I found myself waltzing up to an intimidating manor, pure blood thirst in my heart. All I wanted was to get the job done. A few screams and cries for mercy were just bonuses. As I approached the beginning of the gravel drive way, I saw a pale-faced boy staring from an upstairs window. He didn't matter. He couldn't stop me now; not with my determination to kill, and my victims within such close reach. I walked around the corner of the manor, and saw my targets. My pulse quickened as I chased after them. The pale-faced woman was an easy target. Her blood felt warm on my hands. It powered me, and I jumped for the small pointy-eared one. She gave a good fight, but I immediately began stabbing her. Her breaths became slow and short. The pale-faced boy turned the corner, and screamed in utter sorrow. It comforted me to see him in such pain. He began chasing me, and I ran into the garden. I could hear his desperate footsteps quickening until I felt him thrust upon my back, knocking me down. I turned to stab the silly boy, but his face shocked me. His one blue eye and one topaz eye stared at me, hating me; searching for a reason. I lay there in shock; it couldn't be.

It was me.

Artemis woke up screaming. His body trembled and shook as a deep pain scorched his heart. He stared at his hands, swearing he had just felt his mother's and Holly's blood upon them.

What's happening to me?

He began crying. Not just crying, but sobbing. His body shook as hot tears shot down his face. He had never let out his emotions in such a rash context before. But he didn't feel up to keeping his plastered poker face on. Right now, he just wanted to sit there in his bed, and cry.

Artemis. You're having a breakdown. Control yourself! His logic told him.

He had had about enough of his logic. He didn't want to think. He just wanted to forget these nightmares. They were destroying him from the inside out.

Mother. Mother is safe with Father.

Holly.

Artemis shot out of his bed, and immediately fell to the floor. His legs were numb, and he struggled to stand up. He started crawling, but his strength left him lying on the cold floor of his bedroom. His eyes darkened as fatigue washed over him, and he saw two tiny feet walking towards him.

***

Holly watched Artemis twist and turn in his bed. He moaned and reached out for an invisible person. He continued to mutter "no", "Mother", and "Holly", and his cold sweat made his pale skin seem sickly.

He's having another nightmare. Good gods, Artemis. Wake up.

She hated just sitting here, watching him be in pain. Butler had told her to watch him after he passed out earlier, and to not wake him because he obviously needed rest.

Obviously, he's not getting a good night's rest.

She contemplated waking him up when he sat up screaming. Holly nearly flew into the ceiling, her heart pounding in her head. In shock, she just stared at Artemis sob. His painful emotional display had Holly's head reeling. She didn't know what to do. She had never seen Artemis in so much pain. She watched him grab fistfuls of his own hair and cry into hands. His body shook violently, but then stopped when he suddenly try to leave his bed. He fell flat onto the floor, and started crawling to the door. Holly snapped out of it, and began walking towards him. His head fell down to the floor and his body went limp. Holly felt herself panic.

She ran to him and checked his vitals.

Still breathing. Just passed out. Calm down, Holly.

Holly shook as she tried to lift Artemis back into bed, but she couldn't move him but a few inches. She felt weak and shocked from Artemis's emotional display. His scream echoed in her ears, giving her a headache and a sense of grief.

She decided to keep him there on the floor. She turned him over on his back, and grabbed a blanket and pillow from his bed and placed the pillow under his head and covered him with the blanket. She glanced at his face, and it made her stop. Pain was etched on it, and it was covered in tears. Holly took the corner of the blanket and wiped his face dry. She then parted and relaxed Artemis's facial lines so that he looked normal again.

I have to talk to Artemis about this tomorrow, no matter how much it pains him. I have to help him.

Holly got under the blanket, and laid up next to Artemis's shivering body. This extra body heat relaxed his muscles, allowing the shivering to stop. Holly laid her head on his shoulder, and felt her eyes become droopy. She had to stay awake. Just in case. But no matter how much she protested, her eyes closed and her mind relaxed, slowly allowing her to drift into sleep.

I'll be here for you in the morning, Arty.

The Next Morning

Artemis woke to find the sun peeking in through his window. There were no more nightmares after the second time he passed out; just the darkness of deep sleep.

He slowly started moving his fingers and toes, one by one, gradually bending his knees, and then….something was prohibiting him from moving his left arm. He curiously looked down and surprisingly found Holly, asleep on his shoulder. The events of the night before replayed in his mind, and he remembered the tiny feet approaching him just before he blacked out.

Holly. Holly had been watching me.

He then realized he and his fairy friend were on the floor. He deduced that Holly wasn't able to get him back up on his bed, and so improvised by placing a pillow and blanket on the floor with him. He was suddenly thankful that he had Holly as a friend.

Who else would keep me from going mad?

He felt a certain element inside him missing. He searched his mind, but couldn't find anything out place; except for the shock of letting out so many emotions last night, instead of keeping them bottled up like usual. He felt strangely relieved, but the sense of horrifying fear still lingered in the corners of his mind.

I must find reason. These nightmares are consistent, and so must be relevant. I have to wait and see how current situations play out.

He looked back down at Holly, and a small smile played at his lips.

But for now, I quite like the current situation.