The pain is unbearable. So so unbearable. Pain. Pain.

It starts as a little sting, and then it grows and grows until he can't walk, and he's on his knees. The crazy girl's voice filters down the stairs, something he almost doesn't hear over the pounding and pain in his head.

Her laughter is just audible. "Loves me, loves me not- ahahahaha!"

Ahahahaha!

It hurts.

He sinks until he's lying face down. He can't support himself anymore. It hurts, it hurts. With the last of his strength, he pushes himself so he's leaning against the wall. Black starts to creep up at the edges of his vision. He knows Mary has reached the last few petals. The young girl in front of him turns back, red eyes widening, and she scurries over.

His eyes close.

Before everything slips away, he thinks he hears her sob.

Her shoes let out little squeaks as she crosses the hall, brown hair swaying, red skirt shifting gently. She straightens it out, passing fancy patrons who eye sculptures and abstract paintings in awe. Her parents do, too, stopping occasionally, but she moves quickly, not sparing a second glance for any of them, though they ring some bells in the back of her mind.

She stops in front of one painting, one with a man with purple hair who has blue roses surrounding him.

Her red eyes stare at it, capturing every detail, like any other child would with an interesting painting.

But Ib doesn't like many of the other paintings.

Sure, they're interesting to her, but they don't catch her eyes quite like this one.

She doesn't know why this painting man enraptures her so much, especially because she's a 11 year old who should be interested in other paintings with bright splashes of color and eye-catching glory. But it does, this strange man, bordered by twisting vines and thorns and blooming vibrant dark blue roses.

She feels like she's seen him before, the strange, small, melancholic smile on his face, his purple hair. It's like she can't remember- she tries, but just can't find it.

Tired of the strange feeling of deja-vu, Ib turns on her heel and leaves.