Hello there! Aa-chan here with my first installment of the FanFic I'm writing named Delving into the Past. This story will be based off the Japanese horror game called Ib. If you haven't played it, go play it. It's so good. I cried so hard the first time I played it because I got Forgotten Portrait. The second time I played, I got Promise of Reunion yayyy! This story is based off the Promise of Reunion ending.
Brofist!
XAa-chanX
It has been nine years since I returned from the Fragmented World. Nine years since the artwork of Guertena hunted me. Nine years since I narrowly escaped death. Even though such a long time has passed, I still wake up in the middle of the night screaming.
When I was younger my parents sent me to a psychiatrist to figure out what was wrong with me, but I refused to speak to the doctor. After months of trying to get me to talk, she told my parents she didn't want to see me anymore. I decided not to burden my parents with my fears, so I acted like the perfect child from then on. I still had nightmares and thoughts of what could have been, but I kept them secret.
Once I moved out of the house, I wasn't sure what to do with myself. After the incident I swore I would move away from this place as soon as I could, but once the time came that I was able to, I didn't want to leave. Some unspoken force grounded me here. I didn't dare fight it, so I stayed. I didn't have nearly enough money to rent a place of my own, but I knew of a place where I could go temporarily.
The bell rang signaling the end of my classes for the day. I shoveled my belongings into my bag and slung it over my shoulder as I left the classroom. I tend to watch other people my age when class is over. I've never had any friends, so I was always fascinated in the way other people interacted with each other. My eyes stopped at two girls who were laughing with each other.
"So how do you think you-" One of the girls began to say before she noticed me staring. She nudged her friend and the other girl looked over as well.
"Good afternoon, Ib. Lovely weather today isn't it." She smiled at me.
I wasn't sure how to reply. I began to feel panicked. I nodded quickly and turned on my heels and hastily walked the other way, ducking my head.
The rest of my walk home was uneventful. As I approached our apartment, the old woman next door that I saw every day to and from school called out to me.
"Ib, my dear, how are you today?" She gave me a warm smile.
I smiled in return. "I'm well, ma'am, thank you." I glanced at the water pail in her hand and then at the flowers in her windowsill. "They've bloomed beautifully."
"They have, haven't they? The red roses are especially gorgeous. Here, why don't you take one? A beautiful girl like you deserves a beautiful flower as well." She picked one of the roses from her window and placed it in my hands. "Now run along inside before he gets worried."
I thanked her one last time and began walking up the steps to my own home. I thought of my encounter with the girls at school and then my conversation with the woman next door. I was unsure as to why I could speak to the woman so naturally, but then freeze up like a deer in headlights when speaking to the girls my age. I decided not to think too hard about it. I rummaged through the contents of my bag until I pulled out my key. Sticking it into the lock, the door clicked open and I stepped inside.
"I'm home!" I called as I dropped my bag into the floor and proceeded to the kitchen. I found a glass in the cupboard and filled it with water and placed the rose into it. I decided to set it in the window, so it could enjoy the warmth of the sun. I stared at the rose for a while when suddenly an image of Mary chasing me with the palette knife flashed in my mind. I let out a yelp and jerked backwards losing my balance and crashing to the floor.
"Ib!?" Garry came rushing into the room almost immediately after I fell and bent down next to me. "What happened, are you all right?" He followed my gaze to the rose and sighed in relief. "Did you have another flashback?"
I nodded as tears welled up in my eyes. I turned to Garry and clutched him tightly, burying my head in his chest.
His arms wrapped around me and I immediately felt safe once again. "Everything's fine now. I promise Ib. Mary will never hurt you again." He loosened his grip from me and lifted my chin from his chest. "Okay?" He smiled that smile that made my heart shatter into pieces and kissed my forehead.
"Okay…" I ducked my head once again, so he wouldn't see my burning cheeks.
We both rose from the floor and stood there awkwardly for a minute before one of us decided to say something.
"So how was school today?" Garry asked me.
I shrugged. "Same old. Some girls said hi to me today."
"Really? How'd that go?"
I sighed heavily and wandered into the living room and flopped down on the couch. "I pretty much ran away with my tail between my legs." I mumbled in reply.
He chuckled and sat down next to me. "I'm sure it wasn't that bad. You'll find some friends eventually I bet."
"Yeah, when dolls start crawling out of paintings." I pressed my head against his shoulder and squeezed his arm tightly.
Garry shook his head slightly. "They might not be as far off as you think Ib."