Theo threw the football to me. I caught it and ran around him. “Oh no!” I said. “I’m gonna score!”

“No you won’t!” He protested, running after me and jumping onto me. He snatched the football out of my hands. I laughed.

He chased me back inside and into the living room. Soos was in the chair. He watched us and beamed. “What are you dudes playing?”

“Football!” Theo said.

“Well, kind of,” I corrected. “It’s more like a game of keep-away.”

“That’s cool!”

I smiled. I liked Soos because he always had something positive to say. It really came in handy when I was feeling pessimistic about a situation.

I started to think: Should I show him the journal? And tell him about what I saw? He would be a very nice person to have around on these kinds of explorations.

I dropped my smile. “Soos…can I trust you enough to show you something?”

His eyes filled with wonder. “Of course, Ria.”

I climbed up onto the thick armrest of the old yellow chair. I showed him the journal. “I went to look into my dad’s facility, you know out of curiosity, when I found this journal of his. There was another one like it…and three more that were red. And I think they belonged to my Great-Great uncle.”

“...Did they have a six fingered hand on them?”

“Yes! You know about them?”

“...I thought those journals were destroyed a long time ago dude…” He looked very hesitant, like he wanted to run away and hide. Clearly he had some trauma with these journals.

“Well…” I said. “Can you tell me about them? I’ve seen some weird stuff ever since I’ve run into those woods…and it has all been tying back to these journals.”

Soos shook his head and stood. “I should go open the shop…”

“Soos!” I stood as well. “Please, tell me what you’re hiding! My dad would never tell me. I trust you!”

“Uhm…” He pulled on the collar of his suit. “Look kiddo, your dad was just like you when he was younger. He actually found those red journals, and they led him into so many dangerous situations…almost death. I don’t know how he brought those journals back, or why he is writing his own, but I think it would be best if you just return them. That facility is the safest place for them. They shouldn’t be in yours, or anyone else’s hands.”

“What’s so dangerous about them? They’ve only helped me so far!”

“I’ll let you in on a little secret, Ria. If you were to read into the journals, especially the older ones, you would find what I mean. The author of those red journals…there was a period of time where he wasn’t himself. He wrote evil things in those journals…like spells and curses. And he recorded things about a terrible thing. It haunted him for many years. Your dad had come face to face with it his first year here, and he barely survived. Please, take my advice and just return the book.”

“...” I thought about it. “Okay, Soos. I’ll return it.”

“You promise?”

I paused for another moment. “I promise.” I was lying completely. I glanced at Theo. He could definitely tell. But would Soos see through my facade?

Apparently not. He nodded. “I’m just doing what’s best for you.”

“I know. I understand,” I said. I put the journal away and walked outside to the back. Theo followed.

I muttered quietly to myself. “The author…evil things…spells and curses? Theo, do you know what this means?”

Theo shook his head.

I smiled at him. “If I can get my hands on one of those red journals, maybe there's a spell to bring the author back! And I can ask him about these evils…and get rid of them for good! I’ll be a hero! That’s why I was brought to this town! To save it!”

Theo shrugged. “Or maybe it’s because this is our family's summer vacation home and they just want you to follow in their footsteps?”

“If that’s the case, then I’ll follow in our dad’s footsteps. By reading these journals and confronting evil face-to-face.”

Theo hesitated, itching his belly. “I don’t know Ria. Your tone kind of scares me.”

“What?” I turned around and looked at him. I didn’t even realize that I was wandering into the woods.

“You sound very obsessive over these journals. And Soos said some pretty spooky stuff about them…maybe we should just go and ask for a ride to the Summerween store instead. And pick out costumes!”

“I’m too old for that. You can go do that with Soos. I’m going back to Dad’s facility. And I’m going to get one of those red journals.”

“But what if he’s in there?”

“I doubt that.” I shrugged. “He’s probably out exploring something somewhere. Real investigators don’t spend forever cooped up in their lab. They have to go live! And experience! And that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”

Theo just watched me worriedly. He obviously still believed that I was making a bad decision. But I waved goodbye and walked into the forest.

I walked back into the facility and glanced around. As I suspected, there was no Dipper Pines to be seen. I tiptoed back to where I had seen the journals.

A security bot spotted me. It must have been new, because I don’t remember encountering one a few days ago. I panicked and quickly just grabbed a book. Journal 3, as I found out later on. I bolted back out the front and deep into the woods. I cooped up behind a thorny rose bush and began reading. 

I had never been this deep into the woods before. It was very far from both the research facility and the Mystery Shack.

My mind filled with wonders as I flipped through the pages. There was big writing in the front of the book saying ‘Trust No One.’ Whatever the author went through, it must have been scarring.

But I only got more curious. He must have recorded some of these things somewhere in here. Man, I wish I could have just one conversation.

Then I remembered what Soos said about the spells. I quickly found a page on resurrections, exorcisms, and other creepy second-world stuff.

There. I found a way to bring back my Great-Great Uncle. I just needed a photo of him and some candles.

I marked the page and closed the book, putting it in my satchel. I looked around for any of the signs pointing back to the shack. According to my dad, his Grunkle Stan was definitely a man of money. But despite being kind of grumpy and…well, a criminal, he still loved him. But the old man did put up a heck ton of advertisements. 

Unfortunately though, I was too far away from the shack to find any of those signs. I panicked a bit and began walking in a random direction. 

I heard a hoot. An owl? Well, at least there was life out here. I followed the sound, but it did not lead to what I was expecting.

I remembered seeing one of these in my dad’s journal. A Quad-Owl: An owl the size of a horse, aided with two extra front legs. According to his discoveries, they were basically harmless to humans. Hoping he was right, I approached the anomaly.

The creature lowered its head towards me; a sign of respect. Well, that was quick. I stroked its feathers back and walked to the side of it. It spread its beautiful wings. It had an impressive wingspan. Taking it as an invitation, I climbed onto its back. The Quad-Owl quickly started running. I yelped and held onto it. 

“M-Maybe a warning first!” I clutched my satchel with my free hand.

The owl took to the sky. I quickly ducked, dodging the branches. But in a matter of seconds, we were above the trees. I spotted the Mystery Shack and pointed. “There!”

The Quad-Owl, whose name I decided would be Quinn, glided down towards the shack and landed next to Soos’ truck.

Dad was on the back porch. “Holy-!”

I beamed at him. “Look what I found!”

“..uhm..” He set his soda down. “Ria, that’s great and all, but you gotta put that thing back before it scares your brother.”

“Dad, I’m not worried at all about Theo.” I climbed down from Quinn’s back. “He’s seen some of this stuff too. And saved me from it.”

“How much haven’t you told me?”

“You’re one to talk. You keep tons of secrets!”

He glared off to the side. “Fair enough, I guess. But seriously, we don’t have room for a Quad-Owl at the Mystery Shack.”

“How about at the research facility?”

His eyes lit up a bit. “...you just want an excuse to go in there and rummage through my stuff.”

“No, that’s not it! Dad, I wanna work as your apprentice. You know I’ve been experimenting with engineering, right? I could help you build the machines while you do all the sciencey-experimenty stuff!”

“...” He didn’t look too positive about trusting someone who says ‘sciencey-experimenty’. That might have been a mistake on my part.

I waited for an answer. Something told me he was going to say no-

“Fine,” he said. “But just for a week. That way you don’t get too curious, because I know how you and your brother get.”

..Darn. Maybe he’s a little more observant than I thought.

I nodded. “It's a deal.”

“Don’t say that.” He got up with his soda and walked back inside.

I could have sworn that the weirdest things set him off. ‘Pterodactyl Bros?’ ‘Summerween?’ ‘It’s a deal?’ What has this man seen?

I knew that asking him would only make it worse. I tied Quinn to a fence and then went inside to find a picture of my Great-Great Uncle.