge above them, and bares a mouth glowing livid green and filled with white fangs with a hiss.
NORMAN: (Tenuously) “I think we’re about to find out.”
Scene D
-Dipper, Mabel, and Wybie are investigating what appears to be a pile of slimy shed skin when Norman and Neil run by yelling. They raise their flashlight just in time to see the Glowwyrm charging ahead at full speed, and Lili puts up a shield that buys the twins time to run before she escapes herself on her levitation orb while the creature lays stunned. Coraline and Wybie see everyone running for the exit, and Coraline motions for them to do the same. Raz is standing outside and looking bored when he hears yelling, and suddenly Norman and Neil have dashed out, ducking to the side to catch their breath. Concerned, Raz moves to stand in front of the cave, at the ready; instead he gets barreled into by the Pines, Coraline and Wybie, and they all fall into a heap in the shallow stream. There’s loud splashing, and suddenly the Glowwyrm is leaping over them to pounce—only to ram into another shield—this time, it’s Raz’s. A telekinetic hand picks the beast off the shield as the others get up, and Lili holds it up out of reach as they dust themselves off—or rather, wring themselves out. With the monster restrained, they’re free to examine it.
CORALINE: “Well Dipper, I have to hand it to you. There’s definitely more to this town than an insane dentist and rumors on the internet.”
DIPPER: “Thank you, thank you. Well, now that we caught it, what should we do with it?”
MABEL: “I wanna ride it!”
LILI: “Good luck with that. Have you seen how much slime this thing is covered in?”
-A big glob drips off right in front of Mabel, and she looks disgusted.
MABEL: “New idea: give this thing to Gideon.”
DIPPER: “It’s definitely just as slimy.”
NORMAN: “That seems a little mean…”
-They look at him oddly, and he smirks.
NORMAN: “No one should have to put up with Gideon.”
-They break into smiles, and Dipper pulls out a jar and collects some of the Glowwyrm’s saliva before Lili sends it back off into its cave, and Raz puts several heavy logs in front of the entrance so it can’t immediately follow them. Neil examines a rash on his arm, and frowns.
NEIL: “I am definitely allergic.”
-Wybie takes a peek at it and chuckles.
WYBIE: “Looks like poison ivy to me, and I guess you could say everyone’s allergic to that.”
NEIL: “Well that’s a relief. But I’m gonna need all the anti-itch cream when we get back.”
Scene E
-Their monster hunt successful, they trudge back to the Shack covered in mud but otherwise happy with how their day has gone. When they arrive, Mabel finds a letter addressed to her tucked in the mail slot of the door. She recognizes the handwriting and grimaces.
DIPPER: “Oh no.”
-They gather around and look on in concern as Mabel sits on the steps to open the letter, only getting more worried as she reads more. Her eyes grow wide, and suddenly she stands with a shout, looking panicked. Dipper takes the letter from her stiff hands and reads it aloud.
DIPPER: (Reading)
“Greetings my dearest Mabel—ugh—I hope you will forgive me when all this is over and we are blissfully reunited, but right now, I demand that you bring all of your new acquaintances to the Graveyard immediately if you ever want to see your precious pig again. Signed, Gideon.”
LILI: “That creep took your pig?!”
MABEL: “AAAAAAH!”
CORALINE: “The creep took her pig. But you know what?”
RAZ: “We’re gonna get it back.”
NORMAN: “Uh, the problem is…”
WYBIE: “It sounds like a trap.”
DIPPER: “Yeah. Gideon’s usually not too hard to deal with, but you never know what he’ll do…”
MABEL: “WADDLES! I’M COMING FOR YA!! WAAADDDLLLEESSSSS!!”
-She takes off running at full speed.
CORALINE: “… I guess we’re doing this, trap or not. C’mon!”
-They chase off after her.
Scene F
-They finally catch up to her in front of a tall mausoleum where Gideon is perched with Waddles under his arm.
GIDEON: (Sweetly) “Ah see, there they are now m’lady. Why don’tcha join me up here for a spell?”
MABEL: “No way! Give Waddles back right now!”
GIDEON: “Ah-ah! Not until y’all hand over the Mystery Shack to me!”
DIPPER: “No way! I don’t know what you’re planning Gideon, but you should just give up now! You’re way outnumbered!”
RAZ: (Confidently) “Don’t worry Mabel, Lili and I can handle this. I’ve faced a similar hostage situation before; a little telekinesis and you’ll have Waddles back in a sec.”
-He goes to put a hand to his forehead and reach his hand out, but something’s wrong—his telekinesis isn’t working!
LILI: (Impatient) “Raz, what’s the holdup?”
RAZ: “Uh, you try, maybe he’s out of my range.”
-Lili rolls her eyes and lifts a hand—but finds the same result. She’s one of the strongest telekinetics the Psychonauts have, and she can’t reach up a few yards to lift a pig out of a small boy’s arms.
LILI: (Stressed)
“I can’t do it! Why can’t I do it?!”
GIDEON: “Not so fearsome without your powers, are ya? Amazin’ what you can learn with a little research and the right materials. One magic circle later and you’ve got an astral block large enough to cover this entire cemetery! With it, your projectionary powers are useless!”
-The kids look horrified as Gideon laughs triumphantly. No one notices Mabel has darted around the back of the mausoleum and has climbed up the ladder Gideon brought with him. She pounces from behind, with Waddles squealing all the while as the two kids tussle on the roof. But Gideon manages to pin Mabel down, holding her firmly by the arm.
DIPPER: (Worried) “Oh no, Mabel!”
GIDEON: “And now that you’ve joined me darlin’, it’s time to watch your friends’ destruction. Rise, my undead minions! Destroy them!”
-All around them, zombies burst from their graves, ugly and rotting.
DIPPER: (Panicked) “You can make zombies too? Where do you even get all this?!”
GIDEON: (Smug) “Like I said—amazing what you can learn with a little research. It’s a little messy, and they don’t take orders of course, but it’ll get the job done.”
-The zombies begin to close in in all their disgusting, shambling glory. Raz is trying to protect a panicking Lili, who unlike him doesn’t have the physical strength to back up a non-psychic punch. He manages to take out a couple of the closest undead, but there are far more than even he could hope to beat with his bare fists. Dipper nervously turns away from Gideon to flip through his journal—but there’s nothing on the page about how to destroy them. He turns back to give a worried look to Mabel, who’s still struggling to escape Gideon’s grasp without much luck. Coraline has picked up a stick, but it’s flimsy and no real defense. Neil knows there’s only one person who can do anything about zombies—his best friend. But Norman is caught in a conundrum; he’s just met these new friends, and doesn’t want them to think he’s a freak, but on the other hand, he doesn’t want them to die. Really, the choice was made for him long ago. He passes a look to Neil, and steels himself before stepping in front of the group.
NORMAN: (Forcefully) “HEY!”
-To everyone’s—including Gideon’s—shock, the zombies freeze in their tracks. Norman notices their tormentor’s gutted expression and can’t help a smirk before he speaks again.
NORMAN: “Um, I—I want all of you to go into the forest and never go near a town again! Uh—or, return to your graves if you’d rather do that. Just, no eating anyone! Ever. Got it?”
-The zombies groan in unison, and to Norman it sounds a little bit like an ‘aye’. They watch as the horde disperses, some wandering off into the woods, others crawling back into the graves they’d just burst from moments ago—some taking a moment to pull the dirt back up over themselves like a blanket. Mabel takes advantage of Gideon’s shock to kick him off, grab her pet, and climb down, then kicks the ladder over before rejoining her friends. They turn to leave, but Gideon’s babbling makes them stop.
GIDEON: (Distressed) “B-but—my plan! It was flawless!!”
-Coraline speaks, but is studying Norman the whole time.
CORALINE: (Quietly) “Looks like you underestimated us.”
-They leave the graveyard, ignoring Gideon’s shouts and oaths, far more interested in their friend.
Scene G
DIPPER: “Okay, you can control zombies?!”
-The kids are walking down the street, back to the Shack.
NORMAN: “Uh, no—well, sort of, I guess? Uh…”
NEIL: “He can talk to the dead. Ghosts, zombies, ghost zombies—he can do it all!”
RAZ: “Really? That’s so cool!”
-Norman manages a small smile, but his earlier bravery is gone; the attention is too much.
CORALINE: “I always just thought you were weird but—that makes so much sense now. How come you never told anyone before?”
NEIL: (Plainly) “Everyone else made fun of him.”
CORALINE: “Oh. Yeah, that would… that would do it.”
NORMAN: (Shortly) “Yeah.”
DIPPER: “Geez, sounds like everyone in this group has baggage.”
RAZ: “You don’t even know the half of it.”
Scene H
-They don’t speak any more until they get back to the Shack as evening falls. Totally worn out from a long, adventure-filled day, everyone’s eager to get settled into bed. Dipper sets the glowing jar of Glowwyrm saliva on the nightstand, and Mabel flops on her bed, observing its neon light.
MABEL: “Y’know, if you don’t think about how gross it is, it’s kinda pretty.”
DIPPER: “I guess. Don’t get any ideas though, it’s probably toxic somehow.”
-Neil examines the rash on his arm again with renewed concern.
WYBIE: “That thing was crazy, and then the zombies. You really get creatures like that all the time?”
DIPPER: “It’s weird right? If it’s not some monster, then it’s, I dunno, cursed objects and stuff. And then all of you come into town on the same night—two psychics, and a ghost whisperer and his friends. That’s some freaky coincidence too.”
CORALINE: “… I can use a dowsing rod, if that counts for anything.”
LILI: “Looks like we’re a talented bunch after all.”
NORMAN: (Relieved) “I… I’m glad you guys think of it like that.”
RAZ: “Of course! I only know of one Psychonaut who was able to talk to ghosts, but he never dealt with a whole horde of zombies. That astral barrier Gideon put up didn’t even phase you—you’re hardcore.”
MABEL: “Yeah! You totally saved our bacon—literally!”
-She hugs Waddles, and he grunts happily. Norman is heartened by his friend’s words.
NORMAN: (Grateful) “I guess I shouldn’t have worried with you guys. Thanks.”
DIPPER: “No problem man. Pretty sure most of us have dealt with even stranger stuff.”
-Norman chuckles.
WYBIE: “Well, I dunno about anyone else, but I’m ready to hit the hay. Norman, you sure your dad was okay with us staying here?”
NORMAN: “…I think he could use the break. After what happened the other day, he needs it. And he says it saves on hotel fees, so I guess that's good.”
WYBIE: “Honestly, we could use a break from him too.”
-The kids laugh softly, then exchange goodnights and turn out the lights.
Scene I
-Things move from the calm scene to Gideon is in his bedroom, and he looks furious. He’s been beaten twice today, and isn’t about to let that slide. He flips hurriedly through his journal, finally landing on one particular entry: the Nightmare Mirror.
GIDEON: (Scheming) “Your little ragtag band of misfits may have bested me, Dipper Pines, but how will they stand up against their worst nightmares?”
END OF ACT 1
Act Two: Here!
also also, it should go without saying that if anyone wants to draw scenes from MK: The Nightmare Mirror, they are more than welcome to! I’d like to see how folks interpret how it could have looked ^^
oh yeah it should go without saying that MK: The Nightmare Mirror was written well before psychonauts 2 or possibly even season 2 of gravity falls, so it is not canon-compliant with them
but what can i say, i’m not psychic XD
Mystery Kids and the Nightmare Mirror: Act Two
I hope you enjoyed Act One--but this is where the action really is!
Act 2, Scene A
-The next scene opens during the day; while Dipper, Coraline, Wybie, Neil, and Norman are studying the Journal on the Shack’s steps, Mabel is trying to convince Raz and Lili to use some of their psychic powers on her.
MABEL: “Throw me!”
RAZ: “Mabel, that’s not what our powers are for. We’re supposed to help people.”
MABEL: “Yeah, and you’d be helping me have fun! See? It’s totally okay!”
LILI: “You’re not gonna give up until we do it, are you?”
MABEL: “Nope! C’mon, pleeeaaasseee?!”
RAZ: “Okay, okay. Get ready!”
MABEL: (Thrilled) “Wooo! Woohoo!!”
-She braces herself as Raz picks her up telekinetically, and Lili gets into position. They begin carefully tossing her back and forth through the air to Mabel’s delight, and she pretends to fly and makes silly poses as she soars through the air.
MABEL: “Dipper, look at me!”
-The others look up in time to see Raz’s telekinetic hand vanish just as he goes to toss Mabel again, and she falls roughly to the ground.
DIPPER: “Mabel!”
NORMAN: “Uh-oh…”
-She sits up coughing, before looking to Raz.
MABEL: “What’s the deal, man?”
LILI: “… Our telekinesis isn’t working again.”
RAZ: “Gideon’s back.”
-They trot to join the others around the front step, eyeing the treeline warily as they regroup.
WYBIE: “So does this kid ever take a hint?”
CORALINE: “Pretty sure that answer’s gonna be ‘no’. Guys, what should we do?”
DIPPER: “Until Gideon shows up… I don’t really know.”
RAZ: “Well I’m not gonna wait. I don’t care what he’s planning, I’m punching this guy myself, psychic powers or not!”
NEIL: “That sounds dangerous, but also really awesome.”
LILI: “I’m sick of him messing with us already. I’m with Raz on this.”
DIPPER: “Then maybe we’d better find him. Come on!”
Scene B
-They begin searching the property, and after a while end up meeting back up in front of the Shack, but there’s no sign of Gideon.
DIPPER: “I just don’t get it. He got our attention with the block, but he’s not actually here? What’s he playing at?”
MABEL: “Ugh! I wish he’d just move on… Like I have! Still haven’t landed that epic summer romance, but I’ve met like… ten other boys since then! It’s easy!”
LILI: “Pretty sure he’s proven to be incapable of that. So what do we do now?”
RAZ: (Thoughtfully) “Hmm… no projection, but maybe…”
-Raz squints, pulling his goggles down over his eyes. Wisps of psychic energy dance around his head as he slowly scans the property using Clairvoyance.
RAZ: “A-hah! There’s something on the ground by the road. Let’s check it out.”
-They walk over, and Dipper picks it up—it’s an address.
DIPPER: “Huh… Mabel, isn’t this that abandoned house up in the mountains?”
-Mabel shrugs; learning the addresses of everywhere in town isn’t exactly her area of interest.
WYBIE: “So… another trap?”
NORMAN: “What if… we just didn’t go? He can’t trap us if we don’t show up.”
DIPPER: “While that would be smart, who knows what he could be up to? I don’t want to risk him, I dunno, brainwashing the town with a secret broadcast or summoning a horrible monster.”
RAZ: “And I still want to punch him for all the trouble he’s putting us through. Trap or no trap, Gideon needs to know he messed with the wrong kids.”
DIPPER: “Alright. Just be ready for anything.”
-Their course determined, they set out; the psychics have their levitation orbs, and the rest of the kids clamber into the golf cart with Dipper at the wheel. It’s a bit of a tight squeeze, but they manage, and so with the cart leading the way, they set off down the road towards the mountains.
Scene C
-The old house lies down an overgrown road and is quite large; it’s not exactly Victorian style but definitely from the town’s early days. The door creaks, loose on its hinges, and the Psychonauts lead the way just in case, even though there’s a good chance Gideon has laid down another barrier. But there’s no doubt he’s been here: there’s a plush Gideon toy on the front porch. Raz narrows his eyes at it, but it’s Lili who torches it—proving they’re not without their powers here. With one last uncertain look to the others, they lead the way in.
-The old house is dark and dusty, and there are footprints leading to a back room. Quiet and determined, the group files through the narrow hall to what appears to be a large dining room. Coraline looks the least pleased about the whole thing; this is bringing back some unpleasant memories for her. But the room is empty save for some old moth-eaten chairs and something large, flat, and covered by a gray dusty cloth, and their steps have scuffed away where the other tracks might have led. It’s just as the kids turn to leave that Gideon, who had been hiding behind the door, slams it shut—trapping them all inside.
GIDEON: “I’m so glad y’all could make it. We have much to discuss, don’t we?”
RAZ: “You bet we do—like why you keep messing with us!”
GIDEON: “All in good time friends, all in good time.”
-The kids watch him suspiciously as he walks around to stand in front of the covered thing. Some have their arms folded, others have their eyes squinted as they wait to hear him out.
GIDEON: “Y’see, all this fighting is getting us nowhere, so I said to myself, ‘Why Gideon, why fight them when you could join ‘em?”
MABEL: (Angrily) “No way Gideon! You tried to kill my brother, and then you kidnapped us, and then you tried to kill everyone with the zombies! And—AND—you STOLE my PIG! So don’t think you can just ask to be friends again, buster!”
GIDEON: (Sweetly) “Oh but darling, I think we can put all o’ that behind us for the greater good. I look around this room, and y’know what I see?”
CORALINE: (Grudgingly) “A bunch of kids ready to kick your—”
GIDEON:
“I see an intrepid group of talented, powerful young folk ready to take on the world. Just imagine if we used our resources together—we could have anything we wanted!”
DIPPER: “More like you could have anything you wanted!”
CORALINE: “We know how these things work ya little pest. You’re not fooling any of us.”
GIDEON: “Very well. I didn’t really think you’d go for it anyway. Y’all leave me no choice.”
-Gideon reaches back to whip off the cover of the flat thing like a magician revealing something; he stands off to the side so the kids are in full view of what he’s revealed: a mirror. It’s large and rectangular, and the tarnished frame looks like neither silver nor gold and is etched with all kinds of arcane symbols—a triangle features prominently throughout.
GIDEON: (Challenging) “I might not be much of a challenge for y’all, but let’s see how you fare fighting your own inner demons!”
RAZ: (Arrogantly) “Pfff, really? What do you think Psychonauts do all day, read people’s fortunes? And how’s some old mirror going to—”
-As Raz steps up to the mirror’s silvered surface, a watery hand bursts from it to snatch at his clothes, and he leaps back with a yelp. The glass flashes white, forcing everyone to shield their eyes. Their shadows, which stretch behind them, twist into new forms—spindly spider limbs, haunting figures, beasts and human alike—before writhing off to places unknown but presumably nearby. The kids look up and around them as Gideon laughs wickedly.
WYBIE: “W-what the heck was that?!”
-Raz, thinking quickly, lunges to punch the mirror—but his psychic fist thuds on it ineffectually.
GIDEON: (Triumphant) “I’m afraid that won’t be much use. The mirror is indestructible, and the only way out is to defeat the things that lurk in your nightmares!”
NEIL: “Only way out? But there’s a door right there.”
GIDEON: “Gah, do I have to explain everything to you fools?”
NEIL: “It would be nice…”
-Gideon puts a hand to his face.
GIDEON: “Y’all are cursed to remain on this property until either you defeat what haunts you, or it defeats you. I imagine a group like yourselves has plenty for this lil’ thing to work with, so I’ll leave ya to it. Good luck!”
-Still processing what he’s said, the group allows Gideon to pass through and leave before looking to each other.
NORMAN: “So… we’re trapped in a house… haunted by our worst nightmares?”
DIPPER: “Yeah. And I’m not sure if it’s things we’ve actually dreamed about, or like, hypothetical worst-case scenarios. Can’t say I’m thrilled about either.”
LILI: (Dismissive) “Relax guys. We see horrible stuff all the time, this should be nothing. I mean really, what could you guys have seen that’s all that bad?”
CORALINE: (Nervously) “You… you might be surprised…”
DIPPER: “Well, we won’t win our freedom just standing here. I think we’ll have to split up.”
RAZ: (Pointing out) “Yeah, and if these things really are dangerous, everyone’ll get their butts kicked without me or Lili there.”
MABEL: “So we do two groups, doi. One with Raz, one with Lili, it’s easy.”
DIPPER: “That works. You guys okay with that?”
LILI: “I guess so. Who wants to be with me?”
-Coraline, Wybie, and Norman raise their hands.
RAZ: “Which means the rest of you are with me. Everyone ready?”
WYBIE: “As we’ll ever be—and by that I mean not at all. But, like Dipper said... this isn’t gonna fix itself.”
RAZ: “Okay. Stay close, and if you see something, let me know so I can blast it.”
-Together, they file out of the room; Lili is trailed by her group of Wybie, Coraline, and Norman while Raz is followed by Dipper, Mabel, and Neil. They don’t know exactly what they’ll face, but at least it will be together.
Scene D
-The scene pans down on Raz’s group as they creep down a dusty hallway.
MABEL: “So… what do you guys think these nightmare things are gonna look like?”
RAZ: “I know what they look like inside someone’s mind, but out here…”
NEIL: “It’s probably going to be something really scary…”
DIPPER: “I’m gonna go ahead and say that’s an understatement.”
MABEL: “But… we wanna actually find ‘em, right? It’s how we escape so we can kick Gideon’s butt.”
RAZ: “Yep. The sooner we find everyone’s nightmares, the better.”
-They hear a metallic skittering overhead and look up to see something that looks like a hand—or a spider—scuttle past them on the ceiling. It doesn’t seem to be interested in them though.
NEIL: (Squeakily) “Okay, I’m officially freaked out. What was that thing!?”
DIPPER: “I’m gonna guess it was a nightmare.”
RAZ: “No points for that one, but I guess it wasn’t one of ours. C’mon, the others’ll be fine. We’ve got our own to worry about for now.”
-The group continues down the hall and pass a door. Mabel stops in front of it.
MABEL: “Okay nightmare, I bet you’re in there. Get ready to be blasted!”
-She flings the door wide on a dark room, but nothing stirs within. Confused, she walks inside while the others peek around the doorframe.
MABEL: “I don’t get it, this is like the perfect hiding spot. Wait, what if our nightmares are actually afraid of us?! I mean, we’re trying to destroy them when maybe all they want is a little—WAAAAAAAAH!”
DIPPER: “Mabel!!”
-The others dart in and find the room’s floor has given way, and Mabel is trapped on a tiny platform that remains on the far side of the room. The floor of the house’s basement is impossibly far below, littered with jagged snapped boards and rusty pipes. There’s only a network of thin boards left connecting the platform to the door.
MABEL: (Horrified) “I was so wrong! These nightmares aren’t afraid of us at all!”
DIPPER: “It’s okay Mabel, we’ll get you out. Just don’t panic!”
MABEL: (Strained) “Too late!”
NEIL: “Uh, Raz, now might be a good time to do the psychic thing.”
RAZ: “On it!”
-He looks around at the room, figuring out his options before settling on something straightforward: levitation. Rolling forward and bouncing over the gap to Mabel, he switches to the bubble and floats down gently beside her, crouching next to where she’s slid down with her back to the wall.
RAZ: “Let me guess. Heights, huh?”
-Mabel nods worriedly. Raz puts a hand to his chin as he studies the room.
RAZ: “But you were fine with me and Lili tossing you earlier. This is different?”
-Mabel nods.
MABEL: “You guys were there to catch me—at least until Gideon messed everything up.”
RAZ: “Heh, yeah. So, I guess that means you trust me?”
-Mabel nods again.
RAZ: “Good, because I have an idea you’re probably not going to like.”
-Mabel’s face falls.
-Cut to a pan down showing Mabel looking concerned as she balances on Raz’s shoulders, who in turn is balancing on the support beams.
DIPPER: “Seriously? I thought you were a psychic, not a circus performer.”
RAZ: “Funny story about that. Okay, now Mabel, just keep still like I said with your arms out, and I’ll have you over in no time.”
MABEL: “Can’t you just psychic me over!?”
RAZ: “Well yeah, but I don’t think that’ll beat the nightmare. In my experience, this stuff is usually about conquering your fears for good.”
-Mabel whimpers a bit, but then looks determined.
MABEL: (Resolute) “I did it for Grunkle Stan, I can do it for myself! Let’s go Raz!”
-He smiles at her determination, then slowly starts forward. Mabel fights looking down, but loses—but Raz’s strength and resolute pace reassures her, and as they start forward, she realizes something: this is fun. They make it across with Mabel laughing, and once Raz lifts her off his shoulders, she sweeps him into a vicelike hug.
MABEL: (Excited) “Omigosh Raz, that was so cool! At first I was scared, but then I realized it was like I was actually in the circus which I’ve kind of always wanted to do, and you sort of let me actually do it!”
DIPPER: “Mabel that’s great! So you totally conquered your fear?”
MABEL: “Yep! This girl isn’t afraid to move up in the world anymore—literally! Womp!”
-With her declaration, the room behind them warps suddenly, then snaps out of existence. Mabel’s beaten it.
MABEL: “Yeah! In your face Gideon! One nightmare down, three to go!”
DIPPER: “Huh. That was actually easier than I expected. I wonder how the others are doing.”
Scene E
-Cut to the other group running down a hall. Lili stops to fire a couple psi-blasts before turning to catch up with the others on her levitation orb.
LILI: “It’s way too fast—we need to trap it in something. Any ideas?”
CORALINE: “Are you kidding? We’re in some old house none of us have seen before, you think we know where stuff is?!”
LILI: “Well it’s that or keep running until we’re tired and it catches us.”
NORMAN: “It’s not after all of us. It’s not my nightmare so—so I could go look for a way to catch it while you guys distract it.”
WYBIE: “B-but you could run into your nightmare while you’re gone!”
LILI: “That’s why we only split into two groups, remember?”
-Norman looks disheartened. He was only trying to help, but he knows his friends are right. He gets another idea instead.
NORMAN: “Lili, what about your shield?”
LILI: “Yeah?”
NORMAN: “Could you—uh, make it run into that? It might stun itself, like the glowwyrm yesterday.”
LILI: “It’s worth a shot. C’mon!”
-They stop running, and everyone gathers close to Lili as she watches the hall. From the shadows comes a spindly, spider-like hand made of sewing needles, racing towards them at full speed. Lili waits until the last moment to put up her shield, and the metal hand bounces off harmlessly. But it isn’t stunned—instead, it leaps onto and crawls over the psychic bubble, coming to rest directly over Wybie and acting like it wants to stab him—which in all fairness is probably what it wants.
LILI: “Okay, better think of a new plan. I can’t keep this up forever.”
WYBIE: “R-right. Uh, Coraline?”
-Her eyes are fixed on the metal hand, and when she speaks, it’s softly.
CORALINE: “You had nightmares about it too, huh?”
WYBIE: “... Yeah.”
LILI: (Urgently) “Running out of time, guys!”
CORALINE: “Let’s smash it like a spider. Together.”
WYBIE: “A-a really big, hairy spider.”
LILI: “You sure you’ve got this?”
CORALINE: “No, but it wouldn’t be the first time.”
-Lili smiles a bit, then nods to them and drops her shield. Before it can fall on them, Coraline bats the hand to the floor, and Wybie brings his foot down on it hard—then again for good measure. The spindly form twitches, and warps out of existence. Coraline and Wybie hug, then turn to the others.
WYBIE: (Breathless) “Hopefully that’s the last I’ll see of that thing for a while. Thanks for helping me out Jonesy.”
CORALINE: “No problem. Unfortunately that little monster was probably the least of our worries.”
LILI: “Great. We’ve got whatever the rest of that hand belonged to for Coraline, and… I don’t actually know for me. I never had too many nightmares. And Norman… let me guess. Zombies?”
-Norman gives a wincing smile.
NORMAN: “…Maybe. My zombie dreams usually aren’t that scary.”
WYBIE: “I guess it makes sense that the kid who wasn’t even fazed by real zombies yesterday wouldn’t be having nightmares about them.”
LILI: “Hmm, yeah. So, if not zombies, then… what do you have nightmares about, Norman?”
NORMAN: “Uhh, it’s… nothing. Kind of uh… embarrassing actually.”
CORALINE: (Amused) “Whoa, like, ‘in front of the whole school in your underwear’ embarrassing? Or ‘weird childhood memories’ embarrassing?”
NORMAN: “No! Embarrassing’s not the right word… I… I guess you’ll find out.”
LILI: “Whatever it is, we need to beat it, and we’ve only found one so far. C’mon.”
-They continue down the hall, and round a corner only to freeze. At the end stands a shadowy figure with some kind of canister in one hand and a sprayer in the other. Its face is covered by an oversized gardening hat, and it wears gloves and overalls. The hall itself has apparently bloomed with all kinds of vines, flowers, and shrubs and looks very vibrant in the light where tall windows line one side, but the figure with the gardening gear is not here to tend it. This is Lili’s nightmare.
-Before the figure can finish taking its first menacing step forward, Lili is firing a barrage of psi-blasts at it. Like the nightmares before, it distorts before disappearing—save for a vine creeping in through a cracked window—the only real plant out of the otherwise illusory garden.
CORALINE: (Skeptical) “You had a nightmare about… a gardener?”
LILI: “Weed killer isn’t so great when you can hear what it kills.”
NORMAN: (Incredulous) “You… you can hear… plants?”
LILI: “Yep. Sometimes what they have to say is more interesting than people.”
CORALINE: (Amazed) “I had no idea that was even possible! I am definitely taking better care of my plants when we get back home.”
LILI: “You have a garden?”
CORALINE: (Proudly) “Yeah, a really big one, mostly of tulips, but it’s got a few other things like some herbs and pumpkins, and also this tree I thought looked cool, and…”
-The two girls continue chatting as they continue down the hall; Norman and Wybie are pleased they’ve found some common ground at last.
Scene F
-The scene transitions through a pan, coming to a parlor scattered with old broken furniture. Neil suspiciously kicks at an old chair while Mabel peeks behind dusty curtains, and Raz is in the foreground with goggles over his eyes, using clairvoyance. Dipper opens a closet, and stares.
-Against the dark wood of the closet’s back wall is an even deeper black—a large triangle almost as tall as he is. He takes a moment to rub his eyes; the triangle seems to be talking to itself…
BILL:
“… HM, THIS WASN’T A PROPER SUMMO—OH BOY, LOOKS LIKE I’M A LITTLE EARLY! WELL, YOU’VE GOT YOUR WORK CUT OUT FOR YOU KID, I’LL TELL YOU THAT. UNTIL THEN, SWEET DREAMS!”
-With snap of its fingers and a flash, the triangle vanishes, and Dipper blinks his eyes open with a start.
DIPPER: “Ahh!”
MABEL: “What’s wrong, broseph?”
DIPPER: (Uncertain) “I… I think it was my nightmare, but… it’s already gone.”
NEIL: “If it’s gone, isn’t that good?”
DIPPER: “I guess…. C’mon, that means there’s only two to go.”
MABEL: “That’s the spirit! Nothing’s gonna stop this train from rollin’!
NEIL: “Yeah!”
-The two high-five, and lead the way down the hall to the next room, Neil humming some kind of action theme. He opens a door, and the song becomes a whimper as he’s faced with a grotesque, mutated zombie dog. It growls, a disgusting gurgling sound, but Neil is too afraid to move as it lunges.
-The zombie mutt yelps as Raz comes to the rescue with a psychic punch, knocking the beast across the room. It recovers quickly, and howls with a mouth that splits to reach down its neck and into its chest. Neil has to cover his eyes while Raz confronts it again, but as much as the psychic beats it up, it still won’t disappear.
RAZ: “Neil! I think you have to help defeat it!”
NEIL: (Frightened) “But it’s a dog, and it’s hurt, and—”
RAZ: “Don’t think of it as a dog, it’s—a really good movie prop?”
-He pauses to study the hydraulics responsible for the chest-mouth before the mutant lunges again. Neil looks slightly less afraid, but Mabel claps him on the shoulder.
MABEL: “What are ya waiting for? You got this, man! Slug that sucker!”
-Neil, heartened by Mabel’s words, balls his fists and nods to Raz. The psychic punches the canine monster away one last time, then steps aside so Neil can launch himself at the nightmare. He lands on it hard, driving his elbow into the creature’s side. There’s a crunch—not of bone, but plastic, and a few sparks fly from the wiring. As Neil gets up, smoke begins to waft from the silicone skin—and then the whole form warps and vanishes.
NEIL: (Relieved) “I am so glad that was not real.”
DIPPER: “What was it even from?”
NEIL: “Um, so... Me and Norman watch horror movies together a whole lot. Usually I don’t mind them, ‘cause I know it’s all fake movie stuff, but sometimes if a dog like, gets hurt or is one of the monsters, I... kinda get really upset.”
MABEL: “I understand completely.”
RAZ: “Makes sense. Haven’t you told him about it though?”
NEIL: “Nah, he’s usually pretty good about it, he just forgets sometimes. He’d feel really bad if he knew about this though... It’s from one of his favorites, so if you guys could… not mention it, that’d be good.”
-The others nod or otherwise agree, and he wraps them all in a hug.
NEIL: (Cheerfully) “You guys know what this means, right? Only Raz’s nightmare is left!”
-Raz’s smile disappears.
RAZ: “I hope it’ll be as easy as yours, but I have a feeling it won’t. I’ve dealt with a lot of stuff that would give anyone nightmares.”
DIPPER: “We’ll be there to help you out no matter what man. You’ve already helped… most of us, so we should return the favor.”
RAZ: “Thanks. Chances are it’s already something I’ve beaten the crap out of before though, I can do it again.”
MABEL: “Yeah! Punching stuff! Let’s go find that nightmare and show it who’s boss!”
-Mabel leads the way out the others right on her heels, their morale boosted by her cheer and the ease of their task so far.
Scene G
-The scene pans up through the ceiling and through the floor to an upper room—a large study—as Coraline runs past. A long, pointed leg comes down into the frame; Coraline has found her nightmare, and it’s exactly what she expected. She ducks behind a bookcase and tries to mask her breathing as a tall, ragged figure stalks by.
THE BELDAM: “Oh my darling Coraline, why did you leave me to rot all by myself? You know how I hate being lonely…”
-Coraline tries to scramble away to another hiding spot, but a hard metal hand wraps around her arm.
CORALINE: “No! Let me go!”
THE BELDAM: “After all you’ve done to me? Never.”
-The Beldam drags her out across the floor to a grimy mirror set into the wall and stands her up in front of it, fingers needling icily into her skin as the monster coos over her prize.
THE BELDAM: “Just think how happy you’ll be! You can play all you want, and you won’t have to worry about anything ever again. We just have to get rid of these pesky little…”
-Coraline flinches as the Other Mother waves her hand over her face, and suddenly her reflection has buttons for eyes.
CORALINE: (Desperately) “No! I told you a million times already! You’re not sewing buttons into my eyes!”
THE BELDAM: “Well that’s just too bad. I had hoped we wouldn’t have to do this the hard way…”
-She grabs Coraline by the waist and lifts her up with one hand, the other poised with needle and thread. Coraline has her eyes scrunched tight, and doesn’t see Lili come in with telekinetically-launched chair that sends the Other Mother flying, and knocks her from the deadly creature’s grip. She lands roughly on the floor, but quickly scrambles to Lili’s side and trying to wipe away tears.
CORALINE: “You couldn’t have done that sooner?!”
LILI: “Sorry! I didn’t want to hit you.”
CORALINE: “Thanks, I guess? Still cutting it a little close there.”
NORMAN: “Uh, guys?”
-Lili and Coraline turn in time to see the Beldam skittering up to them. Lili puts up a shield before the fiend can strike, then drops it to shove her off with telekinesis.
LILI: “So does this witch have any weaknesses?”
CORALINE:
“Uh, games, but that’s all I know!”
LILI: “You mean like hide and seek?”
CORALINE: “Yeah, exactly. But that was the real one. I don’t know if this… nightmare thing has the same one! She doesn’t in my dreams…”
LILI: “… I guess I shouldn’t be surprised this monster was real. Seems like everyone in this group has faced something or other.”
CORALINE: “You’d be right about that. Look out!”
-They duck as the BELDAM swipes at them again, and Lili chases her off with a few psi-blasts.
WYBIE: (Urgently)
“Jonesy! Remember the hand? The, um, real one?”
CORALINE: “Yeah?”
WYBIE: “W-well, I guess it was true for the nightmare-phantom one too but—smash her!”
-He mimes smacking one hand into the other. Coraline stares back at where her friend and Norman are taking cover behind a desk, and a smile spreads on her face.
CORALINE: “You’re absolutely right.”
-Coraline dashes past Lili and towards the Other Mother—and right past her too. The monster hisses, and hurries to catch up with her prey while the others look on in horror. Coraline runs past the shorter bookcases and begins climbing the ones that line the back wall until she’s on top of them—they aren’t built in, so using all the leverage she can muster, she forces it away from the wall. The Beldam stops just below and chuckles.
THE BELDAM: “My dear, you’re going to hurt yourself! Of course, I can always patch you up again…”
-The Beldam begins to reach up, but something drags her down to the floor. Coraline looks up to see Lili with her hand extended, and the psychic gives her a wink. With a grunt and a groan, Coraline pries the bookcase past its tipping point. She tumbles backwards as the installation falls with a horrible crunch on the Beldam, who barely manages to let out a shriek before she’s crushed. Coraline, dizzy but otherwise fine, slowly gets up as the dust settles, and works her way to her friends. She freezes as a rattling gasp comes from beneath the wreckage, and a long spindly arm snakes out from under the splintered wood.
THE BELDAM: (Rasping) “How could you… to your own mother…”
-Coraline sneers and presses her foot down hard on the metal wrist.
CORALINE: (Angrily) “You’re no one’s mother.”
-She stamps harder, and the hand pops from its wrist, and the thing under the bookcase goes still with one last gasp. There’s no repeats of previous events—the hand and its owner distort, then vanish without a trace. Coraline is overcome with relief, and finds herself in another hug from Wybie. She turns to Lili.
CORALINE: “Thanks for your help, by the way. You probably saved me big time.”
LILI: “Don’t mention it. It’s not like the fights are all that hard, and this is way more exciting than what we’d be doing back at headquarters anyway.”
WYBIE: “Really? No big psychic spy missions?”
LILI: “You’d be surprised how much paperwork they can get away with giving to children.”
WYBIE: “Ouch.”
LILI: “Yep. So, who’s left? Norman?”
NORMAN: (Reluctantly) “Yeah…”
CORALINE: “Maybe we should check on the others? See how they’re doing?”
WYBIE: “They could be having a lot more trouble than us. I mean, we’ve just had the Beldam really. Who knows what the Pines could be dealing with.”
LILI: “Good point. It shouldn’t be too hard to catch up with them, and we should do a final sweep of the house anyway.”
-The others nod, and they head out of the ruined study to check any of the other second-floor rooms and head downstairs.
Scene H
-Dipper is holding out a notebook and chewing on the end of a pen. He nods, and looks up at his friends. They’re standing in the old house’s kitchen.
DIPPER: “Yep, that’s all of the first floor.”
-He looks over as the other half of their group shuffles in, looking dusty and a little roughed up, but otherwise fine.
DIPPER: “Oh, perfect. I take it you guys covered the second floor? We didn’t see you at all.”
CORALINE: “Yep, all our nightmares accounted for except for Norman here.”
DIPPER: “Alright, awesome. We just have Raz. That means we’re almost done!”
-The others cheer, high-fiving or fist-bumping as desired.
LILI: “It’s been pretty easy so far. Where do we have left to go?”
DIPPER: “As far as I can tell? The basement. Or—cellar or whatever old-timey thing these houses had. The door’s right over there.”
-Dipper points to a tall, narrow door set in the back corner of the room. CORALINE:
“Well, it’s either Norman or Raz’s nightmare. There’s a 50/50 chance here… who wants to open it?”
-Raz and Norman exchange looks, but Raz is more resolute.
RAZ:
“I’ll do it. Fair warning, this could be—uh, weird. But don’t worry, I can handle it.”
-He walks over, takes a breath, and as everyone looks on anxiously—he flings the door wide. There are steps leading into the darkness, but nothing looks strange. There’s silence too—there’s no moans of zombies, or unearthly gurgles and shrieks of certain monsters Raz had faced a few years ago. But then, he hears it:
-A drip.
RAZ: “Oh no.”
-He sits at the top of the steps, wearing a wide expression as more drips echo from the dark, and only Dipper breaks the still.
DIPPER: “I don’t get it. What’s going on here?”
RAZ: (Defeated) “I… I don’t know how to beat this.”
MABEL: “Psh, you, psychic superstar Raz? You’ve beaten so many things! You can totally—”
RAZ: “No Mabel! I literally can’t. I have to be careful in people’s minds, be careful even if it looks really fake! I should’ve… I knew it would be this.”
-He sighs, and runs a hand over his face. Even Lili looks concerned, and confusion grows amongst the others.
CORALINE: “Raz, what is it?”
RAZ: “Look, I’m not really supposed to talk about it. Stuff about ‘information my enemies could use against me’, blah blah blah. But… we’re in a house in the middle of nowhere, and you guys aren’t about to backstab me.”
NEIL: (Firmly) “No way.”
RAZ: “I… my whole family was cursed to die in water. We get in over our heads—literally—we’re goners. So… I can’t just overcome this nightmare thing by spontaneously learning how to swim. Or punching it.”
DIPPER: “Whoa… That’s heavy stuff, man.”
NORMAN: “… That’s why you didn’t want to go into the cave yesterday, isn’t it?”
-Raz blinks, surprised Norman put two and two together.
RAZ: “Yeah. It really sucks sometimes.”
WYBIE: “So… if you can’t overcome it… you need to get rid of it somehow.”
CORALINE: (Sarcastically) “Well, no one had the foresight to bring their buckets with them today.”
NEIL: “Uh… we could… drink it?”
LILI: “Ew. It’s so murky you can’t see the next step down.”
NEIL: “…Ew.”
MABEL: “Ooh! Ooh! Boil it!”
-They stare at her.
MABEL: “What? Water turns to steam when it gets hot right? You guys have awesome psychic fire powers, so use ‘em!”
DIPPER: “Mabel that’s genius!”
WYBIE: (Wincing) “Uhh except that it’s gonna like… take forever. Water takes forever to boil, and especially that much of it.”
RAZ: “Oh. Yeah. Sorry Mabel. Good thought though.”
-Mabel looks a bit disappointed, but shrugs.
WYBIE: “Hmm… What could an old basement have that could get rid of water?”
DIPPER: (Thoughtfully) “Too bad we don’t have a way to go down there and look… Or maybe we do!”
-The others look at him as he turns to Lili.
DIPPER: “Guys, are your psychic shields water-tight?”
LILI: “I’ve used it to stay out of the rain, so yeah, probably.”
DIPPER: “Then you’ve got your own personal diving bell! And it glows too, so you’ll be able to see—it’s perfect!”
RAZ: “You know, it just might work. I mean, not for me—but if Lili can find a way for me to beat this thing, then we’ve gotta try it. I really don’t want to be stuck in some old house for the rest of my life. Talk about boring.”
LILI: “I better get going then. A bored Raz is the most annoying thing on the planet, and no one needs to see that.”
-They nod, and Raz gives a little mock-salute as Lili heads down the stairs. She gets to the bottom step, activates her shield, and proceeds into the water a little more slowly than before.
CORALINE: “Sooo what happened to this stuff being ‘easy’?
-Raz frowns.
RAZ: “Okay, so we might’ve underestimated things a little bit. But this is still nothing compared to the worst stuff I’ve had to go through.”
CORALINE: “If you say so. Just don’t underestimate it again. The last thing we need is anyone dying.”
RAZ: (Quietly) “…Yeah.”
Scene I
-The view cuts to Lili as she moves in the flooded basement; despite the light her shield gives off the water is still murky, and objects loom from the shadows—an old water heater, support beams, a wheelbarrow, rusty tools—but nothing that can help. She stops for a moment to think, and happens to glance at the floor. Not far off is a flat round thing; walking over to investigate, she smirks.
-The others perk up when Lili surfaces, floating on her levitation orb near the far corner of the basement.
LILI: “I found a drain! There’s a plug in it, but I can’t pull it out.”
DIPPER: “That’s gotta mean Raz has to! Yes!”
RAZ: “There’s still the problem of how I’m gonna get to it.”
NORMAN: “… You’ll have to go in, won’t you?”
RAZ: “Yeah… I… I think I can do it though. I mean, I kinda have no choice. Lili?”
LILI: “Yeah?”
RAZ: “Be ready to come get me… just in case.”
-She nods solemnly, and he stands, glaring at the water as he approaches. The other kids crowd around the door, peering after their friend with worried expressions. Raz takes a deep breath, and leaps as far as he can over the water’s surface towards where Lili still floats, bounces again with a little psychic boost, then plummets towards the water. When his feet hit the water, a mass of writhing liquid hands reach up and wrap around him before dragging him down. It’s the first time Lili’s seen the curse in action, much less so close, and she holds her hands to her face, eyes wide with shock. The others watch in horrified silence as time goes on and there’s not so much of a hint at Raz’s fate.
-Raz himself is trying not to panic as the hands drag him to the bottom. If he looks up, he can just barely make out the light from Lili’s orb, and he knows the drain must be close. Reaching out, he runs his hands along the gritty floor blindly—and comes across a short chain attached to some kind of round object. With all the strength and air he has left, he pulls it loose.
-Lili’s about ready to dive in after him when a whirlpool appears on the water’s surface—and then the entire mass of liquid warps and vanishes. She falls to the floor next to a gasping Raz, who’s laying on his back recovering. The others run down the stairs, and before he can sit up both Mabel and Neil have practically dogpiled him.
MABEL: “RAZ YOU DID IT AND YOU’RE ALIVE I’M SO HAPPY AAAAAH!!”
CORALINE: “Geez guys, give him some air! He needs that!”
-Raz sits up coughing, but wearing a smile. Lili pulls him close, and though he’s still shaky from the ordeal, he returns her embrace gratefully.
RAZ: “I wish every body of water was that easy to deal with.”
LILI: (Distressed) “Easy?! I thought you might’ve died, you idiot!”
-She punches him in the shoulder, then hugs him again before helping him get to his feet. Coraline raises an eyebrow at him.
DIPPER: “Hopefully that was the worst thing any of us had to deal with today.”
CORALINE: “Not to take away from Raz, but revisiting the Beldam wasn’t something I expected anytime soon. That was pretty bad.”
DIPPER: “The Beldam?”
WYBIE:
“This… monster that lived in my grandma’s house. It stole children and like, ate their souls or something. Coraline beat her, but… that’s not something you just forget about. I had dreams about it too.”
RAZ: “… An actual monster? Whoa. So that was the creepy hand we saw.”
WYBIE: (Casually) “Yeah. It tried to kill us.”
DIPPER: “So we have curses, kid-eating monsters, heights, zombie—uh, creatures…”
LILI: “Overzealous gardeners…”
-Dipper gives her a questioning look.
LILI: (Matter-of-factly) “I talk to plants.”
-Dipper nods understandingly.
DIPPER: “Overzealous gardeners and… things we don’t actually remember dreaming about. Pretty varied but… you mean all of us have had some kind of paranormal experience before we even met?”
RAZ: “Wow. That’s impressive, actually. I had to go to a summer camp just to meet anyone else who was psychic—outside of my family, anyway.”
LILI: “And let’s face it, this isn’t ‘oh look, a ghost! Spooookyyy!’ type stuff either. Some of us could’ve died facing these things again.”
DIPPER: “I for one hope whatever’s left for Norman, it’s no big deal. I mean, not all of this stuff was deadly. Maybe it’ll be the same for him.”
CORALINE: “Well, where else is there to look? We got all the main floors, and the basement. What’s left?”
-Norman, wringing his hands, thinks for a moment, then looks up.
NORMAN: “Uh oh…”
-The others look up too, but it’s not on the ceiling.
NORMAN: “It’s the attic.”
Scene J
-The scene opens with them standing on the second floor under a pull-down panel.
RAZ: “Are you ready?”
-Norman swallows nervously, but nods. Raz looks uncertain, but his projected hand pulls the panel down, and a ladder slides out. Norman closes his eyes, but begins his ascent, and the others aren’t far behind. The attic is mostly dark, with a few shafts of light filtering in through grimy windows built into the roof and cracks in the shingling. They look around, but there doesn’t seem to be anything there.
DIPPER: (Hushed) “I don’t get it, this is the last place I’d expect to see zom—”
CORALINE: “Shh!”
-They fall silent as Norman steps forward, hands held close to his chest.
NORMAN: (Shakily) “H… hello?”
-In the far, dark side of the attic, there’s a flicker of electricity, and Norman sighs, his head bowed and suspicions confirmed. With a few more arcs of electricity, Aggie rises from the floor in all her fury.
RAZ: “What the HECK is that?!”
NORMAN: “My nightmare… that I couldn’t put Aggie to rest.”
AGGIE: “You didn’t listen to me!”
-She immediately lashes out, forcing the kids to scramble.
AGGIE: “I was hurting, and you told me I was just like them! I’m wrong to be angry at the people who killed me?!”
NORMAN: “N-no! That’s not what I meant!”
-Aggie shudders before striking again, forcing Norman to dodge. The other kids can only watch in awe as Norman speaks to her.
AGGIE: “You hurt me even more! I had every right to—”
NORMAN: “No! Please, you didn’t—it wasn’t right to hurt people you didn’t even know!”
-Aggie flickers again, more violently this time. Bolts of lightning pepper the room, and Norman takes a hit to his arm.
AGGIE: “But what about you, Norman? You knew them, you knew they were just as horrible!”
NORMAN: “Maybe but—but I knew making them suffer too wouldn’t make anything better! I had to make them see—make you see there was another way!”
AGGIE: “And what if that hadn’t worked? What if they’d hurt you too?”
-Aggie looms up over him, far too close, and Norman falls back, finding himself at a loss for words.
NORMAN: “I—I wouldn’t—”
AGGIE: (Venemously) “You said it yourself. You were no different from me.”
-Her image distorts and splits (like it does in-film), and when it snaps back, Norman finds he’s face to face with himself. He’s frozen in place, face to face with a nightmare he’d tried so hard to forget. His double raises its hand to strike, but a flurry of psi-blasts knock it back, and Norman’s trance is broken. He starts to crawl back to his friends, but sees their frightened faces, and stops, heartbroken. This is exactly what he didn’t want to happen.
-But then they surprise him.
LILI: “What are you waiting for? Do it!”
RAZ: “You got this Norman—fight those inner demons with everything you’ve got!”
CORALINE: “Yeah! Come on, Zombie Master!”
MABEL: “Yeah!! Kick his--her? Kick it’s butt!!”
NEIL: “You can do it, buddy!”
-Lightning interrupts their cheers; Raz and Lili put up shields over them just in time, and the energy bounces off, blasting scorch marks into the walls. While Norman is heartened by his friend’s words, he still has a lot on his plate. But knowing he’s not alone has given him some ammunition.
NORMAN: “L-look—I know we were both hurt… a lot. And we could’ve been hurt even more… but I promise this—this curse—won’t happen again.”
DOUBLE: “How do you know? Aggie did it, anyone in this crazy family could’ve done it! Including you!”
NORMAN: “But that’s just it! They didn’t, I didn’t—I won’t. Things are better now, why can’t you see that?”
DOUBLE: “Because deep down, you’re afraid it could happen anyway! All it takes is one little slip—”
NORMAN: (Determined) “No! I—I have friends who will never let that happen to me. They don’t care what I can do or see, they—they’ll help me if anything ever goes wrong. They can’t make the past better, or go away, but—I don’t have to be afraid anymore… I’m not afraid anymore.”
-Norman stands tall. The anger on his shadow’s face fades into a sort of bittersweetness as its lightning fades, and finally, it warps and blinks out of existence, taking any damage it did with it. Norman sighs, and is promptly tackled to the floor by Mabel before she lifts him again, still wrapped in an incredibly tight hug. The others gather around, looking a mix of concerned, relieved, and happy.
CORALINE: “I thought you said your nightmare was embarrassing! That was crazy intense!”
-Mabel lets him go so he can speak.
NORMAN: “I… I guess I was afraid to admit I was scared. I was afraid you guys would be too scared of me to be friends with me anymore.”
RAZ: “So all that… was stuff that’s been running through your head this whole time? I wish I’d known, I could’ve sorted it out for you.”
LILI: “Raz, that’s illegal. He’s just a kid.”
RAZ: “Oh. Right. Dang.”
NORMAN: “No… I needed to do it myself. It… feels good. I hope you guys don’t mind I said you’d help me out if anything bad ever happened but… I figured after everything else… what you said…”
DIPPER: “Don’t sweat it man. We’ve been helping each other out since we met, I don’t think that’ll stop anytime soon, freaky ghost powers or not.”
RAZ: “It’s the Psychonauts’ mission to help anyone with supernatural powers. We’ve got you covered for sure.”
CORALINE: “It’s a lot to take in though—you’ve gotta fill us in. You never talk about this stuff… but I guess I can see why.”
NORMAN: “Thanks guys. I’ll tell you more when we get back.”
MABEL: “Yeah! We’ve still got a creepy stalker who wants to marry me to punch!”
RAZ: “Oh man, I can’t wait. Psychic barrier or not, Gideon’s tasting my fist.”
Scene K
-They file downstairs, and Dipper remembers something.
DIPPER: “Oh yeah! The mirror!”
-He darts into the main room, and the others follow; now that they’ve broken the curse, it can’t hurt them again and is more or less an ordinary mirror.
CORALINE: “So what should we do with it?”
WYBIE: “I say we break it.”
RAZ: “I already tried, and plus, isn’t that like seven years of bad luck? After the day we just had I don’t want to risk anything.”
DIPPER: “Good point. Still, we can’t just leave it here. C’mon, help me take it out.”
-They work together to cover it back up and carry it out of the house; everyone’s happy to be in the fresh air again. As they head to the golf cart, they notice someone’s set up a lawn chair and an umbrella.
DIPPER:
“Ugh, I can’t believe Gideon actually sat out here while we were dealing with what he did to us. What, was he listening to our screams?”
MABEL: “There’s a note! ‘Dear Pines and cronies, while it’s been fun listening to your screams, I’m afraid I have urgent business to attend to. You know where to find me, but by then it will already be too late! Signed, Gideon.’ Ugh! He was listening to our screams!”
LILI: (Disgusted) “What a creep.”
DIPPER: “More importantly, he’s at the Shack! We left it totally defenseless, he could be doing anything to it right now!”
CORALINE: “Come on then, dorks! Let’s go!”
-They load the mirror into the back, then rush to clamber into the cart and speed off, the psychics following on their levitation orbs down the overgrown road and back into town. The old house falls silent once again, silhouetted against the setting sun falling across the mountains.
END OF ACT TWO
Act Three: Here!
Mystery Kids and the Nightmare Mirror: Act Three
The final act: though the kids have faced their nightmares, there’s still some loose ends to tie up--including dealing with the person who put them in this situation to begin with...
Act 3, Scene A
-The kids skid to a halt in the Mystery Shack parking lot and rush out.
DIPPER: “Well, nothing’s like, on fire or anything. That’s good.”
RAZ: “Yeah, but you said he wants something in the Shack, right?”
DIPPER: “Maybe? Gideon’s insane, who knows what he wants.”
-They head up to the gift shop door, but find it locked. Running around to the front, they find it’s the same story—but then the door swings wide, and Gideon steps out.
GIDEON: “Well, looks like y’all survived. I’m impressed really, but I’m afraid you’re too late—the Shack is mine!”
DIPPER: “No way Gideon! You can’t just lock us out of our own house! Stan’ll be back any minute with the keys.”
GIDEON: “It won’t matter if I change the locks!”
CORALINE: “You’re gonna do that in like… ten minutes?”
GIDEON: “This town loves me! I have connections all over, I could call a locksmith and he’d be over in a jiffy. And there’s nothing y’all can do about it.”
MABEL: “You wouldn’t dare!”
GIDEON: “Oh but darling, I already have dared. Now leave before I call the police on you lot for harassing me!”
RAZ: “No way Gideon! We’re not going without a fight, no matter what you have up your sleeve!”
GIDEON: “Even without your special powers? Face it, you’re nothing without—”
-There’s a solid thwack, and Gideon falls back hard on the Shack’s wooden floor. Raz shakes out his fist, wearing a smirk.
RAZ: (Smugly) “It doesn’t take psychic powers to make a fist.”
-Gideon looks up at the gathered kids, nursing his jaw, and tries to scuffle back as they approach before ducking out to stand on the lawn.
GIDEON: “No! Stay back! I’ll—I’ll make you regret this! This won’t be the last you see of me, mark my words! Next time you won’t escape!”
LILI: (Furious) “Next time we won’t hold back! Without your supernatural stuff to help, you’re the one who’s nothing! So get lost.”
-Gideon tries to come up with a retort, but fails. They watch him flee into the trees, glad to see him go; it’s been a long day, and they’re more than eager to relax.
DIPPER: “Well, I’m glad that’s over. Though I guess that psychic block thing is still up; we should probably destroy it somehow.”
CORALINE: “I know a little bit about magic, but not how to get rid of anything like this. Anyone else have an idea?”
-The others shrug.
RAZ: “We can wait until tomorrow. I think we’ll be okay until then. I just hope it’s easy to get rid of.”
-A bleat interrupts the scene, and it zooms out to show Gompers in the foreground chewing on a sheet of paper marked with a sigil—part of Gideon’s spell.
DIPPER: “… I’m gonna say it’s taken care of.”
-With a laugh, they turn to head inside. Dipper grabs the mirror from the golf cart, and they all go to the attic and flop down on a variety of sleeping bags and blankets to breathe a sigh of relief.
Scene B
-But the peace doesn’t last. Just as Dipper sets the mirror down, he’s interrupted by an all-too-familiar voice. Gideon isn’t finished yet.
GIDEON: “Listen here you meddling freaks! That cursed mirror was only the beginning! I’ve got things you couldn’t possibly imagine at my disposal, and they won’t be half as easy to beat as what you faced today! Horrors the likes of which you’ve never—”
-Mabel, who’s trying to block him out with a pillow, finally gives up. Hopping up from her bed, she grabs the jar of glowwyrm spit and opens the window; Gideon is visible directly below.
MABEL: “Eat slime, Gideon!”
-She lobs it down with all her might. The glass shatters at her tormentor’s feet, and the glowing ooze splashes up to coat him nearly head to toe. He freezes in utter disgust for a moment—then takes off running, screeching at the top of his lungs.
DIPPER: “Nice throw. I’m not even mad about the sample.”
MABEL: “We can get more.”
-Coraline scoffs.
CORALINE: “Not anytime soon, I hope. I don’t know about anyone else but I’m adventured out for at least the next week.”
WYBIE: “Yeah, that was some intense stuff today. I mean, I thought just the Beldam’s hand was bad enough, but then I saw the whole thing.”
CORALINE: “Welcome to my world.”
LILI: “You know, Raz and I are used to being the ones who deal with inner demons face-to-face. You guys handled it pretty well, all things considered.”
DIPPER: (Guarded) “…What’s that supposed to mean?”
RAZ: “You guys—well, most of you guys—are just regular kids. We didn’t expect you to have all this… previous experience with the supernatural.”
LILI: “Never mind it was stuff that could kill you.”
CORALINE: “You guys really thought we were normal after everything we’ve been through in just the last couple days?”
RAZ: “Well… yeah. But we know better now. I guess it wasn’t just Gideon who underestimated us.”
MABEL: “Psh, besides, ‘normal’ is for boring people! You guys are the least boring people I’ve ever met, and it’s awesome!”
DIPPER: “Yeah, I thought maybe I was the only one who knew anything about the supernatural. Thanks to you guys I know I’m not the only one investigating this stuff. Maybe together, we can figure out all the mysteries of this town—and even more!”
RAZ: “I dunno how much help me and Lili can be. We could be called out for a mission any moment…”
LILI: “But until that happens, I think we’d rather stay here. It’s more exciting, and plus… there’s people we actually like.”
WYBIE: “Funny what fighting monsters will do for friendships, huh?”
-Coraline elbows him playfully.
NEIL: “I just hope that since we kind of saw our worst nightmares today, we don’t dream about them all over again.”
DIPPER: “Yikes, I didn’t even think about that.”
NORMAN: “Even if we do… I don’t think it’ll be the same. Those things were already the worst thing we ever dreamed about, and then we had to face them in real life. And we did. No one even got really hurt. And… we learned we’re not alone.”
CORALINE: “Are you saying it was actually good Gideon attacked us?”
NORMAN: “Uh… maybe?”
RAZ: (Confidently) “I get it. We’ve proven we can work together as a team, and not even risk of death can stop us. If you ask me, Gideon should be shaking in his boots at just the thought of messing with us again.”
MABEL: “I like the sound of that. Oh! Oh! Who wants to help me burn his letters?!”
RAZ: (Eagerly) “I do!”
LILI: “Absolutely.”
WYBIE: “It actually looks like the perfect night for a campfire.”
NEIL: (Excited) “Ooh! Can we make S’mores? I love S’mores!”
CORALINE: “And I think we all have some great stories to tell to go with ‘em. C’mon.”
-They get up and head out in good spirits, leaving the room dark except for the full moon’s light as it filters in through the triangular window.
Scene C
-Everything else fades to black. The screen glitches, then blinks to an image of Bill, a wheel of intrigue for the Mystery Kids, and his laughter echoes in the background before the screen flickers to black. The credits roll.
END OF ACT 3
---
-Credits panels show the kids around the campfire, telling each other their stories.
-Panels for: Writing/directing staff. Board artists. Voice Actors. Sound Editors and Music.
---
-Post-credits scene! Most of the kids are gathered around the kitchen table.
WYBIE: “So this Psitanium stuff... It fell to earth as a meteor?”
LILI: “Yep, and that’s about all we know about where it’s from.”
RAZ: “It’s an area of active research for the Psychonauts.”
DIPPER: “What if… it was made by aliens?”
-Cue a knock-off of the X-Files theme as the screen cuts between each kid looking serious and contemplative as they ponder the implications. Coraline walks in and shakes her head at the scene.
CORALINE: (Amused) “… Dorks.”
THE END.
Thanks for reading!
Laser tag but anything goes Did this as a secret santa for funneylizzie :)
It was supposed to have been just a quick afternoon adventure.
In hindsight, Mabel was pretty sure that was what had jinxed it in the first place. Dipper had cheerily remarked as they were all setting out, hearts full of hope and backpacks full of supplies, that “we don’t have to go too far, so this should only take a couple hours tops.” But then things had gone wrong, and then they’d gone even more wrong; and the sun had long since set by the time the eight of them, worn and weary, finally trudged back to the Mystery Shack.
Mabel kicked her shoes off by the door, wincing at the wet squelch, and sagged into the living room. The rest of her companions looked in as much a state as she was. Norman was still picking twigs and leaves out of his hair; Coraline was caked in mud from the knees down; and Raz looked like a drowned rat, shivering and clinging to Lili’s arm even though the spores she was covered in were rubbing off onto his jumper. Dipper teased a band-aid open with his teeth, sticking it next to the seven or eight others that dotted his forearms, and met her gaze looking even more exhausted than he usually did.
They should probably have debriefed. But Mabel really, really didn’t want to think about that adventure right now. In fact, she didn’t want to think about anything.
So instead, she sat herself down in front of the TV with a groan. “Do you guys wanna watch a movie or something?”
happy holidays, here's some fluffy Mystery Kids fic! written for needle-foot for our @themysterykidsreturn secret santa exchange. the prompt was "the kids watching a spooky movie" which was a ton of fun to work with hahaha
