Painting the Roses Red (An Ib AU)

Chapter 16: Burn the Painting

Ocean's Point of View

I faced the door ahead, gripping on my rose tightly, not caring that the thorns pricked my skin and causing blood to drip onto the rose petals. It camouflaged anyway; the blood red/black rose had the same shade of blood. 

We walked through the doors, stepping into another crayon-colored hallway. The rest of the group was silent. I didn't blame them; that painting imposter was very close looking to the real Mark.

"This has to be it, right?" I heard as I looked back at them, Jack had spoken. I realized how tired they looked; I could hear some of their stomachs grumbling, and they yawned every now and then.

'How long had we been here?' I thought as my stomach grumbled as well, and I only realized that my tongue was sticking to the roof of my mouth. I was out of candy, and I had no food...

"It has to be." I said, nodding at him. Walking down the hallway, I wondered if there even an end was. That's when I saw the pink roses drawn on the walls, pointing us to the doors in front of us. I looked back at Tommy and smiled, he smiled back. 

Down the hallway we went before the world changed around us; the once white walls flashed a bright yellow. There were stairs leading upwards; but they were blocked by huge light blue roses as Tommy looked at them.

"They're not as lively as real plants." He spoke. A blue lighter lay on the floor; the name 'Garry' was written on it. Barry picked it up while Toby noticed and smiled.

"Let's kill someone." Barry said as he smiled at Toby's observation and set fire to the plants. They burned up immediately. We all rushed up the steps.

"Hey, look at that..." Jack said, trying to look.

"That painting... I've seen that before. "Tommy said as he gasped, and Barry's eyes widened.

"Guys, come on!" He yelled while Jack, and Conner sprinting to the painting. Footsteps stopped me from going. I slowly turned around to see a tired Amy. She was breathing hard, looking up at me really mad.

"Who's there?!" She yelled. I blinked, seeing a small blond girl with wide blue eyes and a green dress for a second with the noise of static. She was coming in and out like she was like a hologram; her eyes had rage in them.

"...Ib, Garry, are you there?" The girl called through her teeth. Her eyes landed on me.

"You! How did you get in here? Where's my sister?" The girl said as she waved one more time before Amy appeared there again.

"Leave now..." She said with her eyes looked around. I felt Tommy behind me, hand gently wrapped around my waist.

"...or die!" Amy said as red cracks appeared where she was standing, but Tommy pulled me back.

"Run, run, run!" He yelled as Barry looked at the painting, and he set it on fire. Amy screamed, falling to her knees; Tommy pulling me back again as with the knife almost hitting me. Her blonde hair started to turn dirty blonde, then orange with flame. 

Her whole body changed back into that little girl with the green dress, then back to Amy or Liz. The world around us turned red with heat. Amy looked up; fire went all over her body.

"I'm sorry, Mary..." She said as she burned up. The only thing left was her knife lying among the ashes. For a moment, it was silent, except for my shaky breathing. Jack's eyes were widened darting at the piles of ashes. Barry looked almost afraid of it. 

Tommy took some deep breaths; Toby's eyes were squeezed tight. And Rick was against the wall, sweat coming from his forehead. I looked at it and was kind of shaking, thinking if it was all over. A door opened up behind us. I looked back finally. A dark room stood before us, a desk and pathway to the side.

"This is familiar..." Rick said as he looked around.

'This was the... Museum!' I thought as we all hurried to the painting, Fabricated World. I looked at it.

"This is where I fell in..." I said as I remembered.

'Was Maya waiting for me?' I thought at the frame around the painting disappeared and Tommy smiled. smiled.

"Look! The frame's gone." He said as he puts his hand in.

"Ocean, hurry! We could jump in, and it'll all be over!" He said as he smiled.

Jack couldn't help making a joke; he tripped and fell in, laughing. Barry stepped in a little bit hesitant, Toby walked in. Tommy jumped in; I could've sworn I heard him yell 'I came in like a wrecking ball' as he did it. Then Rick looked back at me.

"You coming?" He asked me as I nodded.

"Yeah!"