Save You, Save Me

Toy Box

I opened my eyes and stared up at the black void of a ceiling. The small hole at the top, looking more like a light. I raised my arm and moved my hand in the light. Dropping my hand to the ground next to me. I pushed myself up as I let out a grout, my back felt like it was screaming at me. I brought my leg up and rested my arm on it, dropping my head to fall onto my open palm. I sat there for a moment, trying to ready my body to move. I used my other hand to grab my rose. I grabbed a hold of it and stared. The pink petals stared at me as I slowly counted. Five, I fell down to five, no wonder I'm sore. I tucked it back with a groan. I looked back up at the ceiling. We all fell down here and I fell last. I started to look around the dark room and could only see manikin heads, headless status, and dolls. I looked down to see lime green under me. I stared at it, why is this part lime green? I moved and looked down. It's a crayon drawing. I'm on a rose or this an umbrella?

I heard someone's footsteps and saw that long brown haired girl I've come to protect walking around. She looked worried as she looked around. "Ib?" I called out, but she was still looking around. "Ib?" I said again. She jumped and turned to face me. Her hands close to her body as she looked down at her shoes. In a moment I was on my feet and up to her person. "Ib, what's wrong? Are you ok?" I asked and she quickly shook her head. I bent down to her height and looked her in the eyes. Her eyes which still won't look at me. She looked pale, like in a moment she would fall over. The knot in my stomach came back, bigger than last time. "What's wrong, Ib?" I asked her. "Don't be mad?" She asked and I tilled my head. "Ib, honey. I'm not going to be mad. What's going on?" I asked slowly. She started to shake as she kept staring at her shoes. "I can't find my rose." She said.

"You can't find your rose?" I asked, begging that I hear her wrong. She slowly nodded and I stood up. You and the rose are connected. "Well, it has to be here somewhere. Why don't we look for it together? And you know what they say, two sets of eyes are better than one." I said and she slowly nodded. She took my hand as she looked around. "Don't worry, Ib. We'll find it." I told her. We started to walk around, looking at everything. I kept looking at the doll's bodys. Or Those statue hands, even those heads. Trying to look for anything red. You and the rose are connected. That thought wouldn't go away. The feeling in my stomach wouldn't go away. I kept looking around, trying to find Ib's rose. "Violet, look." Ib said and she bent down to pick something up. I looked down at her hand and there was a key. Ib handed it to me and I put it in my pocket. "There, it's safe." I said and Ib nodded. She still couldn't look me in the eyes. "We'll find it, I promise you." I told her and she nodded.

"Oh? What's this? A present for me?" I heard and my heart stopped. I quickly turned to see Mary standing there. A doll was handing her a rose. A red rose. Ib's rose. "Yay, it's so pretty! Can I have it?" Mary asked and the doll gave it to her. "Oh, thank you." She said. You and the rose are connected. I quickly walked over and stared at Mary. She looked so happy, having Ib's rose. "Mary." I said and she looked up. "Oh, Ib and Violet. Did you find what you were looking for?" Mary asked. "But anyway, lookit. I just got this! Pretty, isn't it?" Mary asked as Ib grabbed my coat. I looked down at her for a moment. I looked back at Mary as she held Ib's rose. "Mary, that's not your." I said and Mary looked back at me. "It was just given to me." Mary said. "Mary, that belongs to someone else." I said. "You mean this is Ib's? I thought I've seen it before." She said. "Mary." I said slowly. "Please give it back." I said. She looked at the rose then back at me. "Huh, I wonder." Mary said, before she turned to look at Ib. "Ib, do you want this back?" Mary asked. "Yes." Ib said and Mary smiled. She turned to me and I stared. "I want Garry's rose. I do like blue." Mary said. This can't be happening. "Violet?" Mary asked and I looked up at her. "Mary, I-" "I want Garry's rose. It's a trade." Mary said over me. "Take it." I heard and turned to see Garry standing there, his rose in his hand. Mary smiled and reached out for it. You and the rose are connected. I like yellow, but I also like blue. If the rose wilts, so too will you rot away. Oh but I love pink. Know the weight of your own life.

I reached out and grabbed Garry's rose. "Violet, what are you-" "Give me that rose, Violet." Mary said over Garry. "Do you want me to..." Mary asked, ready to pull a petal off of Ib's rose. "Mary." I said calmly and she blinked at me. "Violet, what are you doing?" Garry asked. I tucked Garry's rose in my coat. "I know you like blue, but-" I said and she took a step closer to me. I pulled the pink rose out from my pocket. "I know you love pink." I said and Ib held on tighter to my coat. "No, Violet you can't." Ib said and I looked down at her and smiled. "Everything will be ok, I promise." I told her, but her held me back. "You can't." Her voice was soft and breaking. "Ib, this is my choice." I said softly to her. She won't let go so I lightly pulled her off. "Violet, just give Mary my rose." Garry said and I turned to him. "I can't let you die." I told him and I took a step closer to Mary. "Violet don't." Garry said loudly. I lowered my hand and Mary took the rose.

"It's such a pretty rose. I do love pink." Mary said, smiling down at the rose. She handed me Ib's rose and I held it with such care. "You made the right choice, Violet." Mary said, smiling at me. I slowly smiled at her and she started to laugh. She took off running and I watched her. I let out a sigh and I turned to get Ib running into me. "Why did you do that?" She asked as I felt her tighten her grip on my waist. "I promised you, Ib." I said and she looked up at me. "And I'm not one to break promises." I said. "I'm sorry." She said and I giggled. "You have nothing to be sorry for, Ib." I said. I was about to give Ib her rose, but the room shacked and I looked around. "What was that?" I asked and I tucked Ib's rose into my coat. I grabbed Ib's hand and she held it tightly. "What's with these guys? We have to be careful." Garry said. The room got darker and things started to come at us. I stared at them as someone grabbed my other hand. Ib and I were pulled as those things got closer to us. They chased us as she ran in the darkness.

The two huge dolls were out of the way and we ran up the stairs. We kept running until we got to the top of the stairs. I stopped and tried to catch my breath. "Violet, are you ok?" Ib asked. "I'm ok, just out of breath. Too much running." I said, smiling at her. She stared at me with a frown on her face. "Hey, I'll be ok." I said to her. I was grabbed by the shoulders with such force and leaned back. "Violet, why did you do that? Why did you give Mary your rose? Do you know what could happen?" Garry asked quickly. I reached up and grabbed his coat as he brought me closer to him. "Why did you do it?" He asked softly. "I couldn't let you die." I told him and he looked up at me. "You don't get it, do you?" He asked looking down and I sighed. "Garry." I said. "No. You don't get it." He said to himself. "Garry." I said louder and he looked up at me.

"Nothing is going to happen to me." I told him. "But, it will. She has your rose." Garry said. "Love me..." I heard and we both looked down the hall. "It's happening already." He said. "Love me not...." I heard as Garry turned back to me. "How are you feeling?" He asked and I reached from my coat collar. I dug into my inside pocket and pulled out three roses. Garry let me go and stared. "How?" He asked. "I had two roses from the bride's bouquet. Mary saw me put my rose into my outside coat pocket." I said, looking at the roses. "Why-why-" "I couldn't tell you." I said and looked up at Garry. His stare was too intent, I couldn't face him. I dropped my head and stared at my shoes. "Not then. She could have seen through it. And those...things could have told Mary if I told you back there." I said as I shifted my feet.

It was silent for a moment and I turned away from Garry and walked over to Ib. I bent down to her height and stared up at her. "Here Ib, I'm sorry I had to do that to you." I said, holding out her rose. "It was a mean trick, I was scared." She said, looking at her rose. I kept looking at her as she reached out from her rose. She took it and stared at it. "I understand if you're mad at me. What I did was mean." I said before standing up. I walked back to Garry and stared up at him. I held out his rose and stared at him. He slowly took it and dropped his hand. "I understand if you don't trust me or if you-" I stopped and swallowed all my fear. "If you want to go on without me." I said as I stared at my rose and sighed. "No." I heard and I looked up at Garry. "We can't just leave you here." He said. He wasn't happy with me, but I still smiled at him. Garry started to walk off and I watched him. I felt something take my hand. I looked down to meet Ib's gaze.

"Come on, Violet." She said and I stared at her, tilling my head. "I'm not mad. You just wanted to keep us safe." She said and I smiled at her. She looked at my rose for a moment and saw the petals. "Are you in pain?" She asked. "I was, but I'm ok now." I told her. I tucked my rose back into my coat. "Are you ok? You didn't lose any back there, did you?" I asked as we walked after Garry. "I don't think so." Ib said as she held her rose out to me. I smiled at her, at least she's safe.