So....

Yeah, it's been a while since I last checked in. Is anyone out there still checking here? Anyway, to let you know what's going on. Despite appearances, I have not given up on the story. Have I hit a major road block? Yes. Honestly, the idea I had for chapter 9 sounded great as an idea, but I just couldn't write it. The concept worked better in my head than it did on paper. In other words, it just came across as boring. So, I stepped back and took some time to work on a short story for a contest (it may or may not make its way onto the Internet) and clear my head. Then, a few weeks ago, I was struck by a vehicle while crossing the road to go into work. In addition to striking me, the driver also crushed my laptop. Now, the hard drive is okay, but I haven't managed to get the files off of it yet, meaning that what I had written of chapter 9 is now temporarily unavailable. I've taken this opportunity to start from scratch on the chapter and try a whole new approach. So far I'm finding it more enjoyable to write, but the catch is that I had the original idea fleshed out in my head. I'm sort of winging this new idea. So... yeah, that's where I'm at. Sorry to be such a let down, but I'm still hanging in there with it.