Why? Why would you do something like this?
Garry clawed at the ground beneath him in a futile attempt not to cry.
"A nine-year-old girl should not give up her life for another..! You should not even have thought of that!"
He gently plucked the flower from her hand as tears rolled down his face. It was a little difficult, however, seeing as she was still holding onto it as though it was something very precious to her.
My life...
And all of a sudden, he understood why she had done this. Understood, yes, but he did not fully get it.
"..Did my life really mean so much to you..?" he muttered, uncertain.
For a very long time, it might well have been hours, he simply sat by Ib, not knowing what to do. He had given his life to protect Ib... and now the girl had gone and done the same thing for him. Which did not make it any easier for Garry.
It's not like I can just say "well, we're even" and walk away from you, you know?
He had more than a few qualms about simply accepting her death and leaving her behind... in fact, he had half a mind to simply repaint the rose, and see who would give up on saving the other first, but he knew this idea was as ridiculous as it was dangerous... Who knew how much more the fragile rose could take? In the end, they might both die, and both of their sacrifices would have been for nothing...
Also... you're a stubborn kid, aren't you... You would never give up on saving me...
It was the hardest decision he had ever made, and ever would make. But in the end, he accepted Ib's sacrifice... this immeasurable gift which he could never repay. He leant down and whispered into her ear.
"I'm so, so sorry, Ib..." A tear fell from his eye. "And... thank you so much."
He pressed his lips to her forehead in a light kiss, before he - rose securely in his hand - stood up and turned away, walked away with a heavy and broken heart.
He finally entered the building he had not been able to reach together with Ib before. In the stairwell lay still the discarded stalk and petals of Garry's own rose... they made him feel sick. Ahead of him was a stairway surrounded by vines that looked to have been burned recently. He looked for his lighter and smiled sadly when he found it in a different pocket than it used to be.
What a smart girl she was...
Upstairs, he found a strange room he had never seen before, but it did not take long for him to figure out that this was Mary's room. He had almost forgotten all about her.
An empty canvas titled "Mary" was hanging on the far wall of the room.
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A: Burn Mary's picture - Go to chapter 8
B: Leave Mary be - Go to chapter 9
