Stuck in a small dark room… Loud banging coming from one of the doors. I run into another room. The door closes behind me with a loud bang. I's pitch black and the closest door to me is locked. The lights suddenly switch on, I turn around and I'm surrounded. There's a headless mannequin to my left, A mannequin head to my right, And the lady in red crawling towards me. I can hear a loud ticking sound, But it's not distracting me. These things are moving towards me in sync with the loud ticking. Closer and Closer, there's no escape. And then, Black.
. . .
It's been eight years since I had that nightmare. I was nine when I first had it. When I woke up, I was expecting to be in my bedroom. But where I was I couldn't recognise it at first, I was on the floor, using a torn up jacket as a blanket. It wasn't my jacket. There was someone else with me, making sure I slept safe... This jacket was their jacket… But who was it?
I sat up in my bed, rubbed my eyes and then finally got up and walked to my mirror. I looked at my reflection. I definitely have changed over eight years so whoever was in that room with me probably wouldn't recognise me now…seeing how I was nine then, and Im seventeen now. I've been living on my own in a little apartment for a year now. I never really talked to any of my neighbors either. But I did notice this one man the other day, who looked quite familiar. He looked about twenty six years old. He lives on my floor just down the hall. I noticed him when we both got in to the elevator one day. He also seemed to be going to the same place I was going. The café. I usually go every Tuesday, and oddly so does he, at around 10a.m. just like I do. His hair is a lavender color with dark purple. He wears a navy blue torn up jacket... Now that I think about it, his jacket is just like the one I woke up in after the nightmare. What if he's the person I'm looking for! Today would have to be the day I find out. I quickly run into my closet and pick out my favourite outfit. A white dress shirt with a red scarf and skirt, black knee socks, and red flats. Before I head out I tie a little red rose in my hair.
Sure enough, he was waiting for the elevator. The doors opened right when I got to them. We got in and I noticed him looking at me curiously. I take a glance over, and our eyes meet. The elevator door opened, and both of our eyes met to it. He motioned for me to go first, because it's the gentlemen thing to do. I snuck a little smile before walking ahead. Maybe I was right… Then again maybe I'm wrong and I'm just overthinking things. Or even making it all up! I was nine, maybe I just made up a game and made the man up. If that was true, why does this man look almost identical to the man I was with? I reach into my bag, and take out a lemon flavored hard-candy. The man was lingering around, and looking in my direction every minute he had the chance to. When he thought I wasn't looking, he looked over, and just as he did so did I. I smiled and waved, his face turned a scarlet red of embarrassment, from being caught. He waves back, and then turns and continues on his journey to the café.
In no time I arrive at the café. I order a small drink and a strawberry flavoured macaroon, and walk towards an empty table with two chairs. I notice the man waiting for his drink, he probably wont even stay here long. So I got comfy and pulled out a book. I was so into my book I didn't even notice that the man decided to stay and was walking towards my table. I jumped when he asked "Mind if I have a seat?" I glanced up "or are you expecting someone..?" his facial expression begged me to say no. when I confirmed for him to have a seat, his expression relaxed as he did in the chair. I knew he was staring at me, I could feel it. I glanced up at him and he quickly looked away. "I-I…uh… I'm sorry…" he stammered. I giggle and close my book. His face lit up with embarrassment again. So I decided since he was here would be my best chance to find out if he was the one I was looking for. "You know…" I began. "You look oddly familiar… I remember seeing your jacket from someplace…" he glances up at me, then back down to his lap. "That red rose… looks familiar. I remember it from somewhere. I thought I had just seen it from the statue at the art gallery, but that wasn't it…" He reached for his drink and I noticed a scar on his hand. The scar triggered another memory.
His hand was bleeding bad… He had cut it on a piece of glass that flew off the painting I had just burned. I looked around trying to find something for him, but all there was were drawings and dolls, and ashes everywhere. I reached in my pocket and took out the handkerchief my mother had told me not to lose. I knew she would be very upset if I told her I gave it away, but he seemed to need it more than I did. So I took his hand and wrapped it up with my handkerchief."Garry…" I thought. I hadn't realized I said the name out loud until I saw the man slowly look up in shock. "How… how did you?" He began before I cut him off lost in memory. "Garry, you need to listen to me. You have to remember what happened. Please I'm not crazy." He nodded. "Eight years ago, I went to an art gallery with my parents to look at some of Guertena's paintings. I told my mother that I was going to go ahead and look around myself. I came across some really beautiful paintings, and sculptures. But the last one I looked at was really large. After I looked at that painting, the gallery changed. No one was around, there were blue footprints on the ground leading into the "Abyss of the Deep" I stepped in and entered another gallery. It looked exactly like the real thing. Only it wasn't. I walked down the first hallway and found a red rose. It seemed important so I kept it with me. I found locked doors, and keys to open the doors, I got chased by statues, and grabbed at my weird hands coming out of the wall. I realized that if you get hurt, the rose loses petals. And if you return the rose back to health, you return back to health as well. There was a room that looked like a cat. There was a fish shaped key hole, I found the pieces. And later on, I found you… on the ground. You were in a heap of pain. I tried rubbing your shoulders for you but you begged me to stop. I figured, If I had a rose, then maybe you did so I went looking for yours. I found your rose in a room. A painting had come to life, and had taken it. I got it back and returned your, and my rose to health. I gave it back to you, and you vowed that we wouldn't part throughout our journey to freedom. Please tell me you remember Garry." He was silent for a minute but then I noticed as things started becoming clear to him. "I remember… Ib, you saved me. And we escaped. We escaped Mary and we got out! How could I have not remembered it before!" He pulled out the handkerchief. "And this… is yours. You lent it to me. But I never figured out how I got it and why "Ib" was stitched in. but I remember now. You lent it to me because my hand was bleeding." I was so happy he remembered. "How could we have forgotten all that for this long… it was so important." I said. "I don't know but I must be getting home, would you like to come over, Ib?" Garry asked. I nodded and stood up. "Okay I'm ready" I said smiling.