AGE 9:
Ib looked around the museum. What was she just doing? She'd better find her parents. Ib walked about the museum, but she didn't get far before she bumped into a man. She was about to say "oh, sorry," but this man looked all too familiar. He had lavender hair and a tattered blue coat. He held something out to her.
"My rose!" she exclaimed. That's right! The museum, Mary, all of it! She remembered that rose and…
"Garry!" she said jumping into his arms. He smiled and held her. "Don't you realize it?" Ib said. "We made it! We're alive!" She saw Garry's smile fade, but it quickly came back. She grabbed his hand and dragged him towards an exhibit. "Let's look around!" The saw all kinds of paintings, but Garry didn't talk the entire time. He stayed silent and held Ib's hand.
"Hey, Garry," she said. "You're not speaking. Is something wrong?" Garry shook his head. "You sure?" she said. Garry dragged her towards another set of paintings.
"Garry!" Ib said, now worried. "Say something!" He looked back at her.
"Ib!" She turned around. It was her mother and father. "We've been looking for you! Let's go, we're leaving."
"Oh," she said. She grasped Garry's hand tighter. "Mommy, this is Garry. E's my friend."
"Really?" Her mom chuckled.
"Aren't you a little old for imaginary friends?" her dad said as he smiled. Her mom elbowed him.
"Let her pretend," she said.
"Garry isn't imaginary!" she said. She pointed to him with her free hand. "Can't you see him?" Garry took his own free hand and ruffled Ib's brown hair. He smiled down at her sadly. He then tugged her hand and pointed down a hall.
"Um, I'll be right back," Ib said. Garry was practically dragging her to… a mirror? He let go of her hand and gently pushed her towards it. She looked at her reflection. Garry was right next to her, but…
"Where's your reflection?" she asked him. "Why can't Mommy and Daddy see you?" He looked at his nonexistent reflection.
"Garry?!" Ib said in a panic. He once again took her hand and led her to another painting. It portrayed a sleeping man surrounded by blue rose petals. The man had lavender hair.
"You weren't sleeping in the toy box, were you?" she said looking down. "Were you…?" She had tears in her big red eyes. She grabbed his coat and cried.
"You can't be dead!" she said burying her face in the coat. "We got out! Mary and the others can't hurt you anymore. You're not dead!" Garry took her shoulders and held her at arms length. He bent down and kissed her forehead. Ib felt her face turn red.
FLAP
Garry's coat fell on her head. She held it and looked around, calling his name. Somehow, she knew he would never answer. He was gone and left his coat to remember him by.
Did Garry go to Heaven? Ib asked herself. She wiped her eyes and wrapped herself in the coat. She took one last look at Garry's painting (the "Forgotten Portrait," it said) and began to walk away. As she passed the mirror, something caught her eye. Someone had written on the mirror with their finger.
I LOVE YOU, IB, it said. She breathed on the mirror and wrote on it.
I LOVE YOU TOO. She watched the letters fade and went to her parents.
She promised herself that she'd never forget Garry again. She'd visit his painting often. She'd think about how kind and protective he was.
"Let's go," her mom said, leading her out of the museum. "Where'd you get that coat?" Ib took the candy Garry gave her and put it in her mouth.
"It's from a friend."