A/N: Hey everyone this is my first non-trilogy story. Hope you like it. This is assuming Artemis and his father live a normal life, with normal finances. See if you can find out what it’s all about…

The snow showed no mercy to the land. Everything was white. The ground. The house. The entire country.

And shivering on his bed was six year old Artemis, praying that the storm would end soon. It was the darkest of nights, with the unbearable cold.

“Come on, Artemis, it’s late. ” Artemis Fowl Senior was standing by the door, watching his only son reading in the dark night. Artemis’ dog, Po, jumped on him and started to snuggle between all the sheets. And to Artemis, even Po seemed feverish in this whether.

All Artemis could do was blink at his dad, not knowing what to say.

“Dad…” Artemis droned, not wanting to continue his sentence. His father knew what he wanted to ask.

Artemis Senior turned away from his son’s disturbing stares.

“It was very peaceful. She didn’t suffer… ”

Artemis Senior switched the lights off, leaving his son in the darkness to think about the words that he had repeated over and over, again.

****************************************

The next afternoon, near the time Artemis would arrive from school, Artemis Senior rubbed his eyes at the dining table, waiting for his son.

Just then, he heard a cry.

“Dad! Dad! It’s dead! ”

It was Artemis. He was back from school. And weeping.

Artemis Senior rushed outside, only to find his son hugging Po closely. The dog was trembling, like it had just been electrified.

Seeing that, it sparked a memory in Artemis Senior’s memory. He couldn’t take the sight. He held on to the corner of the door, his entire body trembling. This was what happened. This was what happened when… when…

He took a step towards Po, grabbed the dog by the collar, and dragged him into the house in one pull. Po could stand upright, but was still horribly weak.

“Is he alright? ” Artemis Fowl Junior asked quietly.

“He’s fine. ”

But he was not.

****************************************

That night, Artemis was put to sleep in the same way. But he was dying. Dying to know what her last words were. And his dad told him.

“She said loved you. She said she would always be with you, son. ”

With that, Artemis Senior switched the lights off, and went downstairs.

****************************************

It was no easy task getting sleep.

Artemis Senior tossed and turned in his sleep, haunted by his very pet. It just couldn’t be…

He was about to forget it all and get some sleep, when Po showed up beside him.

It was horrible. Po’s pupils were not visible, and the poor dog was trembling more than ever, hardly able to walk. It was a terrible sight.

Absolutely shocked, Artemis Senior tried to get over what he saw. He patted the dog’s head, and laid it under a pillow. Realising that he had run out of medicinal provision, he immediately called the local vet.

He had just forgotten that the time was almost 2 o’clock in the morning. 

“No… You don’t understand…You have to come here, please… It’s urgent, please… ”

But it was no use.

Feeling defeated, dejected, and distraught, Artemis Senior came back to the sofa where Po was laid, and sat down beside the dog.

He couldn’t take it. History was going to repeat itself if he didn’t control his gut. He couldn’t do what he had done to her. No, he just couldn’t. He wrapped his arms tightly around his stomach. He tried to control himself. He cannot do it.

But, looking at Po shivering, moaning and dying, he just had to.

He took another pillow, and started suffocating the dog.

Po used his leg to fight Artemis Senior off, but to no avail. He was too heavy.

Finally, Po stopped moving. No more sounds were heard. Artemis Senior felt an emotion gush through his body. He had done this. Again.

But when he removed the pillow, the dog started to breathe and it opened its eyes. The trembles began, and the moaning returned.

Artemis Senior was almost desparate. He looked around the living room, trying to find something hard.

His eyes were laid on the lamp.

He took the lamp, and smashed it against Po’s head.

Hard. 

Not satisfied, he did it again, and again, until the dog was permanently out. Permenantly.

And at the last hit, Artemis Junior woke up, wondering what that noise could be.

***************************************

The next morning, Artemis Junior was combing his hair to get ready for school. His father was cutting some vegetables for lunch.

Suddenly, Artemis Senior spoke. And his words were chilling.

“It was very peaceful. He didn’t suffer. ”

Artemis was choked. Those words again. What could it mean? Only one thing… And then he spoke.

“Like mom. ”

 

 

Some other stories by shanette:

• Another piece of news.
• Artemis Fowl and the Four Elements 2: The Fight for the Truth
• Artemis Fowl and The four elements