Author Note:

Sorry I was a little late with this one XD at least I got it done today, right? Oh, just warning you, there is a semi-gory scene coming up, so beware that (it isn't that bad, don't worry too much).

Keep Reading :) Love chu all~

~Scar

Chapter 7:

Garry crashed into the monster. It's skin was rough, the textured canvas feeling like sandpaper against his bare hands. He saw it before he felt it. The monster's deformed lips parted, and needle sharp teeth bit into his arm, ripping through the dark black fabric of his coat and drawing beads of thick, crimson blood. The pain hit him like a tsunami. He tilted his head back in a scream of pure agony. The monster crushed through his muscle, not stopping at the bone. Crack. He writhed in the creatures grasp. With a sickening sucking sound, his arm tore free. Droplets of blood splattered across the floor, he stumbled backwards, grabbing the key with his remaining hand. He looked down at his rose, half of the petals had been ripped away. His arm was a gruesome sight, peaks and valleys of ragged, ripped muscle were dripping with red blood. Garry could just make out the white of bone between two peaks. Water. I need to heal my rose. He stumbled towards the door, his dark blood drenching his coat. The monster chewed on the flesh of his arm on the other side of the room, and Garry could see a piece of himself go down its throat every few seconds. He was starting to feel dizzy. He unlocked the door with a painful move. His breathing was rapid, his heartbeat quick and erratic. Water... He numbly shut the door behind him, watching the creature rip another portion of his arm away with its deformed mouth. Water. His blood left a trail behind him. Petals dizzily swung towards the floor, splashing lightly into puddles of red. His body slumped against the wall, utterly exhausted, as he located a vase to slip his blue rose into. What was that...that thing? Garry trembled slightly, it had been terrifying. But that wouldn't be the worst thing Garry would see in the days to come. The gallery held many more surprises; waiting in its deepest, darkest corners. Waiting for him. After all, one can't play by themselves for long, can they?

/\-*~*-*~*-*~*-/\

Yellow, Red, and Blue were on their way back towards Mary's place, supplies on hand. It was a far walk (or more, crawl) and they were soon rather tired. Yellow took one more heaving pull, before slumping down. "I'd say we need a little rest, I'm ever so tired." Blue and Red nodded solemnly.

"Yes, but we need to hurry, we cannot keep White waiting," Blue exhaled in a cloud of grayish smoke.

"Yeah. Our 'royal' guest," Red muttered bitterly.

A few minutes later, they were well on their way back, with only a few blocks to go. "What makes White so special anyways? Is it just because she's the oldest of the paintings?" Red inquired in a cloud of orange.

"No, it isn't just that. White is the color of purity, she has some special talents and abilities, which is what makes us think she knows how to save Mary..." Blue murmured, looking over at Yellow's frame and sighing in a soft shade of blue.

"So she's magic?"

"Not really, just skilled. She knows how to manipulate the items of the Guertana world well." Red nodded thoughtfully. Yellow stopped them a few paces from the door.

"Best behavior. Am I clear?" She muttered coldly, pushing it open, and taking her place at the head of the room.

/\-*~*-*~*-*~*-/\

Ib slowly turned to look behind her. The thing that had grabbed her arm was a mannequin, its fingers bit into her shoulder with an unspoken urgency, like a parent trying to shake a child awake to escape from a fire. It was wearing a red dress, and was made of a dark black plastic substance Ib couldn't name. She squirmed in its grasp, and felt it reach around her flailing limbs for her rose... she kicked it away, sharply, and watched it fall to the floor, one of its plastic legs ripping free and clattering to the other side of the room. She stared at the figure that squirmed towards her. Now what? I guess there is only one way out... She turned back for the door, running as fast as she could, it swung open easily, and she stepped over into the room. Her right foot contacted with the glass of the ant painting, and she shifted to allow enough room for her left before- Crack. Crack. Crack. The glass beneath her shook and complained before shattering into dozens of pieces. The small shards reflected rainbows of light onto the walls, a colorful masquerade playing out in stark contrast to the plain green. She grabbed for the jagged edge of the pit, and caught hold just before she plummeted into the darkness below. But there was just one problem. The side of the hole she had grasped was the one nearest to the room she had come from, which meant... Ib heard the door creak open slowly, and watched the mannequin crawl into the greenish light. Her fingers already ached from holding on, and they were starting to get slippery with sweat. She tried to shift her weight, to get another handhold, but the walls on the inside of the hole were surprisingly smooth and clear. The mannequin took a deliberate crawl forwards, shifting to a kneeling position at the edge of the hole. It reached towards her, almost looking as though it were trying to pull her up, offering her a hand, before stopping. It remained motionless for a while, while Ib struggled to grip the now slippery surface with great difficulty. Suddenly, its dark black hand contacted Ib's with a sharp smack. The actual impact wasn't the real reason she let go, it was more the shock of the sudden movement. But nonetheless, her fingers slipped, she let go, and she fell.

And fell. And fell. And fell.

/\-*~*-*~*-*~*-/\

White opened the door to the house with a heavy sigh. Mary, look what you've gone and done this time. All of the other Ladies were there, and it looked as though they had gathered all of the things she had requested. Good. We may be able to solve this problem if we work fast.

Green watched the Lady in White stride across Mary's room. She was beautiful, her face cloaked in a delicate white veil, and her hands shielded by pure white gloves. Her dress was long and satiny, with ornate decoration and accents. Everywhere she crawled, she left a light trail of soft white rose petals. Beautiful... Green turned her attention to the other Ladies. There was a wide range of expressions there, Red seemed bored and slightly annoyed, Blue looked hopeful, Purple was smiling softly, and Yellow was absolutely empty. There was no sign of anything, a blank canvas "-and Green. I'll need you three to mix the paint, while I show the others how we are going to work this." Purple and Blue turned to her expectantly, and she just stared.

"Umm alright..." She crawled off with Purple, hopefully she would tell her what to do.

White watched them all with a light smile on her face. The women before her were her sisters after all, and seeing them all together working like this made her happy in a strange sort of way. The more she smiled, the more sure she was that they could pull it off.

Mary would come home to them.

White would make sure of it.

And she would never leave again.