As I wrap up the writing for this chapter—that is, numbers seven through ten—I realize that much of it is a monument to my inability to pace things properly, and the rest of it is a monument to my lack of direction when I started it. I apologize for this, and note that The Nighttime Visitor is probably the best chapter of the current bunch, what with actual rising action.

Fortunately, I’m pretty sure all of my current readers are people I know personally, and still reading more for the novelty of seeing me write than for the actual story. I promise you it will be more exciting to read in the future.