The final stretch is proving a bit trickier than I anticipated; it’s not writer’s block exactly, but rather a lack of that crucial feeling. When I was outlining it in my head a few days ago, it all sounded perfect, but now, sitting down to actually draft this section, I just can’t immerse myself. I stared blankly at the computer for nearly three hours without typing a single word, and for that, I sincerely apologize.

There are roughly thirty thousand words left, certainly no more than fifty thousand, so I absolutely must do justice to this ending, striving to capture the precise atmosphere I envision. Therefore, I’m only posting this one chapter today; I’ll work hard to make up the rest tomorrow and the day after. It’s almost over anyway—you folks probably won’t hold it against me, right?

Lastly, our current monthly votes stand at 468, just 32 short of 500. If any of you still have those monthly tickets stashed away, please lend your support one last time. It’s the end of the month; with just a little collective effort, we can push past that goal, and then I won’t have to beg and plead anymore. I can just settle down and write the HAPPYEND we deserve, bringing our two-year journey to a proper close.

Well, that’s about it. I’m not good at saying overly sentimental things anyway; I’ll save the real emotion for the main narrative. RS