Ch 8
Artie was still suffering from bad dreams. He couldn't get the images of them out of his head. There was only thing to do. It was pretty bad but it was the only one way to stop the nightmares.
He then left a letter by the camp fire explaining why he had to do this. He took a lingering look at his three friends before running off to the lake. It was pretty deep. "Good. It'll do. Goodbye cruel world!" he said as he jumped into it and let himself sink. Memories flashed through his mind as he began to stop breathing amd his eyes closed forever in eternal rest. Shrek woke up the next morning having a bad feeling in his stomach. "Artie?" he said to himself quietly looking at where the teen had been sleeping fitfully. He was gone. He then found the note and opened it.
GuysI have to go. I never thought of doing this but there's no other way to stop the dreams from hurting me and then worrying you guys. I have but one request before I leave this world and those I love, that my best non human friend and confidant take the throne once that whole mess with Charming is done. I'm sorry but to me, this was the only way I could heal.
Artie.
It read. He couldn't believe this, that Artie had… no he wouldn't. Fiona then saw him run off into the forest in the direction of the lake hoping to find Artie not dead but sitting there waiting for him but as he got there, the stench of death hit his nostrils. This frightened him as he dove into the lake in his clothes and swam under water. He found Artie's body lying on the bottom of the lake bed. He carried him gently in his arms as he came up for air and came out of the lake onto the shore catching his breath. He then tried doing mouth to mouth but he could feel no heart beat. This worried him. A tear fell down his green cheek and hit the lifeless teen's jersey. Fiona then joined him. She saw Artie lying there lifeless and her husband upset and figured out what was wrong. "He died? But he can't! Now there's no point fighting Charming now that Artie's... gone." she said quietly.
"He is dead Fiona, okay? He commited suicide by drowning in the lake because of those damn dreams! I... should've helped him better but I didn't and now he's gone and everything's messed up! Don't touch me Fiona! Just... leave me alone. After all this mess with Charming is done, Artie will be buried at Far, Far Away in the royal garden next to Dad's burial pond." he said to her sadly, all the warmth gone from his eyes. He felt it was his fault but it wasn't. Fiona knew that. Snowgre then showed her the note Artie had left by the campfire. She then saw frosty tears well up in his eyes but bottled them up. "It's more harder for Shrek because of this. He and Artie... While they were coming back to Far, Far Away, they formed a very strong bond of some sorts but I don't know what kind." she said softly as she touched her cousin's blue lifeless skin. It wasn't fair that this happened to Artie but was more worried for her husband. She knew he didn't deal with things like this well and had a feeling that if she and Snowgre didn't take care of him during this delicate, they'd lose him forever. That was something she didn't want to happen. Snowgre felt the same way.
They watched as their friend picked up Artie's body and they walked back to where they'd made camp last night. Fiona then cooked eggs for them to eat but Shrek wasn't very hungry. "I'm sorry Fiona. I... just can't bring myself to eat anything after what happened eariler with Artie. "Okay then. But if you want to talk, we're here, okay? You don't have to go through this alone. We'll be with you." she told him as she kissed him. He nodded sadly. Charming watched as his enemy struggled against his emotions and laughed evilly. Ever since Charming found out that Fiona had married him, Charming and his mother had tried to break them up through trickery and a Love potion but Shrek along with his friends stopped them and took care of Charming's mother but they also found out King Harold's secret that he was actually a frog king. Charming was so angry after that and his life turned very sour that he had a sucky job at a dinner theatre, he vowed to rule the kingdom and went as far to launch an attack on the kingdom and even slay his enemy but it failed and he was a loser again. He then found his mother's wand and it still ad magic so he could cast the vanity spell. He had used magic to create the nightmares that destroyed every waking moment from Artie's own fears. Gwen was unaware of what Charming had done to Artie.
She heard him boasting about killing Artie and her heart felt like breaking because the spell only half affected her. "Are you okay sweetie? You look distressed about something. Is it that loser Artie I killed with his own naive fears?" he said to her. "N-No! I was thinking about someone else. Excuse me." she told him walking out of the room. She then walked into the room she was forced to call home. She lay on the bed and sobbed giving in to sadness. "Artie I'm sorry! I should've stopped him but I didn't and now... you're gone forever and can never come back!" she cried as her tears hit the sheets. Suddenly the window opened and the curtains were whipped in the wind as somebody walked in. "Gwen please don't cry." he said. She then got up at that. She was looking straight into Artie's eyes but they were see through like the rest of him. "I...I thought you were dead. How can you do that?" she said gasping. "Yes I died but I can come back here to the world of the living anytime I want so we can be together again. I also have others who miss me too. I love you with all my heart. I wished I told you that at Worchester before I left but I had a lot of stuff on my mind back then so I thought you wouldn't believe me." he explained gently as he tried holding her hand but it was see through so it went through her hand.
"Gwen are you in here?" somebody asked her as he came up the stairs. "Don't worry. I have to go now. If Charming tries to hurt you, I'll be there, okay?" Artie told her as he rose up and went through the ceiling. Gwen then was still looking at it as Charming came in through the door. "What's wrong muffin cake? You look like you saw a ghost." he said to her. "I'm fine." she answered. He then closed the door gently. Shrek couldn't sleep that night. He watched enviously as Fiona and Snowgre slept peacefully. He then got up and went for a walk into the forest. He then saw somebody walk out of the tree before him. "Artie? But how? You drowned." he said quietly as he smiled sadly at the ghost teen. "It's okay Shrek. I went to the spirit world. I know you haven't been yourself and not eating anything, not even fried eggs." he told him quietly as he looked into his friend's brown eyes. "You're right Artie. I feel like... it's my fault. We were friends and that night when you... decided to end your life, I could've stopped you and you wouldn't be see through and still King." he said to him. Artie sighed at his friend's words.
"It's not your fault and it never was. We became friends through a common hate for our fathers but we still are even though I'm not alive and in the spirit world. I'm with my Mom who died when I was just a baby and Uncle Harold. It'll get worse for a little while but it'll get better, trust me." he told him. He then heard Fiona calling his friend's name. "I've got to go now, okay but I'll come back, I promise when you least expect it." Artie said as he vanished from sight. Fiona then hugged her husband gently. "Who were you talking to before we showed up?" she asked him. "It was Artie. He came here from the spirit world." Shrek told her calmly. Both her and Snowgre shot him a look. "Artie you out here? Show your ghostly self!" Snowgre yelled. Fiona then elbowed him in the arm. "What was that for man? I was only kidding." he replied. She then turned to her husband. "Fiona don't you believe me?" he said sadly to her. "I'm not so sure honey. Maybe it was Artie or maybe... it was just your imagination trying to comfort you.
You've had so much stress lately that you're starting to see things." she told him quietly as she watched him follow them. He seemed so sad. Was it all in his head or did he really see Artie's ghost? He was so confused at the moment. Fiona watched worriedly as he refused another meal. "We have to help him. If we don't, he could end up like Artie and that's something I don't want to happen! I've lost and refound so many things that I don't want my husband to be one of the ones I lose." she told Snowgre quietly through tears. So many people he loved were hurting and it hurt to see them like this. He wished there was something he could do but he couldn't. Charming laughed as another plan formed in his vain mind. Gwen was hating Charming more and more and was missing Artie with every breath in her body...