Giselle lightly stroked her younger sister's golden locks they both inherited from their mother as she soothed the whimpering six-year-old, singing a lullaby she made up. She remembered when she did too. She sang it to Eloise on her first night at the Plaza Hotel after she left her boarding school in London to come live in New York City with Nanny and Eloise to keep an eye on her little sister. Eventually, the younger girls woke up to see Giselle and Garry looking down at them.
"Ah... Morning, girls," Garry smiled as he approached the girls. "How are you feeling?"
"I had a nightmare." Ib pouted.
"Me too." Eloise added.
"Aw, poor girls." Giselle cooed as she stroked their hair gently and comfortingly like a surrogate mother.
"I see... You poor things," Garry agreed softly. "I can't say I'm surprised. Being exposed to such frightful sights, you know?"
"It's scarier than the hotel's boiler room on Halloween." Eloise pouted.
"She got locked in there once," Giselle said to Garry. "Luckily she had some walkie-talkies so that we could find her."
"Well, I guess it's good you two woke up," Garry then said. "I'm sorry I didn't notice earlier."
The girls bowed their heads, still feeling vulnerable and fearful.
"Ib, Eloise, would you take a look in the pockets of that coat?" Garry suggested as the girls were wrapped around in his coat as a substitute blanket.
Ib and Eloise looked curious before they both checked one pocket and found a couple of pieces of candy.
"You can have that," Garry smiled warmly. "Feel free to eat it. Let's rest here a while longer before we set out again." he then suggested.
"You're our hero, Garry." Giselle smiled back.
"It's the least I could do, Giselle," Garry replied as the girls soon ate the candy and began to feel a little bit better. "Sorry I don't have candy to spare for you."
"Just remember to pack for three young girls next time." Giselle smirked playfully.
Garry chuckled at that. Ib soon picked up Garry's coat as Eloise got up and rushed over to her sister and the two sisters hugged each other warmly.
"Oh, my coat!" Garry smiled. "Thanks, Ib."
"You're welcome, Garry." Ib smiled back softly before putting her rose in the vase to earn more petals.
Giselle and Eloise saw this and soon decided to do the same.
"So, you two must have quite the stories about yourselves based on what I've heard," Garry said to the sisters. "Do you care to share one while we rest up?"
"Well, I suppose we could tell you about the time we visited Moscow," Giselle smiled. "I'm quite fond of that vacation myself."
"Even more than when we went to Paris for the summer?" Eloise asked Giselle.
"Yes, even more than Paris," Giselle nodded for a personal reason, though she did enjoy visiting Paris where their mother lived, she preferred the Moscow vacation. "It was a 'rawther' long trip, but we made it."
"They were expecting us and this freezing wind was blowing and this snow was flying in this blizzard and all these people with all of these boots on took us and stamped us and whisked us around," Eloise added, sounding a bit mysterious. "They didn't examine our luggage; they knew what was in it. Moscow is absolutely Russian and The Rolls was waiting."
"The Rolls?" Garry pondered. "You mean like a sports car?"
"Yes, our grandmother sent it in by rail because she wanted us to be comfortable." Giselle replied.
"Your grandmother?" Garry asked. "I thought you went everywhere with her?"
Giselle then understood the confusion before shaking her head. "No, no, no. Nanny isn't our grandmother," she then explained. "She's very close to the family, especially for Eloise. We live with her and we go everywhere with her, like visiting in Moscow like we did this time or Paris like Eloise mentioned during the summer, and our mother even invited us to come to Hollywood before she suddenly had to fly to London for two weeks after she was just there."
"Your mother sounds so busy." Ib commented.
"Yes, she can be sometimes," Eloise replied. "We miss her a lot, but she always calls us at least once a day, otherwise we'd miss her too, too, too terribly. Sometimes when she calls though, Giselle says she has too much homework to talk to Mother."
"I see..." Garry said with a bit of a small gaze at Giselle.
"My turtle Skipperdee came down with a nervous cough so we had to send him back to New York to the Plaza by diplomatic pouch," Eloise then continued. "He was glad to go. Our mother knows The Ambassador and I was called Little Miss Diplomat."
"We also stayed at a hotel called The National," Giselle remarked. "For the weekend anyway."
"The lobby was very different and smelled like chicken," Eloise piped up. "There were no candy counters or movie magazines for Lord's sake! Some people spoke Russian and me and Giselle made them think we didn't understand."
"I hope you didn't get lost during this Moscow vacation." Garry said to them.
"No, we had this woman who was our guide named Zhenka who was also our translator," Giselle replied. "We came for the weekend to see the circus, the czar, a kazatzki, and a Charlotte Russe. It was quite an adventurous vacation."
Ib felt lost in some words that Giselle and Eloise said, though it sounded like quite the experience. The story soon ended with Eloise mentioning that she and Giselle received a telegram from their mother who hoped they had a good time and promised to be back home again very soon. Garry couldn't help but notice though that at the last part, Giselle rolled her eyes. Almost as if she didn't seem to like her mother as much as Eloise did.
"Well, girls, that was quite the story," Garry remarked. "Shall we set back out then?" he then asked.
"I'm ready." Ib replied.
"Let's go, go, go!" Eloise added.
"All right," Garry smiled. "Let's do this then."
Giselle nodded as they soon left the room they were in to continue their sudden art gallery adventure, being very careful and patient along the way. Giselle followed them out as she began to think back to the vacation in Moscow which was very exhausting, and not just for Eloise and Nanny.
Giselle stared at the telegram sent by her mother as she sat on the bed she would share with Eloise while Nanny had her own bed in the Russian hotel room.
"Girls, I thought you could use some fresh air away from New York. Why don't you visit my dear old friend, The Russian Ambassador: Vyacheslav Molotov? I'm sure he would love to hear from you and meet you. I'm afraid I won't be able to make it, I have other commitments with Coco this weekend. See you soon though and send Nanny my love".
"What other commitments?" Giselle groused to herself. "You have to take Better Parenting Classes or something?"
"Giselle?" Nanny called as she soon came over to see the girl, wearing a fluffy white robe. "Your little sister is about to take a 'bawth'."
"Hopefully she doesn't flood the hotel like she nearly did during her last bath," Giselle replied as she crumbled up the telegram in her hands. "I hope she's having fun here."
"Yes, yes, yes," Nanny said. "Hopefully we can see the circus that Zhenka had told us about when we came over yesterday."
Giselle seemed to simply stare in silence.
"...Giselle, is something bothering you?" Nanny asked.
"Why would you say that, Nanny?" Giselle muttered softly, though she was still easy to hear, especially due to the woman's age.
"Giselle, I have known you for seven years, I can tell when something is bothering you," Nanny reminded before she soon came to sit down with the girl before seeing that she had her mother's telegram. "...Oh, I see. Still feeling sore about your mother?"
"Nanny, I'm not sure about her 95% of the time," Giselle just sharply sighed. "I know you say she loves you, me, and Eloise, but... It just feels like she'd rather spend time with her popularity and fancy friends all over Europe than be with us. I understand her job is important and we need the money, but couldn't she have a job closer to home? At least then she would be home more."
"Ah, Giselle, I know you have a rough time with your mother, but she really does love you," Nanny coaxed. "I know it's hard for you not to see her all the time like you used to when Eloise was a baby and the occasional visits from my brother."
"Uncle Gavin's the best though." Giselle smiled softly.
"Yes, he is and he loves you two too," Nanny smiled back. "But no love can replace that of a mother. And I know for a fact that your mother loves you and Eloise a lot. She allows you to order room service to charge to her account, she arranges for a tutor to come see your little sister after the Nursery School incident, she calls at least once a day-"
"But she's never home," Giselle interrupted. "She might be busy and does nice things for us, but it wouldn't kill her to be home more often. Especially since my father left."
"That wasn't your fault, Giselle." Nanny said softly.
"I know it wasn't and I don't blame Eloise either," Giselle replied. "I know that my father left because of what our mother did."
Nanny frowned softly as she wasn't sure what to say to that.
"I'm sorry, Nanny, but I need to be alone right now." Giselle softly.
"...All right, pet," Nanny said before she gave Giselle a comforting and great big hug before the teenage girl would go off. "I'll tell Eloise that you'll be back in time for bed."
"Right... Just remember, this conversation never happened." Giselle said before she stood up from the bed.
"You can trust me, dear." Nanny smiled.
Giselle smiled back softly before she left the hotel room.
Eventually, the group was found downstairs and ended up in a different dark-colored room. They soon heard a knocking which seemed to make them nervous and worried. They soon came to the door where the knocking came from and there appeared to be a peephole on the door.
"I'm not sure if I trust that." Giselle said cautiously.
Eloise soon looked in before shrugging. "I don't see anything." she then said.
Giselle then put her hand to her heart with a small sigh in relief.
"It's okay." Garry comforted as she understood why that would startle Giselle with her little sister going off like that.
They soon walked along before they found a blank wall that had a framed picture inside. The picture appeared to be white and was broken into pieces like a jigsaw puzzle.
"Girls, have you heard of milk puzzles?" Garry asked with a small smile.
"No, what is it?" Ib asked as Giselle and Eloise shook their heads.
"Well, as the name implies, it's a puzzle where all the pieces are white like milk," Garry explained. "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."
"Hm..." Giselle replied. "Sounds boring to be honest."
"And being bored is not allowed." Eloise added.
"It feels much more worth it to do a puzzle of a picture you like." Garry then said with a smile.
"Yeah!" Ib agreed. "That sounds like fun."
They soon walked off as the puzzle didn't do anything, passing by the portrait of "Fleeting Thoughts of a Moonlit Night". They came into another room as a red-dressed statue blocked the way, so of course, Garry moved it out of the way and Eloise pulled on a cord hanging from the ceiling. It didn't seem to do anything until they walked through the next door which was unlocked from that.
"Someone wrote on the wall; that's very, very, very naughty," Giselle shook her head before she read aloud what was on the wall. "'What is the title of the large floor painting in Guertena's exhibition?'"
"Ugh... Could it be a password?" Garry groaned. "The big fish painting, right? Did you see it, girls?"
"...Yes, I remember that!" Giselle replied. "It was The Abyss of the Deep."
"Ah, yes, that was it!" Garry agreed. "'Abyss of the Deep'!"
"That sounds good to remember for later." Eloise suggested.
"I agree," Garry nodded. "Good job, Eloise."
Ib smiled as Eloise beamed before she soon curtsied at her accomplishment.
They soon found another painting that looked like a red background with black branches. At least, that was how it looked to Giselle.
"It's another painting," Garry then said. "'Separation'? What an upsetting painting." he then commented.
The lights then flickered before leaving them in the darkness.
"Th-The lights just went out!" Giselle yelped as Eloise and Ib huddled to her.
"Girls, just wait there!" Garry told them as he began to flick something. "I'll get my lighter."
And in a few moments, they had light again. Sure, it was a little light, but at least it was something.
"Aha! Good thing I had this on me!" Garry grinned.
"Uh, Garry?" Giselle asked uneasily.
The quartet soon looked to the gray wall to see writing left around the painting.
"Uh... What is this?" Giselle asked as her face slowly blanched.
"Ugh... This place isn't good for our mental health." Garry groaned.
"I'll call Dr. Cosmo McKinley and Dr. Nation McKinley on TV..." Giselle murmured before she began to think a bit back to a certain misadventure she had with her little sister and caretaker. "...Who suspiciously remind me of a strange couple Eloise and Nanny and I met one night after meeting her distant niece and nephew: Danielle and Brad Majors."
"Uh... I'm not sure I wanna know," Garry said to her. "Let's go, girls."
They soon went through a door and Ib found something very interesting.
"Hey, there's footsteps," The brown-haired girl said as she saw red footsteps patterned in the middle of the floor. "Were these here before-" she then yelped suddenly.
"Ib! You okay?" Eloise asked her new friend.
"Ugh... I think so..." Ib pouted.
"Hey!" A new voice yelped.
"Whoa! Are you okay?" Garry asked as they found a girl with golden blonde hair in an emerald green dress.
The girl looked at them and backed away, looking a bit startled.
"Ah, wait!" Garry said to the girl to try to calm her down. "Hey, are you... Could you be one of the visitors to the gallery?" he then asked with a hopeful smile.
The girl soon seemed to smile back. Giselle kept glancing at the girl though. She couldn't help but feel like she recognized this girl from somewhere, but where? She wasn't one of Eloise's usual little friends from the Plaza Hotel or a classmate of Mr. Salamone's (spoiled and horrid) nephew, Edwin. Perhaps she stayed at the hotel at one point?
"As I thought," Garry said to the blonde girl. "I am Garry."
"I'm Ib." Ib smiled.
"My name is Giselle," Giselle said to the blonde girl as she shook off her curiosity, long enough to properly introduce herself. "And this is my little sister, Eloise."
"I am Eloise," Eloise added. "I am six."
"Nice to meet you. My name is Mary," The blonde girl smiled as she shook hands with Eloise, Ib, and Giselle. "I'm sure we'll be best friends."
"I like the sound of that, Mary," Giselle smiled back. "By the way, we were in the art gallery and somehow found ourselves lost in this place... Like, we're in the gallery, but somewhere beyond the beyond of the gallery, but now we're all trying to find a way out."
"Are you doing the same?" Eloise asked Mary.
"I... I was looking to see if there was anyone else too," Mary said softly. "I wanted to get out... So, I..."
"Ah, I knew it!" Garry beamed. "Well, would you like to come with us?" he then invited.
"Huh?" Mary blinked her ocean blue eyes.
"That might be a good idea," Giselle agreed. "It's dangerous to be out here alone. There are lots of strange creatures around."
"So will you come with us?" Garry added with a small smile. "I think it would be best if we all stay together."
"Yeah! I'll come!" Mary suddenly piped up happily, like a typical carefree child.
"Wonderful!" Garry beamed. "All right, now that we have more company, we can proceed with our spirits high!"
"Yay!" Mary beamed back.
"...Say, seeing as the girls and I have roses, Mary, do you have a rose as well?" Garry suddenly thought out loud.
"Yeah, I do!" Mary beamed as she brought out a rose that matched the color of her hair and cheerful disposition. "A yellow rose!"
"Oh, we see, it's like a buttercup flower," Giselle replied. "You should keep that safe, Mary. Trust me, we know."
"Giselle is right," Garry added urgently. "Don't you dare lose it and don't give it to anyone and-"
"Woooow! Ib's rose is reeeeed! My rose is yelloooow! Giselle has a bluuuuue rose!~" Mary sang to herself happily. "I like yellow, but I also like Eloise's pink rose! Oh, and blue!"
"Learn to listen, would you?" Garry advised sharply.
And so, they went to carry on with their traveling to hopefully find a way out of the art gallery and get back to their families.
"Mary, have you or your family ever stayed at The Plaza Hotel?" Giselle asked the new girl.
"Huh? Oh, no, I haven't," Mary replied. "Why do you ask?"
"You just seem so familiar to me somehow," Giselle said to her. "...Like, I feel like I know you from somewhere."
"Well, I don't know," Mary shrugged innocently. "At least we know each other now, right?"
"...Yes, I suppose we do." Giselle said with a small smile.
Mary smiled back as they continued to walk along.
They soon came into a new room which seemed to have cute and fuzzy bunny rabbits that caught the girls' attention instantly.
"Oh, look at 'em!" Giselle gushed. "They look like marshmallow bunnies from Easter!"
Eloise, Ib, and Mary each helped themselves to some bunnies while Garry looked like he was going to be sick.
"Oh, my gosh; they're so cute!" Mary beamed at her new friends. "Aren't they cute, guys?"
"Yeah, they are!" Ib smiled.
"I should decorate the hotel lobby with these whenever The Easter Bunny visits us!" Eloise added.
"I'd ask Mr. Salamone for permission on that first, Ellie." Giselle suggested.
"Erm... Yes, Giselle." Eloise replied bashfully.
"Garry, are you okay?" Giselle asked the young adult man. "You look like you're about to pass out."
"The love of... This painting... This room... Why must it be so unsettling?!" Garry groaned queasily.
"Huh? Really?" Mary asked him. "I think it's cute."
"What about this is CUTE?!" Garry complained.
"Garry." Giselle rolled her eyes.
"I just think this is cute," Mary pouted. "What do you girls think?"
"Of course it's cute," Eloise smiled. "The Easter Bunny would probably love it here."
"Yeah, I wanna pet it." Ib added.
"Well, all right then," Garry said as he tried to keep his sanity. "At any rate, let's try to get out of this creepy place quick. I feel like I'm being watched in this room. Talk about unsettling."
"Boys." Eloise and Giselle rolled their eyes before sharing a laugh together.
They soon left the room as the green bunny seemed to hop down from the shelf and shatter just as they left. As they went to explore, the painting had a sound come out of it.
"Huh?" Mary blinked. "That sound's... Getting closer."
A flower seemed to reach out of the painting as the room shook. There was a group of vines that burst out of the floor.
"Something came up from the ground!" Mary gasped.
"Maybe it's a beanstalk!" Giselle added.
"A beanstalk, Giselle?" Garry groaned. "Like from a fairy tale?"
"Well, you don't know in a place like this." Giselle shrugged.
"Hm... Fair enough." Garry then agreed.
The room then shook again.
"Th-This is bad!" Garry panicked. "Get away from the painting!"
"Ib! Eloise! Watch out!" Mary called out to her two new friends.
Then suddenly, the little girls and young adults were split up, separated from each other as the vines got higher and blocked their way from each other.
"ELOISE!" Giselle shrieked, fearing the worst of being separated from her little sister.
"GISELLE!" Eloise cried out.
"Are you girls alright?" Garry asked Eloise, Ib, and Mary.
"Augh! That scared me!" Mary pouted.
"I wanna go home, Giselle." Eloise pouted.
"I'm sorry, Ellie, but it might be a while." Giselle frowned softly.
"Ib?" Garry asked the nine-year-old girl. "Are you hurt?"
"No, I'm not hurt." Ib said softly.
"Good... But with these things in the way, Giselle and I can't get over there," Garry said in relief, but also regret at the moment. "Maybe I can cut it down?"
"Garry, I don't think that's an option," Giselle said as she reached out before feeling the vines. "These vines are made out of stone."
"Oh... What to do?" Garry frowned.
"Hey, girls?" Mary spoke up to Eloise and Ib. "You got a key in that room, right? Maybe that key opens that door there?" she then suggested.
"Hmm... Maybe," Eloise replied. "Then maybe we could find something to get rid of these to get back to Giselle and Garry."
"Should we go look?" Mary suggested.
"Uh... Giselle, could we?" Eloise asked her big sister.
"Oh... I don't know..." Giselle frowned. "I wonder if... Uh... If you'll be okay?"
"We'll be fine!" Mary smiled. "Right, guys? Eloise agrees with me."
Eloise smiled back.
"Uh..." Ib blinked.
"Come on, Ib, it's right this way!" Mary smiled as she pulled the girl along. "We'll be back real quick!"
Ib looked unsure about splitting up as she looked back at Giselle and Garry while walking ahead with Mary and Eloise.
"Looks like it's just me and you, huh, Giselle?" Garry remarked.
"Yes, Garry, looks like it's just us..." Giselle said softly as she watched Eloise disappeared as she began to feel her heart fluttering in her chest as she looked like she was ready to cry.