Luna: Another chapter yay! I actually got it in when I wanted!
Garry: Well done, now I can enter the story right?
Ib: Just don't expect it to happen again. And Garry, you already entered, somewhat.
Garry: I just laid there.
Luna: Well you'll get to do more this time so just read!
Chapter 5: Agreement
There's someone here. A small pitter-patter. Skittish and uncertain, like a child. Ib?
How long have I been here again...? Not long for certain.
She's closer...Is she limping?
I was supposed to follow right behind her. Leaving her to run around here by herself, what was I thinking?
I can hear her breathe. It's soft but uneven. She must be scared.
I feel so cold...where did Mary go with my rose?
Ah...a small, warm hand, it has to be Ib. Even though it's only my shoulder, my body is warmer already.
"Hey, are you alright?"
That's not Ib's voice...but it strangely reminds me of her. If it's not Ib...where is she? Could she be in danger? I need to find her!
In what seems like a long time, my heavy eyelids are lifted. I'm greeted with crimson orbs. "Ib!"
I'm fully awake now, hugging the precious...little...girl?
Pushing back and holding her out in front of me, I see that it's not what I expected. This is a small but developed young lady. Even so, everything about her reminds me of Ib.
A bit flustered, she simply asks, "How do you know my name?"
"Wha- So, you really are Ib?"
"That's my name, so how do you know it? I, don't know you..." She seems uncertain. She then stands up and backs away, "You're not something else from this crazy place right?"
There's no way this young woman in front of me is the same little girl.
"No, I would never try to go around and hurt those that are unlucky enough to be trapped here–Ugh!" Did my body always feel this broken?
The girl, or Ib, takes a step closer, but doesn't dare put herself in arms reach. "A-are you okay?"
"My rose, it was taken from me. Do you know about the roses here?"
"The roses here? You mean like this one?" She pulls out a rose that seems to have been thrashed around.
"My...What happened to it...what happened to you!? You're bleeding!" A handkerchief is tied around her shin tightly, and there are spots of red from where blood soaked through.
She looked at me, seemingly confused for a second. Most probably deciding on whether she can trust me, but before I can say anything to ease her, she replies.
"A...painting. There was a painting in the hallway that jumped out of its frame and attacked me." She gets quieter and looks around the floor as she speaks.
"Is it still out there?"
There's something in her eyes that make her seem frightened. But here face remains neutral.
"Y-yes."
"Well then, it'd be best if you avoided going out until you're ready to run. I can find a way to stall it."
Her head hangs down. "It's dead."
Did I hear that right?
"Come again?" My voice echoes disbelief.
There's a moment of silence. I watch her, standing there, head still hanging, and something inside me feels heavy. I stand up with my body still aching.
"Please don't make me say it again." Those words are spoken in a very low and shaky manner. She quivers slightly and again my chest feels heavier. I want to go comfort her, but I don't think that would be wise in her state of distrust. I feel like it's Ib, but is my heart tricking me?
"I see...Why don't you try to relax in here a bit? I'm not one of those creatures, I don't know what I can do to get you to believe my words, but –"
"Thank you, for your concern." She walks to the other wall and sits down behind the other bookcase.
As she sat there staring at her shoes, something crossed my mind. Wasn't I in a hallway before?
"Hey, uh, Ib? Um, was I in here when you found me? I wasn't, in a hallway?"
She looks up at me with her brows furrowing a bit. "Huh? Um, no. You were laying in here when I entered the room."
"Oh, okay."
Once more, there was silence between us. She went back to staring at her shoes. I looked around the room, nothing out of the ordinary as far as this place goes.
"Say, Ib."
"Yeah?"
Her gaze fell on me with only her eyes sparking an interest.
"I haven't quite explained the roses yet. Since the moment I was trapped here, I had a rose, and when that rose lost petals, injuries began to appear on me. Presumably, when all the petals have fallen off, you die, or something similar. You're rose looks rather tattered, so what you need to do is put it in a vase that's full of water and you'll feel better."
"Is that some kind of joke? Who in there right mind would treat this as a game?" Ib turned her rose around in her hand gently, but with orbs full of fury. Angry Ib, kind of amusing. Like an angry cub.
A small smile played at the corners of my mouth, but I covered it with my hand not wanting to further anger her. Clearing my throat I say, "I'm afraid it's not a joke, so don't give it to anyone, okay?"
A flash of recognition scampered across her face before nodding her head once.
Is this really Ib? Her eyes are the same, her hair color too. Her fashion is also similar. Her petite size. Her small voice. Her rose. It all seems like Ib.
"Say, Gar...eh? Sorry, I don't know what I was about to say. But, I still don't know you're name."
She was about to say my name. That really settles it. But, she doesn't remember anything? How long have I been here?
"My name is Garry."
Ib froze with a shocked face for just a moment, but she soon recovered. She saw me staring at her and shifted under my gaze. "I apologize, the name just sounded familiar. Also, forgive my rudeness, all this time I realized that I was speaking very informally to an adult."
Why the sudden change in character? "There's no need to be like that, be as comfortable with me as you want. Oh, by the way, when you last checked, what was the date?"
"Today, if I remember correctly, is Monday, August 17th."
"How old are you?"
Ib shifted a bit more. "I'm soon to turn seventeen this year. Why do you ask?" So I've been trapped in here for almost eight years.
"Sorry, that was probably a strange question, but I just wanted to see the difference in our ages, since you seem short." Uh-oh, she might get mad at me for saying that, but at the very least it doesn't sound creepy.
"It's okay, I get that a lot. So what about you?"
That didn't go as bad as I first thought. This sounds more like a normal conversation, doesn't it?
"If you had to guess, how old do I seem?" I rub my chin expecting there to be a beard, but realize that there's still only a bit of stubble, the same as when I got here. Strange no beard or anything. I should be 27 though. But, since I've been here, have I aged at all?
"I'd say nineteen or twenty?"
"Yeah, well technically no."
"How is it technically no?"
"Well..." I don't want to lie. Not to Ib. "I've been here for almost eight years, but my last birthday was my nineteenth, on the eighteenth of July. It seems as though time is altered or stopped altogether here."
"In other words, you haven't aged all this time...eight years, yet you're still nineteen physically. I just barely got here, and I can't stand it already. You never found the exit?" She fidgets around ever-so slightly, but I can tell she's nervous. Just barely got here?
"Ah, don't worry about that, I...got left behind. As I mentioned before, my rose was taken so I ended up being hurt, and couldn't go on. The other person that was here with me got out." Unfortunately you were brought back. Even so, I'm happy I can see you again.
"How could they leave you so easily?"
"No, it wasn't their fault. I told them to go on, that I'd catch up, but I wasn't able to. I'm just happy she got out. She was only nine, besides it seems that she's forgotten who I was." I lock my eyes with hers. I shouldn't push it any further. If she remembers, then she'll only blame herself.
Looking away and stretching my sore bones, I continue, "Anyways, we still need to find a vase for you."
Suddenly she stands up, "I don't know why," she looks around the room quickly then back to me, "but I feel comfortable around you, even if I haven't exactly given that impression, it's true. I found it odd, so I tried to just ignore that. It didn't really work...But, if it's okay with you, I'd like to find the exit together." Ib's face is a shade of red that I've never seen before. "And we need to find your rose too." She's just so precious! I'll always treasure her, like a sister.
Rising to my feet, I bow, bearing the pain. "I would be delighted to accompany you, my lady." I smile wide at her. She giggled softly and smiled a little back.
Ib: Doesn't my character seem a bit odd in this story?
Garry: You do seem a bit strange.
Luna: We haven't gotten to that part of the story yet! I'll try and make sure to tie everything together. I'm sorry if it's confusing for anyone, I feel like it might be.
Ib: You still have a while to go to explain everything.
Luna: If anyone is confused for any other reason, I'm sorry and leave a review or PM me and I'll try to fix it in the next chapter. Even if you're not confused, leave a review, or favorite, follow, whatever.
Garry: I guess, we'll see you in the next chapter?