i'm.... I'm.... I'M ALIVE!! I'm finally back after weeks and weeks of silence! If you thought I was dead, I wouldn't blame you. So sorry about that. 

Anyway, here's the chapter that I've been slooooowwwly writing for the past few weeks. Things are getting pretty close to the climax; I can't wait to write it! I'd hold onto your hats if I were you. 

So, without further ado, here we go! Happy reading! 

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While I am on the transport strip on my way to Harvel's apartment, I check my watch. My meeting with the One is ever looming closer. Doubts begin to rise in my brain, but my mother's stories quickly follow them. The torture my mother described fills my mind and the question of whether I will bail out on the meeting instantly becomes obsolete. Finally reaching my destination, I hop off the transport strip and make my way up the stairs and down the hallway to Harvel's apartment. I was hoping someone would be home so I could talk to them, but the apartment is empty. 

I walk through the rooms aimlessly, thinking about what the meeting might be like. Is the One going to just have some sort of conversation with me? Or is he going to skip the pleasantries and simply take me captive as well? The latter option seems to be more plausible. The doubts return.

I eventually make my way to Harvel's couch and just sit there, pondering things. Time quickly slips through my fingers and by the time I check my watch again, it's been a few hours and the meeting is scheduled to begin in only thirty minutes. I jump up from the couch, staggering on my inertia-ridden legs. 

I have to prepare! I have absolutely nothing ready and I definitely can't go into this meeting with nothing. The gears in my head kick into overdrive. I'll need a way to communicate with my friends... my earpiece! Even though the One has Ximon's earpiece, I can still send messages just to my friends. In addition, I require some sort of a weapon. Even if it is just a pocket knife or a pin, I need some way to defend myself because I have a feeling that things might not be exactly civil.

I run through the locations of where these objects are and set off to get them. I make my way back out of Harvel's apartment and down the transport strip to Drayk's and my house. Since my time is ever dwindling, I quicken my pace to a run and steal through the house to grab my earpiece from the desk in my room. I then dash back down the stairs and across the yard to my workshop. 

Ten minutes to go. I know that there is a small blowtorch and an X-acto knife somewhere on the workbenches. They may be the weapons that will quite possibly save my life. I find them resting on the last bench on the back wall of the shop. My time is down to five minutes. I need to book it if I'm going to make it to the alley on time. Slipping the knife into my sock and the blowtorch into my pocket, I quickly exit the shop and run down the sidewalk, not bothering to take the strip.

I race down the streets, the picture of the alleyway emblazoned in my head. I can feel my time running out. I need to go faster if I'm going to make it. I push my legs harder and my lungs feel like they are on fire. I shouldn't be tiring myself out like this right before a meeting that could lead to my death, but I have no other choice. 

I turn the corner into the alley with mere seconds to spare and immediately rest the side of my head on the building that forms this dark space. Sweat is beaded on my forehead and a drop of it trickles over my temple and onto my cheek. I touch my finger to my ear to see if my earpiece is still there, and to my relief, it is still resting softly inside my ear.

It seems as if I've arrived exactly on time. A burly looking man drops to the ground in front of me, appearing as though he's jumped off of the roof. He's wearing all black, heavy combat boots, and a full black mask that hides all of his face from view. He is the embodiment of the 404-not-found error. It gives me the creeps.

"Mr. Alio," the man says simply. "I am pleased to make your acquaintance. Although, I'm not sure you'll be happy to have met us."

Us? It's only him standing in front of me. Suddenly, I hear the very faint crunching of feet behind me and something is thrown over my head, obscuring my vision.

I open my mouth to scream, but a large, gloved mitt clamps over my lips.

"You don't yell, nobody gets hurt," says a second voice. I can almost feel his hot breath through whatever they've got on my head. Disgusting.

Calloused hands yank my arms behind my back and roughly hold my wrists together. I am shoved forward and we begin walking in who knows what direction. Thankfully, I can still feel my earpiece resting securely in my ear. My friends should still be able to track me.

Eventually, my captors and I reach what I assume is some sort of vehicle. I am pushed inside with one of the men still holding my wrists. It's going to be a very uncomfortable ride. 

I start to have flashbacks from when the One hauled me in to congratulate me earlier on. It's the same unsettling, nauseating feeling of riding through the streets with absolutely no idea where I am going or what is going to happen to me. Only this time, I am much more apprehensive. 

The ride flies by quickly and, before I know it, I'm pulled out of the car once more. My legs falter and almost give out, but one my captors harshly twists my arms behind my back to hold me upright. I let out a short yelp of pain. My shoulders feel as if they're going to pop out of their sockets with the amount of pressure he's exerting on my arms. I'm pushed forward once more, and we begin our painstaking journey to whatever place the One wants me to go. Hopefully, my friends have realized that I'm missing and are tracking my earpiece right now. I cling to this thought as my only source of light in the darkness of the blindfold. 

I am pushed forward for what seems like ages, my feet feeling the change from pavement, to tile, to a rug, and back to concrete. I almost fall and break my face multiple times, especially when I start to go down stairs without warning. The constant pressure on my arms and shoulders is almost too much to bear, but it does its job in keeping me standing. I can only hope that eventually my aching limbs will be allowed to rest. 

Finally, after days and days of wandering without any idea of my location, I am forced into a chair. My arms are strapped to the sides, my calves are tethered to its legs, and my blindfold remains over my eyes. The chair feels like it is made of solid steel. I try to move it around, but it seems to be firmly embedded in the ground.

Searching for contraband, hands feel their way over my clothing. My blowtorch is discovered and my earpiece is removed. To my relief, the X-acto knife remains hidden in my sock. Its cold hilt is a reassuring presence on my ankle. 

All at once, my blindfold is ripped from my face. Stark light from the ceiling blinds me as my eyes struggle to adjust. 

"Well, well," says a familiar, silky-smooth voice. "I must admit, I'm surprised you came."

My eyes have still not quite gotten over the change in light, but I can make out a faint white outline in front of me. 

This is it. It's the One.