Chapter 2

A few days later, her stepmother's sharp heels clicked up to where she was working on the floor.

"Ella, I happen to know that you'd like to go to that party," she said in her sweet, sharp-edged voice.

Ella did not look up from her work. Sure, she had wanted to go to the party. She never had danced, and she was terrible at small talk, but any excuse to get out of that house was worth it.

"Ella, I will allow you to go," Ella slowly looked up at her in surprise, "If you can finish you chores and find a proper dress to wear." Her stepmother clicked away abruptly.

Ella worked hard all day, she really did. She cut any corners she thought her stepmother might not notice, and she waded through the attic until she found an old dress of her mother's. Of course the dress was a little too large for her, and very outdated, but it was her only option.

She had almost finished her chores when her stepsisters flounced frumpily down the stairs.
"Why Ella, it seems you aren't ready," sneered one.

"Artemis Fowl wouldn't possibly speak to you in that outfit," snapped the other.

"And why would I want that stuck-up, genius boy to speak to me?" Ella snapped right back.

Her two stepsister sighed.

"Because he's rich, and a genius," said one.

"Because he's rich, and I've heard he has the most lovely blue eyes," said the other.

Her stepmother began down the stairs, she barely glanced at Ella.

"Oh Ella. I'm sorry you have not finished your chores," her stepmother stated monotonously.

Then her two stepsisters flounced out the door, followed by her stepmother, who locked the door with a dull thunk.

Ella stood abruptly, marching to the back door. Perhaps her stepmother had forgotten? It was unlocked. Ella whisked herself through the garden straight to the gate. Locked. She would never escape this house, not even for a few precious hours.

Ella sank to the ground, and cried.

Holly Short zipped through the sky, throttle completely open. This was of course against regulation, especially in a Mud Man populated area, but she didn't care. As usual.

She had come to complete the ritual. A mere hour earlier she had been sent on a shuttle to E1: Tara. She had bumped off a very grumpy gnome, everyone was antsy the night of the full moon. The river beside Tara would be so busy on the night of a full moon, she would have to fly to another river.

"Hey Holly, there's a large house ahead, big towers, better slow down." Foaly buzzed in her ear.
"Alright." She grumbled. She had been keeping up a good speed. She pulled the throttle back about halfway, looking around trying to spot the house.

She finally spotted it, the large coned roofs were painted nearly the same shade of deep blue as the sky. There was a garden beside the house, surrounded by an eight foot tall brick wall. She could see a large tree, she zoomed in on her helmet cam. The tree was filled with acorns. She shielded, diving down to gather a fresh acorn. Who knew if she the first river bend she found would also have acorns? As she hovered beside the tree plucking an acorn free, she heard sobbing. She spun around midair. There, a few feet away, was a young girl, about sixteen. She had on old hand-me-down clothes and her long hair was tangled. She was curled up on the ground, her face hidden and her breath coming in sharp sobs.

Despite her best judgment, Holly was an emotional elf, and she truly wanted to help the girl. She looked around, trying to figure out why the girl was so upset. Then the girl spoke, startling Holly.
But she was only sobbing to herself, "I will never be able to leave this house!"

Holly finally noticed the gate, it too was eight feet high, and iron. No one could climb that. She quietly opened the latch on the other side. Strange, she thought, who would want a garden gate that kept people in?

A gust of wind blew the gate open, and Holly saw the girl look up in surprise. She ran until she was just outside the gate, then turning, said, "If anyone is there, thank you."

Holly opened the throttle wide, catapulting into the night sky. There, she thought, my good deed done for the day. And the LEP have no idea.

Ella relished in the feeling of being just outside of the boundaries, just outside the house she'd been locked up in so long.

She would go to that party, not because she wanted to, but because her stepmother would see her. Her stepmother and stepsisters would see her there, dancing with the great Artemis Fowl. She couldn't wait to see the look on their faces then.

Ella was hesitant to go upstairs to retrieve the dress. What if the gate closed and locked, leaving her trapped inside the house forever? She heaved a heavy bench over to the gate, holding it open. Then she turned, running upstairs as fast as she could. She held her mother's old dress in front of her. It was definitely old fashioned, but it had a sort of charm to it. Anyway, it was her only choice.

She pulled on the dress sloppily, combed briefly through her hair, putting it back in a messy sort of style. Then she snuck downstairs to her stepsister's bedroom. On a vanity under a mirror sat mounds of makeup. Ella had never been able to wear makeup, except a few times when she took some from her stepsisters. Anyway, what was the point in wearing makeup when you were just working and sweating all day? She had no idea what all these scattered products were for, so she selected a safe one, powder. She quickly powdered her face, then lifting up her skirt, she ran down the stairs, out the back door, and out the gate.

A/N: Chapter 2 of my second Fanfiction! I don't have definite plans to continue this one, so please review if you like it!