Save You, Save Me

Voices.

I stared down at the pink rose in the vase, the petals coming back. I could say it was magical if it wasn't so terrifying. "Violet, you ok?" I looked down at the little girl and smiled. "Ya, I'm fine Ib." I said, brushing her hair back. Ib smiled up at me as she held onto my coat. I reached out and took my rose and turned back to Ib. "Come on. I'm sure we're almost there." I said and Ib looked over her shoulder. "She's right. It has to be here somewhere." Garry said and I smiled up at him. Ib ran up to Garry, pulling me with her. "Wow. Slow down, Ib." Garry said and I looked up at him. "No, no. It's ok." I said, smiling. Ib let my hand go and ran in front of us. There was something in my hand. Looking down I saw that she gave me the key. She quickly turned around and stared at us. She smiled at us as she stood there. I smiled back, before she rubbed her eyes. "You getting tired, Ib?" I asked and she nodded. She pulled up at us and raised her hands.

Garry bent down and pulled her up. She held onto him and rested her head on his shoulders. I unlocked the door and held it open for them. Garry smiled at me, mouthing a thank you before he walked in. I walked up to them and stared at Ib. She muttered something to him and turned to her. I turned to them and Garry kept staring at Ib. She nodded and rested her head back on his shoulder. She looked so calm there. The terrors couldn't get her from up there. I watched as she played with part of his collar. I raised my hand to my mouth as I giggled at her tired actions as she blankly stared. My hand was taken from my face and intertwined with Garry's. I smiled up at Garry as I leaned on his arm.

I stared as we stood there. "Uh, more stairs." I muttered. "I'm sick of stairs." I added. "You and me both." I smiled before turning to Garry. I looked over and saw that Ib fell asleep. "This place has taken a toll on her." I said softly. "It has on all of us." Garry said back. I felt his thumb rub my knuckle. I looked down for a moment, before I looked up and stared at him.

"Violet." I heard and I looked around. "What is it?" Garry asked and I turned to him. "I thought I heard someone calling out to me." I said slowly. The first step creaked under our feet as we took the first step. Like wood would. It was dark going down the stairs. "Watch your step, Violet." Garry said and I held onto his hand tighter. "You do the same, Garry. You don't have a free hand to catch yourself with." I told him and I heard him smile. "I will." He said. We were slow walking, taking it one step at a time. "Garry?" I said. "Yes Violet?" He asked as we kept walking. "Do you think we'll really get out of here?" I asked and he stopped. He turned to me and stared. "What brought this on?" He asked, his voice laced with concern. "What if this nightmare doesn't end? Like what if we're stuck here forever now for killing Mary?" I asked and Garry let my hand go.

"Oh Violet." He said, touching my cheek. "We'll get out of here. I promise you." He said and I looked up at him. I looked back down at my feet for a moment. "Violet, do you want to get out of here?" He asked and I looked back up at him. "Yes, but will the nightmare ever end?" I asked and he sighed. "Violet..." There was a door slamming and we both jumped. "Come on, we're almost there." Garry said before he took my hand again.

"Violet." I heard again, it sounded like it was coming from the top of the stairs. The voice was slow and eerily calm. I could see the light back up there, still on. "Did you hear that?" I asked and I felt Garry's grip tighten on my hand. "No, what was it?" He asked. I was scaring him, but what if it was something. "It was that voice again." I said. "Violet." I heard again. "There it is again." I said and I looked back up the steps. There was a figure, the light coming from behind them, made them all shadows. Even from this far down the stairs, I could still tell they were tall and lean. They way they stood was almost human in nature, but something was statically off. Like a puzzle with a corner piece missing. You could live with the picture, but it would never be the same.

"Garry." I said as I kept my eyes on them. Garry turned and looked up before the lights went out. Glass hit the ground as I felt Garry's finger tighten around mine. I turned to where he would be, trying to stare up at him. There was a creek of a step. The first step. The figures' steps were slow as they started to come down the steps. I was pulled down the steps, we were running now. I couldn't see a thing as we kept running, we were sprinting in the dark. The steps behind us were picking up the pass, trying to keep up with us. I could feel hot air touch the back of my neck as I saw a light coming from the bottom of the steps. "Violet." I was a whisper in my ear as their hot breath ran down my neck from my cheek. I turned to see them and stared. "What?" I whispered before my body turned. I turned and was blinded by the light.

I heard doors close as I opened my eyes. "Violet. Violet." I turned to face Garry and stared at him. He stood there, watching me. "It couldn't have been." I whispered before there was a bang on the door. "That is that thing?" Garry asked, staring at the doors. There was another bang and I grabbed the back of Garry's coat. "It's going to get in here." I said and the doors opened. It stood there with it's short brown hair, an eye as black as coal, the other was a blood red rose. His blue suit was ripped and pulled apart. His green tie was only hanging on by a thread. There was a mad look about him. "What is that?" Garry asked, staring at it. "The nightmare." I said before it came at us. I pulled Garry out of the way as the wall beside us opened up. I grabbed Garry's wrist and pulled him down the stairs.

We kept running down the stairs, it felt more like we were floating. We got the bottom and I shoved the door open. Garry ran in and I slammed the door shut. I leaned on it as I held it closed. My body was slipping from the door as it kept banging, trying to get in. Garry set Ib down and ran up to me. He put his hands above me as we tried to hold it shut. "I thought they couldn't get through doors?" He asked me. "I thought so too." I said, staring up at him. "Wait, haven't we seen him before?" I asked, staring at Garry. "He kind of looks like...Oh my." Garry said, turning to Ib. she was in a ball on the floor, with Garry's coat on her.

"We have to wake her." I said and Garry nodded. I moved away from the door as Garry leaned his body into it. "Ib? Ib, wake up. Ok, wake up honey." I said shaking her. She strited, but didn't wake. I shook her harder as I stared at her. "Ib, please wake up. Come on sweetheart." I said and she shot up. She looked at me and held onto me tightly. "It was--" "I know honey. I know." I said, holding her close. Garry looked through the door as I stared at him. He turned back to me and nodded. I sighed and started to rock Ib and myself.

"Come on, Ib. let's get out of here." I told her and she stared up at me. "Can we stay here for a minute?" She asked and I smiled down at her. "Sure Ib. We can stay here for a minute." I said as I leaned my back on the wall as Ib sat in my lap, her head on my shoulder. I was so scared." She muttered and I pulled her closer to me. "Nothing is going to get you now, Ib." I told her and she nodded.

Ib fell asleep again as I kept playing with her hair. She held onto the edge of coat with her little hands as I hummed softly to her, her head on my legs, garry's coat still on her. "I got one question." Garry said softly. I slowly turned to him and stared him in the eye. "If that was Ib's father, how did he know your name?" He asked and I thought about it. How did he know my name? And why did it sound so familiar? "I don't know." I muttered. "This whole place is messy." He said and I nodded. He let out a yawn, looking away from me and I smiled at him. "Don't do that." I whispered and he looked back at me. I raised my hand to my mouth, before I yawned. "Cause now I'm yawning." I said and he laughed.

"Garry?" I asked and he hummed. "You know when I saw that poster the other day, I didn't know if I'd come here...or to the art gallery." I muttered as I stared at him. "Why did you? I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said it like that." He said, waving his hands in front of his face. I smiled at him as he set his hands down again. "Well, I ran into a gentleman. Literally ran into him and spilled his coffee all over him. I felt so bad. I left before I could make it up to him. Then I put it together that he'd be going there that day. So I figured I could look for him and make it up to him." I said slowly. I looked away from Garry and stared down at Ib. "Sorry, that sounded creepy." I said.

"Violet." He said, but I didn't look at him. "Oh my Violet. Please look at me." He said calmly. I turned to look at him and stared. "Violet, you don't have to make it up to me.-" "No, I do." I said over him, shaking my head. "Violet, you already have. Please stop being so hard on yourself." He said and I stared at him, only for my vision to blur. "Violet...Oh my..." He said as he pulled me close.