Garry's POV

I felt tired, edgy and restless as I walked back down towards that room in the middle of this area. I'd attempted to open the door earlier; it was locked, and I hadn't found a key for it, either.

A prickle of unease made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end as I remembered the moment I'd touched the knob on that door. The doorknob was strangely cold; the way it sent shivers down my spine...

Shaking off the feeling, I reached that door once again and jumped slightly when I realized that accursed doll had moved again. It was sitting against the wall right next to the door, a mischievous smile stitched onto its face.

The now-familiar writing was scrawled on the wall next to it. I read it quickly.

"I picked up something good... And I'm not giving it to you! I'm making it my treasure!"

Confused, I started to take a step away from the doll before I noticed that its stomach was a lot bigger than it had been before. It seemed as though a small object was jutting out from beneath the crude fabric of the doll's skin.

As much as I'd hate to touch this thing...

Swallowing nervously, I forced myself to kneel down, hesitantly touching the doll's stomach with both hands. Goosebumps rose on my arms as I took hold of the fabric in the doll's abdomen and began to pull.

The material ripped quite easily, revealing a brightly colored red ball of paint. I picked it up in one hand, and it disappeared into thin air instantly. Having already collected five balls of paint, I was used to this by now.

What I was completely not expecting, however, was for the doll to move.

The doll's creepy grin stretched wider across its horrible face as it sat up slightly. A strange noise came from its mouth; high-pitched chirping, with, if I'm not mistaken, a slight echo to it.

I cried out in fear and surprise, backing away from the terrible thing as it began to crawl on all fours, pushing the formerly locked door open with ease and disappearing inside of it. The door shut again with a click.

I let out a breath that I hadn't realized I'd been holding. My heart raced in my chest as I got to my feet.

That... gave me quite a shock...

I smoothed back my lavender-colored hair with one hand, trying to calm down. I hated those dolls. I hated this place. I just wished that I could reunite with Ib and we could get out of here.

Ib...

I clenched my fists in sudden determination. I had to get back to her! Mary wasn't human; she was a painting, just like the Ladies, or even the Death of the Individual statues. Mary might be hurting Ib, and I simply would NOT allow that!

Breathing out slowly, my resolve strengthened, I approached that door again (even though every instinct in my body was telling me to run in the other direction). Reaching out and turning the knob, my breath caught in my throat as I realized it was unlocked.

Just keep breathing, Garry, and keep moving...

Taking another deep breath, I pushed open the door, taking a step inside.

My blood ran cold.

Dolls...!

Dozens of them, scattered all over the floor and sitting along the shelves on either wall. All of different sizes, of differently colored dresses, but all of them had deep blue skin, blood red eyes, and that Godforsaken stitched-on smile.

For a moment, I felt as though I had been paralyzed with fear. Before, the dolls simply unnerved me, their glowing red eyes chilling me to the bone. But now, knowing what they could do, that they could move, and could even talk through that purple writing...

I shut my eyes tight, shaking my head and finding my courage. I opened my eyes again, quickly scanning the room. My gaze immediately caught a shimmer of light on the other side of the room.

The final ball of paint, pure white in color, standing out against the violet walls and flooring.

Wanting to get out of this room as quickly as possible, I briskly crossed the room in a few strides, kneeling down to touch the ball of paint. It vanished immediately and I smiled in triumph.

That's seven of them...!

Looking up, I felt a brief sense of curiosity as I noticed a large painting in front of me that was completely blank. But the urge to get away from this room far outweighed the want to investigate.

Turning swiftly, I nearly ran for the exit, one hand reaching out and gripping the doorknob tight, turning it.

It didn't open.

"...Huh...?"

Locked...!

I couldn't help it; I started to panic as I tugged at the door in frustration.

"No way... why?!"

Suddenly, that same purple lettering appeared on the door.

"Let's have another treasure hunt... Who? Who? Who has the key?"

I could feel myself trembling as I took a step away from the door. "What is...?"

Suddenly, a bell tolled from who-knows-where. I jumped, spinning around in fright and looking around the room. The bell rung once more, then everything went silent for several seconds.

"Wh-What? What now?!"

As if in response to my shout, the ground started to shake and the lighting in the room changed. A deep blue light was cast across the room, and there was a sudden sense of danger in the air.

I gulped. "This is bad... Where... where's the key?!"

Another bell toll, this one deeper than the first two. My eyes widened and I gasped in horror. Something had reached up from behind the blank painting. A giant, blue hand was gripping the lower edge of the frame.

A low cackling filled the room, barely audible to my ears. I looked around desperately for escape, jerking my head side to side in panic and spinning in circles.

Suddenly, I noticed one doll with a larger stomach than the others, just like the doll from earlier. I didn't hesitate, I dove for the doll, grabbing it and pulling at the fabric, ripping open its stomach. Stuffing and a large pebble fell out of it.

"What IS this?!" I cried out in anger and fear, dropping the doll and glancing around again. I snatched up the next doll that I saw with a large stomach, tearing into it. Blue paint spilled all over my hands, dripping onto the floor. I threw the doll to the floor, disgusted and frustrated and nearly numb with terror.

I turned my head reluctantly when the bell tolled for the fifth time (not counting the two times at the beginning). I couldn't help it; I fully panicked, screaming out loud when I saw what had happened to the previously blank painting.

A doll. It was exactly the same as the other dolls, except for one shining, key feature. It was enormous, its crimson eyes the size of beach balls. The worst thing about the monstrous creature, however, was that it wasn't just a picture.

Indeed, its blue, furry arms were reaching out, grasping the wall below the painting as it slowly dragged itself out of the canvas.

The sixth bell toll. My legs gave out and I dropped to my knees. My heart felt like it had stopped, the fear overwhelming me. The doll was staring down at me hungrily. I noticed- dear God- its mouth wasn't stitched shut, like the others. Its jaws hung wide open, revealing a mouth full of jagged, sharp white teeth.

Snapping back to my senses, I reached out towards one of the small dolls on the floor. I was lucky that there was one near me since I really couldn't get my legs to work right. There was a faint ringing in my ears now, and somehow I didn't think it had anything to do with the deafening sound of the bells.

My fingers fumbled in my fright and I couldn't quite manage to rip this one apart. The seventh bell chimed. The giant doll was so close now, one of its paws raised in the air, almost as if waving hello in a mocking manner.

I dropped the doll I was holding, sensing that I was close to the end. Maybe there wasn't a key. I gazed around helplessly, my legs still numb and disagreeable. Doll skin and stuffing was strewn about the room. My shaking hands were covered with blue paint, the colorant smearing against my cheeks as I clutched my head in my hands. I had no idea what to do at this point.

The eighth bell. Somehow, I knew this one was the last. The monster's head was completely free from the painting now, its eyes locked on me, its ragged mouth turned up in a twisted smile.

The ringing in my ears was on full attack now, my mind fuzzy as my eyes slipped in and out of focus. I stared helplessly across the room, unable to force myself to move. Lowering my head, I silently wished the best for Ib. I wasn't going to be able to help her anymore.

Very suddenly, a sharp, searing pain shot through my head. I cried out, clapping a hand to my forehead as my foggy vision turned bright red. I gritted my teeth, the pain unlike anything I'd ever felt before.

I collapsed back against the floor, the red slowly fading to inky blackness. The pain didn't fade, however, and just as I gave up and opened my mouth to scream, I passed out.

I couldn't protect her. Heck, I wasn't going to be able to protect anyone anymore.

Ib... I'm sorry.

I'm so, so sorry...