Christopher_robin: hi, i'm glad u r here.

Artemis: me too, believe me! i'm sick of all of these guys that try to have cyber sex with me. happy to have u, sweetie.

Christopher_robin: i g2g now.

Artemis: WHAT?

Christopher_robin: i won't be here for a while, and i wondered whether u'll give me ur email, so we can keep in touch.

Artemis: if i give u mine, will u give me urs?

Christopher_robin: sure _____@_____.com

Artemis: mine is _____@_____.co.il

Christopher_robin: ok, thanks. bye.

Artemis: bye.

***

Hi,

If to tell you the truth, I was sure you're going to send me an e-mail first, I mean, a girl like you… after all, it's been a while. I hope you still want me… I mean, still want to be my friend *winking*.

Well, that's what I know about you: you don't give your real name on the internet L , and your screen name is Artemis. You are from Israel, you work in a zoo. And, you are NUT, with a very weird sense of humor. You have read "Winnie the Pooh" (10 points for that). You like nsync, a1 and a certain guy named Gale Harold. And that's it.

If you still want to be my e-friend, tell me a bit more about yourself. I'm curious J .

Yours, Ben.

***

Hello Ben,

I'm sorry for not writing you earlier, but I prefer to let the other one start, cause then I know they want to keep in touch. The people I've written to first have never returned to me… you see, it's a trauma. And who knows, maybe my first letters were too scary for them. I don't have any experience in writing letters. I'm happy you were the one who wrote first J .

Ok, a bit more about me, but only if you promise to tell me more about yourself, cause I'm curious too, you know.

I live in Jerusalem, Israel. I still live at home, with my parents and two annoying little brothers, and I'll probably live here the next three years, since I was accepted to the Hebrew university, which is pretty close to home, so there's no point in leaving home now. I'll start studying next year… I can't wait. Literature and philosophy… you probably think I'm a geek but it's ok, it's exactly what I am. Meantime I work in the zoo, as you remembered. The grass eaters department rules!! Most of what I do in my free time is writing and reading. I told you I'm a geek. My favorite book ever is Watership Down by Richard Adams. I write stories… ok, don't laugh at me, I write fanfiction. I've written it before I was aware to the fact that there is such a thing.

Well, that's all I can think about right now. Remember that I'm waiting to hear about you too!

Artemis.

***

Hi,

You have no idea how glad I was to get your e-mail. It was a long day… I really needed some cheer up.

The only thing I can say is, that those guys were real asses, to not email you back. I'm sure your letters were scary ;) but that's the only reason to answer them. I know this type of guys, they want only the regular, boring girls. Well, I'm one of them, too but… I think we can be real good friends, you understand.

If we are playing this game, so I'll tell you what: I'll tell you about myself if you'll tell me your real name. Artemis is a beautiful name, but I prefer to feel as if I'm writing to a person, not to a goddess *smiling with pride*.

And to show you what a sweet guy I am, I'll tell you about myself even before your next letter, with your name, will arrive:

My name is Ben, somebody has told me it means "a male person" in a certain language… and it's also "a mountain" in Gaelic… but, it's just a boring name anyways, and I don't know why I got into it at all… ah, you have a bad influence on me, for shame!

I was born in Essex, England, but I live in London now… have you noticed the two nice words hiding in Essex? :P I have a mum, a step dad and two younger siblings, a boy and a girl, and they are not annoying, thank goodness.

Oh, congratulations… what a long word… for the acceptation to the university. It must be exciting. I am, on the other hand, a real analphabet. I don't have any intendance to go to a university. I love the limelight… NOT that I am in it yet… I guess I'll have to wait for that.

What else? YOU forgot to say something about your personality, but I don't. Well, except of being a stuck up bastard like my dear friend M says I am, I'm also a fun guy, a good friend. I get angry only in very special circumstances… and on mornings… what else? I'm quite sensitive, in a way (although my beloved friend P would roar with laughter if he'd read this). I can't think of anything else right now. It's because I'm hungry. Where the hell are those assholes? How long is it takes to buy some burgers? Oops, never mind.

Ok, I filled my part. What about yours?

Ben.

***

Hello,

Go on with your compliments, deer Ben (sorry, but I prefer to write "dear" with an e, you understand), I just love to be kissed on the ass. It helps my almost helpless self confidence to rise.

You filled your part all right, and I guess it's my turn to fill mine. Don't worry, it's not something that horrifying, it's not Zeresh or such. But, Ben, you were that smart as to know that Artemis is a goddess, and I'm sorry to disappoint you, but my real name is one of a goddess too. Ashera. She was one of the goddesses of the old east (middle east, actually). She was, don't be shocked, the wife (one of them), of our lord god, according to some of the legends. Yes, what can I do? My parents are nuts. Now you know how come I'm that nut.

You were right. I said nothing about my personality, so… I'm shy. But really shy. I'm the queen of the shy people. It's much easier for me to express myself in writing, as you've probably noticed. Like, if you would meat… oops, ha ha, meet me face to face, you would probably think what a weird (not in a good way), and even, what a snob person I am. But I'm not! I just have a horrible case of low self confidence. One of my biggest faults is that I just don't know how to act with people. Maybe that's the big problem, that I feel I have to act in society and can't be just natural. But I don't need to bother you with my problems. I'm very sensitive, and intelligent and open minded. And I have an amazing amount of imagination.

I have to finish now. In few minutes I'll be in the car, on the way to a family vacation in the north, for the holiday. Yay!

Yours, Artemis… oops, Ashera J