I am so, so sorry that this took so long you guys! Typically I'm a stickler for deadlines, but after I got back and I tried writing I came out with a bunch of gunk that I couldn't bring myself to post up here. Then school started a little over a week ago, and just... OK, so I don't really have a good excuse. Thank you so much for putting up with me though, and I hope you enjoy this chapter, because it took forever. Thank you so much to all who reviewed! Those really made my day!

"Fate is what happens to you when you're busy making other plans."

-John Lennon

Ugh... I woke up to the usual thick fog that follows a deep sleep. The bed I was laying on was just so comfortable, I didn't want to open my eyes. It was soft and fluffy, and the blankets were drawn so snugly around me. But for some reason, I didn't remember going to bed. As a matter of fact, I didn't even remember going back to the hotel. So if that was the case, where in Hyrule was I?

I opened my eyes. It took me a while to get adjusted to the bright light pouring in from a window on my right. Straight ahead was a door, and several dressers were pressed against a left wall. The folding doors of a closet were on my right.

I turned my attention to the window. The sun was preparing to set, and the sky was a beautiful golden color.

I rubbed my eyes slowly, sitting up. Stark white sheets pooled around my waist. I tried to remember how I had gotten here, the last vestiges of sleep leaving me. I had been getting some shampoo from Malon. I remembered that. And then... no one had been in town.

I looked out the window again. Not a soul was on the streets. Which brought me to remember how someone had yanked me in here, and I had passed out. They must have carried me to the bed. I looked out the window again and noticed something. The window had been duct taped. All of the cracks were sealed over with strips of silvery duct tape. Was that someone's lame attempt at keeping me in here? Whoever dragged me in here obviously has no experience in kidnapping.

But then...does that mean that I wasn't kidnapped? I don't think that anyone could have a legitimate reason for pulling me inside their house.

I decided to look around the room. I spotted a nightstand beside me with a picture frame on it. It showed a handsome young man with what appeared to be a teenaged girl in pigtails, the man pushing the girl on a swing. They both looked happy. What kind of kidnapper leaves family photos out and about?

Deciding that I'd rather not find out, I tried to get out of bed to my purse, which I had just spotted on an armoire not far away, but was abruptly stopped by a sickening pain in my ankle. I looked down, and sure enough, my extremely swollen now-cankle had achieved a sickly purple color.

Grimacing in disgust, I hobbled to my purse, desperately clutching the wall on the way. I reached for my cell phone, praying to Nayru that it had any battery power left, or even a signal. I gaped at the home screen. 27 MISSED CALLS. What? Twenty-seven? I went to the call log and hit redial.

RIIING...RIIING...

"Zelda!" I heard Malon's worried voice screech. "Thank Farore you're okay! I was so worried! Why didn't you answer my calls? Did you catch it? Oh, Zelda, I'm so sorry, this is all my fault! When I saw the news I just was worried sick! They won't even let me in there and-"

"Malon!" I interrupt. "What in the Sacred Realm are you talking about?" My voice was a harsh whisper. I didn't want whoever was beyond that door to hear me.

"What do you mean what am I talking about?"

"I don't know! Whatever you said about the news and whoever "they" is wouldn't let you in somewhere!"

A pause. "You don't...know?" her voice was timid. "I just heard it on the news. The entire town of Ordon, it's..."

"It's what?" I asked, getting a little impatient.

"Quarantined. It's under quarantine."

"Why? What it for?"

"They don't know. Most of the townspeople have come down with some sort of unknown virus. The CDC just sealed off the area. They won't let me through! I tried to get to you, and I tried explaining but..."

That explained a lot. No one was out on the streets because they were all ill or trying to evade the virus. What that didn't explain was why I was in a stranger's house. "Malon, I want you to listen carefully..."

After explaining my situation to Malon and instructing her to go back to the hotel to calm down, I hung up my phone. After I got out of this house, I had reasoned with her, I would run out of the town through the woods and walk a mile past the police barricades, where she would then pick me up, and we could leave this wretched place. It seemed simple enough in theory. It was executing it, I knew, that would be the problem.

I heaved a sigh and placed my cell phone in my purse, picking the bag up and swinging it over my shoulder. I attempted crossing the room silently, but I ended up with a soft thumping sound every other step because of my injured ankle. I stopped at the window and tried to pull it up. It wouldn't budge. I yanked up as hard as I could. Nothing. I tried leaning my weight against my left foot and throwing my shoulder into it. Again, nothing. Well, crap.

Deciding that the door was probably my best bet, I hobbled over to it. I hesitated before turning the knob, placing my ear to the door. I heard the faint rumble of someone talking, but it didn't sound like it was coming from anyplace nearby.

I opened the door as quietly as possible, the only sound being the woosh of the air. I padded out into the carpeted hallway, picking a random direction. Silently, I opened doors. I passed another bedroom, a bathroom, and an office before I reached a dead end. Crap!

I turned around to head back the other direction. The dark blue of the hallway walls seemed endless as I tried other doors, each leading to linen closets or storage, and even a laundry room. I paused as I was about to open another door. I could hear noises coming from it. Someone was speaking behind the door, and from the noises that I heard, it sounded like they were coming closer!

Freaking out, I opened the door at the end of the hallway and darted out, ignoring the stabbing pains in my ankle. I was in a big open room. On my right was a fully stocked kitchen, and on my left was a living room which led to...Thank Nayru! The front door!

I was so caught up in the moment that I barely had time to register that the door knob behind me was turning. Thinking quickly, I dove behind a nearby armchair just in time for the door to swing open, and a man to step out. I held my breath as I watched him move to the kitchen before turning away to get something out of the fridge.

This was my chance! On my hands and knees, I crawled quickly and silently the agonizing ten feet to the front door. I was so close! All I had to do was just reach my hand up and-

"And just what do you think you're doing?"

Crap.

That was the chapter! What do you think? Questions? Comments? Suggestions? (I could really use some suggestions...) I will try to get the next chapter up ASAP, which means that it will be out in about a week. (For real, this time.) I hope you enjoyed, and don't forget to review!

P.S. Do any of you know some good gluten-free recipes? I just learned that my friend was a celiac.