All Will Fade to Black ... (Garry X Reader - Ib)

Chapter 10

       Carefully, the two of you crept back to the intersection, so as not to disturb the tortured lips any more. When you got back, you turned and stared down at the note on the floor. "Just when you've forgotten ..." Frowning, you carefully ushered Ib away from the note and started walking down the hall. Suddenly, the bone-chilling growl sounded in your ears, and you knew exactly what it was. Looking down, you caught sight of a black, flailing hand, searching for purchase on one of your ankles.

     "Shit!" you shouted, leaping almost five feet into the air and bowling Ib into the opposite wall. As soon as you realized what was going on, though, you whirled on the hand, fuming, and stomped on its fingers. The growl suddenly became replaced with a roar, and the arm's movements became more frantic, but you had already moved out of the way with Ib and were clear down the hallway.

     Your heart now racing at almost a million miles an hour, you fell to your knees at the end of the hall and sighed. There was a long moment of silence before you opened your eyes and glanced around, only to choke back a horrified squeak as you caught sight of innumerable dolls hanging from the ceiling. Some from their legs, others by their neck ... all in all an unsettling sight.

     "O-Oh ... that's ... nice," you grumbled, only half aware that you were speaking aloud in the first place.

     Ib hummed in quiet agreement, trotting over to where you were kneeling. She surveyed the scene with quietly nervous eyes before saying, "I think we should go."

     You nodded. Simply being in the hallway was beginning to give you goosebumps. Standing (and being mindful enough not to hit your head against one of the dolls, you grabbed Ib's hand and weaved through the little terrors. From up here, you were able to get a closer look at them. Coarse black hair stuck out every which way from the top of their heads, falling against pale skin and large, soulless eyes. Each of them bore a smirk, to varying degrees. Their gaze turned your spine cold. With an uncomfortable frown, you hurried to the yellow doorway at the end of the hall, and was dismayed to find it locked. 'Of course it can't ever be easy ...' you thought, checking around for anything unusual about the door, to see if you could get it open.

     Running your fingers along the wood, you did come across something strange under the doorknob. Squatting so you could see, you found a small inscription plate under the doorknob next to a keypad. "'X * X + X = ?' What is that supposed to mean?" you muttered, squinting closer to see if you had missed anything.

     After you spoke, Ib quietly read over your shoulder, leaning in close. Then she pointed. "There are colors around the X's."

     You did a double-take, but didn't see anything else. "Are you sure ... ?" you mumbled, leaning in closer. That's when a slight outline caught your eye, only just off-white and barely visible to the eye. "Oh, I think I see it. Green, then pink, then purple, right?"

     Ib nodded.

     "Alright, then. I'm not sure what all the rest of this is ..." You trailed off, the realization suddenly dawning on you. "I think this is a math equation ... It's not one-hundred percent foolproof, but it's worth a shot, right?"

     Another nod.

     Finally standing, you took Ib's hand. "All right, then. I guess we're on a quest to find numbers. Help me look for them, okay? You get the low spots and I'll get the high spots."

     "Don't forget to look in the paintings, too," Ib piped up, causing you to halt. You hadn't thought of that.

     With a smile, you gently ruffled the girl's brunette hair. "Good thinking, Ib!

​     ​​​​​​ "What would I ever do without you?"