Chapter 1

Ib broke into a cold sweat as she heard a blood-curdling growl behind her. Whipping around, she paled as she saw what was after her.

A Lady in Blue.

Willing her legs to unfreeze, she turned back and sprinted to the door, clutching the blue rose. She prayed that the remaining petal didn't fall off.

The snarls got louder.

Shutting the door tightly behind her, she ran to a vase that sat on the opposite side of the room. Thrusting the blue rose in it, some relief came to her as she saw that it healed instantly.

Her relief disappeared as she heard a deafening shatter of glass.

A scream caught in her throat. The Lady in Blue was steadily advancing. Ib ran as fast as she could to the door leading to the hallway. She let out a cry of pain as the Lady in Blue grasped her ankle with talon-like nails. Falling to the carpeted floor, she screamed again as the Lady bit down on her leg and broke the skin. She had to give the rose to Garry! He couldn't afford to not have it! Hot tears slid down her cheeks.

"Garry! Help!" she yelled. "Garry, please! Help me!"

The Lady in Blue tore at her leg harder.

"GARRY!"

Ib jolted upright, trying to figure out where she was. She realized that she was in her own bed, safely at home. She wrapped the covers tighter around herself and whimpered. Unwillingly, she tried to analyze her nightmare and found that she knew nothing of it.

Why was she in an art gallery?

Why did that painting come alive? More importantly, Why did it want to kill her?

And just who was this Garry person?

She shuddered at the thoughts, eternally grateful that it was only a figment of her imagination. These nightmares had been tormenting her sleep ever since she came back from the Guertena Show at the National Art Gallery. That had been nearly eight years ago.

She supposed that some sculpture or painting there had really frightened her. It was troublesome to know that she had never let go of it.

She hadn't ever liked that gallery. It felt suspicious.

Looking out her window, she realized that the sun was starting to rise. Stretching, she tried to will the thoughts out of her mind and focused on preparing for school. Pushing the sheets aside, she made her way to the bathroom. A hot shower would be nice.

Reaching her destination, she took a look in the mirror. She scowled. She looked dreadful. She yawned, feeling a slight headache behind her eyes. For a split second, she thought she saw a tall man with soft lavender hair standing beside her in the mirror. She blinked in alarm.

Nothing was there.

She stepped away from the mirror, her headache scared away.

Yes. A hot shower would be nice.