Chapter 20

We thought we heard something around the "Fisherman" painting so we went to investigate. The fisherman, he was back! "...Hey, look, Ib... He caught something!" exclaimed Mary.

The fisherman took his red catch, and gave it to us. It was... an umbrella. What a weird thing to catch in the ocean. We moved on from the painting to the room below it.

We remembered the painting of the "Lady Without Her Umbrella." Mary tugged at me and pointed, "Ib! Umbrella...!" I gave the woman the umbrella. She took it without hesitation and opened it up. It began to rain in her painting.

Suddenly, I felt water. Droplets of water, falling softly on my head. "Huh? Huh?!" said Mary, looking all over the room. "It started raining in the room!" We saw some water accumulating at the bottom of the room, pouring into the cracks in the floor where the mannequin head fell... With not much left to do, we left the room.

We went back to our blue rose drawing on the floor, drying out our clothes and thinking out our next plan.

I heard a dripping sound from the room next to me, the room with the dangerous red gas. I went inside to investigate. There was water, dripping from the ceiling. Right into the vase. This was a godsend.

I walked forward, ignoring the pain and focusing only on the vase. When I got there, it was overflowing with water. My rose was replenished instantly. Heh heh I chuckled to myself. Looks like I can explore a little bit more of this room.

I saw that there was a single cord hanging down from the ceiling to the right. I made a dash for it. What a big mistake. With every step, my body took a heavy physical toll. My skin was burning and my lungs were bursting. By the time I reached the rope, I was almost dead.

On my last legs, I used what strength I had left to pull the cord. Suddenly, the red gas began to dissipate. In a few moments, there was not a single trace of it left in the room.

"Ah... That strange gas is gone," I gasped, rushing back to the vase to heal my aching self. Unfortunately, there was nothing else to be seen in the room. I made my body undergo such strenuous stress... for nothing.

I walked out of the room and back up when suddenly, around the room with tree on top of it, there was a large tremor. "...?" I was startled by the shaking. I looked up at the tree. There were now what appeared to be apples on it. I decided to head inside to check out what happened.

The bookcases that I couldn't move before were gone. Just gone. They mysteriously disappeared. I was thankful for this. In the back of the room, there was a pink ball of paint. I picked it up, and of course, it vanished.

I then decided to check out the painting and books in the room. The lone painting was "Strained Ear." It was... an ear. A plain, simple ear. I guess Guertena was fascinated by hearing? Anyways, I checked the books.

There, I saw "Collected Works of Guertena." They were all in alphabetical order, but the letters "S," "H," and "M," were highlighted. I started first with "S."

"'Serpent's Spirit' (6248) Beginning with this piece, Guertena began his focus on abstract art. But at the time, cubism was more popular, leaving Guertena's various abstract works largely ignored." I couldn't help but feel sorry for Guertena. To be the pioneer in something great, but be ignored because your style wasn't "in." I moved on to "H."

"'The Hanged Man' (6219) Guertena painted this as a page filler while working for a magazine. Once this illustration became renowned, it was sold for a limited time as an actual tarot card using the picture. Presently, it is near impossible for one to find the tarot card." How... odd. Using a hanged man in a magazine as well as fortune-telling cards. I shrugged. Guess I had to live during the time period to understand. I moved on to "M."

"'Mary' (?) The last work of Guertena's life. While the girl appears almost lifelike, naturally, she is not based on a real person." I turned the page. "...!" I gasped. I took a close look at the picture.

A young girl, in a green dress, with blonde hair and blue eyes... "W-Why...? It can't be... that's..." I stuttered. "Mary...?!" I slammed the book shut and put it back in the case.

"She doesn't exist...? What does that mean...?!" I started shouting. Then I got quiet. "And she's with Ib right now... No way..." I looked up, and saw that the "Strained Ear" painting was moving. Was it... hearing what I was saying? Suddenly, I heard a knocking sound. I rushed out the room to see what it was.

There was nothing outside the room. I ran around, searching for the culprit. Returning to the entrance of the room, I saw it. The doll. It was by the locked door. There was a new message waiting to be read. "I picked up something good... I'm making it my treasure!" What was the meaning of this...

I bent down and took a closer look at the doll. It wasn't holding anything in its hands... Wait a minute. "Oh? Its stomach looks bigger somehow..." I said as I felt around. Nervously, I asked myself, "...What should I do?"

I swallowed my fear and decided to check it out more. "I suppose I'll look closer..." I muttered. I made a small incision in its stomach with my nail. Surprisingly, it opened up quite easily. Something fell on the ground.

It was a red ball of paint. I picked it up, then it vanished. Suddenly, the doll squeaked and squealed. My eyes turned to meet its wicked smile. It got up on its tiny legs and ran through the door.

Oh no, I thought to myself. What was behind that door... I approached it. "The door's... unlocked..." I whispered. I counted. I only needed 1 more ball of paint. And it was probably in here.

I took a deep breath, and made up my mind. I went inside.

Inside was probably the most disturbing image I have ever seen. I will never be able to get this out of my mind. Dolls. Dolls filled up the room. Not just the tiny little ones. There were larger ones. They all just stared at me with their piercing red eyes.

Up ahead was a giant picture frame. There was no painting there, only white space. Underneath it, a white ball of paint lay. I went up to claim it. It vanished. My mission was complete. "That's seven of them...!" I said with success in my voice. I turned to leave the room.

I twisted the doorknob. It didn't twist... "Huh...?" I mumbled. I kept trying and trying. It wasn't moving. "No way... why?!" I shouted angrily. Suddenly, there was a noise. "...?!" I stepped back.

There was now writing on the door. It read, "Let's have another treasure hunt... Who? Who? Who has the key?" This was great. Absolutely fantastic. I'd have to search through every single doll here for a key out of here.

"What is..." I started. Out of nowhere, a bell. It clanged. "Wh-What?! What now?!" I yelled. The room turned an eerie blue. "This is bad..." I whispered to myself. "Where... where's the key?!" The bell clanged again and the hunt began.

I searched frantically through the dolls. Picking them up, ripping open their stomachs, throwing them across the room. Where was the key?! I looked up. There was a blue hand on the large picture frame. I saw a tangled mass of black hair. Oh god. Something was emerging from the painting... With every clang of the bell, it reached out a little more.

My searches grew more desperate. No, no, not here, it's not here! I began to see giant red eyes staring at me through the frame. I turned back to the dolls. I noticed a doll with a fat stomach. Wait! Could this be?! I thought to myself.

I furiously ripped open the stomach and a key fell onto the floor. "Yes! They key!" I shouted. I wasted no time running out of there. I felt the eyes of every single doll in there turn to me as I left the room.

I ran like the wind out of that room. I didn't care if I was already out of the room. I just kept running. Eventually, I stopped at a door which must have recently just opened. I panted heavily and gasped as I tried to catch my breath.

"I... have had enough... of that ROOM...!" I thundered. "Why did I... have to... deal with that...!" After calming myself down, I was silent for a minute. "..." I was trying to recuperate.

"But, thinking about it... Ib might be in just as terrifying a situation..." I considered. "We've got to regroup soon!" I decided to continue my journey.

"Huh...? The door's open...!" I exclaimed. I don't know how, but it was unlocked. I went through. On the other side, I saw an untitled painting. It looked like a drop of water falling into a snake's mouth. I moved on.

"...Stairs..." I mumbled. "...I've come this far, but now I'm wondering if I should keep going..." I was hesitating. Doubting myself. My life was at risk.

"But I'm not sure what good going back will do... What to do..." I said to myself. Then I thought how selfish I was being. Ib was out there, with Mary, who was apparently one of Guertena's paintings. I decided to go on.

"Argh, I'm so indecisive! I'm terrible, really!" I admonished myself. "Just keep moving! There's no other option!" I closed my eyes for a few seconds. Then I was ready to go.

"...Please, let her be safe!" I shouted.