Fairy Roses (An Artemis Fowl FanFiction)

Nightmares

Holly ambled down a hallway in Fowl Manor. She wasn’t paying attention to where her feet were taking her, and she didn’t really care. She just knew that more she walked down this hallway, the closer she got to this…noise. Well, noise is the wrong word. Noise implies that the sound is harsh or loud. Sound may have been a better word to use, but it still did not seem to fit correctly with the type of sound Holly was hearing. It was more of a sensation, a feeling.

She walked farther down the hall, and then stopped suddenly. She looked to her right and noticed that the door she was in front of was ajar. She peeked through the crack and wasn’t really surprised by what she saw. Artemis was playing the piano, and he was rather good. His fingers flew across the ivory keys in a way that would have made Beethoven envious.

Holly opened the door quietly, and stepped into the room. She walked over to the piano and sat next to Artemis on the bench.

“This is beautiful Artemis.” She said. “How can you move your hands that quickly?”

He laughed gently. “It takes years and years of practice, dedication, and passion.” He ended the sonata with a big finish, and then looked down at her and smiled. “Would you like to hear a song I wrote?”

Holly nodded. Artemis placed his hands on the keys carefully, as if he might break them. Slowly, his fingers began to press the keys and the tempo gradually quickened, but not by much. Holly closed her eyes and let the music sink in. It was absolutely wonderful. So wonderful, she almost cried.

The song went on for about three minutes. When it was finished, Artemis closed the cover and sat in silence for a moment. Holly acted like she didn’t see it, but she noticed the tear that slid down Artemis’s cheek. The song was something more than just another piece of music to him. She placed a hand on his shoulder and he looked down at her and gave her a sad smile.

She moved her hand up to his cheek and caressed it with her thumb, wiping away another tear. “When did you write that song Arty?”

“Before my father was kidnapped,” He replied. “And I haven’t played it since.”

Holly’s eyes flew open, and she bolted upright, hand on her chest. She was breathing hard, and was covered in sweat. She had another dream of him again…

The first time should had dreamt of Artemis was the night Butler and her had told Angeline and Artemis Fowl Senior of his death. Angeline had cried for hours and wouldn’t come out of her room. When Holly had gone in to check on her, Angeline had asked her if she wanted to stay for a few nights. Holly couldn’t refuse the offer, how could she? She had, of course, gone back to Haven to retrieve her things and allowed Foaly to explain the chrysalis to her. And though he has reassured her that Artemis would be able to hold on for six months, Holly had her doubts.

On her return to Fowl Manor, Butler was going to prepare a guest room for her, but she had requested to stay in Artemis’s room. It wasn’t a good idea. She had relived Artemis’s death and had woken up at four o’clock in the morning screaming. Butler and Artemis senior had rushed in to see what was wrong, but she couldn’t form any words. There were no words to describe her pain.

And even dreams as simple as the one she had just had could bring her to such terms.

The second night was a bit better. She woke up at the same time to the horrific ending of the same dream, but at least she wasn’t screaming bloody murder. By the third night she was able to sleep until five thirty, but it was with terrible images in her mind; images the author would rather not describe to you. And now, here she was, the fourth night and was waking up at five o’clock. She just hoped it wasn’t going to last forever.