Chapter two! In this chapter I have the scene from the first book where Artemis talks to Angeline. Oh, and I pondered this for an hour or so, could anyone give me a suggestion for the genre of this story? I don't want to leave it as 'General' for the whole time.
Note: to refloc: Really? I had no idea! Advice taken – I really am a newbie :D
Disclaimer: I don't own Artemis Fowl or anything in it, they all belong to Eoin Colfer.
Passing through Insane Lane
Chapter two: Conscience
I was beginning to grow tired of this. How long has it been, a year? My sanctuary had now become a dungeon, and the jailers were my conscience and his friends, telling me that I had gotten myself into this. That is was my fault. Which, I suppose it was.
They visit me in the middle of the night, whispering things in my ear, and I almost always fall asleep crying, if at all. At least I can't see them, thanks to the eternal darkness of my room.
It grew annoying to look at someone who deep inside I knew, but see someone else. I even sometimes looked at my own son, Artemis II, and saw someone else, like my father, or Artemis I, my husband.
Sometimes he visits me, and though I know he really isn't there, I don't give up the chance to talk to him, and even if I am pretending, it's better than him not being there at all.
I wonder if I am right to do this. Would he want me to? Of course he would. He would want me to wait for him, and not give up in him. This is exactly what I will do.
Right now I am lying in my bed, just thinking. Pondering has become a habit lately, just planning out every conversation I mean to have with Artemis when he returns.
That annoying maid comes in to bring me food. I wonder who she is, and what happened to my former maid, the good one. Juliet, my inner self cries, she's always been your maid! She's Juliet! But that me is locked up, and I ignore her.
I snap at her. "What are you doing just waiting there? Bring me my food!" She nods hesitantly and places my plate into my lap gently. Then she runs off, and the rustle she makes moves the curtains.
Not until the girl is gone do I realize that there is a ray of sunshine peeking through the frilly edge of the drapery. Sunshine—I didn't even realize I remembered the word. The light was so bright… when was the last time I had been exposed to it? Suddenly I shriek, for in that ray of light I see an indescribable face, belonging to none other than my conscience.
Angeline, it says, you were wrong to do this. Why do you hide away? What are you hiding from?
"I'm hiding from…" I couldn't answer the question. "Go away! I don't want to see you!" I started sobbing uncontrollably into my pillow, scattering my food onto the other side of the bed. My cries come out weak, muffled by the cloth and fluff of the pillow.
"Leave! Leave!" They keep on whispering things into my ear - how he won't come back, how he is dead. I can't sleep like this.
Slowly my tears run out, and my despair is replaced by anger. "Go AWAY!" I scream to no one in particular. Apparently I scared the maid away, as I heard a pitter-patter of footsteps, trailing away from the room.
How I am supposed to sleep?
A while later, Artemis II knocks quietly on my door. "Mother? Are you awake?"
Stupid boy. I threw the nearest vase at the doors, as if expecting it to hit him. I glared at it again when the vase shattered on the floor into a million pieces. My husband loved that vase.
"Of course I'm awake! How can I sleep in this blinding glare?"
I glanced again at the ray of light streaming into my room, like it would suddenly portray that creature's face once again.
My son came inside, gracefully hopping over the glass pieces shattered all over the floor.
I caught my breath. In the ray of light I could see Artemis's face. I had completely forgotten… How much he looked like his dear father. I had to smile, remembering all the good times we had together.
"Artemis, darling. Where have you been?"
He sighed. "School trip, Mother. Skiing in Austria."
My smile widened a little bit. Skiing… I remembered it. "Ah, skiing, how I miss it. Maybe when your father returns.
I could see Artemis's features shift in the ray of light. He didn't believe me. "Yes. Perhaps when Father returns."
I felt like scowling at him. But instead, I smiled sweetly at him. "Darling, could you close those wretched curtains? The light is intolerable." For a moment I thought I could see my conscience, hiding behind Artemis's pale face.
"Of course, Mother." He went over to my curtains, and hesitated for a moment as he grabbed them. I thought at first he was going to throw them open, and glared at him through narrowed crafty eyes. But then he closed the curtains curtly, and I relaxed.
"Thank you, darling. By the way, we really have to get rid of that maid. She is good for absolutely nothing."
He paused for a moment.
"You're right of course, Mother. I've been meaning to do it for some time. Butler has a sister I believe would be perfect for the position. I think I've mentioned her. Juliet?"
That name rang a bell somewhere… I frowned. "Juliet? Yes, the name does sound familiar. Well, anyone would be better than that silly girl we have now. When can she start?"
"Straight away. I'll have Butler fetch her from the lodge. "
"You're a good boy, Artemis. Now, give Mummy a hug."
He reluctantly met my embrace, and I felt a sudden desire to tell him. Tell him of all my troubles, release all of my fears. Instead, I only let one go.
"Oh, darling…" I whispered quietly. "I hear things. At night. They crawl along the pillows and into my ears." What will he think? Will he think I am a loony… or just insecure, as I like to think of it?
"Perhaps we should open the curtains, Mother." Open the curtains? Of course not! That would be ridiculous! And I thought he had inherited some brains from his parents.
"No… because then I could see them, too."
"Mother, please-"He said, but it was too late. I broke the hug and left to the corner of my bed. Everything changed perspective, in just a moment. Arty's face changed, and suddenly I saw someone I didn't know.
A stranger, in my house. In my bedroom. On my bed. I glared.
"Send the new girl."
"Yes, Mother." His face became once again impassive.
"Send her with cucumber slices and water. And make sure she cleans up this mess on my bed."
"Yes, Mother."
This stranger was turning out to be a bother. Mother, really! "And stop calling me Mother. I don't know who you are, but you're certainly not my little Arty."
The stranger looked taken aback. "Of course. Sorry, Moth—Sorry."
I looked him over, trying to see if he was a threat. "Hmmm. Don't come back here again, or I'll have my husband take care of you. He's a very important man, you know." I smiled thoughtfully, remembering all the important people he had met, and all the great and wonderful things he had accomplished.
"Very well, Mrs. Fowl. This is the last you'll see of me."
I shivered. They were coming again, I could feel it. "It had better be." Then, they came. I could hear them, and I could just imagine their bodies, lean and ghostlike, with empty faces and a special ability to make their victims forget everything they learn about them. Their scary voices started talking, and I could practically hear their evil grins and laughter.
"Do you hear them?" I almost screamed- diving back under the covers. They all seemed to smirk and laugh softly.
The stranger looked shocked. "No, I don't hear any—"He shook his head, but I interrupted him.
"They're coming for me. They're everywhere."
And then he left me, alone with the monstrous beasts. They enclosed around me, crawling up my pillows and whispering more blame into my ears. I found more water in my eyes, but it disappeared as quickly as it came, and I would be surprised if that stranger couldn't hear my sobs echoing through the hallway as he left my house.
I screamed and screamed, but none came to my rescue. Then, when I was dooming myself to God knows how long of torture and whispers, he appeared. My husband. He seemed to come out of the very shadows, scaring away the ghosts and surrounded with his own harmless glow.
I smiled. How much I loved him. He's not real, Angeline. You know this. He's not here. Don't fall into your own traps. The last conscience left, my own, whispered this into my ears, but I didn't listen. I wasn't scared – not when he's here. Instead, I held my arms out waiting, and he bent down and sat next to me, squeezing me tightly.
"I'm so glad you're back…" I said softly, laying back into my bed. "I waited for so long."
"I'm back, honey. For good." There was something special, something different about that smile. He wasn't money-hungry; he wasn't like he was before. He was like he was when we first started dating – happy. And if he was happy, I was happy. I drifted off to a long-postponed sleep, with his words as my lullaby.
"I've missed you so much…"
And when I woke up, he was gone. Gone just like he left before. I looked up into my beautiful works on the ceiling, and whispered, "I wait patiently for your next visit."
At that time, the new maid came in. What was her name—oh yes, Juliet. "Hello, Juliet."
She smiled weakly as if relieved. "I left your cucumber slices on the desk right next to you since you were asleep when I brought them. I also cleaned up the mess on your bed. But I didn't want to disturb you, so I just washed the cloth with a slightly wet towel instead of fully replacing the comforter."
"Good, now I assume its lunchtime, do you have my food?" I couldn't see the girl, but she sounded just like my old maid. Strange.
She replied quickly and somewhat shyly. "Croissants and purified spring water, specially ordered… madam." I sank back into my pillow, satisfied. At least she was polite, and she knew what I liked. Of course she would do things right. She was a Butler, after all.
As I chewed my food silently, I wondered about things. Why was I insane? I heard the doctors talk about me, they think I am depressed. I'm not.
I am simply hiding, waiting for him to return and rescue me from my dungeon like a prince saving the princess from the dragon. The dragon was – guess – my very conscience, which was looking inquisitively at my food. I glared at it, still frightened.
Deep inside me, my old self was pounding at my chest, making it hurt. I could tell she wanted to escape, to move on, to be normal. My conscience obviously agreed with her.
By now, my eyes had gotten somewhat used to the dark again, and when I looked down I saw a thin outline of my own hands. I gasped as I realized that these weren't sticks, they were mine. I looked so fragile, so thin… how much I had changed! I could imagine the pale face and huge bags under my eyes I must have. I chose to hide and become insane, but I had to pay the price.
The being next to me was looking at me solemnly, and whispered quietly, I told you so… I loathed it even more.
What had I done to myself? Was it worth it? I shook the thought out of my head furiously. Of course it was worth it. I couldn't face the truth, so I hid. But still, I know he will come back to me, and until he does, I don't really mind being insane.
But these creepy ghostlike beings – I wondered how long I could take before I truly went crazy.
END OF CHAPTER TWO
So… what do you think? I have the next chapter all written out… in my head. Does anyone know what religion Artemis is? Is he Christian? Is he one of those people who believe there isn't a God? Anyone know:D