Her eyes darted to Mary. "You said that the art can pull people in?"
"I think so. Everybody has a little influence here." Mary stole a glance at Garry. "I don't really know how people come in. They just do. But..."
"Wait-you don't think I did this, do you?" Garry demanded. It had occurred to him that being part of the gallery could affect him-but could he have done that?
"No, I don't think so." Oh. Ib continued. "I think that something else with more, um, power, over everything else here, like a leader, did it."
"But why? And how do you know?" Mary pressed.
"Well because-" Because of Mary. Ib recalled her previous encounter with the ghastly edges. She was still in denial about everything that had happened, but later she realized that there had been somebody talking to her. They only uttered two words, and repeated them over and over, and when she didn't respond (well she didn't hear them) they took it out on her rose. Not that it was comforting, but at least she knew now why she wasn't killed then and there; they were asking her 'where's Mary'. If she died, then they would never find out. (She had no idea why they just dropped her and left, though.) This whole thing was because of Mary, but suddenly, how could she say that? "Of me?"
"What?" Her friends cried simultaneously. It wasn't a complete lie. If she hadn't let Mary get her rose, or if she remembered sooner and stayed with her parents...
"Not just anybody can enter the gallery world, right? So if somebody goes in, it has to be for a reason." She explained quickly. Then again, maybe that 'where's Mary' thing had nothing to do with it, like how 'Red Eyes' wanted to see her too. "But I didn't do anything, I left. So maybe I need to do something before we can leave." Maybe she could trade places with Garry, and live here. It couldn't be too bad. Then both of them could leave. Yeah, maybe that really was the reason.
"Ib." Garry narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Is that really it?" He could tell she was lying, and crossed his arms across his chest. Mary did the same-considering that she still wouldn't look at Garry, it was almost funny.
"What is it really?" The blonde added with a frown, "Ib, this is important."
"But it could be." Ib offered lamely. When neither one was satisfied with her answer, she sighed. "I'm sorry. I really do think I know why."
"Then tell us!" Mary cried. "It's really important, okay?"
"...Okay. It's because of you, Mary.
"They want you."