Ib: Sacrifice ending
I froze. Not wanting to move, and not wanting to contiue this terrifying journey. As seeing the sight of the gallery with it's pasty, white walls replaced with the color of the midnight sky without the stars. Not to mention the eery silence, and the unsettling feeling of being watched constantly. It made the hair on the nape of your neck stand, and made your blood run cold.
As long as I had Garry though, right there by my side to pull me and shield me through all the tragedies, I knew I could do this. After all, I had made it through this far, we were so close, I couldn't give up.
" Ib, are you okay? " Garry asked.
I nodded and took a deep breath.
" Alright, let's go Ib. We're so close! "
Garry started to walk, holding my fragile hand in his, leading me through the twisted gallery. I was grateful for his hand. For his comforting voice. For his positive attitude around me. For his way of protecting me under any circumstances, even when he was scared out of his right mind too.
I was grateful for him.
I tighened my grip on his hand and allowed a tiny smile to escape my lips. I hid it well by swinging my brunette hair in front of my face while I stared at the smooth, black floor.
After a couple mintues of more walking, we stopped in front of a big painting. It was bright, with lights and white walls. With people roaming around with colorful clothes, looking at eccentric, familiar paintings.
It was the former art gallery.
I stepped up to look at the name of the beautiful painting, but I couldn't quite read the first word. All I knew was that it ended with, " world ".
Garry stepped up beside me and read the label as well.
" Fabricated World... " Garry mumbled.
He looked up at the painting and whispered,
" Isn't this the former art gallery? That means... "
He turned towards me with a huge, goofy grin plastered on his face.
" I think we can go back Ib! " Garry said in a happy rush.
He looked back up at the painting, and his smile vanished.
" Wait, but that's impossible.. " He started. " Surely we can't... We can't jump through a painting, that's just crazy! Ib, I'm losing my mind... "
As if Garry's words were the key to a puzzle, the frame around the painting vanished with a bright flash, and the painting seemed to be... Wavy...
Garry was too shocked to say anything at the moment, all he did was gently glide his hand across the painting in amazment. Resulting in the painting rippling like water, and his hand accidently dipping inside the painting a little.
" We can... We can jump through... " Garry whispered in a good kind of disbelief.
All of a sudden, Garry was exploding with excitment.
" Ib! Ib we can jump through the painting! Ib we can go back now! Let's go, come on! "
Garry took my hand and tried to pull me, but I couldn't.
" Ib? What's wrong? " Garry asked with sincerity.
I wasn't looking at the painting any more, my eyes were glued down the hallway that we had came from. Running up the dark hallway was Mary. Angry, frustrated Mary. She was running at us with peircing blue eyes and her blonde her whipped behind her. Her skin was a pasty white, and her knuckles were even whiter from gripping a palette knife we had found earlier too tight in her tiny hands.
" YOU CAN'T LEAVE GARRY! " Mary shouted.
She was running right at us, I stepped up and held both hands in front of me, cowering down in fear. Mary ran right into my shaking hands, making me step back half a step from the sudden force.
" Ib, MOVE! " She screeched in fury.
I shut my eyes and shook my head.
Mary jabbed her index finger in the air towards Garry, her hand shaking violently. Garry only watched in silent anger.
" He... He can leave, Ib! If he does, then... Then... "
Mary looked back at me. She started to cry as her face slowly filled up with sorrow. She looked back up at Garry, and her boiling anger instantly returned. Mary took a step towards the painting and tilted her head away from us to shield her face. She was ashamed of her mixed emotions that was just exploding all at once. Yet, I could see her face from the angle I was in.
Mary's hair was hanging loose, framing her angry, puffy face. By that point, Mary had tears trailing down her pale face. Her hands had calmed down a little, but her hands were still shaking from being clenched into a fist for too long. She breathed heavily to control her upcoming sobs, and stared fondly at the bright, beautiful painting in front of us. Garry and I simply stared at her, neither of us knew what to do.
After what seemed like the longest, deadliest silence ever, Mary turned towards me. Salty tears escaped into her mouth as she spoke.
" You.. You would pick... Him over me? "
I stepped back.
I didn't know how to respond, my mouth hung open as I struggled for something, anything to say. I crossed my arms around my chest, and looked at both Garry and Mary. Both of them stared at me in disbelief. The only difference between their faces was that Garry had a hint of terror in his expression, Mary had sorrow.
I felt tears starting to brim my eyes, so I looked down at the floor and bit my lip. I thought for a few moments.
I couldn't leave Garry here. He had protected me, and cared for me for so long, that I couldn't give up on him like that. He has risked his life for me during his worst times, and always made sure that I was okay first even if he was hurt. He put my needs before his. Always. He was too kind and selfless to be left here in that dark and twisted place.
Yet, I couldn't give up on Mary either. I thought she was crazy and murderous. Garry told me I had to stay away from her for my own good. Then I realized that all Mary ever wanted, was to be real. She wanted a real life, with real friends, and real light. She wanted to truly be happy. All Mary wanted was a true friend to pull her out of the twisted darkness called her home, and into the beautiful light where she truly belonged.
Only two people could leave that gallery, and one of them wasn't going to be me.
I took a step back, Garry and Mary's eyes were glued on me. I slowly pulled my life out of my pocket... My red rose. I cradeled the small beauty within my hands, admiring every curve of the rose and all the swirls of the petals. It was so tiny, and so delicate. I hoped that this was quick and painless.
I looked up at the ceiling and grasped all the petals of my rose in my right hand, and held it steady with my left hand on the stem.
" Ib? What are you doing... " Mary whispered.
" Ib...? " Garry asked terrified.
I took a deep breath, and ripped all the petals of my rose off all at once.
" IB! " Garry and Mary shouted together.
It felt like someone had plunged a knife deep into my chest, and slowly started to twist it. All the wind had got knocked out of me. I gasped for air, but none would come. My now two-parts of my rose had fallen from my hands, and I held my hands out for balance. I knew soon that my heart would be nothing , but until then, it was slow, withering pain.
Before Garry or Mary could say anything else, I stumbled forward with the last of my strength and pushed them into the painting. Once they had fallen through, there was a great white flash. Just like that, the frame had returned around the painting again.
I gasped again and fell onto my knees, clutching my chest. The pain was unbelieveable. The slow-turning knife was still present. Yet, I knew Garry and Mary were goimg to be fine now. They were free from this mad place, and could live the lifes they deserve. I felt like that made it all worth it.
My back hit the floor as tears started streaming down my face harder. My head bobbed to the right, and my gaze caught my torn rose, scattered on the black floor. My vision got blurry as my eyes started to flutter. The pain didn't seem that real anymore, I just felt exhausted all of a sudden. This was a sleep I would never awaken from.
In the last of my thoughts, I thought if Garry and Mary would ever remember me. If at least knew some part of their heart belonged to me. I hoped they wouldn't worry, that they would simply understand. I hope they wouldn't fight with eachother. I just hoped that I was always right there beside them, forever.
As I stared back up at the ceiling in that not-so-real pain, and tears escaping my eyes, I managed one half- hearted smile on my lips.
" Goodbye, " I whispered as I slipped into eternal darkness, with my last image of my time, was my broken rose, burned into my brain.