I gasped and pulled my hands to my face, begging myself not to cry again.
Was he here?
was he stuck? How do I fix it?
How do I gethim out from the painting?
I put my hands up to the painting, and felt the coldness of that, too.
The tears once again smothered my face.I held the painting close, wishing it could be Garry.
I held the sides of the painting, as if giving it a hug.
Then I felt a breeze coming from behind that peice. w-were these like Mary's painting?
I grasped it, and pulled it off, with all my might, noticing another big pit.
I jumped down without a second thought.
Landing harshly, I gathered my wobly legs to stand up.
I looked around. Another cold room. even colder than the last.
I held my arms quickly, then put them to the wall, to feel for something.
The darkness wasn't helping me at all.
I grasped around, feeling excited, scared, and hoping.
Was he in here?
could he be?
he's alive right-
I felt the wall end with a plush gathering of fabric.
Of clothing.
Whose?
I fell back, only to be pulled up by a strong arm.
My heartbeat was running like a jackrabbit, I was sure. pounding and fast.
I was pullled close to the other, and was waiting for my life to end.
for a mannaquin, the lady in red- or something else to rip my rose to shreads-
but I was greeted with a warm light, so I opened my eyes.
Garry was there.
a shocked smile on his face as he held out his lighter to brighten the room.
Once I saw him my fears died.
I felt my tears fall freely, as I stared at him.
"Garry?" I had desprately asked.
"Ib?" He smiled, that same old relieved smile.
I finally let go of everything, As I grasped him tightly, pulling closely on him.
"Your really here, right?" I stuttered, my feelings on my tongue.
"I think so.." he smiled.
I hugged him, grasping his torso. "your really... your really here."
I cried. "I missed you."
"Yeah... I missed you too, Ib." He wrapped his arms around me.
"Alot." He added.
There was a long period of time when I cried, and he comforted me through my tears.
I really missed him.
Even though I had only remembered him today.
After I stopped, he helped me up, and we started a conversation.
"Ib, I think I know a way out."
i blinked. "You do?"
he smiled, holding his lighter bright.
"I think so, thought I haven't really been doing much until you came."
I frowned. "how did you survive?"
"Like eating-wise?" he laughed. "Luckily, I dont need food here. You don't either. Time is stopped in this dimension I guess."
"but don't you...?" I trailed off.
"what?" He blinked, facing me. "want to eat?"
i nodded.
He sighed. "Yeah, I do. I'd love to eat food again..."
I smiled; "well, we can soon!"
He realised what I meant and laughed. "Yeah, when we get out. together."
I walked with him around the large room until we reached the door.
"well, this is it." He sighed. "Though I don't really know what's on the other side." he added, his tone lowering.
I giggled. "well, we can get past alot, right?"
i felt my liveliness coming back.
Wasn't Garry my reason to live all along?
he saved my life, those years ago.
Opening the door, and walking through the black corridor and through the empty haallways, we started to talk, as he led the way and I trailed behind.
"So were you lonely?" I asked, thoroughly concerned.
"Kind of. like I said, time is kind of stopped, so I don't feel as if I was wasting my time, either."
"that's a good point." I added.
"Did you miss me?" I asked hopefully.
"Thought of you every second."
I felt my cheeks rise in heat.
"did you now..." I stuttered.
"did you ever think of leaving yourself?" I asked.
"It's not like I could. Time is basically stopped, and though it's confusing, until you came in there, the door was locked. So thanks to you, i'm saved!"
He dramatically added.
I laughed. "I guess I'm your hero this time."
As they walked down the stairs, they found themselves in the gallery.
"we've made it Ib, let's go!"
He ran through the first floor doors, hurried.
"Garry, that's not the right way!"
I heard him run back in the silence, and he came my way. "I'm pretty sure it's this way, Ib!" he laughed.
for the first time in years, he grabbed my hand, pulling me along the first floor.
I was shocked at how stupid I was.
No matter what I had forgotten, I should have always remembered this on thing, right?
Garry's hands were never this cold.
I froze at the cold touch and instinctively showed it in my eyes. I knew what this was.
He smiled in questioning for a moment, as in, 'what are you doing?'but then his gaze darkened. He was angry now. and evil, too. but he was always that.
"looks like I messed up a bit, right? darn. If I had only gotten you to the right place I could have kept you here forever, too." He smiled.
"your insane!" I yelled. taking steps back, I noticed how he approaced me with ease.
I had already cried too much today, now just a cold hatred for this place and a hope for Garry was in me.
He laughed. "That may be-but you'll be too, before i'm done with you."
My cue to run.
I ran up those stairs faster than I ever had in gym class, or maybe even if Allie or Hannah were chasing me. This time there was a killer on my heels.
the path had changed, much to my liking. The path to the black gallery room wasn't available anymore, and I ende back up in the pink house in sketchbook city.
I ran to the toybox room again. it hadn't changed back. good.
I didn't nee a false garry AND a bunch of deadly toys on my back.
Tearing throug the stairs again, I could feel myself falter in diziness. In queziness. My sides tugged and screamed for me to stop running, but I didn't have a choice. Lives depended on me. Mine, and Garry's.
I had made a mistake in going to 'the forgotten portrait' so what other painting was there to find Garry?
I tore througth the floor of Mary's room, and I felt the blue dolls eyes follow me. I didn't have time to stop and falter or be frightened.
Jumping down the hole behind Mary's portrait, I stumbled and Gasped out in pain.
Had I twisted my ankle? didn't matter.
Now I could hear the echoes of the fake Garry scream in my ear, from the above room.
"Ib? Where are you?" he taunted.
I didn't have time to think, and he knew where I was. He was just teasing me.
Or maybe... All the paintings lead to the real version of something...
So were these all traps?
I didn't know what to think anymore.
What if the milk puzzle led him? Me and Garry talked about that. What if he was connected to it?
What if he was connected to 'smoking gentleman'? he did smoke, right?!
...
...
...
Wait.
I felt that glimmer of hope burn into a large flame.
If I was right, i might just be able to make it out of here... I thought, limping towards 'the hanged man'
Garry told me in front of this painting that he was looking at this in the gallery, and If I remember correctly..
I did see him there.
Was this a possibility?
I didn't have time to think, as the faux garry was pulling himself up he picture frame, ready to jump down here at anytime.
Running now, I pulled at the frame harshly, tugging it off and sitting in the frame. I stood, balancing on the inside of the wall, as I placed the peice of artwork back on its place, hopefully going to confuse the false Garry where I went.
Falling down, I tried not to scream. I held my mouth shut on the floor, hearing the steps of the Garry above wander round and around the room, searching for where I had gone.
It was all a game to him though.
I limped as quiet as possible over the ground, anywhere in the silence. anywhere he could possibly be.
My chest went tight as a light went on, as to reveal some sort of show on a stage. though the eerie effect was unavoidable, as it came up in only one spot in the dark arena, and produced light onto the main showcase.
Garry.
though this was more frighteneing than the hanged man. Garry had been held up by his feet by stone vines, and very sharp looking ones at that.
His face looked pale and stone too, as it was almost the same shade as the white light comnig from underneath him.
I limped over to him, to attempt to get him down. as I reached to grab a vine to snap in half, a the sound of a voice became much clearer behind me.
"Ib? you Down there?!"