Chapter Ten

Ib's POV

Sure enough, Mary was standing just inside the room, waiting for me.

"Ib!" she cried, smiling a smile that was just a little too wide. "I missed you!" And with that, she took hold of my arm and pulled me into the room. Garry tried to follow, but Mary's face twisted into one of pure hatred, and she pulled her knife out of her dress pocket. She shoved it in his face. "Stay back!" She screeched. "Don't get too close! You're supposed to be dead!"

When she had led me a few feet away, she relaxed. Smiling, she dropped the arm holding the knife to her side. "Come in, come in!" She said in a warm, bubbly tone. "My dad finally found me a couple years ago, and I want you to meet him! He's just through here." She tugged me over to a door at the other end of the room, Garry still trailing about three yards behind us. Mary opened the next door, revealing a medium-sized green room. The floor was scattered with brushes, half-empty paint tubes, and incomplete sketches. And in the center of the room was an easel, with Mary's newly refurbished painting resting upon it. There was a stool next to the easel, and a man was seated upon it. He was perched like an owl, and scribbling feverishly in a pad of paper.

He looked up as we walked in. He had curly blonde hair and blue eyes, just like Mary, but his hair was messy, and there was a wild look in his eyes. He didn't look completely sane, all in all.

"Mary, darling," he said in a quiet, raspy voice. "This is the friend of whom you spoke?"

Mary nodded. "Yes, dad, this is Ib!" she said excitedly, throwing her arms around me.

He nodded, looking me up and down. "I see my methods worked, then."

"Methods?" I heard Garry say from behind me.

Mary gave him a withering look, but Guertena didn't seem fazed. "Oh, yes, young man. You came here by my will, not your own." He stood, throwing the pad and pen aside carelessly. He stood and approached me swiftly. I took several quick steps backwards, until I was almost against the wall. Garry made to move towards me, but Mary brandished her knife again, and he stopped. "You had a dream about this place last night, did you not?" And without waiting for an answer, he looked up at Garry with a jerky movement befitting that of a bird. "And you did as well, did you not?" Looking back at me, he continued.

"You see, I've been trying to bring you two back into my gallery ever since I repainted my daughter's portrait, because she requested that I bring you back. She said…" He trailed off, looking pointedly at Mary, who chimed in. "I asked Daddy to bring you back because visitors aren't allowed to leave without permission. And people who break the rules need punishing, don't they?" She smiled, and ran the knife's blade between her fingers. "And besides," she continued. "We never did get to play together, did we, Ib?"

"Yes," Guertena continued. "Anyway. I supposed that I owed my daughter a favor after leaving her alone for so many years. So I tried sending you dreams. After all, I had influence over your minds when you were here before, and some of that influence lasted even after you'd left. I expect that the dream only reached you today because my presence is strong in the other world at this time."

"The five-year anniversary of your exhibition…" I said, thinking aloud.

"Indeed," He continued. "You came here in search of your sister, whom I lured here. I couldn't be sure that you had come after her until you signed in at the desk." He held up my signature from earlier. "It is only fair that I return her to you. I have no further use for her." He clapped his hands together. A door that I hadn't noticed before swung open, revealing a headless statue that was clutching Maddi, who was sobbing quietly, in its cold grasp.

"Maddi!" I cried, overjoyed.

"Eeby!" she called back, reaching for me. The statue approached me, handed Maddi to me, and stepped back. Maddi squeezed her arms around my neck. I hugged her back, just as tightly. "Maddi," I whispered shakily. "Oh thank goodness."

"Now!" Guertena clapped his hands. "To business."

Garry's POV

Okay. So we've got Maddi back. Good. I smiled as Ib squeezed her sister tight against herself. I snapped out of it when Guertena clapped his together. Something about his tone made me uneasy. It was also a little disconcerting that Mary wouldn't let me within five feet of Ib. I had this uneasy feeling about what was happening.

"My daughter wished for play mates. Now," he flicked a wrist at me. "You are too old to play, but that does not mean that you can't be a source of entertainment." I tried to interject a question, but he held a finger up to his mouth in a quick, stiff movement, and continued without stopping. "You two, however, are the right age to engage in the same type of play as my daughter. Ib, you won't be needed for too much longer, for you are on the brink of being too old, but your sister will be useful for years to come."

The meaning of his words was starting to sink in, and that feeling in my gut started to grow into panic.

"Ib, you and your sister will wait in a separate room until Mary is ready to play," Guertena said, waving a hand at Ib.

Large black hands shot out of the wall behind Ib, and wrapped themselves around her and Maddi, so fast that neither of them could even cry out. Ib looked at me for a split second, her red eyes wide with fear, before the hands flew back into the wall, dragging both girls with them.

"IB!" I yelled, running to the spot where she had just been. I frantically beat my fists against the wall, even though I knew that I couldn't get to her. "Where is she?!" I shouted, turning to face Guertena.

Guertena had remained completely expressionless throughout this entire situation, but when I yelled at him, a flicker of anger passed over his face. Mary took a step back from him; she looked inexplicably nervous. "Bring her back right now, damn it!" I cried. "Or I'll–"

"You'll what?" He started laughing, but it wasn't a normal laugh. It was loud, scratchy, and maniacal. "What can you possibly do to me here?!" He looked up at me, his eyes wide and senseless. His laughing was becoming more and more hysterical. I took a step back, realizing why Mary had looked so nervous. Guertena seemed to crack if he became angry.

Still cackling, he snapped his fingers. Another clawed hand flew from the wall and, in a flash, had its claws around my throat. I scrabbled frantically at the hand, but its grip was almost superhuman in strength, and I could to nothing to remove the fingers that were constricting my breathing. Guertena raised his hand and put his fingers together, poised to click them again. I froze; the claws dug slightly into my flesh and any more pressure would cause the claws to break through.

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying in vain not to imagine the claws puncturing my throat. The sound of clicking fingers reached my ears as if through a tunnel.

"Grlgh!" I gurgled. The floor beneath my feet had vanished, and my full weight was now being supported by the hand around my throat.

"Well? What is it you were saying?" Guertena cackled. Even if I'd wanted to reply, I would've only been able to choke and gasp. I simply glared at him. My vision started to fade. "Daddy," I heard Mary murmur from across the room. "This isn't any fun…" Guertena's insane laughter shriveled as quickly as it had started. He smiled normally, and walked across the room. He wrapped an arm around Mary's shoulders and looked back at me.

"Anything for you, sweetheart." He waved his hand, and I dropped into darkness.

Now it aaaall makes sense, right? (Just kidding)

Sorry that it's a bit short, but at least Mary showed up in this chapter. *cough* FINALLY *cough*

Also, Guertena! I haven't seen many stories that feature him, so I thought it'd be kind of fun to make up my own version of him.

See you tomorrow for more!