Author Note:
I want to really thank all of you who are taking the time to read this fanfic, I really enjoy writing, and appreciate all of your support! i think I'll continue through with this one until the very end, and to think it was once destined for the one-shot area of XP
Keep reading :) ~Scar
Chapter 6:
Splash. Ib felt a surge of relief run through her body as she closed her eyes. That was too close. She sighed, sitting up and stretching her arms. She wasn't tired, putting the rose into the water seemed to have galvanized her entire being. She stood, wary of the black hands that still wiggled their fingertips towards her, and brushed off her shirt. With one nimble move of her hand, her rose was at her side, she took a few deep breaths, before stepping forwards again hesitantly. She cried out as another hand plunged out of the wall, grabbing for her; but it was easy to sidestep, and she was soon on her way. The hallway opened up into a larger Green space, there was a painting on the wall, one that resembled an ant, and a door, which she tried. Locked. Guertena really loved to lock things. Ib jumped a little as she heard the splash of paint on the wall behind her, she turned, and found a small note that was written in dripping red. "Let's test your memory, dear Ib. Have you forgotten the games we used to play already? -G" She took a deep breath, willing her shaking fingertips to calm. She was beginning to vaguely remember this horrible maze, and wasn't very surprised to see that she could pull the painting off of the wall. What did I do with this before? There was a room... With a big hole in the floor. She looked back towards the groping hands. And it was back there. With a heavy sigh, she set off back in that direction, hoping that her memory would prove to be right.
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Garry was panicking. He looked around the room quickly, but there was a very limited amount of hiding places in sight. First he ran to the tables with the four vases, and checked inside each of them. They were all filled with different colors of paint; red, yellow, green, and blue. He dumped each of the vases out onto the floor, splashes of vivid color splattering in sharp relief against the blackish flooring. Nothing. His head whipped around quickly, and he drew in a sharp breath as he saw what was walking (or more... Limping) towards him. It was a man, or at least it vaguely resembled one. His body was normal, and his clothes mundane, but his face... It was deformed. Different shades of black and blue swirled against it, distorting it's features. The first descriptive word that came to Garry's mind was 'mistake'. Margret was shaking slightly, Garry looked down to read her brightly colored message. Hurry, friend. We need to get out of here, he... He ate Margret's doll friends. Margret never really liked them, but she likes you. Think. Where would a key be hidden? Garry tried to look around, but found his gaze riveted to the monster's ugly face. There was something in it's deformed mouth. It looked like a piece of purplish yarn... "JUST TELL ME WHERE IT IS!" He screeched, looking towards Margret. Margret can't tell G- Garry kicked her sharply. "IVE SAID IT ONCE, AND ILL SAY IT AGAIN. IM SICK OF THESE DAMNED DOLLS." Margret's head came off with a dull snap; it rolled across the floor, ever closer to the monster. Garry! But we're friends! Garry didn't pay any attention. He was too busy looking, searching everywhere. He was only interrupted by the horrible crunching sound. His head turned slowly, and he stared with horrified eyes as the terrible creature bit into Margret's wooden skull. Red paint and purple yarn rained down onto the floor. The paint spelled out a final message. Friends don't kill one an- It looked as though she didn't get the chance to finish. He gave the room a final glance, and his eyes rested on a shiny object that was tucked under Margret's body. Something that vaguely resembled- he dove towards it without thought; not taking the time to look up and see that the monster had had the same idea.
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Red frantically rushed towards the nearest painting, ripping it from the wall. The man inside cursed and screamed at her as she ripped a yellow piece of canvas from it, and discarded the bulky frame to the floor. "Blue! Catch!" She threw the piece with as much strength as she could muster. Blue caught it gracefully, tipping forward slightly in her frame.
"Alright Yellow, you're going to be okay." She wrapped Yellow's disintegrating hands in the yellowed canvas tightly, and held the new bandages on.
Relief ran through Yellow's body as the paint seeped into her wounds. She sighed, and let her muscles relax. She would be okay for now. "I'm fine now," she murmured softly. "You two, get inside, get the supplies. Don't touch anything else." She held her injured fingers to her chest, wiping the tears away from her eyes. "Avoid the black paint, and hurry. White will be coming soon, we have to be back before she shows up."
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Ib brushed past the last hand, and back into the hallway she had come from. It appeared that her guess had been right; and as she walked into the hallway on her right, painting in hand, she silently applauded to herself. She passed four paintings, each one labeled as a different part of a story. She stopped for a moment at the last one. "Last Chapter." She had a feeling her own story would continue for a while...there was a door there, at the end of the hall, one that matched the Green of the room with impeccable accuracy. She swung it open silently. And stepped into the next room. It was sparse, with a dark chasm running vertically through the middle of it, cutting it neatly in half. She lay the ant painting across it, and hesitantly placed her foot against the glass. She heard a cracking sound, and looked down nervously. But the painting itself hadn't cracked, the image beneath it had. The ant's exoskeleton was now partially smashed, and a strange reddish goo was leaking from it, it coated Ib's shoe too. Ib shook it off, and finished crossing. Through the next door, she found herself in another almost empty room. There was a large, framed painting on the wall, who's caption read 'Epilogue.' Ib looked down at the floor, and wasn't surprised to find a light Green Key. She felt that something in the room was missing though, something that made her uneasy; she shrugged, and grabbed the key, slipping it into her pocket, the one that also held her handkerchief. She turned to leave, and was halfway to the door before she felt the hand on her shoulder. A distinctly inhuman hand. Splash. Ib looked up at the painted note. "Forget about something? -G"