Shadow's Rant: When I first started this, I thought I would get chapters done every day. But with upcoming graduation and all, I barely had time to work! Sorry! *On with the story!*
Ib's gaze met Mary's innocent blue eyes. Garry was still looking ahead with no signs that he was alive.
"What did you do to him?" Ib said angrily.
"I didn't do anything," Mary giggled. "I got a little help." She looked over to the "Hypnotist" painting.
"Garry!" Ib screeched. He didn't even blink. She saw him take his blue rose out of his pocket and held it up. What's he doing? Ib wondered. Garry raised his other hand and plucked off a petal. And another. And another.
"Hey!" Ib screamed up at him. She leapt onto his boot and climbed up his pant leg. (Which was more like climbing Mt. Everest due to her small size.) Petal after petal floated past her head. Yes! She got to his jacket! She was half-way there. She grabbed the blue fabric and pulled herself up.
Grab. Pull.
Grab. Pull.
Grab. Pull.
Mary watched Ib and laughed like this was all a joke. Ib knew she didn't think Ib was going to make it. She counted the petals as they went by.
"…Five!" Mary said. She seemed to enjoy the thought of having Garry kill himself. Ib was on his arm; the one holding the rose. She held her arms to her side to keep her balance and carefully walked to his hand. She almost slipped on a little blood that appeared on his sleeve. It must've been because his rose was being destroyed.
"Nine!" Mary continued. Ib dived to the rose and held on. She looked up to Garry's face.
"Stop it!" she ordered. She grasped one of his fingers with her hands. She gave Mary a death stare. Now what? Ib gasped in horror. Garry was down to his last petal. He reached for it, and-
"Agh!" The color came back to Garry's eyes and he whirled around. A Lady in Green had clawed his leg. He stomped on its head and made a run for it. He gasped as he raced down the maze of halls. He only stopped when he slipped on a book and landed on his back. He sat up in a daze, still not aware of what happened. Ib (after hugging his shoulder the best she could) slid down his arm and sat in the palm of his hand.
"Let's read it," she said. "It may have something useful." Garry panted and nodded. Ib wondered if her even had the strength to talk. He raised his hand and opened the book. Ib began to read aloud to him.
"Ib, the little china doll who lives on the other side of the museum, has come with a boy. His name is Garry, I think. I was thinking of leaving with him, but he wants to leave with Ib. Anyway, I need someone trapped here to take my place as a painting. If I can't escape, neither can he. Or Ib."
Ib gulped as Garry closed the book, not wanting her to read any more. She saw a nearby vase and pointed to it. She grabbed his rose and jumped up, grabbed the edge, and pulled herself up. She gave his rose water; Garry was by her side, healthy as can be, within seconds.
"Thank, Ib." he said. He studied where he'd taken them. It was a small room with blue dolls and a painting. The painting had a ripped center. Under it read "Mary."
"What are you doing here?" someone asked with a worried voice. Ib and Garry turned to find a frowning Mary. "Leave," she said flatly. "Now. NOW. LEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAVVVEEEEEE!" She took out a palette knife. Even though it wasn't sharp, Ib knew well enough it could still do some damage. Mary made a mad dash for them as Garry furiously searched his pocket. He pulled out a lighter and set the painting on fire. The color drained from Mary's face. Then she became angry again as a small flame started at her chest and began to spread.
"If I can't escape, you can't either!" she screeched. She ran up to Garry and drove the knife through his shoulder. That was the shoulder Ib would ride on. Mary was set to flames and she was burned to ashes.
"So she was a painting," Garry said. He was clutching his bleeding shoulder. It didn't look good. Ib climbed up to it. She didn't care that her milk white legs were now covered in red blood. Garry stumbled across a hall and down some stairs. It was the only way to go. It was dark and Ib hung onto his hair for dear life. What was this place?
"I know this place," Garry huffed. Paintings were everywhere. He gazed up at a giant painting. "Fabricated World." He looked at Ib. "Ready to go to Outside?" Ib nodded furiously.
"Let's go," she said. As Garry climbed into the painting, she whispered to herself, "I love you, big brother."
Ib opened her eyes and let them adjust to the bright lights. Humans! So many of them! She tried to find Garry next to her to tell him that there were so many, but he wasn't there. Ib gazed into crowd. Not one person had lavender hair. She looked down in disappointment and almost screamed, not from fear, but from excitement. She twirled in her red satin dress. Her long brown hair, once solid, flowed around her. What a feeling. She inspected herself: fingernails, arms, fingers, toes. She grabbed her hair and felt it. She should dye it purple.
She was human.
Garry! She had to find him and tell him! Ib ran down halls, pushed people aside, and even jumped velvet ropes; anything to find her big brother. She called his name, but people told her to be quiet. Then she saw him next to a giant rose sculpture.
"Garry!" she cried. He turned around and looked at her. She stood next to him. She was now half his size! He seemed so much smaller now! "Look! Look at me! Aren't I pretty?"
"Who're you?" Garry asked. Ib's world almost shattered. He was kidding, right? Just joking?
"You don't remember any of that?" Ib asked miserably. "Nothing?"
"No?" Garry said uncertainly. Tears streamed down Ib's face. She would've been fascinated by them if this wasn't happening. She looked at the floor. Her legs were still caked with blood. The blood that hadn't dried yet dripped onto the white floor. Garry noticed too.
"Hey, are you okay?" he asked frantically.
"Mary stabbed you with a knife," Ib mumbled.
"Huh?" Garry said. Ib frowned in frustration and slid his jacket off his shoulder. It still had the red stuff on it. His expression told her hadn't noticed.
"Wha-?" he gasped. "When did this happen?" He blinked a few times.
"Remember me?" Ib said. "It's me, Ib! I was in the Fabricated World, and you saved me, and we escaped to here…" Garry's eyes suddenly got wide and he smiled.
"Ah!" he said. "I remember now!" He tried to bend down to Ib, but he winced at the pain.
"We need to go home!" Ib said.
"Of course," Garry said smiling. "And once I get better, I'll get you some new clothes."
"And get food."
"And toys." Ib took his hand and practically dragged him out of the museum, but stopped at the doors. She took a deep breath and pushed them open. For the first time, she was outside. She felt wind. The sky was blue. What was that green stuff sticking out of the ground? That didn't matter now. She and big brother had to go home. She grasped his hand tighter and he walked her home.
Ib in Real Life Part 2
Garry: Help!
Mary: *raises knife* DIE!
Fangirls: NOOOO! *tackle Mary*
Mary: *escapes and runs away*
Fangirls: Garry! 3
Ib: *picks up knife Mary dropped* BACK OFF!
Fangirls: *scream and run away*
Garry: Thanks, Ib…
Ib: *hugs Garry* He's mine.
Garry: *sighs and walks away*
*Last note:* The story's over, but I want to do an epilogue, so keep an eye out for that. And please review! I love reading them!