"Say, Ib, if only two of us could get out, who would you go with?"
The sudden barrage of questions from Mary confused Ib, but she didn't want to be rude. So instead she just smiled and tried to look nonchalant. She held the red rose in her hand more tightly as they walked the long dark corridors, desperate to find a way back to meet up with Garry.
"Well, I'd sacrifice myself." She answered, and Mary turned to gape at her in shock. She grabbed both of Ib's hands with her own and stared deep down in Ib's red ruby eyes with a smile.
"Don't say that! I'm sure we'll be together forever!"
Ib continued to smile, pulling away from Mary's hands and walking towards the brown door ahead of them. Mary skipped along behind her, not realizing the utter truth behind Ib's words.
"Look! Stairs! Let's follow them!" Garry led the small group towards the dark stairwell, turning to look over his shoulder often at the two young girls behind him. Out of habit, he grabbed Ib's small hand. Ib had been very quiet recently.
When Garry had questioned her about it, Ib had just shaken her head with a smile, reassuring him she was fine. He had let it go, for Ib was always the one solicitous of others.
Garry opened the black ominous door that had appeared in front of them, and walked inside. Mary came around to his other side, eyes wide.
"Where are we? I've never been here before. Garry we're lost!" She complained, smacking him in the arm. He rolled his eyes and continue forward.
"We're not lost; This is the gallery."
"Gallery?" Mary asked, eyes drifting from painting to painting. They looked on the top level first, Mary complaining about her feet hurting the entire time, and then the bottom level. Garry seemed to be looking for something, and his eyes lit up and smile grew on his face when they came upon a large mural labeled "Fabricated World."
Mary crossed her arms and stomped her foot. "Why are we looking at this dumb old mural? I want to go outside now!" She whined, when suddenly the painting shimmered, and the golden frame disappeared, revealing the outside world. Ib squeezed Garry's hand, and then let go.
Mary stepped closer to the painting, eyes wide and bewildered, and she reached her hand out. Her hand went through the painting, and she shivered as a blast of cold air whipped her in the face.
"This must be the exit! Let's go!" Garry exclaimed, but then the frame reappeared, and a message was written in red paint.
"Fabricated World - Once you go in, there's no going back. All you're time here will be lost, and no more than two shall leave. Will you still jump in?"
Garry and Mary stared at each other wide - eyed. They weren't paying attention to Ib, who had removed her red rose from her pocket and began to pluck the petals. Only when they heard her pained cry did they notice. Garry inhaled in shock at the puddle of red petals around Ib's feet.
"Ib! What are you doing?" He asked worriedly, but Ib stepped behind him, and gave him a hard shove. He flew over the frame into the painting, falling over into the other side. He sat up quickly, pounding against the painting, shouting her name.
Mary stared at him shaken, and turned to look at Ib, who looked very weak, but she was forcing a smile. She stepped forward, but Mary backed away. In her hand she held the dying rose that had one last petal.
"I-Ib..." Mary stuttered, but before she knew it she was pounding against the painting on the other side with Garry, shouting her name.
"IB! IB! STOP! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?!" Garry screamed at her. Ib smiled weakly at him.
"Please don't cry."
With shaky hands, the last petal floated to the ground. Tears streamed down Mary's face as Ib swayed and slumped over onto the cold hard tile. Her long brown hair sprawled over her tiny face, and her ruby eyes closed forever. The rose stock lay not a few feet away. The white laced handkerchief was peeping out of the pocket of her red skirt.
Garry's heart stopped and his breathing sped up. He began to shake and tears fell silently down his cheeks. He fell onto Mary's lap, sobbing Ib's name as they world around them became brighter and brighter.
Garry sat up with a groan, intense pain going through his skull. He noticed a bundled mass of blonde hair not far away, and crawled over and shook her. Mary opened her blue eyes and pushed him away, rubbing her eyes with her fists.
"Garry, go 'way. I'm tired." She mumbled turning back over. Garry shook his head and sat up, realizing where they were. He shook her again.
"Mary, wake up, we fell asleep on the benches of the art gallery. We have to get home."
Mary yawned and sat up, pleased the various cracks her spine made. "You know, for a brother you should know I need my beauty naps."
"Nah, you should hibernate."
Mary snapped up her head, eyes blazing, and Garry, realizing he had put his foot in his mouth, got up with a yelp and began to run away from his crazy sister. He laughed as she began to fall behind, and stopped only when he noticed a the painting. Mary stopped behind him, entranced, and they both stared at the painting.
The painting of the young girl was beautiful. Her long flowing brown hair was encircled around her. Vines and vines of red roses enclosed her in the picture. A sweet smile lay on her young pretty face, along with flowing tears of happiness..
"Goodbye." Was the name below the painting.
Garry stared at it, a hint of recognition flowing through him, but not enough."Hmm," he mused. "This painting looks familiar. Don't you think, sis?"
Mary however, began to sob, falling onto the floor, holding her face into her hands.
"I-Ib...!" she sobbed, and Garry's chest began to pound and tighten all at once.
He sank onto the floor with Mary, tears decorating the tile.
"Ib...why?"