Chapter 4: Minerva's Daring Escape (That Only Leads to Humiliation.)
Imyourfriend had explained that the Underworld could be located somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. An uncharted island where earth no longer existed, and every fairy tale bad guy that ever terrified Minerva as a child, lived on that island. But she would face them off for years if it meant getting Butler back.
Minerva threw a few clothes into her backpack. She thought it was a good idea to travel lightly. She zipped the pack up and threw it over her shoulder. Now was the hard part of the plan. Getting out of Fowl Manor without alarming anyone. She knew that it was going to be difficult. Artemis had set up even more traps since Butler's death.
She couldn't go through the window, there was an alarm. Her best chance was going through the front door.
She exited her room and crept down t he vast hallway. The floor didn't squeak, yet she still felt someone could hear her as she made her way down the hall.
It felt like hours, but she made it across. She was quicker going down the stairs. Of course, now she wasn't surrounded with bedrooms.
She stopped dead in her tracks when she reached the bottom. Directly, in front of her a door was open a crack. Light glowed out. Someone was awake.
Shit, she thought to herself. No doubt it was Artemis, still staring at Butler's obituary. She needed to think and she needed to do it fast. Artemis wouldn't let her go, she knew it. So, he couldn't see her. She walked back towards the staircase.
She searched around for a way around. There had to be a back door to this place. She slid away from the door. Then she thought of something.
Mulch.
Mulch Diggums, her favorite kleptomaniac dwarf had once broken into Fowl Manor by digging a path through.the limestone. He had come in through the winery. Thank you Mulch!
She ran down the hall, not once thinking about the noise she was making. A big mistake. Her leg knocked up against a loose floorboard. Across the hall, a fifteen year old boy listened intently to the sounds of a squeak.
Minerva rushed into the winery, making even more noise. Instantly, her heart sank. Butler sealed the hole. Damn it! She slammed her foot into the ground, it went straight through. She lightly chuckled to herself. Either Butler sealed it, and Mulch broke through. Or Mulch sealed it with an easily breakable concrete looking substance.
She pulled her backpack closer to her back. She wasn't going to enjoy this trip. Not at all.
She got down on her knees, took a few deep breaths, wiped away a few tears (partly from smell, partly from the disgusting thing she was about to do.) She pushed away a glob of recycled dirt out of her way. Her head was the first thing in. It had been years since the dirt was used, but it still smelled horribly. Minerva kept climbing.
It was a slow process, making her way through the muck. She couldn't see anything, but she figured if she stayed on this path, she'll make it to the surface on the outskirts of Fowl Estate. A worm got stuck in her fingernail. She screamed as loud as humanly possible. Even on the inside, a raven-haired boy looked out onto his lawn.
Minerva pushed her hand through ground, this time, her hand met with air. She was out. She pulled herself out and took a deep breath. She hadn't realized just how deprived of oxygen she was until now.
She climbed out and shook off the grimy dirt. Never again did she want to do that. That instant message had better have been telling her the truth, or she would track down the sender, and shove this dirt down his throat before killing him.
Fortunately, she made it out, and didn't get caught.
"Minerva?" Or at least she thought. She turned around to see Artemis Fowl, and Holly Short standing in front of her, in their pajamas, smiling widely at Minerva in her 'recycled' muddy jeans.
I would like to thank the three people who reviewed my last chapter. Hurrkane, ocean, Aquamy Crescent, thank you all for reviewing my last chapter, and I hope you review this chapter. But I'll settle for you enjoying it.
Bob.