I recognise that nothing much happens in this chapter. But, since the insect room was essentially the first level, it wasn't too exciting either, ya know? That's also why this is so much shorter.

Another note-what I mean by a cross between endings is that in this, Ib had a very strong friendship with Garry before he sacrificed himself (I warned you, spoilers). It's like, if you're all set up to do the good ending, and then suddenly, it all goes down hill. Also, I took a few artistic liberties with the Mary confrontation.

She thought her heart was going to burst. Blue littered the floor. Blue was smeared on her hands.

"Wh... Why?" The single syllable is all she can muster.

"In my way." The cold voice replies. "In my waaaay." A hand was held out to her. "We can go now." The blue on the hand looked like blood.

She wanted to scream. She wanted to run. She wanted to take the lighter clutched in her fist and light the other girl on fire with it.

Lighter? Where did she get a lighter? Why was she so angry? What was she missing? Who was she missing? Who?

WHO?

Ib sat up sharply, and banged heads with Mary, making her sister fall back with a cry of pain.

"Ah. Sorry." She mumbled, rubbing her own forehead. Mary said it was fine, and stood up to help her to her feet. Most everyone else was already up, standing about and talking. Ib looked around, and felt sick.

Everything was heartbreakingly blue.

Helena saw her on her feet and came over.

"Feeling alright?" She smiled when Ib nodded. "Good. We're not sure where we are, to be honest. This isn't a part of the Gallery that I recognise, and I'm the curator." She smoothed her hands over her skirt. "And Sven never knows anything."

"I resent that!" Sven called. He was the only one still on the floor, leaning against the wall with his hat pulled down over his face. Helena rolled her eyes. Adolfa was pacing rapidly, wringing her hands, and Ib's parents were looking concerned.

"Why don't we look around?" The dark curator suggested. "I think there's a door down there." She pointed down the hallway, to the east. After some trouble of hauling Sven to his feet, they headed down the hallway. There was, indeed, a door. In fact, there were two - one right in front of them, and one on the perpendicular wall. Helena moved to the one in front of them first, trying the handle. Finding it unlocked, she pulled it open and peered in. "Looks harmless." She told them, stepping inside, soon followed by the others. The room was mostly empty, save for seven wooden tables, each an equal distance from each other. On each table sat a vase, and in each vase was a different coloured rose. And each vase was labeled:

Orange read 'Karl.'

Green said 'Kara.'

Yellow was marked 'Mary.'

Pink bore the name 'Helena.'

White was labeled 'Adolfa.'

Purple was inscribed with 'Sven.'

And red was 'Ib.'

Standing in front of the vase, Ib felt another surge of deja vu. She knew, though for all the world, she could not tell how she knew, that these flowers were important, that they should not be left behind. Aolfa had already picked up hers, tucking it closely into her bun. Helena was examining hers, while Sven was taking no notice of anything. Ib reached over and took her rose, sliding it behind her ear. The moment her fingers touched the stem, she felt an odd feeling deep in her stomach - like a part of her had been yanked out in a thin string and tied tightly to the flower.

"We should take these." She found herself saying. Before anyone else could speak, Adolfa turned and beamed at her.

"She knows, yes, she knows. Didn't I tell you, my boy? The girl knows." Everyone looked a bit discomforted by the older woman's behaviour, except her grandson, but Ib supposed that he was used to it.

"Ib, sweetie, why?" Asked her mother. Again, her mouth spoke without communicating with her mouth first.

"Because they're our souls." Sven pushed his hat up a bit.

"... You mean like, in the plaque in front of Guertena's giant, wilting rose sculpture?" Helena gave him a look. "See? I know stuff! Geez!" Ib nodded.

"I... I think so. I'm not sure why, but... I feel it would be dangerous to just leave them here." The others were hesitant, but eventually her parents, Helena, and Sven took the roses from the vases.

Everyone but Mary.

"Problem?" Sven asked her nonchalantly. She glared at him for a moment, then exploded, stomping her foot and clenching her hands into fists, like she always did when she was angry.

"Yes! This is your fault!"

"Mary, honey!" Kara cried. Sven looked faux affronted, pressing a hand to his chest.

"ME? How so?" Mary folded her arms.

"All this weirdness started when you made Ib read that label!" There was a moment of silence, and then Sven laughed.

"Is that why you think so? I only did that because Helena is always saying I should be more 'sociable' with girls. Something about getting a date." Helena slapped her forehead.

"I didn't mean make them read things for you!" Mary opened her mouth to argue, but Ib came over and took her hand.

"Mary, please. Just take the rose." The older girl scowled, but she did as she was asked. They headed back out into the hallway to try the other door, as there were no exits in that room. Inside was another empty room, this one bearing a sole painting, and a key. Helena, ever in the lead, bent to down and picked it up. Kara was nervous.

"Are you sure taking it is wise?" Helena laughed and held up a finger.

"Do you know the universal rule of adventure games?"

"We're not in a game." Sven grunted, but no one paid him much mind.

"What it is?"

"Take everything that isn't bolted down, then come back later with a wrench and take all the stuff that is bolted down, then take the bolts." Sven snorted, but they all ignored him again, stepping out into the hallway once more. Suddenly, the red letters appeared again, with more vigor.

thieves thieves thieves thieves

Kara let out a yelp, grabbing her husband's arm. Even Sven looked slightly perturbed. Adolfa wasn't even paying attention, and Mary was still scowling.

"Put it back... Please put it back..." Kara murmured, but Helena set her hand son her hips, setting a high-heeled foot down on the floor firmly with a sharp click.

"Well, I like this!" She snapped. "You've got no right to go calling us thieves when you drop us down here and leave it out where anyone can get their hands on it! Why, I've half a mind to just forget your little game and sit and wait here. So either suck it up and play nice, or prepare to be disappointed!"

The letters stopped.

"Did you just scold a... I haven't the faintest idea what it is." Sven folded his arms. "Wow." Helena smacked his arm.

"Yeah, well I wish you had been that cooperative, destructive little devil. You'd think you'd've known better at nine." She squared her shoulders. "Shall we continue, then?" The others slowly nodded, following her towards the other end of the hall. There was another door, and Karl tried it.

"Locked." Helena produced the key.

"Perhaps this will do the trick?" She stepped forward and inserted it into the lock, turning it once. There was a click, and the door spring open. "Never fails." The woman murmured,a nd stepped through first. This room was green, which provide Ib's twisting stomach with welcome relief, and paintings of insects lined the walls.

"Isn't that-" Kara started, and Sven nodded.

"Guertena's work. It looks like we're still in the Gallery."

"Not any part I remember." Helena said, moving forward. She paused by a sign on the wall. "Hmm... 'Stay away from the walls'... I wonder what it means?"

"I don't see a reason for staying away from the walls..." Karl muttered, walking around the table at the opening of a small hall within the room. He took a few steps forward, and suddenly, a blacked, almost charred looking arm shot out from the wall, making a grab at him. He jerked back with a yell, rubbing his arm.

"Karl!" Kara gasped at the same time Helena said "Look at your rose!" The rose Karl had tucked into his lapel dropped a single, orange petal. Ib and Mary's father frowned.

"Odd. It didn't hit the rose."

"That's what you think is odd!" Kara demanded. "Honestly! And arm just came out of the wall! Don't any of you care?" Sven raised a hand.

"I care." Kara looked at him hopefully. However, Sven just pulled his hat down over his face. "It means I can't lean against them anymore." Kara put her head in her hands.

"Maybe we should go the other way?" Ib offered, and everyone was quick to agree with this. The headed to the other end of the room, to find a wall and another door, this one also unlocked. They stepped through it, and were surprised to find that the room beyond had a horizontal hole in the floor, spanning from wall to wall. It was far too big for a child to cross with out a bridge, but a running jump from all present (even Helena managed it in her heels) was all it took for them to cross. There was another door on the other end, and they opened it without difficulty. Once again, only a single piece of artwork was in the room beyond, one of the 'Death of the Individual' sculptures - a female mannequin in a red sundress with no head. On the centre of the floor lay another key.

Ib was once again bombarded with uneasiness. Not knowing why, she expected the statue by the far wall to move at any moment, regularly glancing at it nervously.

"Ib? You okay?" She looked over at her sister, her face tight with worry.

"I'm fine, Mary. Just a bit unnerved." Mary pursed her lips, her expression not in the least convinced. Helena moved over to the key.

"Well, the first one served us well." She picked it up.

The lights flashed.

And Ib was right.

The statue's arms raised, as if it were trying to feel its way toward them (which made sense, it had no head, after all). It walked in purposeful, lethargic steps toward them. Any normal person would have screamed, as Kara did, or at least been alarumed, as Adolfa seemed to be. But Helena calmly glanced at the advancing threat, turned to the others and said, with utter tranquility:

"Time to go."

They took the hole in the floor at a sprint, even Sven, though he insisted on stopping and catching his breath after they got back into the insect room.

"I'm a natural jogger." He wheezed, leaning on his knees, though no one seemed to be taking him seriously. "Very dangerous over long distances." Once everyone had caught their breath, they had to talk about what to do. No one was keen to go back towards the charred arms in the walls, but it seemed to be the only way. They were getting into a very serious discussion about it when a small voice interrupted them.

"I say! I say!" They looked around.

"I don't see anyone..." Karl said thoughtfully.

"Down here, silly!" Said the voice, and Ib realised it was coming from the ground next to her shoe. There was a tiny black dot on the green floor, and, crouching down, she discovered it was an ant.

"Did you speak?"

"Of course I spoke, my dear!" It said jovially - for she truly had not the faintest idea how you told an ant's sex - lifting up its front legs and clapping their points together. "It is truly good to see you again, little lady."

"Again?" She asked.

"Why, yes, again. You look very different now, I'll admit,but I'd know that face and those kind eyes anywhere. Ib was it? The nice young lady who showed me my painting. Don't you remember?" Ib hesitated. And ant painting? She thought about it. And then, suddenly...

"I do!" She murmured, surprised. "I do remember!" She sat on the floor to lean closer to the ant. "You were wondering where your painting was; I took it off the wall and showed it to you..." Another memory crossed this one, and her heart fell. "... But... But then a statue was chasing me, and I lost it. I'm sorry." Had she not known better, she would have sworn the ant smiled. Another thought occurred to her, that she didn't recall the roses being labeled before, either, but she pushed tat aside, assuming it was because she had been alone.

"Not at all, my dear. That you showed it to me at all was true kindness. Thank you very much." At this point, Helena came over and crouched down beside her.

"Would you like to introduce us to your friend, Ib?" She asked politely. Ib blushed.

"Uh, yes. Mom, Dad, Mary, Mr. Sven, Miss von Bismark, Mrs. Adolfa, this is, er... Ant." The ant reared up on its hind legs and bowed. Or, at least, they thought it did. It was awful tiny.

"A pleasure to meet you all."

"Ant." Ib said, a thought occurring to her. "Is the exit still up past the arms?" It looked like it nodded.

"Indeed it is, young lady. Your memory seems to be coming back." She laughed nervously.

"Not all of it. Just this room and how I got here. I suppose the rest will come to me as I go. Thank you so much for jogging it. Its been bothering me for years."

"You are most welcome, though I wouldn't know. Time doesn't move here, you see." It paused, and Ib was under the impression that it was looking at her meaningfully. "Remember that, child. Time doesn't move here." She nodded.

"I will. I promise." She stood, and Helena followed suit. "The arms can't touch us if we stay in the middle of the hall. I remember that. We should be fine if we go single file. The door is on the other side." The others, though still eyeing her strangely, nodded. Her parents were watching her with expressions that said she'd have some explaining to do later. Ib swallowed. "We should work on getting out of here first." She told them softly, and was relieved when first Karl, then Kara nodded.

"Well! Then it's agreed!" Helena said cheerfully, already walking toward the hall. Only Mary hesitated, gazing down at the ant.

"Mary?" Ib called, then tried again when her sister didn't answer. "Mary!" Mary jolted, turning.

"I'm sorry. Coming." She fell in on the end of the line as they marched down the centre of the hall, Kara whimpering each time an arm appeared, Adolfa holding her head like an empress. Once they reached the other side, they regrouped, forming a circle.

"Alright, headcount." Helena announced. "Maybe we should give our selves numbers?"

"Mary? Where's Mary?" Kara cried frantically, but Ib patted her arm.

"It's okay, Mom. She's probably just back at the insect room. I'll get her!"

"Ib, wait-" Karl started, but his younger daughter had already darted off between the hands.

Ib found Mary back in the insect room, just as she had predicted, stomping her foot on the floor.

"Mary! Everyone's waiting for you!" Mary turned.

"Right. Sorry, sis. I dropped something. Let's head out." She walked past Ib, heading towards the exit. Ib was about to turn back, when she noticed something on the floor where Mary had been stomping. She inched over, leaning down to look.

It was the ant, squished flat.

Dead.

Yes, Idid like the ant. Mary, you psycho. Anyway, if everyone seems to be handling this a little too well, be assured, there'll be some talking about it in the next chapter. After all, itis pretty freaky. They'll address it when they're sure nothing' about to eat them.