Recap

His clothes clung to him, soaked to the point where they had almost become a second skin and his eyes reflected the storm in unnatural perfection as he looked up into the sky. Perfect day for a walk, weather couldn't be better. A forked wip that was lighting struck the sky with unrelenting force, creating a moment of pure light on one extremly grey day.
I hate you.

end Recap

.-to whom it may or may not concern-.

Some soon-to-flooded street in Ireland

His body was convulsing in spasms of shivers. The rain had only succeeded in falling hard and faster since he had left. A fog thicker than the earth had set in, he could barely see an arms length in front of him. Artemis guessed that he had been wandering blindly for a good half hour. His shoes where ruined, the water had gather to the point where it has risen to a good 5 inches, and was slowly but steadily rising. He Doubting that he'd be able to make it back home before he was blinded and half-numb with cold, he decided to stay at the next available place he happened upon. He pulled his hood up, though it was just as soaked as him it would serve to hide his face.

Unfortunately for him, it happened to be a motel that was beneath even sub-standard settings. The clerk's beady eyes were half hidden in the fat of his face, his clothes were only out-dated by his comb-over. Artemis paid for one nights stay in a cheap room, having little money on his person he could afford no better. When he saw his grimy little shack of a room, he knew he'd be sleeping roaches among other things provided insomnia didn't grace him with its presence. The paint on the walls was cracked, pealing and caked in stains that looked suspiciously like various combinations of dirt and blood that had been pressed deep into the wall in a backfired attempt to clean off the stain. The mattress was lumpy, its sheets, tattered and discolored, looked as if they had never been washed. The floor was adorned with a good inch of filth that had been collected since opening day, and the window was boarded up allowing a strange and foul scent to permeate the room. "Lovely..." he said, his voice lacked emotion, and his eyes told that he truly didn't care about the conditions of the room. It was better than sleeping in muddy water.

The wind howled causing the boards on the window to shriek with fright. The room was consumed by an errie blackness as the night crept into him. Artemis lied awake, staring at a sealing his eyes couldn't reach. Shouts, limping feet, and all the other noises of a fight were heard, echoing from a room down the hall. The muffled sound of gun fire, more shouts, then foot steps that grew louder and fainter, as if they couldn't choose which way to go, lost in a labyrinth of halls and doors. There was a knocking at the door next to his, and shouts that beckoned the occupant of the room to allow entry. Artemis rolled to his side and cursed the fact the he had no pillow to muffle the noise. The sound of pounding stopped only to begin again, this time at his door. Now the man was begging him for sanctuary. Artemis groaned. More foot steps coming towards him. Then a scream fallowed shortly by a the slamming of a body into his door. Artemis sat up. The sound of gun fire exploded into his room as a bullet flew past Artemis's forehead, causing a prickling sensation. He wiped his head clean of blood. The sound of a lifeless body hitting the floor was followed by the sound of foot steps. Artemis sighed, maybe now he could get some sleep.


Thursday, Nov. 30

Artemis awoke early and aching. Artemis stood up and walked to the door, kicking the bullet shells as he walked. When he open the door he noticed that the body had been moved and that his shoes were standing in a puddle of nearly drying blood. Still fresh, must have bled to death... his thoughts wandered to his ruined shoes, he had no sympathy for the unknown dead. He walked down the hall leaving faded crimson shoe imprints of bloody until the remainder had been grounded into his shoes. He tossed his room key on the front desk and left the shabby motel, sighing at what he saw. The night had not willed the rain to stop but the wind had destroyed the fog, though the amount of water on the roads had lessened. It wasn't until noon when he figured out where he was, and by then the fog had returned, though in a lesser amount than it had been the previous day. Several times he had nearly had the displeasure of becoming road kill, and every time the drivers would yell at him as they drove by, speed increasing.

Artemis sighed, he was in no hurry to arrive home to a pointless lecture on how careless he had been from butler. The old body guard should have realized that Artemis never heard a word. Maybe he knew he was being tuned out, but just liked the sound of his own voice. Whatever the case Artemis was not looking forward to it. It wasn't until about one twenty that he looked upon the Fowl manor with a slight frown. He really would have hated the look of that house as he walked up to the tall doors, if he had seen fit to look at it instead of past it.

He pushed open the doors, no Butler, no Juliet, non sign of life period. He didn't know if that was a good or a bad thing, either way he didn't care, he was off the hook, for the moment. "Where did you go?" of course... he turned to the source of the voice, and Holly phased into existence with a smirk. "What brings you here, Ms. Short?" He said, his face and eyes without and trace of emotion. "I'm just checking in, but you evading the question." Her smirk tainted her eyes with a silent laughter, or was Artemis just imagining that part? "Even if I knew, Ms.Short, my business is hardly any concern of yours." Her smirk grew wider and Artemis had an insane urge to claw it off her face. "Well, I'm making it my concern, Artemis, and I seriously doubt that you, of all people, wouldn't know something as simple as that." Artemis glared at her maybe I should get rid of that smirk... "I assure you, it is the truth." she just kept on smiling. "That can't be the only reason your here, Ms.Short, you wouldn't have traveled so far just to check in?" she laughed. "Why can't I just be checking in, why can't I just be coming here to say hi?" "Because, Ms.Short, nothing is ever that simple." She rolled her eyes. "Well, it is. and since when do you call me Miss Short?" Artemis raised an eyebrow at her comment,"Does it really matter, Ms.Short?" she sighed "I need to hit you or something..." she muttered. "Just stop calling me that." it was more of and order than a statement and Artemis resented that.

Artemis turned around "Whatever." that one word was enough to stop Holly in her tracks. Artemis just walked away. Holly blinked and followed him. "Who are you and what have you done with Artemis?" Her attempt to make a joke only received glared from him, he walked faster. "Well, Artemis, your hospitality is unmatched." Holly's voice was suffocated by a thick coat of sarcasm. Artemis, ignoring her completely, continued walking faster, though Holly always matched his pace. The elf frowned but remain silent until she noticed something strange. "Artemis, is-is that, blood on your shoes?" Artemis gave nothing more than a glance. Holly was about to ask again when he sighed. "Yes, Ms.Sh-Holly." Holly blinked, about to ask more when Artemis stopped so suddenly she continued on for about 8 feet before noticing. He opened a door that she hadn't noticed.

"What are you doing" She asked, heading back towards him. "If you didn't notice, its raining out side and I just so happen to be soaked." Holly blinked, embarrassed that she hadn't noticed sooner. "So, not too be rude but I would like to change, and unless you want to watch.." Artemis shut the door behind him, not giving her time to speak.

-.-

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