Lavender saw this one and then examined it. "It says 6295." she says. She was wary about the color dressed ladies.
Garry hummed as he got a good look at the numbers.
"I wonder what they mean?" Whisper thought out loud.
Ib was curious herself and came to a door which asked how many paintings of women were in the room.
Lavender looked at him, "Maybe we should try the door Ib and Whisper aren't at?" She suggests.
Ib and Whisper focused on the one door they were at.
Garry nodded and decided to go with her to the other door. "There's a four number password, this one must be what that painting was about with The Hanged Man." He had a strong feeling about what he just said.
"6295..." Lavender types in the password lock. She gave a cheerful cry as the door unlocked.
Garry walked in with Lavender to a small room that had a stool with a painted easel. The painting depicted the vase on the table. There was no one in the room, but the two both felt a presence. It felt very eerie. Lavender shivered slightly. She however took note the vase was not in the right place. She started to push it to where there were marks that looked like indents. There was a sound heard outside. Garry and Lavender left to see Ib and Whisper with one of the mannequin heads they passed in that one room.
"Was that thing here earlier?" Garry was a little alarmed. "... I don't think it was."
"I-I'm not sure either, we didn't see it when you guys left." Whisper shrugged.
"Uh, we should go to the next room..." Lavender says. She could hear many paintings moving and the sound of a statue walking about. She clung to Garry and pulled the two girls closer too. They ended up in a room with a mirror in.
They all nodded and escaped to the mirror room. It seemed to be the only thing there.
"It's a mirror..." Ib observed and saw her reflection with the others.
As they looked, the mannequin head came behind them with no one moving it.
Lavender saw the mannequin head and blinked. She turned to see it. "Hello..." she says.
Garry stared at it, wondering how it got into the room. When they looked away again and it came right behind them, startling them, Garry finally had enough. "Why, you!" he was about to kick it.
Whisper held Ib tight and Ib covered her eyes.
Lavender ran up to Garry. "STOP!" She shouts. She then calmed down a little "Please don't hurt it..." she says gently.
Garry looked at her and restrained himself, sheepishly. "R-Right, Lavender... My, that was immature of me... Well, let's go."
The mannequin head didn't say anything, but it appeared grateful that Lavender had protected it. Ib was a little settled now and still held onto Whisper's hand before they went anywhere. Lavender's offered them all smiles. She then looked at the mannequin head and gave a small smile too. She looked into it's eyes and felt weird like everything was getting taller.
Ib looked at Lavender, slightly worried as she was changing. "Lavvie...?"
Whisper cupped her mouth a little anxiously. Garry merely blinked, he didn't scream this time when something freaked him out. Lavender stepped back slightly and clutched her head a little. She was shorter now and she was in a school uniform like Ib's but the skirt, sleeve cuffs and ribbon was purple.
"Umm... I think you should see this..." Garry stepped aside to show Lavender the mirror.
Lavender looked at Garry and then turned to look in the mirror. She blinked rapidly and touched her hand to her face. "Oh..." she gasps softly.
Ib wasn't sure how to feel.
"I wonder how that happened?" Whisper murmured.
"Oh, Lavvie..." Ib moaned a little.
"At least she still remembers us... You do still remember us, right Lavender?" Garry asked cautiously.
Lavender looked at them. "Is this true?" She asks, obviously she did recognize them.
"Yes," Garry nodded. "I don't know how or why, but you are now a nine-year-old."
"Just like me." Ib added.
"I'm sure there's a reason for this though." Whisper said delicately.
"Oh okay, I thought I was just seeing things..." Lavender says with a delicate chuckle. She scratched her cheek lightly. "Well, anyway, let's go!" She says cheerfully.
"Right." Garry nodded.
As they came out, some of the paintings were coming out, even some ladies in blue. However, there was a gray key that was far out of their reach.
"One of us should get that..." Whisper suggested.
However, Ib was already gone and using all her bravery and even risked some of her red rose petals to obtain it.
Lavender looked worried for the younger girl. "Ib, you baka!" She scolds gently, her relieved tone showing she wasn't actually too mad.
Ib came back unharmed with the key.
"Ib, that was pretty foolish, but I'm glad you're okay." Garry said softly.
Whisper nodded and waited anxiously as the key latched in and they were in a room with a white couch with red stripes, a few more bookshelves, a mirror, a portrait of a couple, a couple of stools, and an easel. Whisper glanced at the portrait of a man and woman together and came close to it, feeling like it had some sort of sentimental value. Lavender looked at the picture with wide eyes. She gave a soft gasp and hugged Ib gently. Ib sniffled, hugging her neighbor.
"Ah, I think this could be moved," Garry went to the bookcase and moved it for the girls. "Ah, yes, there we go."
"I feel like I know these two," Whisper uttered, then looked down at the girls. "Do you?"
"It's Ib's parents..." Lavender says softly. She was in just as much shock as Ib.
"The people in the painting are your dad and mom?" Garry asked the youngest girl.
Ib nodded softly.
"Such a strong resemblance." Whisper agreed as she saw plenty of Ib in the mother.
It was then that it was noticed that Whisper had blue eyes like Ib's father.
Lavender looked at Ib's dad and then at Whisper. She blinked "You look like Ib's dad... You have the same colored hair and eyes..." she says.
"Really?" Whisper looked back at Lavender.
"There is a strong resemblance." Garry agreed. "But why would such a painting be down here?"
Ib wasn't sure whether to be shocked over the painting of her parents or that Whisper looked so much like her father.
"I don't know..." Lavender says softly. She still had her arms around the girl who was the same size as her now.
"Where are they?" Ib wondered.
"Well, I can't say that I know either." Garry told her apologetically. "Don't worry, they must be somewhere." He had some secret thoughts about Ib and was worried about her in this kind of condition, though it was understandable since she was in a mysterious place without her parents and only had Lavender and two complete strangers with her.
Whisper yawned a bit, today felt like it could drag on forever.
Lavender stroked Ib's hair. "Come on, Ib... we'll find a way to get back" she soothes. She felt a little dizzy but hid it well.
Garry tried to open the door to let them out. But it wouldn't open. "Wha... Are you kidding me? The door was wide open..."
A noise came from the other side and instantly, the paintings came to life and there was another door in one of the walls that the portraits escaped from. This seemed like a terrifying dream come true.
Lavender gasped as there was a hole with the color wearing ladies coming through. "Through the hole quickly." she says, pulling Ib through with her.
There was a maze involved with the statues and paintings still coming after them. The group ran with all their might and went as fast as their legs could carry. Garry carried Lavender this time and Whisper held Ib close as they were trying to get away. They nearly lost their roses on the frantic chase for their souls, but they made it. As they walked though, Garry grew a little slow and was panting heavily as they were in a stranger room with portraits that looked different one by one though had the same base. It was very exhausting, so Ib was starting to pass out, but not dying. Lavender fell to her knees as Ib did. She couldn't stop the dizziness and ended up collapsing too. She had her hand touching Ib's cheek as they both fell unconscious.
"Ib, Lavender! Stay with me now!" Garry called, but his voice echoed in their ears. "IB! LAVENDER!"
It was very dark, the girls woke up alone. They were in this very strange room and Garry and Whisper were nowhere to be found but there was a dangerous round and sharp red pattern.
Ib woke up and looked around. "Where are we?"
"I don't know..." Lavender says. She looked at the only door. "Let's go forward..." she says. She the led the way and the area surrounding the room was covered in paint splatters.
Ib nodded and followed. What was happening and why was it happening? Where have they came this time? They finally came into a room with odd designs around and there was a statue, a mannequin's head, and a painting all coming at them at once and there was no escape. They were attacked by the two dangerous objects and everything went black. Were they dead now? After the statue, picture and head got them both girls shot into sitting positions. They were panting for air. Lavender's eyes were wide and she looked around.
Ib woke up next to Lavender and they had been tucked underneath Garry's coat. Whisper had a more pleasant and confident smile for them than when she first met them.
"Ah," Garry smiled as the two woke up and went to them with Whisper. "Morning, girls, how are you feeling?"
Lavender looked at them both and then at Ib. She looked at the currently older ones. "We had a nightmare..." she says softly.
"I see... You poor things," Garry frowned sympathetically. "I can't say I'm surprised. Being exposed to such frightful sights, you know."
Whisper nodded in agreement. "Good you woke up now, we guess you didn't notice earlier."
Ib looked at the coat and spotted something in the pocket. Lavender got up and helped Ib up. She then hugged Garry lightly, still a bit shaken up. Garry was a little surprised by the hug, but he allowed her to hug him. Ib looked in Garry's coat pocket to find a piece of candy.
"We all better get some rest." Whisper advised. "We had a lot of excitement today."
Lavender pulled back from the hug and looked at Whisper and nodded. "Yeah..." she agrees.
Ib picked up Garry's coat and went to hand it to him after passing the rules of the art gallery.
No loud conversation.
No photography.
No food or drink.
No touching the displays.
No fountain pens.
No leaving ever.
'No leaving ever?' Ib thought to herself. 'But why?'
Lavender looked around then and was waiting for Ib to decide when she wanted to go, they all replenished their roses. She felt weird in this new younger form.
"Oh, my coat, thanks Ib." Garry smiled and put it back on as Ib handed it to him, standing in front of a bookcase with one entitled 'Fun Pictures'.
"It should be safe to go out now." Whisper suggested.
Lavender nodded, she strangely felt jealous of Ib but it was other before she properly realized.
"Are you ready to set out again?" Garry asked cautiously.
"We're ready." Ib stated.
"Come on then." Whisper said, then walked out with them to their little adventure.
Lavender walked out, and down the stairs. If it wasn't for the fact she wore other stuff and had different colored hair, eyes and skin she would've blended into the color scheme of the room.
The others followed her to see the new room. There were some voices heard behind a locked door.
"There's a peephole..." Ib said, then went to look through it, but couldn't see anything but utter darkness.
Garry looked ahead and saw a lot of stands with headless statues in red and there were paintings with colorful buttons on display. Lavender had the urge to go inside the small maxe type thing. So she had to do it. She gasped as the way behind her became blocked.
"T-The exit's blocked!?" Garry cried, even worse, the statues came to life after Ib pressed the buttons, hoping they could help, but only lead to danger.
"Lavvie, I know you told me not to read another person's diary, but this might be important." Ib said as she went to the bookcase and found a diary, possibly written by Guetera himself.
"It's okay, Ibby." she says. She then pressed the blue button and an exit appeared. Lavender push Ib out before her as one of the statues neared.
Ib read some of the diary, walking with them as they could escape. "'It's said that spirits dwell into objects into which people put their feelings. I've always thought that, if that's true, then the same must be true of artwork. So today, I shall immerse myself in work, so as to impart my own spirit into my creations'."
"Is that really all it says?" Garry was unimpressed. You could have said something about the exit! Let's get out of here, girls!"
"This way." Whisper ushered them to the end of the deadly maze and as they got out, the exit closed itself up. That was a lucky shot and good call on her part.
A sigh of relief escaped from Lavender. She led to a pretty much all white picture. "What's this?" She asks.
"It's a milk puzzle." Whisper answered.
Ib came closer to see what it was, not having heard of a milk puzzle before.
"As the name implies, it's a puzzle where all the pieces are white like milk," Garry explained for Ib. "Since there's no picture on them, they're much harder than regular puzzles. Very smart people can finish them in no time at all, but... To be honest, they're not exciting. Since they don't even make a picture in the end... It feels much more worth it to do a puzzle of a picture you like."
Lavender giggled and then noticed a door a little ways away and opened it. Inside was a statue and a cord hanging from the ceiling. Ib pulled the cord, but it did nothing for them, so they just kept walking. Garry was fed up with headless statues blocking their paths. Lavender walked through the now clear exit and looked around. They went around to find a door that needed a password.
"It's probably the big fish painting." Whisper suggested.
Garry nodded in agreement. "You girls saw it at the entrance, right? It was something of the deep."
Ib pondered for a moment. "It was a confusing word... 'Ab eyes'..."
"Abyss!" Lavender grins happily. She stood by the door ready to go in first. She was excited and happy.
"That was it!" Garry agreed to Lavender, glad she remembered. "Let's all remember that."
Whisper nodded and made mental note of it. It was very dark in the room and no one could see anything or anyone. Lavender was shocked when the lights went out. She was stunned into silence. Garry made sure they were all there and then remembered he had a lighter. He took it out and flicked it on to show they were in a room filled with graffiti that obviously shouldn't be there. It was overwhelming for someone of his high-class to see such destruction.
"Who could have done this?" Whisper murmured.
Ib took out and found a book and saw some rather suggestive writing in it and Garry closed the book on her. Lavender slipped the book out of Ib's hand. She took a look inside and blushed scarlet and giggled. She didn't care about the writing. Garry merely glanced at her, then back at Ib and warned her to not read the book's messaging until she was older. Ib nodded and vowed to do just that, wondering what the book was about.
"Guys, you should see this..." Whisper said shallowly as she opened the door out and there was red text all over the place.
Lavender waited until everyone had started outside and slipped the book into a pocket. She then followed them outside. There was a notice in the red text which grabbed everyone's attention. It was like a strict policy. It mentioned lighters were prohibited from being used which made Garry a little nervous, but they kept walking along. As they walked, there were red footprints leading somewhere.
"Should we follow them?" Ib asked nervously, clutching her red rose of life.
Lavender took her own rose from her hair, checking the flower Garry had given her was alright and stroked one of the petals. She smiled and started to follow them, not waiting for an answer. She may have had her adult mind but by instinct of her body she was acting a little childish. Whisper opened the door and they went in.