Disclaimer: Me no own Ib... -tries not to cry-
Note: There are some REALLY MINOR OCs, 'cause the Ib cast is very small.

Life imitates art far more than art imitates Life.

-Oscar Wilde

Recap! Ib took a step back and was ready to just say it was her imagination when she saw a black hand reaching through the window.

Chapter Three

It's strange, you know. How one describes the absence of colour. Dark. Black. Abyss. Jet. Never ending. There are so many words to describe what it looks like, but not what it feels like. How does one describe something that shouldn't even be felt? Do they really feel it, or do they simply use words that they already know to describe it, not truly correct, but also not wrong? How does one describe it? This feeling of emptiness, of despair and such bone deep sorrow?

Ib wasn't sure how to answer it herself, but she felt weighted, like something was trying to crush her. There was also the feeling of being incomplete, of fading with every breath that was caught in her throat. If she had to describe what she could see it would be nothing. A word people usually described as black. A deep chasm that, like ink, flowed but lacked the life of things of shapes were everywhere, but nowhere, like shadows within a shadow, eating each other.

Where do these shadows even come from? Perhaps they are light's imperfections that aren't normally seen, or even those who only dwell within the shadows, but not in the way most people think. These shadows could be the unnoticed people, the afterimages that are not scene by the eyes of man. Could this be true? Is that why this darkness feels so... lamentable? Empty?

Ib could feel it, a covering that chilled her skin. She glanced around, could see nothing, but knew she was there, floating. She looked at what would have been down-for all she knew it could be up-and while seeing nothing, felt her foot hit a surface. It didn't create a sound, but the dark rippled just a bit like water. For just a second, Ib could hear something.

O..e da..

I ...ell ...eep

a... ...ever ...ke ...

She tried to listen, the words sounding familiar, but just as she was stringing together them together the black became restless. It swarmed up her leg, clawing and spreading as it tried to consume her. Ib tried to move but where was she to escape to? This place was nothing, she couldn't even see her own hands in front of her face. It consumed her waist and was reaching further when all of a sudden Ib felt dizzy. It was nearly unbelievable and cliche that she would faint at a time like this, but she couldn't help it.
As her eyelids grew heavier Ib could faintly feel something wrap around her, only it wasn't cold or empty. She couldn't put her finger on it, but whatever this was felt... safe? Ib saw the darkness getting farther away, could feel the rush of wind after a pop met her ears, until she could no longer keep her eyes forced open.

She watched the brunette reappear from the dark puddle and observed the way she stood before slowly falling over onto her side. Her hair was spread out around her, some of it tangled with the shattered glass as the window repaired itself. The rain water evaporated and the dark puddle turned back into the hand and disappeared into the wall.

She turned her head and observed the boy, his face ashen as he shook from where he had fallen on the floor in shock. He was such a wimp, freaking out over that girl disappearing and reappearing again. It was ridiculous. Weren't boys supposed to be brave, valiant men that protected the weak? How disappointing this was.

Finally the boy composed himself and called out what was probably the girl's name, before hurrying over to her and checking her pulse. He breathed a sigh of relief when she lightly groaned and blinked her eyes open. They conversed (mostly the boy), exchanging statements of disbelief and confusion.

She giggled, these two seemed like fun. She stared at the brunette. How peculiar she was. There was something... off about her, something that made her weary but extremely curious. The boy wasn't too bad, but he wasn't striking like the girl... What did that boy call her? ...Ib. Yes, Ib that was her name.

She heard something to her left and silently cursed the timing. Of course that repugnant witch would ruin her fun. With a final glance back at Ib she smiled before disappearing. Things would finally be getting exciting around here. It was time for the play to begin.

Garry and Ib jumped in surprise when a loud voice broke the silence. They whirled around to see a woman with neat greying hair held in a tight bun. Her clothes were very professional and stiff, and her glasses were perfectly straight on her pointed noise. Her beady eyes glared at them as she stalked closer, "What are you two doing here this late at night!?"

"Umm..I..we... uh." Garry tried to form a sentence but couldn't find the words under the woman's stern stare.

"We are lost." Ib coolly replied, drawing both of their attention. Garry was surprised she had said anything and was even more surprised when she took out an ID card from her coat pocket and handed it to the woman.

The woman straightened her glasses and analyzed the card with more scrutiny than was needed before handing Ib her card back. "I see and you?" The woman clucked her tongue as he desperately searched his black coat for the ID that was given to him in his acceptance letter. He was sweating profusely by the time he shakily handed over his ID. The woman stopped her tapping foot and briefly read through it before handing it back.

"Both of you have arrived late. Follow me to the dorms." She curtly replied, her heels clicking against the floor as she walked away. The two followed behind her silently. Garry ran a hand through his hair before glancing at his watch and pausing. It read 7:15 but that couldn't be! It was 7:15 when they first started searching for the office. That couldn't be right!

"Ib, what time is it?" Garry asked and glanced down at Ib's watched. The girl also paused, it read 7:15 also, but... how could that be? They looked at one another and Garry was just about to ask how this could be when the woman coughed, staring at them.

"Hurry up."

"Yes ma'am." Garry replied and both continued to follow after her.

They were lead out of the central wing and all the way over to the northeast doors where they exited the building. They walked along a path until finally coming to, strangely enough, a Japanese type building. "These are the male dorms. Your room number is 207 on the second floor. The door is unlocked and you shall receive the key tomorrow morning in the office." Garry nodded.

"I'll see you later, Ib." Garry said, waving a few times before hurrying into the strange house.

The two females continued onwards. They didn't talk as they walked, only listening to the night. "Miss... Ib, these are the female dorms. Your room in located on the ground floor and is number twelve. It is unlocked and your key shall be ready for you in the office tomorrow morning. Do enjoy your first night."

Ib quickly walked into the Japanese styled building and was relieved to find that the doors were western styled. She walked past the entrance and to the left, scouting for her room number absently. That woman was like the others. She probably recognized her last name and her parents or something along that line. Ib really hated that. The lady tried to be professional but Ib caught her several times looking at her eyes, and each time she was caught the lady would snap her head forward.

Ib sighed as she found her door and would have walked inside if she hadn't heard something from next door. It was a soft scratching sound accompanied by broken whispering. Ib debated ignoring it when she heard a crash. Cautiously she walked over towards the door and knocked lightly. The sounds on the other side paused before continuing. The whispering grew louder and Ib was able to catch a few things before something slammed against the door, causing her to nearly fall backwards, but Ib steadied herself.

Hesitantly she entered her own room, reminding herself that she shouldn't get involved. It wasn't any of her business. Ib closed the door and set her bags down and decided to go to bed. She laid in the bed and couldn't help but frown at the unfamiliar feeling. Eventually she twisted and turned, thinking of the events from earlier. She glanced at her watch, 9:20 PM. It displayed the correct time so it wasn't broken, but then why did it glitch earlier? It had said 7:15, but Ib had checked it before then and it had displayed the same time. Garry's watch had done the same thing... Could it be a coincedence? What about that hand and the dark place?

Garry had even said that he saw her disappear and reappear, and Ib could faintly remember the feeling of being cold and something trying to swallow her and then... Garry's worried face. It was strange, but she could still feel the chills. Ib looked at her wrist as she rolled up her sleeve, staring at it absently as the chills lingered. She pulled the covers closer around her, shoving everything to the side for later. She had to get to sleep, after all.

A/N:Third chapter complete~! Anyone else excited? Me? Umm -hides self-awesome-party- a little. This chapter really gave me some problems at the beginning and at the end. I sort of smoothed over Ib's and Garry's conversation due to time constraints, but they did briefly discuss what happened and Garry freaked about her disappearing and reappearing. Before they could REALLY talk about the important stuff they were interrupted. Yup.

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