He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not...

Mary had won…



"Now that that's over with, we can play together forever!"



He's…sleeping?

But he's so cold.

Ib shivered and bit her bottom lip.


She stood right in front of the stem of the once beautiful rose. The bluest rose she had ever seen… the blue petals had lead her to this room… and the rest had been scattered all about the area. Mary had won… she had killed him.
She killed Garry.

Why do I keep telling myself he's sleeping…?
When the rose rots… you too, will rot.




So… Garry isn't sleeping.
He's dead.



Ib tried to hold back her tears as she slowly knelt down to pick up the empty stem. She rushed over to the little vase filled with water in the room, and she dropped it inside. But nothing was happening. Why wasn't anything happening?

"Please Garry…" She whimpered, the tears streamed and stained her pale face. He had saved her life in exchange for his…and now she was regretting it terribly.



Don't let his protection go in vain!

Ib! A world with no adults! We can play forever!

Ib would never be happy again.




"What can I do…?" She muttered to herself. She continued to pick up the stem and place it back into the vase, hoping that each time she did it would be a better chance at reviving him. But nothing was happening… all was lost.

"…" She slowly let go, leaving the stem in the vase as she turned and marched back down the steps and down the hall, following the rose petals of her friend… her best friend, out to where he rested.



Where he slept.



"You're sleeping…" She announced, choking a bit as a sob escaped. She wiped her eyes on her sleeve, before slowly moving herself close to Garry.
He was cold, and yet, inside his jacket… it was warm.

She sat herself down beside him, and slowly wiggled herself into his jacket, before throwing his arm around her shoulders with a weak and tired smile "You're just sleeping… you deserve to rest, Garry… you've helped me through a lot."

We deserve to rest.


She lifted up and kissed his cheek, his strangely cold cheek. For someone that was sleeping with a warm jacket, his face was cold. But he looked so peaceful.

She couldn't help but smile.


"You'll always protect me… no matter what right?"

He loves me… he loves me not…

"And… and I won't let you stop…"

He loves me… he loves me not…

"…" Ib's fingers trembled as she stared at the last red petal on her stem. She felt even too weak to pluck it on her own.

"…When we meet again, you have to keep fighting… we will fight together."
Mary will have to wait for the next victims.
But Ib, and Garry, will fight for them. No one deserved the horror, no one deserved the pain… no one deserved the loss…



…



He loves me. Garry, you love me…!
She smiled as her head leaned against his chest, her eyes gently closed.




Garry smiled.