"Aki!" Madotsuki shrieked. "Aki, wake up!"
But Aki wasn't moving. Her hair was singed a little, and there was a bit of blood on her face but apart from that she looked fine, almost asleep.
Madotsuki shook her, over and over, but she didn't stir.
"No pulse..." she whispered, checking.
"Is Aki...dead?" Ellen whispered, pushing her hair out of her eyes as she crouched next to Madotsuki.
"I-I think so..." Madotsuki stuttered. She then pulled herself together, and got up. "We should keep moving...I'm sorry, but we'll have to leave Aki here."
Ellen nodded, then got swiftly to her feet and stared around. Suddenly, a green...thing...with two large eyes seemed to float down to cover the gap.
Madotsuki approached it cautiously, with Ellen close behind her. The thing just stared at them, unblinking. It was almost creepy to Madotsuki. But then, she had seen worse.
"Um..." Ellen spoke up. "Can we cross?"
The thing closed it's eyes, as if agreeing.
"I think we can cross now," Ellen said, moving past Madotsuki to cross over the gap. Madotsuki followed, and they managed to cross it safely.
On the other side was a box and a triangular object. Ellen picked up the object curiously, then glanced at Madotsuki. "What do you think we should do with it?"
"Well, we can't take it with us. We've already got our roses," Madotsuki clutched it tighter, not wanting it to burn like Aki's had. "I feel like we need to throw it down there," she indicated the gap.
Without hesitation, Ellen walked up to the edge and dropped the triangular object down.
I wonder what that did?
Suddenly, the box behind them rattled.
"Let's not look in there..." Ellen decided.
"Come on, let's go," Madotsuki said briskly.
"Yes. We need to find the others," Ellen agreed, glancing sadly back at Aki. "We need to tell them what happened..." she shook her head and moved forward to the next room.
"Goodbye Aki," Madotsuki murmured, before she followed Ellen to the next room. She didn't look back.
Ib pulled one of the cords, hoping it was the right one. Nothing happened, so she assumed it was the right one.
But what was it for? Nothing had appeared. Maybe it helped the others...
"I wonder if they're okay?" Viola sounded worried.
"I'm sure they are, they must be!" Aya frowned. "Or we would know, wouldn't we? We'd feel that something was missing, right?"
Ib nodded. "I think so. Anyway, let's not let it bother us, or we won't be able to concentrate on what's ahead...whatever it may be..."
"So you haven't been in this area before?" Viola asked.
"No. I was separated from Garry by those vine things." Ib replied.
Suddenly, something clattered above them.
"Ellen, Aki and Madotsuki must be up there...however that works..." Viola muttered.
"So they must be okay!" Aya said happily.
Not necessarily... Ib thought.
Then, like an over-sized raindrop, a strange-looking object fell from the gap above their heads.
It landed with a crash near Viola, who picked it up and examined it.
"Put it over there," Ib indicated a triangular hole in the ground.
It fit perfectly, and the lock on the door gave a satisfying click.
Ib noticed for the first time the writing on the wall. It read:
'There is no exit.
There is no reason.'
Creepy...
Hoping the others hadn't noticed it, she pushed the door open, and they came to a long passageway.
Ahead of them was a creepy-looking doll, with glowing red eyes.
Oh no...
Aya approached it first. "There's writing next to it!" she called.
Ib and Viola followed her, crouching down to read it.
'Hello there, Ib, Viola and Aya...
I don't like being alone...
Take me with you...!'
Viola shuddered. "As if!"
They got up and continued walking. It was a very long passageway.
The doll appeared again.
"How did it get there...?!" Aya exclaimed.
'Hey, why aren't you waking me?'
"Don't touch it at all," Ib warned.
They walked a bit quicker after that, then rounded a corner. The disturbing doll sat before them, it's head tilted, a creepy grin on it's face.
'Why are you ignoring me?
Do you hate me?'
The three of them continued walking, but every so often they were stopped by the doll.
'Hey, play with me!
I know lots of fun things we can do...'
'I've got lots of friends, too...
I'll introduce you!'
'Be here forever...'
Viola gulped and stared, wide-eyed, at Ib. "Should we just take it? I don't like this..."
"No. No way, don't trust it at all." Ib said firmly.
The door was around the next corner...but the doll was sitting in front of it, preventing them from going any further.
Ib pushed it aside and the trio entered the next room.
Madotsuki and Ellen walked down a long, dark corridor. Nothing jumped out at them, and it seemed quite safe.
"Hey, Madotsuki..." Ellen began, stopping.
"Yeah?" Madotsuki glanced over her shoulder.
"What happened to Aki's rose?"
"It...was burnt. Even though Aki didn't have any serious wounds-"
"I know," Ellen said. "but she didn't just die because of that. she breathed in too much smoke. But why didn't she move...?"
Ellen seemed to be talking to herself, so Madotsuki didn't answer. But she couldn't help questioning it herself.
Did Aki want to die?
Madotsuki shook her head and turned back to face the door. "Come on, Ellen. Let's go."
They entered the next room, all senses alert.
It seemed empty at first, but Madotsuki realized it wasn't.
Standing to right of them, trying to open a door, was a girl with grey hair.