Chapter Text
Static-muffled music swayed through the radio as Mabel drove the long stretch of highway. She was almost into Tennessee from Mississippi. From her map, she still had over half a day if traffic behaved to get to Maryland. Though that time estimate didn't include stops to refuel, stops to just rest, or the abundance of traffic when she drove during the time when most people were awake.
She would have taken to the idea of driving in the middle of the night without traffic if it weren't for the fact that she'd be more likely to be pulled over during that time and she DID NOT have a fake license or registration for the van. Or the fact that she might be identified and sent all the way back to California.
And that wasn't even beginning to talk about the dreams she's been having when she needed to stop and rest for a bit. She'd only made about one days amount of progress because of the fact that every few hours she needed to stop. Her head would start to kill her. She ended up picking up some off brand pain relief that she is only mildly concerned about it killing her if she overtook the recommended dosage. And sleeping wasn't as restful as she though it should be.
The dreams weren't like before, she had pulled into a rest stop for a few hours to just lay down. Her head had been pounding, about to split itself open. But the dreams she had after were just an array of colors(Something that should be comforting) suffocating her. Something inside her told her that the dreams were the result of this Bill Cipher thing. This brought her no comfort on the road.
So, most of her sleep/rest time to stop her headaches were spent in the back of the van. Uncomfortably curled against the parts of the ships. Just incase a curious trucker or road tripper decided to peak into the van.
Mabel never stayed in a place longer than a few hours.
Mabel knew that driving herself wasn't so hard. A lot faster and realistically cheaper than hoping from train to bus to train like she'd been doing before. But it was a very jarring experience to go from no experience driving to driving in heavy traffic filled, fast highways. She basically had to learn if she ever wanted to possibly meet her Grunkle Stan.
Adjusting her grip on the wheel, Mabel leaned forward to see past the headache building worse at the center of her head. The sun was starting to set again, thankfully behind her currently and not directly in her eyes. She'd have to find somewhere to stop for a few hours again when the sun left no more golden traces in the sky.
Mabel hummed a broken tune as she pulled off the highway to refuel. Her eyes flying to the different bright signs along the road as her speed dropped from 55 to 30.
The gas station itself was another one she'd seen in practically any other state. Likely a chain operation collecting billions per day. With a hum, Mabel pulled into the closest refuel station by the door, turned off the van and headed inside to pay for the full tank and grab something to eat herself.
The place inside wasn't busy and seemed to only hold the guy behind the desk who seemed about interested in this job and Mabel was to getting her teeth ripped out.
Mabel ignored him and walked towards the back to use the bathroom before making her purchases. As soon as the gas was filled, she wasn't planning to stick around long.
Her foot slid as she went across the floor, catching herself on the side of a fridge. The man at the counter didn't even glance at her, mimicking a zombie as he stared into space.
Mabel glared at the floor, picking up the flyer that had fallen from somewhere onto the floor.
Boone Field Library Book Sale! Used books for cheap to support our library and kids reading! Spot by! Normal library hours! All sales final!
Looking at the date and time, Mabel's eyebrows rose at the fact that the library was still going with this sale.
Walking into the bathroom with the flyer, Mabel considered going. She remembered her health teacher once telling the class that reading helped the brain calm down by reading. Or at least lessen the strain normal devices caused on the eyes and brain that kept everyone from sleeping.
It also wasn't like Mabel was getting much well rested sleep anyways. Maybe the books would help ease her into that.
Though Mabel had never been much of a reader herself — that being more a trait in her twin — She considered that this whole trip was something she didn't usually do or deal with. Especially with the possibility of some other worldly being in her head, she'd be fine being a nerd for a bit of peace.
Mabel stuffed the flyer in her fanny pack, her heart hurting just a bit as her fingers brushed the photos of past happy duos. She chose not to think much more of anything other than getting out of that gas station as fast as possible by getting everything she needed.
Mabel walked into Boone Field Library with the confidence of a girl with a plan, when she really had threads of plan that really relied on pure luck. Pushing greasy bangs from her eyes to see, Mabel made haste over to the labeled carts for the sale.
Most books, older, worn, and loved were priced the cheapest, though were heavily picked over and all that was left was nothing she'd or anyone without very specific interests would even pick up. Even than, Mabel was sure these books were also outdated if they were supposed to be scientific.
Mabel dropped her hand from the spine and moved over to a less picked through cart, these books were more expensive for a used book sale, likely because of their good condition and more recent publication dates.
Her fingers found the fresher spines. The gentle taps of a keyboard somewhere out of her view could be heard in the building, along with her own breathing.
The first thing Mabel picked up was a romance book, she gleamed the back for info as to what she'd be reading before putting it back. She wasn't sure she was in the mood for a romcom between driving and fighting her own nerves on getting caught always on her mind.
She scanned the the spines, pulling out a book every so often to read the back only to put it back when it didn't jump at her as interesting enough to keep her attention long enough.
Crouching down to get to the lower level of the cart to get eye level with another set of books, Mabel froze. She was staring directly at a cover of one of her Great Uncle's Friend/Business Colleagues books.
Theories and Facts Of Inter-dimensional Travel — Uses and Shortcomings by Fiddleford McGucket
Mabel stared at spine for a long moment, before plucking it from the shelf. She adjusted her knees under herself as she read the back cover.
The book synopsis made it clear that this book was mainly a collection of essays and information of how Inter-dimensional Travel may work with the pros and cons of the idea being reality. The book itself leaned more toward the technical side of the fuckry she might be dealing with but it could be useful and if McGuckets book was here than that would mean—
Mabel's eyes shot up from the book back to the shelf, eyes going down the alphabet on the shelf to get to the P's and there Mabel found a book from her Great Uncle.
This wasn't one of his main line of journals. It was a smaller collection of essays from his youth. Even the title said the same.
Collection of Essays and Papers From a Young Oddologist By Stanford Pines
Mabel snatched from the shelf, placing it above McGuckets book to read the inside titles. She had a sudden appreciation for the fact that Scientists had to be blunt with their titles to describe exactly what they were covering.
Reading threw a couple Mabel smiled to herself. This shit could help her understand what Fiddleford meant and could possibly help her with her little problem. Maybe even let her sleep a little later so she wasn't so sleep deprived when she got to Maryland.
Her knees cracked as she stood fully. Grabbing cash from her fanny pack, she paid the older lady at the front desk who was in the stages of closing up for the day. Mabel almost slipped back out when a pretty journal displayed by the sale caught her eye.
She stopped looking at the deep purple with hints of blue waves. She looked around, no one. Just out of view of the desk she had come from. Her purchase still in her hand.
She thought for a moment. Her notebook she had brought with her was almost full. Of half-baked plans, little notes to herself, the amount of money left, drawings. Mabel's needed more room anyways.
Mabel shoved the journal between her purchases and walked right. Getting into her car with no fanfare and driving off. Back onto the highway for at least another 2 hours. Snacks in the passenger seat within grabbing reach and books on the floor, staring back at her.