Ib: *reads from dusty notebook*

Mary: Whatcha reading, Ib?

Ib: The next chapter of MP.

Mary: You mean it is written out but not typed yet? What's wrong with Ani?

Ib: Ani has been too busy to type it.

Mary: Too busy indeed. I haven't spoken to Ani in months.

Ib: *stares sadly at her feet*

Mary: I have an idea! Let's surprise Ani and the readers by typing the chapter ourselves!

Ib: *smiles and nods at the suggestion*

Mary: Yay! Everyone will be so happy! You do the disclaimer while I grab the computer.

Ib: Ani doesn't own the game Ib or the character Wraith.

My Problem: Chapter 8

Scavenger Hunt

Dr. Yellow waved the two envelopes the patients had forgotten that she had. "This activity will be like a friendly competition involving puzzles, speed, and teamwork. The teams will be randomly chosen by me so no one feels left out."

Mary squirmed in her chair, trying to contain her energy. She was done with sitting still and talking. The hospital was a lot like school in that sense. She wanted her doctor to hurry up and put her on the same team as Ib. Then they could bond before becoming best friends forever!

"Ib and Garry will be a team. Mary and Wraith will be another. There will be no switching partners." The doctor glanced at Mary's protesting pout with disproval before handing the two envelopes to Wraith and Garry. "This is a scavenger hunt. You must find the prize I had hidden before our next meeting. Have fun!"

Garry's face scrunched in confusion. "Aren't you going to supervise us? We just met, so how do you know if we'll get along?"

"The staff will be around to break up fights. Violent behavior of any sort are dealt with quickly and effectively." The doctor stood and went to the door. "And by the way, you won't be able to solve the brain teasers if you bicker all the way." she advised before leaving.

Most of the patients seemed bewildered by the abrupt ending of their session, but Mary, being used to her doctor's ways, was unbothered by it. She used this to her advantage by grabbing her teammate's wrist and dragging him out to the hallway.

Garry gaped at the door in a daze, not fully able to comprehend that this was all happening so suddenly. Ib rolled her eyes before tugging the envelope out of his hands. She opened it and pulled out a note with the first clue. "'Beware the Ides of March.'" Ib read aloud. "That was from Shakespeare's Tragedy of Julius Caesar."

Recognition flickered across Garry's face at the familiar play. "That would probably be in the library or on the bookcases in the Commons."

"Let's go." Ib stood and strode out of the room with her teammate behind her. She didn't even need to bring out her map to know where the library was located.

~Mary~

The blonde murderer dragged Wraith down the hall by his wrist, only slowing when she felt she was far enough away from room 12-A.

"Wh-what are you doing? Let go Mary!" Wraith stumbled along unwillingly, his cheeks coloring in surprise at her sudden actions and strength.

"Shush and open the envelope. I want to see the clue." She dropped his hand just as he tugged his arm back to break the grip. He ripped open the envelope with an annoyed look on his face. His annoyance when unnoticed as Mary leaned to read the clue over his shoulder. 'So it goes.'

"What does that mean? Is it a line from a movie?" Mary leaned back, staring blankly at a wall in thought.

"It's from a book. I had to read it in high school." Wraith folded the clue and was about to place it back in the envelope when he felt Mary grasp his shoulders.

"What book was it called? You have to tell me!" she demanded while trying to shake the boy by his shoulders.

Wraith broke out of her grip by grabbing her wrists and pulling her hands away. "You have to stop attacking me before a doctor sees. They'll put you in solitary confinement if you keep doing this." He warned her, glancing down the fall for any unwanted spectators before freeing her wrists.

Mary rubbed at the abused wrists while glaring at the boy. Wraith picked up the envelope he had dropped in his attempt to defend himself, ignoring the blonde's scowl. "I know you're excited, but try to chill out. I don't remember exactly which book it was, but I remember the titles of the books I had to read."

Mary heaved an exasperated sigh before slowly nodding. "It's better than nothing. Let's go find the books you had to read. They might be in the Commons."

"There's also a library here. It's small and disorganized, but it has a variety of books." Wraith added.

"Well then we'd better hurry before they get ahead of us." Mary turned and strode in the direction of the Commons with unmatched determination.

~Ib and Garry~

In the small library-like room, the brunette felt comfortable enough to relax. She and Garry scanned the disorganized bookshelves in a welcomed silence. A particularly thick tome caught her eye as she searched. The Complete Collection of Shakespeare was the title.

Ib tried to grab the book, but it was higher on the shelf than she first assumed. It would probably land on her head if she tried dragging it down by herself.

She glanced over at her tall teammate. "Garry, could you grab this book over here?"

Garry turned his attention towards Ib and went to her when he noticed her distress. Ib pointed to the book she wanted while Garry pulled it off the shelf.

They opened the book to the Table of Contents. "The Tragedy of Julius Caesar… there it is!" He hurriedly flipped to the page, scanning the words thoroughly.

At the page with the "Beware the Ides of March" line, a folded slip of paper slid out of the book. Ib grabbed it and unfolded it over the book so they could both read it. 'Lift the weight over your shoulder.'

"I don't get it." Garry said flatly.

Ib mulled over the clue for a moment before consulting the map in her pocket. "There is a gym in the hospital, but I think they only admit patients with their doctor's permission. Our doctors are away," she pointed out.

"Why would she put the clue where we can't get to it? Then again, she seems like the type of person who would forget something like that."

Ib shrugged before handing the clue to Garry. "We ought to check it out."

Before her teammate could protest or support her idea, she was off again, not even checking to see if Garry was following. "I thought we were supposed to be a team," he muttered as he trailed behind his partner.

~Mary~

"This is impossible! We don't even know what we're looking for!" Mary sunk into an armchair with her hands over her face dramatically.

Wraith rolled his eyes before continuing browsing the bookshelves in the Commons Quiet Corner. "We're looking for a book."

"Oh yeah, that helps a lot," Mary said sarcastically, "What good does it do us if we don't know what book it is? Dork."

"'So it goes'," the raven haired boy recited while ignoring Mary's insults. "I recall the phrase being related to death. And the book itself was completely random."

"Your description sucks." Mary scowled at the large number of books on the shelves. "Why don't we separated the assigned high school books from the others?"

Wraith hummed in agreement, "That would be a step in the right direction."

The two put the books that seemed boring, old, and somewhat familiar to Wraith in a pile on the table. They looked through the books until Mary spotted an envelope between the pages in Slaughterhouse Five. "Look, look! The next clue!" she cried, ripping open the envelope. "'Your wish will come true if you throw in a coin,'" Mary read to Wraith.

"It must be at the wishing well outside. We'll have to get a staff member to come with us."

"Why?"

"Because hospital security has a problem with patients trying to leave the hospital without permission. You will be tackled if they think you are trying to escape."

Mary stared at the boy in surprise. From what he was saying, it sounded like he had experienced the hospital's more hostile treatment first hand. "How long have you been here?" she asked.

"Half a year, more or less." Wraith gave Mary a questioning look before gesturing to the door. "Let's go find a nurse to let us out."

"Right." Mary skipped to the door after grabbing her teammate's hand. Wraith's cheeks reddened at the touch, but didn't try to pull away. That girl was strong when she wanted to be!

~Ib and Garry~

Apparently, the hospital's gym didn't require special permission for entry. The computer at the entry of the gym contained the list of patients who were allowed entry. The nurse at the gym's desk checked their IDs and waved them in.

The Lylia Mental Hospital's gym looked like an average gym. It had a track around a basketball court. Currently, two soccer nets were set up on either side and a game of floor hockey was being played. Of course there were hospital security members prowling to keep patients from getting hurt.

"There should be a weight room around somewhere," Ib pointed out, "There should be a sign."

The two walked along the track, squeezing between spectators. They came across a door with a plaque that read 'Weight Room.' Ib tested the doorknob and was irked to find it was locked.

"What do we do now?" Garry wondered aloud. He watched in confusion as Ib strode over to a hospital security member. They exchanged a few words before they both returned to Garry.

"I'll have to come in with you if you want to go in the weight room. Hospital rules," the security man explained while he unlocked the door.

"Fair enough," Garry replied. He and Ib passed the door and stepped into the weight room with the man behind them.

"This will only take a minute. We are trying to find a clue for your scavenger hunt." Ib informed the security man.

"Scavenger hunt, huh? That sounds like one of Yellow's activities."

"Yeah…" Garry looked over the equipment carefully. He wasn't an expert on lifting weights, but one of the equipment looked like it matched the clue. "I think it's this one." He pointed to a device that looked like a pulley attached to a chair. The weights were resting behind the chair so a person would have to pull the bar until the weights lifted.

"I'll pull the bar and you can grab the next clue." Garry suggested.

Ib positioned herself behind the chair, her eyes scanning the weights. It looked like it was going to be really heavy to lift.

Garry settled himself on the chair his hands set on either side of the bar. "Ready?" he asked.

"Yes."

With a grunt, Garry pulled on the bar. The weights lifted over his shoulder, which gave Ib a chance to snatch the envelope that was taped to the back of the chair. "Got it," she said.

Garry let the weight clatter to the floor with a thud. "Great. Let's see what's in it."

'Mischievous works of Mother Nature can be found in this mystical place,' the clue read.

The partners pondered over the clue before Garry threw his hands in the air in exasperation. "I don't understand. Let's take a lunch break."

Ib was unhappy about it, but she welcomed the break. Seeking clues in a mental hospital did work up and appetite.

~Mary~

After recruiting a nurse from the front desk to join them, Wraith and Mary toured the garden located behind the building. The nurse didn't seem to trust the two teens from her look of suspicion as well as the way her finger hovered over the security button on her walkie-talkie.

Wraith didn't notice the obvious suspicion, but the nurse made Mary uneasy. She didn't want to be tackled and put in solitary confinement. The blonde was practically glued to Wraith's side while they searched for the well.

The wishing well was very small. It was narrow enough to keep patients from accidentally falling in. A heavy chain was wrapped around the pulley with one end dipped into the darkness of the tiny well.

Mary leaned in to look into the depths, but it was too dark for her to make out anything. "How deep is it?"

Wraith shrugged at the question, "I don't know. Do I look like a well expert to you?"

"No…" Mary huffed, leaning back to give him an un-humored glance, "You look like a girly-man to me."

Wraith stiffened and clenched his hands into fists defensively. "Take that back," he said slowly in a low voice.

Sensing herself treading on thin ice, Mary backed away with her hands raised in surrender. "I take it back. You're making me uncomfortable, so chill out." Mary spoke as though the boy was a skittish animal.

Wraith really was trying to follow her advice, but his breathing was heavy and his fists were clenching and unclenching. She could see that what she said got his blood boiling. She needed to get him calm before the nurse could consider him a danger.

"I'm sorry I insulted you. You might actually be a strong guy, but I wouldn't know without proof," Mary reasoned.

"I could prove my strength by breaking a bone or two," Wraith hissed between heavy breaths.

Mary's eyes widened fearfully. "N-no need for that! How about this… If you can pull the bucket up by yourself, I will admit that you are a strong he-man."

Wraith stared incredulously at the girl. "What kind of test is that? The well is small. The bucket can't be that heavy!"

"Well it might be heavy. You wouldn't know unless you tried," Mary pointed out while avoiding his eyes.

Wraith rolled his eyes before giving the handle a turn. The handle barely budged. "Woah, this is kind of heavy," Wraith grunted as he slowly turned the handle with increased strength.

Mary didn't respond out of fear of Wraith's anger. She didn't remember ever being as scared as she was when he threatened her.

Mary peeked into the well to see how far along the bucket was. "I think I see the edge. Just a little more." She watched as the bucket rose up the well and grabbed at the edges to help Wraith ease it out. The bucket was a 10 gallon container, like the kind her father would mix paint in to bring color to a sculpture.

"I can't pull it out, the bucket is too big," Mary called to the male.

"There must be something in it. Hurry, this thing's heavy," Wraith grunted.

Mary stared into the dark water of the bucket. She could barely make out something past the wavy surface. Her hand plunged into the water, brushing against something hard and plastic at the bottom. She wrapped her fingers around it and ripped it off the bucket. "I got it!" she declared.

Wraith let go of the handle, allowing the bucket to drop out of Mary's hand. "Ow," Mary winced as the edge of the heavy bucket was suddenly ripped out of her grip by gravity. "Give a little warning next time," she told Wraith as she checked her scraped hand.

"Sorry," Wraith glanced at the scrape, but when she moved her hand out of view he redirected his attention to the tape-covered Tupperware container in her grip. "Was this in the bucket?"

"Yeah." Mary lifted the wet tape-covered plastic and popped the lid off. "My hand is wet. Would you please grab the clue?"

The boy plucked the damp paper out of the container and read aloud, "'This famed musician broke his promise and lost his final chance."'

A silence passed over them as both of their brains turned over the new puzzle. "She said a 'famed musician.' Do you think she means someone like Beethoven?" Mary wondered.

"The hospital doesn't have a music room or instruments, so there's no need for sheet music." Wraith pointed out.

Mary's eyes lit up as inspiration hit her. "There's no music books or rooms, but there's a painting of a guy with an instrument in the hallway. Come on!" She turned and bounded to the building with her partner lagging behind.

The nurse they had brought along to escort them followed them inside. "Is there anything else I can do for you?" she asked the patients.

"No thanks. Sorry if we bothered you." Mary gave the nurse a sunny smile.

The nurse gave an understanding nod before heading back to her desk. Mary closed her fingers around Wraith's wrist, almost on instinct. "You were pretty strong to pull that heavy bucket all by yourself. I'm glad you're my partner, tough guy."

Wraith frowned at the words as he let the girl lead him down the hall. "You're just saying that because you said you would earlier," he pointed out, although his cheeks flushed a tad at the flattery.

"It doesn't make it less true," Mary claimed with a squeeze to his hand.

~Ib and Garry~

Ib's thief senses were tingling as the two left the cafeteria. Even without her handmade map, she could identify every painting she would access. The painting across the cafeteria door looked familiar and important somehow.

She hastily tugged at Garry's ridiculously tattered sleeve before he walked off without her. She nodded her head to the painting at his questioning glance.

"You want to look at the painting?" he asked.

Ib nodded and proceeded toward the object of her attention.

The painting was a watercolor of a colorful forest. At a first glance, it looked like a simple landscape, but when Ib examined it closely, she could see people in the trees, water, sky, and grass. The title of the painting was Enchanted Forest.

"What's the clue again?" Ib gave Garry an expectant stare as he fumbled for their newest clue.

"'Mischievous works of Mother Nature can be found in this mystical place.' I still don't really get it," Garry admitted.

The thief pointed to the title. "The fae reside in forests where they lure people and never return them."

"Fae? That's ridiculous," Garry scoffed, "But if you think the clue points to this painting, I'll help."

With Garry's help, Ib managed to wrestle the painting from its place (not that she couldn't do it herself). Taped to the back of the frame was another envelope.

"Isn't this almost over?" Garry wondered as his partner ripped open the envelope.

Ib ignored the question in favor of reading the clue, "' Red's hands are warm. Blue's words are cold. Find what the two have in common before I grow old!"

"Cute rhyme. Reminds me of something I'd write in elementary school." Garry couldn't help but cut in.

Ib curled her fingers around the sleeve of his coat to bring his focus back to the clue. "Blue and Red must mean the doctors. Both of their last names are Hall."

"Their offices are in the same hall on the same floor too."

Ib started down the corridor towards the elevator with a plan in mind. Garry fumbled with the painting they had removed in his haste to put it back on the wall. "Don't forget about me!"

~Mary~

Mary knew exactly where to go. Even though she didn't know the locations of all the rooms in the building, she had spent enough time familiarizing herself with the artwork to find the painting she wanted to see.

"Here it is!" she announced to Wraith. "See how completely devastated the poor musician is? See how the careful brushstrokes captured his every emotion?"

"Yeah, great." Wraith rolled his eyes at her. Mary removed her grip from his wrist to view the painting better.

The painting was of a young man clad in white with a lyre in his limp hands. He had a forlorn expression on his face as he looked behind him into the depths of a cave. Orpheus was the name of the title.

"I remember this guy," Wraith claimed, "He was in an Ancient Greek story. His wife died, so he played melancholic music to Hades in the Underworld to get her back. Hades promised to return his wife if he didn't look back."

Mary gazed at the painted man. "So he was a famed musician who lost his last chance. That's sad."

Wraith grunted in agreement before grabbing the frame of the painting. "What are you doing?!" Mary cried. She stepped closer, but didn't see any way to remove him without harming the painting.

Wraith lifted the painting off the wall. While holding it by the frame, he ripped the clue off the back. Mary gave a sigh of relief. "I thought you were going to break it," she admitted.

"I could break it if I wanted to," Wraith smirked mischievously at Mary.

Her heart pounded at the thought of an innocent art piece being broken to bits by the boy. She snatched the poor painting from his untrustworthy hands. "Art should be viewed and appreciated; not manhandled."

Wraith crossed his arms over his chest defensively. "Art, shmart. That waste of space is going to stay on a wall and do nothing. The hospital could have spent the money on more practical things, like better food."

"Don't you dare diss art! It inspires people and make them think more deeply." Mary turned away from the boy to place the painting back on the wall. She didn't want to show him how angry him undermining art made her.

"Why are you so obsessed with art anyways?"

"My father was an artist. I want to follow his footsteps and become one myself," Mary answered.

Wraith scoffed. "That so called 'career' will leave you starving and homeless."

Mary tightened her hands into fists and sharply turned to face Wraith. "You jerk!" she screamed as she threw a punch.

~Ib and Garry~

The partners found themselves standing outside Dr. Yellow's office door. The last clue lead them to a table between their doctors' offices. Two chocolate bars and a note telling them to go to Dr. Yellow's office were taped to the bottom of the table.

Ib knocked on the door and they entered at the cheerful greeting. Dr. Yellow stood from her desk and approached the patients as they came in. "Congratulations! How did you like the game?"

Garry shrugged his shoulders. "I thought it was okay. It could have been easier."

Ib simply nodded in agreement than voice an opinion. Dr. Yellow sighed, "Yes, I did make it challenging, but it was fun, right? And you got chocolate!"

"Yeah, fun…" Garry let his eyes wander around the bright office. The room reminded him of an excitable art enthusiast with yellow hair. "Did Mary and the other guy finish the hunt already?"

"About that… they had been sent to solitary confinement for the rest of the afternoon for violent actions."