I am thinking I only have one more chapter to go. Word count is now at 73,604

“How did you get here?” Gabrielle demanded as the man stepped up to the rock so all could see him.
“I swam,” he mumbled. “I was thinking if I started swimming across the lake I would drown, but I wound up here instead.”
Mariella moaned as Rose asked, “Who is he?”
“I don’t have a name,” the man said gloomily. “And I don’t have a purpose in life, but I cannot die.”
Christina walked over to him and rested her hand on his arm. “Really, life is not as bad as that.”
“Then why are you here, about ready to be killed by a villain?”
Christina shook her head and knelt before him. “I know that looks bad, I know it looks like we are about to die and that everything is a disaster. But, don’t you see, we still have each other. Yes there are a lot of bad things in the world, in all worlds, but there are also good things, things worth living for. Friends, family, and more importantly one should live for God. God, who created us and loved us and sent His Son to die for us is worthy of our love, worship, and our lives.”
The man shook his head. “God is not the God of my world.”
“But He is,” Christina said. “I know this is only a book and that this world is only made up, but He is still the God of it because He created the people who wrote it,” she paused. “In a round about manner I know, but still. See, our lives are worth a great deal when we are using them to serve God, and no trial we face is too hard to bear because the Christian knows that when they die they will go to Heaven and be with their Lord and Creator and nothing can ever harm them there. That is something we all have been forgetting through all these adventures. God is still in control, even in a book, and we need to remember that and trust Him. Nothing can harm us, even here, without He giving His consent first.”
As Christina spoke the others began to realize her words were true. Not once in all their adventures had any of them prayed to God for help, because they had forgotten that God was still in control. They had been thinking the characters who were writing were in control of everything.
“How foolish of us,” Katie whispered.
“It is not to late,” Alex said.
The man watched in amazement as the authors all gathered together and knelt and prayed. And as he watched he was suddenly filled with the realization that yes there were some things worth living for, and there was also some worth dying for, and he had suddenly found both, and for the first time in his life he smiled, and joined them as they prayed.
Alex led the prayer because he was the oldest boy. “Heavenly Father we come before You in humility,” he began. “We realize that through this whole thing we have been looking at others to save us, others who are not even real, we see now that all that was folly. They did not save us; in fact they turned upon us. Now we come before You knowing that You are the only One who can save us if You so choose. If it is in Your will that we do not make it out of here then help us to always remember that You are still higher then all of this and it is all happening according to Your will. Amen.”
Once they were done praying they all stood up, feeling very much at peace. The man then addressed them. “I can see what you mean Christina, friends are worth living for, but they are also worth dying for, and I want to fight Villain for all of you.”
They tried to persuade him other wise but he refused, he was going to fight Villain because he had finally found friends and he wanted to do it for them. His only request was that they give him a name first.
“I have always liked the name Matthew,” Christina said.
The man’s eyes brightened. “Matthew,” he said. “I like that name.” And so from that day forth, at least until the duel, he was known as Matthew.
That night no one could sleep, so they gathered together and spent the night praying and talking. They told each other all about their adventures and the things they had seen. Everyone shuddered when Jo told them of the flies. Hanz and Sybil were disappointed they had missed the battle with the bats, commenting how like a DeKker book that was.
Sarah complained again because Thomas had not been real and had been a bad guy out to kill her. “He was so perfect!” she said for the hundredth time.
Prinz and Jordaan got into another argument that Justyne solved by making egg sandwiches, eggs and bread provided by Cassandra and Elsa. Jake asked Sarah if she could marry him and the character Jane then and there while Jonathan gave Timothy a long talk about how one just did not put ones author into a book to try and kill them. “Especially when that author is my wife,” he added as he looked over at Justyne who was serving the egg sandwiches while trying to convince Hanz now to pin Jordaan to the nearest tree.
Sybil and Maddock were under a tree close to Hanz and were having a long talk and finally making peace, much to Katie’s delight, she liked it when no one was mad at her brother. And everyone, at one point or another, made their way over to Spy to try and guess who he was.
And over it all Matthew watched and never once did he stop smiling. Yes, he was certain of it now, friends were worth dying for.

The next morning Cassandra and Elsa got together and created a special sword for Matthew. Once they had written it into the book Matthew set to work practicing with it. Meanwhile Villain had sent two of his men to find a good spot to hold the duel; these two men being none other then Paul and Peter.
The authors passed the day in talking to Matthew and trying not to go crazy from the wait. But finally afternoon came, after they had been served a meal of cold ham and cheese a man appeared and told them to follow him to the arena which was nothing more then a clearing in the tree that had been roped off.
Villain stood in the center of the arena, and when he saw the man all the authors and characters were hugging and shaking his hand Villain rolled his eyes. The man did not look like much and Villain doubted he would put up much of a fight.
Matthew hugged Christina especially tight before he turned and stepped over the ropes. He walked up to Villain with his head held high and not sign of fear on his face.
“And who might you be?” Villain asked as he turned his nose up at the man.
“I am Matthew.”
“I did not know they had a character named Matthew, are you a character?”
Matthew shifted his feet. “I am the character of a character. Well, rather the character if several characters…” his voice trailed off as he thought about it. Come to think about it, that was rather weird.
Villain rolled his eyes. “I could care less, I only want someone to fight and I don’t care if he is an author, a character, or a ghost!”
Matthew drew his sword. “Well then, shall we fight?”
Villain yanked his sword from the sheath with a great flourish. He sneered at the man before him and said, “When you are ready.”
Matthew dropped into a stance and raised his sword right as Villain swung at him. Matthew deflected the blow and countered with one of his own, and so the battle was on.
Villain was very surprised to find that Matthew knew how to handle a sword and handle it well. He blocked blows and threw in his own so fast Villain had trouble keeping up with them. He jabbed and lunged and countered and blocked and for each move Matthew matched it and threw in an extra one.
The authors and characters all watched, very hopeful as things looked to be going in their favor. They even began hoping that it would be to the first blood and that Villain would not end up insisting on the death.
Spy stood under a near by tree watching the whole thing gravely. He knew what kind of man Villain was, and he was watching closely waiting for the moment of deceit, waiting so that when the moment came he could jumped forward and help.
Matthew managed to keep Villain’s sword at bay for fifteen minutes, keeping it so that not even once did it come near enough to cut him. The next fifteen minutes he had a little harder time with it and was nearly cut once or twice; but by then end of the half hour both agreed to a rest.
As Matthew made his way over to the authors Sybil started to quote lines from Prince Caspian. “Does his highness need repose?” she growled. “Five minutes?” she then asked in a tired voice that was full of pain. “Three!” she growled.
Sarah rolled her eyes at her friend and Hanz snickered.
“How is it going?” Alex asked as Ness handed Matthew a cup of water.
“It is going easy, that is what is bothering me,” Matthew said as he drank deeply. “I fear he is up to something.”
Leah shook her head and patted his arm. The realization that they were sending this man to his death was getting to them. Matthew smiled at them all and said, “Remember, I am not real.”
“You are real to us,” Rose said with a gentle smile.
Matthew’s smile beamed like a ray of sunlight as he said, “Then I am truly happy and now I can die in peace!’
After a few more moments he returned to the arena and walked over to Villain. “Shall we finish this?” Villain asked with a scowl.
Matthew smiled. “Yes, let’s.”
The first part of the duel had been strategic, look for weak spots; the second half was more intense as the two men went after each other exerting all their strength, their blades flying only inches from their flesh.
It was Matthew who drew the first blood, cutting Villain right on his finger. Villain stared in surprise at the wound, and true to Spy’s words, ignored his own rule as he attack Matthew with the intent of killing him. Matthew held him at bay, and once looked back at the authors who were watching pale faced. His look assured them that this was still what he wanted to do
The combatants where now moving quickly over the arena, both loosing and gaining ground. After awhile though they stood rooted in one place their blades flashing so fast it was amazing neither was kill, let alone cut. The authors and characters watched in utter amazement as they tried to keep track of whose blade was whose.
The fight ended when Villain twisted his blade under Matthew’s and stabbed the man in the chest. Matthew’s face drained all color as Villain yanked his blade back out.
“No!” Christina cried as Matthew fell to his knees.
Villain turned on them and laughed. “You really thought this man could kill me and free you all? You fail to see my power! No man alive can stop me! And now you shall all live here and be my slaves to the end of your days!”
Maddock moaned and growled, “I cannot believe we made him!”
Over head the sky darkened over with black rain clouds. Thunder rolled in and lightening flashed, a tree was struck and caught fire.
Villain laughed, lifting his laugh so that it mixed with the earth shattering thunder. The ground began to shake violently and the authors and characters were tossed to their knees as lightening struck dangerously near.
“You shall all pay!” Villain laughed.
And during all of this Matthew fell over as he struggled to draw his breath.
Spy crawled over to him and rolled him on his back as a bolt of lightening struck behind him. “Matthew!” Spy looked into his face. “Don’t die, you can’t die.”
Matthew’s face was deadly while, his eyes gazed over. Rain began to fall in torrents, wetting them all through.
Seven men began to move forward on the authors as the wind picked up and yanked their hoods back. “Thomas!” Sarah yelled when she saw his face. He did not answer her but drew his sword as an evil sneered crossed his face. “Don’t do this Thomas!”
Hail started to fall from the sky, pelting the helpless authors as the ground continued to shake so bad they could not stand.
“We have to stop him!” Jules yelled.
Mark drew his sword as Hanz grabbed his pistols. The ground started to split open and both boys were nearly swallowed whole.
“You have to do it,” Spy was still telling Matthew. “You have to do it for them!”
Matthew looked up into his face and for the briefest moment he was able to see the face under the hood. He smiled. “I was not expecting it to be you.”
Spy smiled. “Neither will the others,” he said.
“Help me up,” Matthew asked weakly. “And then run.”
The ground shook more violently as they stood. Pain tore through Matthew as he struggled to get his feet under him. At first he did not think he would make it, until he heard voices yelling over the storm, “God is still in control! We look to Him from who comes our help!”
The storm roared louder and drown them out, but Matthew did not care, he had heard all he needed to. Once he had his feet under him he ordered Spy to flee, and then drew his dagger. Lightening struck close by and came inches from hitting him. Matthew did not let it stop him.
Slowly he crept over the ground until he was behind Villain, he raised his dagger and it flashed in a bolt of lightening, and then he drove it home.
Hanz had fallen into the hole and was clinging to the side of the jagged rocks as Jules tried to pull him up. Maddock was trying to get a good aim on Villain so he could throw his dagger. All around the other characters and authors were fighting to stay alive, both from the storm and the Rangers, when all the sudden it stop.
The rain stopped, the hail followed it, the clouds vanished and the earth ceased to shake. Just like that it was over. Jules pulled Hanz up and then they all looked over at Villain. He was lying face down upon the ground, dagger in his back, and Matthew fallen over him. Both were dead.
Spy slowly walked toward the authors, his head was lowered as he said, “It is over; we can go home.”
Then, before anyone had time to think, or even greave over Matthew’s death, they found the land changing. Sarah and Sybil grabbed each other’s hands and held fast as the land faded and changed from an island into a small attic room with two girls sitting at a computer. And, in spite of all that had happened to them, this was by far the weirdest.
“You’re back!” Cassandra and Elsa leaped up from their chairs and ran to hug their authors. “We were so worried!”
No one said anything; they were all too stunned and could not think. Had it all really happened? Or was it all a dream? No, it surely could not be a dream or that would mean they had all dreamt the same dream.
For the longest time they all just sat or stood not uttering a sound. They were sad, but they could not remember why. Something bad had happened, someone they liked a lot had died, but they did not remember who or how. After a while though it did not seem to matter. Sarah decided she did not need to know who he had been, only that he had been a friend. And so she started to cry.
The others slowly started to weep as well, even the characters. It was not the babyish sort of crying either, but heart broken sobs over a dead friend and no one could blame them for that. They cried until they had no tears left, and then they sat in silence again. And as they sat all their adventures came back, all but Matthew who no one ever remembered though Gabrielle, Mariella, Beth, and Christina all remembered the man who had never smiled once in his life.
As they remembered they were reminded that God was in charge of all things, the bad and the good. And so for this reason they all smiled, and then their smiles grew until they were laughing. A joy swept through the room and they all laughed in glee.
Katie grabbed Jane’s hands and spun her about the room, stopping only long enough to pull Christina into their circle. They laughed and spun, and realized they were in their night gowns. When this fact was realized everyone else realized they were still in the night clothes as well. And that reminded them that they needed to get home.
As the authors left and returned to their beds Maddock looked at the characters and said with a smile, “Well, all and all I think that turned out rather well. In fact I am thinking of writing my own book.”
The characters all glared at him and he said with a charming smile, “No, I won’t put any of you in it; I was thinking I would use those Rangers though.” And from somewhere in the book Thomas’s eyes lit up and he grinned.

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