"Hm, there are really pretty! I like that shy one with the glasses. She seems to like you, sis! Maybe she'll like me?"
"I don't know, but you can try!"
"I don't like 're like the people who burned me!"
"Now, now. Not every single person is that mean. She even stopped someone from touching the rose!"
"Wow, she did? She's really nice!"
"See? I told you, people are now a little different, Mary."
I glanced at a picture of a interesting lady. She looked really elegant, since she was in a beautiful red dress, with white ruffles at her neckline, and cream lace cuffs at the end of the dress's arms. Her long brown hair drifted past her shoulders. I read that Guertena never based his works of art off of real people.
I wish I had a pretty dress like that. I love Victorian dresses. Only, I'd wish it was a blue one, not red. I really liked the old, antique stuff, and wished I lived back then.
Not that there was anything wrong with my time period. Besides the tiny miniskirts and pretty much nothing-covered shirts. I was considered lucky to be able to find a T-shirt that's neckline that showed pretty much everything. I needed to order stuff over the internet. I had worn a black cami over a sky blue v-line T-shirt, complete with a pair of jeans I had rolled the bottom up to just below my knees. I really liked the rococo-style of dresses ever since I saw my little sister wear one as a costume for one of her school plays. Compared to me, she was a diva of the school. When I was her age, I had my short back hair in high pigtails, along with a school uniform. I was a straight-A student, and I was pretty much a social recluse. I still am in my high pigtails, and I didn't let my hair grow. I still study a lot, and I want to become a manga-ka when I grew up. Or in English, a 'comic-book writer'. The term is Manga-ka for japanese-styled comics, or manga, to me exact. Call my work comics, and I'm sure you'll get a fist full of pen. I still am like this, of course. What was the terrible term? Nerd, I believe? No, I am a otaku. Why do people always mix up the terms?
Well, I came to this Guertena's Gallery because I love art...
My mother and father brought me here. My sister didn't come because she said art is boring, and the gallery is boring-er. I beg to differ. Art is wonderful and mystical, with some ability to make so things seem better. To make unrealistic things come alive, and become a wonderful memory. To bring to life. Art brought me to life. Grandfather had a picture he had painted, thinking what I would look like when I grew up, and incidentally, he drew me quite correctly. Only problem is, I didn't get my mom's green eyes. Or my dad's eyes. I had an interesting blue-green combination, or as my grandfather would call it, the 'Sea-eyes.' A bad pun on his part. When I was young, I read a manga series I really loved. It was what inspired me to become a manga-ka.
Well, back to when I was in the gallery...
I read the name plate under the pretty lady.
"The Lady in Red." I said aloud. It was more like a whisper though.
"Wow, isn't she pretty?" A voice said behind me.
I squeaked and pushed my glasses up, seeing a girl with maroon hair. She was wearing a red shirt with the human transmutation circle on it. Was she a Fullmetal Alchemist fan too? I was too scared to ask. Stupid antisocial me. I wish she was someone over on the internet, it would be easier to talk to her without being so scared to talk.
"Do you like her dress like I do? It's a pretty red!" She said in a cheerful and confident tone.
"Y-yes. I think so." I replied in a quiet manner, avoiding eye contact. I was scared. I didn't like talking to people.
"E~eya, Ni-san, you're scaring the girl." Another girl came up to the first girl. Her brown hair was tied up in a ponytail, and she was wearing a v-neckline T-shirt like I was, but she was wearing a pink skirt.
Good. They weren't creepy people who liked miniskirts and-
Wait.
"N-Ni-san? B-but that's 'big brother' in Japanese... A-and you two look like you're A-american..." I stammered. "A-and you're a girl right?"
The maroon haired girl laughed. "Yeah, I'm a girl, and I'm actually British. And I'm not really related to her." She pointed at the girl in the ponytail. "But they say I'm kinda like Edward, from Fullmetal Alchemist! And she's kinda like Alphonse!"
The other girl certainly was. She was a little taller than 'Ed'
She grinned at me. "You don't happen to like Fullmetal Alchemist, do ya?"
"Ni-san, don't ask everyone here if they-" The other girl began.
"Ac-actually, I do." I said quickly.
The two girls blinked in surprise.
"Aw, that's great! Let's go see all those boring paintings Al wants me to see!" The girl that referred to herself as, 'Edward' took my hand and dragged me off.
"Ah! Ni-san, don't drag people!" 'Al' followed us.
"Ah, I know! I wanna see that rose sculpture thing!" 'Ed' dragged me off, with 'Al' looking exasperated from chasing us around. Eventually, after much running around the gallery, we found the rose.
"Oh, by the way, my real name is Melody, or Mel is alright too!" Melody grinned and pat me on the head. "But you could stick with Ed if ya like!"
'Al' facepalmed. "I'm Kasey. But if you'd prefer Al, I guess that's okay to."
I nodded. "I-I am called Joy in English..."
"Eh? You have another name?" Mel asked, tilting her head curiously.
"Y-yeah. I'd say it, but it's best not spoken. It translates to 'Joy' in English."
"Ah, I see!" Kasey placed her fist in her palm, as if to say she'll memorize it.
I looked at the sculpture.
The bottom dark green was twirled up with light green thorns, as a great red rose was placed a the top. The petals were delicately positioned to show as if the rose was in full bloom, petal on the ground to show as if it was somewhat dead, but still alive. On the verge of death.
Before I could read the name plate, Mel had dragged me off, saying something about, "Big red head eye!"
I found out what she was talking about soon enough. She was talking about the painting, Worry. I see what she meant by big red head, since the painting had red in the corner, which was probably hair, and a white face with an eye in the middle. I smiled. What a funny way to describe the painting.
"Eh? Whatcha smiling at?" Mel asked.
I shook my head. "N-nothing." People don't like when you point out silly things about them, and get angered easily. At lease, that's what I read.
"Oh, it was called 'Worry'!" Kasey laughed. "What kinda description was 'Big red head eye'? I was wondering what you were talking about!"
Mel laughed and scratched her head. "My bad. But I do know one painting! 'Fabricated World'!"
Kasey grinned. "Alright, this time, we're walking!"
I blinked. How were two so different people able to get along so well? And how come Kasey didn't get mad? I will never understand communication...
We stared at the painting.
"So... abstract." Kasey commented.
"Eh? All I see is scribbles here and there, with sudden bright colors." Mel crossed her arms.
I stared at the painting. It felt, weird. Cold, even. It was odd. Like something insane was going to happen. I hugged myself. I felt even more scared than I usually was with people.
Suddenly, the lights got turned off.
"Gah?! What the heck?!" Mel yelled.
"Kya! Ni-san? Joy?!" Kasey squeaked.
"I-I'm here!" I shouted. I panicked. I gripped my arms, and felt somebody grab my shoulders. I froze.
"Hello, my dear love." A voice whispered. It sounded like a male's voice.
I felt a chill run down my spine. I could still feel the hand on my shoulder. It lowered to my elbows, and I could feel warm air on the skin of my neck.
"Ah, a girl really is pretty in real life, not that sister isn't..." He said softly. Something wet touched my cheek. Was he... licking me?!
"This is how girls like to be treated, right?" He asked as his hands were lowered to my stomach as he pulled me towards him.
What? No! Well, at least, I don't! Who was this creep?! I spun around to see who it was, but it was too dark.
The lights came back on, and I saw no one there. Who was that...? I turned to see only Kasey, and no one else.
Kasey looked panicked. "Where's Mel?!"
"I-I don't know!" I glanced around. I felt panic rising up my throat. It was really, really quiet.
Kasey and I stared at each other, and I bet I was as pale as she was. Who was that voice, and where did Mel go?
We both proceeded to exit out of this part of the gallery,and into one of the other rooms. No one was there, except for the artworks that were displayed.
A sword in a pink ball, 1000 folded paper cranes...
A war weapon and a wish...
A death wish.
Thanks to my deductions, I was even more scared.
When we headed to another room, someone suddenly started coughing, and I screamed, then clung onto Kasey.
"That was you, right?" Kasey asked.
I shook my head furiously.
Then, someone coughed again.
Kasey screamed too, then glanced at the picture next to us.
"D-did the 'Coughing Man' just c-c-c-cough?" Kasey stammered, clinging onto me herself.
"T-that's l-l-l-logically not possible, i-it's a painting!" I squeaked.
"L-let's go back to the lobby, m-maybe Mel is outside!" Kasey was shaking.
Judging by her movements and speech, we were both equally shaken up.
When we got to the lobby, I tried to yank the door open. It wouldn't budge. I tried again. Still wasn't working.
Kasey frowned, and tried to open the door also. "That's weird... It's like it's glued shut!"
We both yanked one more time, until something or someone knocked on one of the windows near the reception desk.
We both screamed again, and ran to the gallery which had "Fabricated World".
Kasey stared at the painting for a bit, until yellow paint dripped onto the floor. She yelped, and jumped back.
Suddenly, the words, "Come, come," Was stamped onto the floor, with no one but us two there. We both screamed, as I jumped back with Kasey, and had our backs to the wall.
A claw-like thing appeared out of the paint, saying something like, "Go up the stairs! We have a surprise for you!"
"Should we listen to it?" Kasey asked, looking at me.
I thought for a bit. Someone whispered something in my ear, Krysty disappeared, a painting coughed. If a claw-thingy is telling us there's a surprise upstairs, and we have no other leads, why not listen to it? If this is insanity, my father also told me to follow insanity if I wanted to become a manga-ka. I nodded.
My first fan fiction that isn't based off of Fullmetal Alchemist. *jazz hands*
I'd like to thank my Imouto-chan, (Who's known as Pikachic on another website) who showed me Ib. And helped me get past the Doll room when I was screaming, "NO, NO, NO!" Over and over in my corner, covering my ears.
You know, I might put what happened when I was playing Ib here, at the end of the chapter the next few times! You can read about how I cower in the corner while my imouto-chan plays the game with a straight face!