Painting the Roses Red (An Ib AU)

Chapter 7: I Don't like them

Ocean's Point of View

My eyes slowly fluttered open to adjust to the light, and I immediately sat up. I saw a brown haired figure kneeling next to me.

"Hey sleepyhead." Rick smiled. His mask was on his head. I sat up and rubbed my eyes.

"How are you feeling?" He asked me with concern.

"I had a nightmare... but otherwise I'm good." I said as he nodded.

"I see." Rick said.

"Seeing my sister like that would scare the **** out of me to." He said as he chuckled a bit and I managed a weak laugh as well. Tommy, who was busy with my red/black rose in a vase, saw me.

"Morning Ocean." He said as he smiled, I smiled back. I noticed something different about Rick. I looked down and saw his dark blue hoodie on me, the hood still on my head. He had a plain black, short-sleeved shirt underneath that hoodie.

Jack and Barry were looking at the books from the bookshelves on either side of the vase. Jack waved while Barry gasped at my awake face.

"Hi Ocean!" Jack said with energy.

"Ready to head out now?" Tommy asked. I took off the hoodie and tossed it to Rick, who tied it around his waist.

"Yeah. I feel great." I said as I smiled as Tommy handed me my rose. Jack opened the door so everyone could leave, we all walked out. In front of us was a red velvet maze like that of a movie theater. I ducked beneath the lines to the exit. (Author/Red: As suggested by Rick.)

"That was easy right, Jack?" Barry asked as he turned around to his friend.

"Jack...?" He asked.

"Oh." Barry said as he saw Jack was trying to open a nearby purple door, a statue or something in front of it. He squeezed inside and stepped out, sprinting over to us.

"Look!" Jack said as he pointed at the wall.

"What was the name of the large painting in the Guertena exhibit?" He read from the purple painted text on the lavender wall.

"What was it? Abyss of something..." Tommy said as he sighed.

"The deep. Abyss of the Deep." I finished.

"Oh. Yeah!"  Barry says and we walked through the halls, passing a mirror, until we reached the door. Rick shook the handle, locked.

"Abyss... of the ... Deep." He wrote in the doorway and the doorway gave way. We all piled into a room, nothing but a large square painting in the center of the huge room. The painting was red and black, titled 'Separation.'

"Huh?" Jack said as he shrugged, looking at it. That's when everything went pitch black.

"H-HEY!" Rick shouted out.

"WHAT HAPPENED?!" Tommy yelled. I started to panic; was this the dream warned?

"BARRY?" Jack asked.

"I'M HERE!" Barry screamed.

"OCEAN?" Tommy yelled in a panic.

"A-ARE YOU THERE?" Rick yelled.

"I'M HERE!" I shouted. The lights flashed on suddenly to reveal spray-painted words beneath our feet.

'DON'T KILL ME.'

'HELP.'

'STOP.'

'NO.'

Tommy jumped in surprise.