KEEPSAKE

chapter twentyseven

27 LOSING SLEEP

     ALL SHE CAN SEE IS DARK. A COLD EMPTY DARK, WITH FLOOR CARVED IN CEMENT AND BRITTLE STONE THAT CHIPS IN THE CORNERS OF THE ROOM. A THIN MATTRESS MOCKS ARTEMIS AS THE ROOMS ONLY ATTRIBUTE.

She can't remember how she ended up in this jail cell of sorts. All she remembers is Zeus and his stupid fucking grin and her yelling at the guards not to touch Adonis. She remembers watching his body go limp and then feeling nothing but black herself.

With a nasty glare, she stands from the crust mattress and looks around the room. In search of a camera or a one sided mirror, she needs to find out if their watching.

"Come on, Zeus! Let's settle this now, huh? Wanna fight? I'll fight you. Me and you. None of your minions," She snarled, her head whipping around and pounding on the steel bolted door. Her breath mingled with the sound of her fists excessively hitting against the stone. Rusted walls that were tinted with blood and sweat. She wasn't here to be used and abused. She was here to die.

At this point, Artemis was panting. The only sound in the entire room as her fists slowed down and crumbled with her body to the cold ground. Her knees met her chest and she hugged herself as tears melted down her face. She clenched her eyes shut and covered her face in her knees, not wanting Zeus or anyone to see her weak if there was indeed some type of cameras watching her.

Collecting her thoughts, she begins to count all the people that mean something to her, that she misses. Her mom, Leto. She may be an absentee parent, she but loves Artemis as wholly as a mom should. Orion, her first real love. She felt sick thinking about the kiss she shared with Adonis. Not because she did it, but because she liked it. A lot. Adonis, in such little time, he made it deep in her heart to make it ache at the mere thought of his own pain. She loves him. As much as a consort should. Apollo. At the end of the day, he is her brother. More than that, he is her twin. Deeper than that, he's been her best friend for life. She loves him. Just not as much as one should love her twin brother.

     Her thoughts linger back to Adonis. His face, his confused and vulnerable expression as those disgusting men darted a needle into his neck. His soft neck that held no place for wounds. He didn't need any more heartbreak. Or breaking in general. He just needed to be fixed.

     Please be okay, she silently wishes for Adonis' sake. Let him get out of this alive. Let him see the human way of life. She doesn't know who she's asking, she just hopes someone hears.

   The door opens then, and her eyes about bulge out of their sockets. Thinking someone bigger than her is actually here to help.

     But when Apollo's figure passes through the door, she knows this is only karma for all the bad she's participated in. A guard is in tow, Apollo turns to him, "Give us a moment." He orders and the guard silently exits. Closing the door behind.

     "What're you doing here?" She sneers, curling her lips in the angriest glare she can muster.

"I've been here. Since the last time we met..." His voice shook, eyes dipping away in what seemed like embarrassment.

"You've been here? In the palace? Why?" Question after question, she couldn't help herself though. There was so many missing pieces. Unanswered questions. Too many to count.