John was still in my path when night had fallen upon us. And again when the tops of the leaves outside my windows glistened as light shone down on hem once more.

Always stubborn that man was. Insisting that we come stay at this place. Refusing to let that horrid wallpaper with the bulbous eyes and mundane patterns part with the wall behind it. And even now, when all had come apart and be put together, my freedom commencing and his ensnared within the room where I once was, he was still as impossibly obstinate as before.

His body was impossibly still now, and I wondered why exactly he was being so… so weak.

I suppose it was because he knew I could not go back in. No matter how much he pushed or pulled or pounded at that wall, at the shreds on the ground, it would not conceal me. And he knew that as well as I did. He could not put me back in, and he could comprehend that. It frightened him I dare say, as he used to frighten me.

But that was no reason to stay so still. It was infuriating me. Much as I had to cope with the confinement he and that Jenny put me he must now accept this broken wallpaper. The change that has come about with that.

Speaking of Jenny, she hadn't made a noise in hours. Once John started to irk me with the stubborn blocking of my path, I had decided that since the door was left swinging open, it was an invitation of sorts for me to leave.

I did not want to leave the room all too much. I wasn't scared. The room had kept me captive for what felt like centuries, and had almost become a part of what I considered right. The creeping I had done for so long, the patterns that had ensnared me for countless days, those little, stupid things made everything outside seem a little too, well how shall I put it… strange.

But I went to search for the woman still. John must have taken his silly little axe somewhere as I did not have to creep over it as I did with him, but that didn't bother me so much. I don't think I'd need it this time.

I searched and I searched, but the woman was nowhere to be found. Had she fled with news of me? I don't think she'd do that. She doesn't run particularly fast.

The last time I saw her run was a few days ago, in fact. But where was she running?

Ah yes! I do have some memory of the incident now. She was running to give John a farewell before he left for his final trip, it was strangely emotional as well.

After that she still tended to me, but all through the door, never opening it as I had asked so I had time alone to tear down the wallpaper.

I found no interest being downstairs, looking for a woman that was not in fact there, and so I crept back up to the nursery, and realised the simple solution to a problem that had plagued me the past few hours.

John had left the door open. Still lying on the floor with a silly look on his pale face he was. I pondered what to do.

It had taken much effort to get both he and Jenny out of the room the first time, and now he must be moved again. Jenny had been good and stayed behind the door, but John was always stubborn.

I pushed and I pulled and finally, after using all my force I finally got him in. He slumped against Jenny and fit neatly with the axe by his side, but I shrugged those facts off.

I didn't care.

I shut the door and began to trace again my path around the room.