Worry of The Lady in Red

The Fabricated World was a very strange place full of very strange creatures, only seen by a few (unfortunate) visitors, some of which became residents themselves. Trapped in the twisted and colorful dimension created by Guertena, what do these creatures do and what do they yearn for?

A friend? Freedom? A chance to go into the Real World? Love?

Just like normal humans these creatures yearn and crave for what they cannot have. And what they cannot have is just that. However, one fortunate painting was smarter than the rest. Cleverer than the others. And above all, yearned for it the most.

"She's so beautiful."

"What a magnificent work of art."

"Such splendor!"

Compliments and declarations of beauty were all she heard everyday for years since being created by Guertena. She hanged there on her spot of the wall as hundreds of visitors came to view and adore her. It would be lying to say that the Lady in Red did not enjoy these compliments given to her by these complete strangers. But after years of the same old routine it quickly became dull and plain for her. So she stayed there, seeing as she had no choice, and continued feeding on their remarks about how lovely she was.

"Hey fellows, look at this beauty." A salary man said calling over his companions.

Soon four other men in suits came and started gawking over the painting.

"Well HE-LLO baby" One of them said, examining her up and down. The others chuckled at his joke and continued making their own cracks at the Lady in Red. However, the Lady in Red did not enjoy this activity. Not. At. All.

If paintings could roll their eyes she'd probably be cross-eyed from these rude men. In the midst of their joking, one of the men called their last companion, who was still examining the sculptures behind them. The last one headed towards his friends before being patted on the back by the first.

"So whaddya think of this one eh, Adam?" The first one said.

The man named Adam gazed up at the Lady in Red just as his friends told him to and for a second there was a thump. A thump not just in the man's heart but surprisingly, in the Lady in Red's heart as well. But how could this be? It was common for men who saw her to fall in love with her at first sight but the thing that was unusual was that the Lady in Red might actually reciprocate the feeling. If that was even possible seeing as she had no heart in the first place.

In the Fabricated World she stared at the man from her portrait window wide eyed and with awe. She placed her hand on the window and leaned closer to see him better. In the real world nothing would have moved but in that world she seemed like she was about to fall off from leaning too close.

They had been staring at each other for a full ten seconds before one of his friends waved their hands in front of his face gaining his attention back.

"Ah, Earth to Adam. Are you there Adam?" He joked.

The Lady in Red cussed at him for disrupting their moment which earned her a violent shake from the ground. She apologized and the ground stopped shaking at once. Guertena's world did not tolerate cussing or any other "un-ladylike" manners.

Going back to Adam, he removed his gaze from the Lady in Red and returned to his friends.

"She's amazing." He said gazing back at her.

The Lady in Red giggled at such a simple yet meaningful compliment.

"It's a shame she isn't real." Adam added.

With that her whole world seemed to fall apart.

"Yeah, a real shame ain't it? Oh well, there're plenty of other real fish to catch! C'mon boys!" The first commanded. Soon they all followed and with one final glance Adam left, leaving the Lady in Red all alone.

The Lady in Red gazed into the space in front of her which was now occupied by a group of school children. She didn't care much for what 'they' had to say though. She was still eyeing the spot where Adam once stood, reliving what he had said about her.

'It's a shame she isn't real.' was all she could hear that day. Despite the numerous compliments and adoration given to her it wasn't enough to lift her of her depression.

Yes, she was beautiful. But she wasn't real. And that was something she could never be.

The exhibit closed that night and now the residences of the Fabricated World could do whatever they please. All of the Colorful Ladies were out gossiping and chatting away in the Girl's Gallery. All except for one. This certain Lady in Red was too disheartened to go. So instead she remained in her window staring into the now empty gallery.

She clutched her chest and sighed in despair. 'What did she feel exactly?' 'If she wasn't real then why did she have all these feelings?' She spent the next couple of hours questioning herself and thinking of Adam. Then a familiar voice popped in.

"What's wrong?" A small and petite voice said from the entrance.

It was Mary. Guertena's last and favorite painting.

She came closer to the sad Lady and examined her with curiosity. "Are you crying?" She asked.

The Lady in Red didn't even notice the liquid streaks on her face until the blonde pointed it out. She hastily wiped them away and wore the warmest smile she could feign.

"I'm fine, sweetie." She said bringing Mary onto her lap. She embraced the young girl and listened as Mary told her stories about her day and the things she learned from the new book she was currently reading.

"It said that 'Friends are always there for each other and that they don't leave each other alone." Mary quoted showing her the page of the quote. She continued on for the rest of the night before finally running out of things to say. It was around early in the morning that Mary finished talking. The exhibit was about to open in a couple of hours again. The Lady in Red swiftly gave her a kiss to the forehead then told Mary to brush up before the gallery would open.

"Goodbye, Mommy." Mary said running off to her position.

The Ladies and Mary shared a mother and daughter relationship together which made both parties happy in their own way. It felt as if they had a real family in a strange sense. And out of all the Colorful Ladies, this Lady in Red was Mary's favorite. The Lady in Red grinned as she remembered all the times they would play together and the occasions where they would act like a real parent and child.

Mary really is such a sweet girl. It amused her to think of the times Mary would fantasize about going into the Real world and making new friends. Then it occurred to her.

Yes, The Lady in Red finally understood this feeling of hers. What she felt all along was something as simple as love. Love for Adam. And this love is what led her to yearn for a life outside the Gallery just as Mary's desire for friends has.

She was happy with her new found conclusion but at the same time bewildered on how to achieve it. She knew what she wanted, but she didn't know how to get it. As she stayed there stuck in her train of thought, she barely noticed that it was already time to open.

The hordes of visitors poured in to view and tour the exhibit. The Lady in Red didn't care for any of them. Instead she focused on finding the answer to her question and keeping an eye out in case Adam would come back.

Afternoon came and there was still no answer or Adam to be found. But by sundown he finally showed up. Wearing the same suit he wore as yesterday he came in to look and admire the paintings and sculptures as he did before.

He took his sweet time looking at each artwork before finally coming to hers. She felt a twinge of jealousy as he marveled one of the other paintings nearby longer than he usually would. Then finally, he came to hers.

He stood there in silence. Staring at her not knowing that she was staring right back. Luckily there were no annoying friends to bother them now as they both drifted off to their thoughts about each other.

She wondered what he thought of her. And how different things would be, had she been real. She knew this moment wouldn't last forever, but it ended sooner than she would have hoped for. He left her again. But this abandonment was only fuel for her fiery quest to be free.

Weeks passed and she still had no answer. She became more fearful as Adam started visiting less and less. She was paranoid that he was growing tired of her stillness beauty and pressured herself to find a way out. But her efforts were fruitless as no answers appeared. She grew hopeless as the days passed by. Soon Adam would grow bored with her and never come back again. Sadness consumed the Lady in Red as thoughts of returning to her old dull life filled her mind. Then, her prayers were answered.

The night was cold and windy as the nearby storm approached ever further. The people in the Real World took shelter in the comfort of their homes and other buildings. But the residences of the gallery had no concern for mortal troubles. They were safe and sound inside the walls of the Gallery and Fabricated World.

Mary, the newest and most powerful member, was busy playing with her blue friends in the doll room. Death of the Individual was having a soundless discussion with the Head statues. And the Colorful Ladies were busy talking about whatever they could talk about in the Girl's Gallery. However, deep inside the tiny library was one of the Ladies in Red reading a very 'Adult' type of book alone. She had fantasized that the characters in the book were her and Adam and was deeply engrossed with it. She blushed as story took an edgier turn on the part she was reading when she felt something unusual happening outside 'there'.

She closed her book and went back to her window to see what she was feeling odd about. She found that her intuition was right and that there was something strange going on. Outside her window was a man, shivering from the cold.

The Lady in Red wondered how someone could have gotten in, seeing as all the doors and windows should have been locked. It was very seldom that security guards would come down and check on things especially in this condition. Most would have stayed at home when facing this type of weather.

The man stopped shivering and placed his wet coat and shirt on one of the security ropes. She covered her eyes in disgust as the man revealed his rather hairy chest and other unsightly things. The man dried himself off first and when he was finally warm enough he wore his clothes again and sat on the floor. Upon closer inspection she noticed that his clothes were ripped and tattered all over. He had a dirty overall look which reminded her of a character she once read in a book. That character was filthy and had nothing to wear but dirty and messy clothes. That character was also left without a home and was forced to wander into places he had no territory or authority over to take cover. "That's it!" She suddenly announced. "He must be homeless."

She watched as the homeless man examined his surroundings. He had a worried expression on his face and began pacing up and down, muttering things the Lady in Red could not understand. He kept looking over his shoulder as if expecting someone to be there, but only received the lifeless stare of the paintings behind him. The Lady in Red grew annoyed with his constant blabbering and had a great urge to tell him to stop his irritating rant.

The man continued on, while the Lady in Red decided to stay and listen to the troubled man. She deciphered the fast mumbles and found out the reason he was so bothered in the first place.

Apparently this man borrowed some money from this group of bad people and now they want it back. Trouble is, is that he doesn't have it. So now they're out looking for him. They found him, but luck was on his side as the rain halted their chase. He managed to evade capture by sneaking in the exhibit. He picked the lock to the back door and here he was!

She was amused by this paranoid buffoon and continued watching him struggle. Then she had an epiphany. What he wanted was a way to get away from these bad people and what she wanted was a way to get out of this place. Discovering that their goals intertwined the Lady in Red needed to find a way to talk to him somehow.

She quickly gathered her thoughts to find a way, but nothing came to her. The man started going through the halls still muttering his cries and troubles. The Lady in Red, afraid of losing him, followed him wherever he went using the other residence's windows to monitor him.

After minutes of pacing and frustrated head scratching he knelt to the ground and started crying. If she wasn't busy coming up with plan she would have rolled her eyes in annoyance of the weak man. But soon she too was on her knees, on the brink of crying out in frustration. The man and her were just side by side each other if not for the 'Fabricated World' painting dividing them between the two worlds.

She was so close! She just needed some way to exchange places with him and then she could be with Adam! She could finally be a REAL person! Not just a lonely painting meant to hang on the wall for the rest of eternity. She remembered what the other Ladies would say to Mary when Mary would talk about going into the real world.

"But Mary sweetie, it's better to stay here. After all, humans grow old and ugly and soon they wither and rot into the dirt while we here are immortal! We can live forever while still remaining beautiful and strong!" They would always say, trying to convince Mary otherwise.

The Lady in Red had considered what they said while on her search for a way out a few weeks back, but every time she saw Adam her goal to be with him outside grew stronger and stronger.

In her heart and mind she didn't care whether or not she would remain immortal and beautiful. She would trade all that and more just to be outside. To experience love! The Sun! Food! And so much more that world had to offer.

"PLEASE! I BEG YOU! LET ME BE REAL!" She banged her fists against the "Fabricated World" painting, shouting out her pleas.

"I WANT TO BE REAL! I WANT TO MEET ADAM! I WANT REAL LOVE! PLEASE!" Tears began rolling down her eyes as she continued beating the painting as hard as she could. But the man outside could not hear nor feel anything and continued sobbing in his own misery.

"PLEASE! I BEG YOU! I don't care about being beautiful! I don't care about immortality! I'll trade everything I have to be outside! Even if it means growing old! Becoming ugly! Dying! I don't care! Just let me be with Adam! …Please….."

It was hopeless. She bowed her head in defeat and sobbed in agony. She would remain here forever, in her ageless beauty, never to know the joys and bliss that a real person would possess and experience...like love.

Then, with a flash of bright light something miraculous happened.

Outside, the worried man felt someone touch his shoulder in the empty hall. He turned to his left and saw a beautiful woman with long brown hair in a red dress smile at him. He crawled back in shock at the appearance of the mysterious woman.

The woman came closer to him until he had his back against the wall. She held out her hand and smiled even wider, though retaining her majestic expression.

"You don't have to worry anymore." She said in the softest and calmest voice she could.

The surprised man was too busy gawking at the woman to answer her.

"You fear death. Don't you?" She said cocking her head to the side smiling ever so gently at him.

The man, too dumbstruck to speak, nodded in response; mouth wide open.

"Let me take you someplace safe. A place where no one can harm you." -He fidgeted as she came closer to him whispering in her alluring and innocent voice. -"There you will never experience death nor have any person harm you." –The man's eyes grew wider in disbelief of such a place. - "You will remain youthful and immortal….forever."

She whispered the last word into his ear then without waiting for a reply, pulled him up and started leading him to the "Fabricated World".

The man became unsure and started pulling away from the woman's grip. She turned around to face him without ever taking her reassuring smile off.

"Jump in." She said.

The man was still confused, but the woman's smile was so reassuring, so calming that he felt that jumping in would really lead him to a very wonderful place. He kept looking back and forth from the Lady in Red to the painting.

"Will I really become immortal?" He said turning to face the Lady in Red one last time.

She smiled brighter and answered him. "Your body will never grow old nor die."

With that, the man took a deep breath then stepped back a few spaces. He burst into a sprint then rammed himself into the painting where, in a bright flash, he disappeared.

A few seconds ago, the man was running towards the painting and now he was lying on the cold floor nervous and confused. He was expecting a utopia with bright lights and fresh flowers everywhere just as the woman had promised, but instead all he saw was the same hallway, only this time it was darker and had an eerier atmosphere.

He began touching his face and looking at his hands and arms to see if he had gotten any younger but to of no avail. He cursed the Lady in Red for tricking him and started kicking and cursing as loud as he could.

On the trail of his rampage stood the three statues "Death of the Individual" and so they were to fall victim to his anger. He kicked the red statue with all his might but stumbled backwards as his foot was caught by its hand.

He stood up and started backing away from the now moving statues. With outstretched arms they turned to him and started walking. They were angry at him; he was scared.

He ran around the gallery trying to escape them but failed, because the more he ran away screaming, the more paintings and statues came to life and started chasing him.

Soon enough, a majority of Guertena's artworks were on his trail. The frantic man headed for the exit and felt a bit of relief as he touched the handles of the exit door. But when he tried to open them, it wouldn't budge. With all his might, he pulled and pushed on the door to open. But no matter how hard he tried it would not move.

He slowly turned around and found himself surrounded by frightening and malicious monsters glaring at him.

"WHERE IS OUR SISTER?!"

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH HER?!

Two viscous and bloodthirsty Ladies, one yellow and one blue, with frames around them, demonically shouted at him, clawing the air and floor in their wrathful state.

He couldn't answer them from sheer fear so they, along with the other monstrous creatures, continued to shout and growl at him. The man felt as if he was about to be killed at any moment when a little blonde girl in a green dress came forward with a creepy blue doll in her arms. She looked mad as well, but was at least less frightening than the creatures around her.

"What are you doing here?" She asked calmly.

The man finally had the courage to answer and told her of what had happened to him. How he was being chased by loan sharks and how he stumbled across the gallery in the midst of the storm. How he was confronted by a Lady in Red and how she told him to enter this place.

By the time he was finished the man was out of breathe while the girl and the other artworks were in complete shock. The girl quickly stepped back and ran towards the "Real World" leaving her doll and other artworks behind.

The man called for her back stating he didn't want to be left alone with the 'things' but his pleas fell deaf at the sounds of her fleeting footsteps. He was once again surrounded by the malevolent creatures and cowered back in fear. He felt something on his right leg and saw the blue doll smiling sinisterly at him before uttering the most terrifying thing he ever heard. "Welcome to the World of Guertena." And with that, the creatures attacked him, ripping him bit by bit. His face became pale white as the attack happened while pieces of his ginger hair had been brutally pulled out. They ganged up on him and soon nothing could be seen of him except a portion of his face seen from the tiny gap of hungry bodies all trying to get a slice of him.

The Lady in Red could not believe herself.

She was free.

She could finally go outside and meet Adam! She could start a family! Become human and actually live a real life!

She twirled and sang in joy at the new life that awaited her outside the Gallery. She started skipping towards the exit to start looking for Adam when she heard a very sad and frantic voice.

"Mommy! Mommy!" Mary called for her from the other side of the "Fabricated World".

Her happiness momentarily stopped as she heard her surrogate daughter cry.

"Mommy, don't go!" Mary called, tears running down her cheeks. The Lady in Red slowly walked back to the painting and went face to face with Mary.

"Mary, I'm sorry."

"But why!? Why can't I come with you? I wanna be real too, Mommy!"

The Lady in Red walked forward to the painting and placed her hand on the spot where Mary was speaking.

"You and I both know why you can't leave yet." She said stroking the place where Mary should be. Mary only continued crying as her mother reminded her of her sad fate.

"Don't cry, sweetie. I'll come back. And when I do I'll bring you a friend."

Mary suddenly brightened up at the sound of 'friend'.

"Really?" She asked holding back the tears for as long as she could.

"I promise. I'll bring her to you and then you and her could play together."

"You mean like a real friend? Hooray! A real friend! You promise you'll bring me one? Right? My own best friend? Mine and mine alone? A little girl just like me? Promise!?" Mary was now excitedly jumping up and down asking all the questions she could think of while the Lady in Red stood there smiling and agreeing to each and every one.

"I promise Mary." She said kindly. Mary stopped asking her questions then placed her hand on the spot that should have been the Lady in Red's hand. "Okay Mommy." She smiled faintly giving her mother permission to finally leave the Gallery.

With Mary's approval she gave one last 'goodbye' and headed for the exit.

"Goodbye! I love you! Don't forget about me!" Mary yelled as loud as she could until her voice could not reach her anymore. When she could not see the Lady in Red anymore she stopped her goodbyes and fell silent once more. Tears ran down her cheeks again as she sadly walked to where her other 'family' was. A family that had one less Lady in Red and one less mother for Mary to love.

The Lady in Red stood in front of the exit door scared and anxious of what lay ahead. She was free to go. Free to see the world. Free to be with Adam.

Without giving the Gallery a second glance she pushed open the two doors and was greeted by a warm and bright beam of sunlight.

The storm had already passed and in its leave came a gorgeous sunrise illuminating the fresh droplets of water creating a sparkling haven. She went down the front steps and lifted her arms towards the sun to feel more of this new-found warmth. As she was basking in the sun's glory she felt someone's eyes on her. She turned and saw the most wonderful sight she could have asked for.

There, a few feet from her right, stood a man clad in a navy blue business suit holding a red umbrella, looking straight at her in disbelief. They stared at each other for a few seconds before the man apologized for his rude behavior. "Oh- I'm sorry. Um- I was just." -He explained how he was caught in the storm and took shelter in the nearby café. He figured once the storm passed by he would take an early visit to the Gallery. He went there but found it was still closed and decided to head home. Then he saw her.

The Lady in Red felt euphoric when she learned of his intentions to visit her. But the thing that she was overjoyed with the most was that she and he were actually meeting face to face for the first time. Now there was no window or barrier to separate them.

She was about to say something when a bolt of lightning struck, hitting a nearby electric post. The Lady in Red jumped at the booming sound and quickly hugged Adam in fear. Seeing what she had done, she slowly and awkwardly pulled away leaving both her and Adam flustered.

"We should get out of here first. It seems another storm's coming." Adam said avoiding eye contact with her; cheeks red with embarrassment.

She nodded and together the two of them headed for the café. They walked side by side each other, neither one uttering a single word. She wanted this moment to last forever. Being beside him was complete bliss. All the pain and hardships she had gone through, she would go through all of it again even if it's just for this second alone.

"My name's Adam by the way." He said, finally having the courage to look her in the eye.

She smiled and reached for his hand making his cheeks blush a brighter shade of red.

"Scarlet." She said holding his hands as tightly and lovingly as she ever could. Adam looked at her with slight confusion to which she replied "My name is Scarlet."

They both stayed at the café that day, sheltering themselves from the thunderstorm that would have occurred, neither one looking back to the gallery in which they were both enchanted and trapped by.

"Did you remember everything Ib?" Scarlet, now several years older asked her daughter, Ib.

Ib nodded and after several more reminders from her mother, Ib began roaming around the gallery with her mother's permission. Scarlet watched as Ib travelled upstairs and out of view, unknowingly about to enter a strange and dangerous world. "As promised Mary." She whispered.

As soon as Adam received the pamphlets from the reception desk, Adam and Scarlet proceeded to tour the Gallery together.

"I feel so nostalgic here." Adam remarked as he recalled his past visits. Scarlet nodded and continued looking around reminiscing about the past. They stopped at a familiar painting that had not aged nor changed visibly since they last saw it.

Scarlet smirked at the occupant of the painting "The Lady in Red" finding it comical to see one of her sisters fill up her post oh so easily without anyone noticing the difference. All her sisters had to do was change the color of their dress and it would be as though nothing had changed.

"You know, she sorta looks different now." Adam said leaning in closer to inspect the painting. She gave Adam a light peck on the cheek, gleeful that he had noticed something odd about it.

They continued on only to stop a few seconds later when they found something interesting.

"Looks like they added a new painting, honey." Adam said pointing at a new artwork just a few feet away from the "Lady in Red".

The new painting was of an abstract-like part of a man's face which depicts the worry and anxiety in his black eyes.

"Worry" The painting read.

Scarlet snickered in amusement at the name so fitting for someone -no- something like him.

She didn't lie to the man. What she had said was the truth. He would not age and would remain immortal for no human to ever harm him. And on her side, she became human and experienced true love and had a family. Her husband Adam, and her darling daughter Ib. That is, if Ib could come back.

But the important thing was that she got her wish. And she and Adam would be together for the rest of their mortal lives.