I apologize for the bad chapter (referring to chapter 4) Writing things while fireworks are drowning out my songs is a real pain sometimes. My ear buds were even rendered useless x_x Anyways, the following may not be any better. I can't really tell ._. The ending's pretty rushed too since I have to go to work soon ._.

"Hey, Ib."

Ib put down her book, turning her focus on Martin who sat across the table from her.

"Tomorrow's your birthday, isn't it?" He asked. He flashed his famous smile at her. "I'll pick you up at 9. I have a surprise for you."

The teen felt her cheeks run red and her heart skip a beat. She still wasn't used to being a relationship or at least in this kind of relationship. Martin was always good to her and was always understanding. She felt a little spoiled by him. "A surprise? Martin, y-you don't really have to-"

Martin smiled and made a small laugh. "It's cute how you're so shy about it." He complimented. "I insist, really!"

She looked away, her eyes fixated on the café's tiles. Tomorrow was her birthday and Martin remembered. She felt happy and rather fuzzy in her chest, but at the same time she felt a little sad. It was her 17th birthday tomorrow. If she was spending it with Martin, it would mean it's the first time she'd be spending it without Garry. Images of her past birthdays with Garry and her family played in her mind, reminding her of that sweet nostalgia and the good times they all shared together as a family. Well it's one birthday, right? She'll be home by 7 either way since Martin made sure to stay on her father's good side.

She looked at him and his pleading blue eyes. Great, she just felt herself melt in his hands. It was sweet of him to insist. "Alright," She caved. "At 9 then." What's the worst that can happen?

Garry was uncomfortable as his friend started yanking him into the building as soon as he arrived. But then again, this place was where his trauma was born, who could blame him? "I honestly don't understand why you yank me your place of work on a day that I told you was-"

"Would you just hear me out?" The uniformed friend pleaded. "I'm telling you, this place… I-It's seriously haunted!" He started pulling the artist into a dark room, lit up by little screens showing patrons and art admirers walking about. "You've read the articles, right? Why the last guards quit and what they saw?"

Garry pondered for a moment and for that moment he was honestly serious. This was his gallery after all. Who could forget being chased by statues, ladies popping out of paintings and of course being chased by a little girl with a knife? Suddenly, guilt started to coil in his stomach. Mary only wanted to exist in their reality, not some lonely world where all other beings only wanted a rose to eat and play with. Was it really right to kill Mary the way he did?

"Garry. Garry!"

He snapped out his musing and looked up at his friend, remembering that he had a question to answer. "R-Right. I heard. They said they heard laughter and the lights would flicker sometimes."

The guard nodded. "Paintings would be in a different position and sometimes the statues would seem like they were moving." He started to run his fingers across the buttons on the computer. "I didn't really believe them when I took this job, but then last night… I swear I almost died."

The man ran his fingers through his lavender hair, scratching his head. "Wesley, you're up late at night in the dark, staring at paintings and walking around without your coffee habit. I'm sure you're imagining things."

"Then explain this!" Wesley demanded as he pointed at the screen.

Garry first saw the genuine fear in his eyes and looked at the screen. The black and white colors didn't show much, but a flickering light pointed at the Embodiment of Spirit. He could make out a shaped-shadow in the corner which was clearly his friend, collapsed on the ground. In gray, he could make out the words among the monochrome static.

"She's mine?" He read, confused and somewhat nervous.

Wesley nodded. "I thought it was just a joke at first, but then right here." He pointed at the rose sculpture. "Do you see that shadow?"

The darkened figure was human-shaped and familiar. It had the build of a young teenage boy and his stature was similar to someone's. Then Garry noticed something unsettling. He saw the faint gleam of a lively blue pop out from the monochrome colors. The video continued to play and then… "Wait, go back!"

Wesley did has he asked, rolling back the video and playing it slower.

"There, right there! Stop!"

The video paused, showing something that the guard's diligent eyes had missed. Actually, two things. The screen had paused over a dark silhouette gliding across the screen as if it was right in front of the camera itself. Behind the fading gray were dark warps in the static that could barely be identified as something in general.

"Wesley, do you think you can clarify this?" He asked, pointing at the figure and the warps in the static. His eyes drifted about the room, staring at the other screens to see if there was something he might be missing at the moment. He was right. His sapphire orbs had caught on to one of the screens pointed at the headless statues of the three primary colors. Before the plaque that would introduce them was a pair of teens. As one turned, he soon recognized the features of her face, his heart almost stopping. Why was she here of all places? His eyes grew fixated on Martin who stood next to her with his hands behind his back. Then it hit him. It hit him like a ton of bricks to his head. "Call me when you figure it out!"

"Hey, Garry! Don't leave me alone here!"

Garry made a mad dash downstairs, leaping over the red velvet that determined where the patrons were allowed. He arrived at the statues, haunted by their stillness as he stared at them. It felt as if they were about to move at any moment. There's no time to be scared, he has to find Ib.

"Isn't it beautiful? You like roses, right Ib?"

There they are!

"Yup. It's just as pretty as it was when I-"

"Ib!" Garry cried desperately as he caught up to them.

The two teens turned around dumbfounded by the voice calling her. "Garry? What are you doing here?"

The man bent over, his hands on his knees as he caught his breath. "I… I should be asking you that…!" He tried to catch his breath. "This place is dangerous!"

"Garry, if it's about those articles…" Ib started. "I'm sure it's nothing. People are willing to make up things these days just for a good story." Over the years, Ib had learned about the reality of lies from the people in her school. It certainly wasn't pretty. Besides that, she was sure it wouldn't happen again. Mary was nothing, but ashes now so the fabricated world has no reason to fabricate once more.

Garry grabbed Ib's wrist and pulled her away from Martin to somewhere more private. He looked back at Martin who continued to stare at the beautiful flower that bloomed in a twisted fashion.

"Ib, it is happening again. More importantly, I believe Martin's involved."

"Garry, you're being silly." Ib started to make her way back to Martin only to be stopped by Garry once more. "Garry!"

"Ib, just because Mary died doesn't mean we can waltz back here without precautions! I saw the proof with my own eyes! You're being too careless!"

She snatched her hand away. "I'm not here it's now safe since Mary died! I'm here because she died!" Her fists balled up at her side. "All she wanted to was be real. I know we didn't have a choice, but she really was a good girl. It wasn't her fault that Guertena's pain was her fuel. She was lonely…"

"Ib…"

"If anything, you're the one being careless! Not only that, but I've seen the way you've looked at Martin! Even if you don't like him, can't you at least let me be happy with him? There's no way Martin's a part of the gallery! He goes to my school for Pete's sake!" Never before has she been so angry with Garry. Her heart was in a bitter swirl of frustration and guilt, unable to control herself.

Garry looked into her crimson eyes. They didn't seem angry and they didn't seem sorrowful. They didn't even seem focused on the issue at hand. No, they seemed more frustrated than anything. This seemed completely different from the Ib he knew, yet it was still her. Why? Why does it seem so painful to watch her like this?

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were jealous." She frowned. "But I know that's not the case." She pivoted on her heels and walked back to Martin. "Just go home, Garry."

Garry was left in shock. Ib had actually rebelled against him and actually yelled at him. She broke her quiet nature and practically mauled him with bitter words and tearful sentiment. She could be right though. Garry hasn't been well every since that incident back at his apartment and he couldn't even remember the important details of what happened. He looked back at Ib and Martin, frowning at the two and at himself. He just ruined Ib's birthday and her date. He's completely failed at protecting her from anything, including himself. He started to turn towards the entrance he came in and started to walk, his hands in his coat pockets. He looked out the window out to the botanical gardens of crossbred roses they had outside, sighing heavily. He was ready to curse himself out for being so stupid. He didn't expect to hurt Ib the way he did.

Ring ring

The ringtone from his phone snapped him out of his stupor. "Hello?"

"Hey, Garry. I managed to clarify the video. It's weird."

"What is?" He sighed as he pulled out a lemon candy. Goddammit, nicotine cravings can be such a-

"Well the warps says…" Wesley squinted his eyes to be sure he could get a better look.

Garry waited patiently, turning his attention to the world outside of the window.

"It says…"

The artist dropped the treat and nearly dropped his phone at the same time. He stared at the yellow words painted on the glass, his skin running chills throughout his entire body. He heard his friend's voice on the other end of the line and felt his tongue swell in his mouth.

HELP ME HELP IB