Disclaimer: I'd be quite pleased if anyone thought I actually owned these characters.
All hail the mighty reviewers.
*~*~*~*
If you need to leave the world you live in
Lay your head down and stay a while
Though you may not remember dreaming
Something waits for you to breathe again
EVANESCENCE
*~*~*~*
He could sense more than see the outer walls of the vortex rush past him as he rocketed through the tunnel. Unlike the thick air of the Negaverse doorway he could feel this one carrying him like a river. He was speeding faster now, heading towards a patch of light. He was getting closer, the patch was growing, the light was blinding…
Negaduck burst through the wall of light and the next thing he knew he was lying face down on what seemed like the ground. He grunted as he pushed himself up, then stared at the ground beneath him. It was covered with dark gray blades of grass, but even as his hands rested upon them, the mallard could not feel their cool, wispy texture. He felt nothing. In fact, the grass seemed to dance over his fingers and palm like shadows.
Negaduck gasped as realization hit him – they were shadows. No real grass, only silhouettes of their former being.
He pushed himself unsteadily to his feet and gazed at his surroundings. The gray land was vast and flat, expanding forever, melding into the equally drab sky to the point where there was no horizon. Startlingly white trees stood around him, all of them scraggly and leafless. So this was limbo.
Negaduck heard the mournful whistling of a soft breeze and saw the trees shift accordingly. However, he felt no such breeze. His cape and hat remained still.
Despite the lack of wind Negaduck shuddered. Everything his eyes and ears told him was a lie. Nothing was real. His mind choked with the doubt and panic of not being able to grasp reality.
The masked mallard absently pressed his fingers to his chest as if to check the existence of his own body. He then shifted them to the left until he could feel the rapid thumping of his heart. He nodded like a mad man, taking assurance in the simplistic realism of his heartbeat.
"Okay," he muttered, disturbingly pleased at hearing his own voice.
His heart gave an extra jolt as he remembered the task at hand and he shouted to no one in particular, "That's it, there's no way I'm doing this."
Negaduck turned and strutted confidently into the doorway. He made to jump back in only to have a bolt of energy strike him and send him sprawling backwards. He hopped back up with a huff and roughly brushed the nonexistent dust off his jacket.
"Ooookay, fine. Looks like I have to round up the dip's soul to even get out of this freak zone. Man…as soon as I save him, I'm gonna kill that knob!"
He glanced about, searching the barren terrain.
"Gotta find his soul, gotta find his soul," Negaduck thought aloud to remind himself of his own presence, "wait a sec…what does a soul look like?"
Negaduck squinted and looked around. Nothing but trees and grayness. Suddenly he saw a glimmer of white. He tried to focus on it, but it disappeared. Negaduck growled.
"That's it, I've had enough. This is so stu – HOLY FREAKING HELL!"
In the blink of an eye the forms of several bodies appeared, seemingly composed of a white mist. Negaduck had the strangest feeling that they had been surrounding him the whole time but he had failed to notice them. It forcibly reminded him of Where's Waldo – once you found the little dweeb he sticks out like a sore thumb every time you look at the page.
The figures stood in eerie silence. Some of them Negaduck recognized as helmet-less Eggmen, some he had never seen in his life. They drifted towards him slowly like apparitions. Negaduck's eyes darted from face to ghostly face.
"All right, I'm gonna assume these freakshows are the souls…okay Darkwart, where are ya?"
The specters seemed to multiply as more and more surrounded the mallard as if admiring the veracity of his body. Negaduck found himself unable to muster the nerve to touch one of them but instead edged delicately around them. He scanned the wraithlike crowd until his eyes fell on a familiar face.
Without a mask and cape stood the soul of Drake Mallard. He appeared more solid than the rest and wore a capricious look on his face.
Though he had always generally assumed it, Negaduck was still surprised to see how identical Darkwing's maskless face was to his own. He stared at the mirror image of himself and the soul's unfocused eyes seemed to stare right through him.
Negaduck pulled his gaze away and awkwardly reached down. He grasped Drake's wrist. It was unexpectedly firm, though the villain could not feel it in his clutch. No heat, no cold, no texture, just firmness.
"Well, let's go, I guess," Negaduck said for lack of anything better.
He tugged on Drake's arm but to his shock, the soul barely budged. His momentum caused Negaduck to release his grip and stumble forward. The mallard growled and glared daggers at his opposite's spirit. The body looked light and airy but felt as though it was filled with sand.
Negaduck marched behind Drake and attempted to shove him toward the portal. No dice. Negaduck rolled up his sleeves. He seized Drake's arm tightly and backpedaled with all his might. Slowly but surely, Drake's soul began to float forward.
The going was painfully slow and Negaduck felt as thought he was pulling a load of bricks across sandpaper.
"Who knew that…saving a…hero…would be…so…freakin'…hard," the mallard grunted to himself.
He edged closer towards the glowing doorway. Negaduck ground his teeth and stretched his arm to the light. He inched forward until his fingertips grazed the threshold. The second he made contact Negaduck let out a startled yelp as Drake's soul zoomed like a magnet into the portal, dragging the stunned villain behind him.
*~*~*~*
Sweat trickled down Morgana's face and onto her beak. It dripped off her chin, making a dark blotch on the wooden floor. The sorceress's entire body trembled with effort as she struggled to keep both the portal and their hopes alive. Her hands burned like white-hot metal where she gripped the unseen edges of the threshold. Doorways like this were not meant to be opened, and once they were, their number one priority was getting shut.
"C'mon," Morgana heaved.
She could not lose him, not like this.
Aviana paced back and forth nervously, her eyes never once leaving the sorceress and the portal. What was taking so long? Had the portal worked? Was he in limbo, or was he stuck in a completely different dimension?
Gosalyn watched Morgana, clutching her pigtails. The fleeting thought of losing her father forever flitted across her mind but she quickly issued it away.
Suddenly the duckling heard a loud, ripping noise behind her.
"Huh?" Archie grumbled from his perch upon Gosalyn's shoulder.
Eek and Squeak began to squeal and flap furiously. Gosalyn turned to witness the soulless Darkwing burst from his spider web bonds with an echoing roar. His eyes blazed with a fire and he leapt forward, knocking Gosalyn roughly to the floor.
Archie flew off her shoulder and tumbled across the floorboards. He collided with Aviana's boot.
"What the…"
Aviana looked down at the dazed arachnid. He pointed a shaky leg in Gosalyn's direction. The duckette followed his leg to the scene and gasped.
Darkwing rounded on his daughter. Though still on the floor, Gosalyn attempted to back away. The crime fighter curled his fingers so they looked like claws, ready to attack…
"Heads up, zombie boy!"
Aviana jumped into a high web kick. Darkwing whirled to face her and effortlessly caught her by the leg. He flung the duckette to the side with a simple flick of the wrist. Aviana hit the floor and slid to a halt.
"Oh for Chrissake, can't anything go right today?!" she bellowed furiously.
Darkwing Duck scurried up a bookshelf and clung to the ceiling unnaturally. He was literally foaming at the mouth, the saliva oozing from his sick beak and falling to the ground.
Gosalyn's jaw dropped with horror. She craned her neck to see Darkwing. The duckling could tell he was tensing his muscles, preparing to pounce. Though her bow and arrows were within reaching distance, she did not bother with them. It had been hard enough to shoot Launchpad the other night, let alone her own father.
As she stared up into the hideous, ruby eyes, a pity beyond her years swelled deep inside her.
"Oh Dad…" she whimpered.
Darkwing glowered down at the redhead and let loose a very raptor-like shriek that resounded throughout the library. The shrill sound echoed in Morgana's ears. She chanced a glance over her shoulder, blinking through her salty sweat. Her eyes darted from Darkwing to Gosalyn, and her heart surged with horror.
"Hurry up!" she cried desperately into the doorway.
*~*~*~*
Drake's soul flew through the channel at record pace. Negaduck clung to his wrist frantically. The black-masked mallard thought he heard the sound of Morgana's voice echoing around him, but his attention was too focused on keeping a hold of Drake to debate it. Much to his displeasure Negaduck could feel Drake's soul slipping from his grasp.
"Oh no you don't!" Negaduck growled through clenched teeth.
Drake's force was too great. His wrist broke free from Negaduck's grab. The villain watched Drake's soul rocket back to earth without him.
"Oh for – even his dumb soul manages to get away!" he barked, letting the natural current of the portal carry him to the doorway.
*~*~*~*
Aviana clutched her beak with panic. Things were spinning out of control, and she never faired well under pressure. She always needed someone else when times were tough. And this time was about as tough as it got.
Gosalyn stood frozen like a shocked statue as she stared at her father who was currently hanging from the ceiling, ready to strike. Morgana's entire frame was writhing with the effort of holding open the doorway. Her hair had fallen down and was matted to her face like thick, black spider webs, and her face was distorted with pain.
Morgana held back a gasp of agony. The lives of two she cared for deeply were on the line.
"Someone…do something!" she shouted with all her strength.
Though she had expected that someone to be among the living, she did not complain when a white mist exploded from the vortex. Gosalyn gasped as it made a beeline to the ceiling. The mist melted into Darkwing's soulless body with an almost comforting whooshing sound. Darkwing blinked.
"Wha…w-where am I? How'd I get up – YAAAHH!"
His supernatural abilities gone, Darkwing Duck fell from the ceiling like a brick. He emitted a painful "Oomph!" as he landed in a heap on the floor.
Gosalyn crept towards his form cautiously, her nerves mingling with her curiosity. Darkwing's cape lay draped over his face from the fall. The duckling shrunk to her knees and gingerly lifted a corner of the purple cloth. To her glee, she revealed healthy white feathers, a bright orange beak, and clear, albeit crossed, blue eyes.
Still needing further proof of his well-being, Gosalyn questioned hesitantly, "There's word going around that Gizmoduck is the best hero in the whole world. Is this true?"
Darkwing's eyes snapped into focus.
"What?! Of course not! That is the opposite of true! What jackanapes spread those heinous lies? Where do they live? It's time they faced facts – Darkwing Duck is, and always will be, the quintessential example of heroic perfection to ever grace the very face of the earth!"
"Dad!" the duckling cried joyously.
Aviana was in the midst of observing the reunion when the acrid smell of singed feathers entered her nostrils. She followed the scent to Morgana. Smoke was drifting from the sorceress's sizzling hands.
"Where's Negaduck?" she hissed, "I can't…hold it open much longer!"
Aviana rushed forward and grabbed Morgana's wrists in an attempt to help her with the door. The duckette gasped at the burning heat of Morgana's feathers. The two shuddered furiously until they heard an increasingly loud yell echo from the depths of the vortex.
"yyyyaaaaAAAAHHH!"
With a crackle of energy, Negaduck hurtled out of the portal. He zoomed over the two duckettes' heads, proceeding to fly across the library and slam into a bookshelf. He slid to the floor and landed on his head, a load of books toppling unceremoniously onto him.
"Ouchie," he moaned dully and slipped into unconsciousness.
"That was neat," Aviana commented in awe.
The duckette felt Morgana's wrists roughly pull away from her. Morgana flung her hands together, and the doorway to limbo slammed shut. It released a few fleeting bolts of energy before disappearing entirely, flooding the library with silence once more. Morgana sunk to her knees, out cold before she hit the ground.
Aviana looked at Morgana, wondering what to do, when she heard Darkwing's confused voice.
"Would someone please explain to me what just happened?"
Gosalyn hugged him and responded cheerily, "You had your soul stolen and got turned into a zombie. You were actin' kinda nuts, but Aviana said that we could still get your soul back. So Morgana opened the gate to limbo and Negaduck went in and saved your soul."
"What?!" Darkwing cried.
"Well if you don't want your soul we can always take it back," Gosalyn said with a smile.
Darkwing stared into space and began sputtering, "My soul got…Morgana opened…Negaduck saved…"
The mallard swayed slightly, then his eyes rolled back and he slumped to the floor with an exhausted sigh, down for the count.
Gosalyn blinked. She looked from her father, to the sorceress, then to the felon, and crossed her arms.
"Jeez, some people just can't handle the heat," she said with an air of superiority, then turned to the only other conscious duck in the room, "don't you pass out too."
Aviana looked down at Gosalyn and raised an amused eyebrow.
*~*~*~*
"Wake up…wakey wakey…Jesus, wake up already…"
Negaduck groaned and shifted slightly, causing a sharp pain to shoot up his back.
"Oh, that was my favorite spine," he whined groggily.
He lifted the leaden weights of his eyelids. His face felt unusually sensitive, and he became very aware of the soft material of his mask he normally forgot he was wearing. The mallard squinted nonetheless, trying to organize his swimming thoughts. All he was able to make out was a blurry, black mass in front of him. Uh oh.
"Oh damn I'm dead," Negaduck stated with annoyance.
"No sorry, you're not dead."
Negaduck blinked, and Aviana's tired face came sharply into focus.
"Hello," she said blankly.
Negaduck gave her a halfhearted wave and grumbled, "How long was I out?"
"Almost an hour. You were sleeping pretty well."
"What happened?"
"You saved Darkwing's soul then flew into a bookshelf."
Negaduck groaned with self-loathing and covered his face with his hands.
"Why me…"
Aviana reached behind him to adjust the frozen piece of yak's meat she had found to "ice" his back, coming very close to grinning.
*~*~*~*
Darkwing Duck paced in a wide circle in the living room of Macabre Manor, a dark scowl etched into his face. Morgana lounged wearily on the plush couch, watching the mallard with an equally sinister scowl.
"I can't believe this," Darkwing said at long last.
"Believe it," Morgana retorted tersely.
"First, you let Gosalyn come along to where she told you Taurus Bulba would be, and then, out of all the wanted criminals you could have let into the same house as Gosalyn, you decide to let Negaduck come prancing around like your next door neighbor!"
Morgana leaned forward aggressively.
"For one thing, your daughter just happens to care about you enough to NOT take no for an answer, and for another thing, Negaduck was not "prancing." I know the crap he's tried to pull before; I was keeping an eye on him."
"One eye isn't enough! Give that guy an inch, and he'll take a lot more than just a mile! Where is he now, huh? He could be setting up a massive chain of timed explosives as we speak! I'm going after that lunatic and kicking his tailfeathers outta this – "
"You will do nothing of the sort!" Morgana roared, leaping to her feet, "As out of character as it seems, he saved your soul! You can at least accept that!"
Darkwing glared at her and snapped, "Don't be so naïve Morgana! There's not a shred of decency in his entire body! He has ulterior motives, he always does."
"Listen, I don't trust him either, but you can at least give him the decency of speaking with him before jump to conclusions! Not that you would ever do such a thing of course," Morgana finished with snide indifference.
Darkwing's blood pressure began a steady climb.
"I refuse to have a conversation with that disgraceful, denigrating, despicable, dastardly – "
"Oh stop it Darkwing, you're making me blush."
Darkwing spun around and came to beak to beak with his double. Negaduck gave him a chummy grin that Darkwing returned with a contemptuous snarl.
"Whadda you want?" the crime fighter seethed, "here to stab us all in the back? Oh wait, no, how 'bout you skin us alive first? Or wait, even better, you could burn us to fiery ash!"
"Darkwing!" Morgana scolded angrily.
Negaduck returned the mallard's severe gaze calmly, "Now now Darkwing, I would never dream of such horrid things."
He then turned to Aviana who had come up behind him.
"He's always a bit grouchy after having his soul stolen."
Darkwing opened his beak to deliver Negaduck a fierce verbal blow, but Morgana brushed past him.
"Listen to me Negaduck: I can never bring myself to forgive you for all that you've done over the years. But, because I believe that everyone deserves a second chance," the sorceress said, accentuating the latter with a hard glare in Darkwing's direction, "and because of what you've done for us, I won't ask you to leave for tonight nor will I allow Darkwing to turn you over to the authorities."
Darkwing began choking on his own spit.
Morgana continued, "And you, Aviana, my house is your house tonight. You look tired, and you've certainly helped us more than I could have asked for. There are extra bedrooms upstairs."
"Thanks," Aviana said with a yawn, pushing past Negaduck and disappearing up the stairwell.
"Well?" Morgana asked, turning to Negaduck.
The mallard growled; how dare she appear as if letting him off the hook was some gargantuan favor? He prepared to spew the unprintable, but thought again. Hadn't he jumped into limbo just to set Darkwing up so he could knock him down? He had to maintain his cool demeanor. He removed his hat and fingered it guiltily.
"I…I don't know what to say. No one's ever accepted me like this, not after all I've done, to you two, especially. This, this whole ordeal…it's just, it's just made me see things so differently," Negaduck lied smoothly, adding a false break of his voice for good measure.
Morgana and Darkwing exchanged wary glances.
Negaduck swiftly beat down the pride that was struggling to surface and continued, "Besides, Darkwing, saving your soul was just in the vain hope of that next we come to blows you'll, ya know, go easy on me."
Negaduck cringed but mentally willed Darkwing's head to inflate. C'mon, don't read into it, just say it, just say it…
"Ha! I'm not so sorry to say I'm not surprised! Yep yep yep ahh…'bout time you realized the aftermath of mangling with the mighty masked mallard! And you should also realize that this fighter of fortitude doesn't go easy on anybody!" Darkwing boasted.
"Quiet Darkwing!" Morgana snapped, then faced Negaduck with an awkward look, "Um…make yourself at home."
Negaduck gave her a gratifying nod and placed his fedora back atop his head, adjusting it accordingly. He turned with a flourish of his black cape, then made his way up the staircase.
Morgana watched him go while Darkwing looked as though he was having heart palpitations.
"Did you hit yourself with a memory spell again? I've seen better acting on Gosalyn's wrestling shows!" he shrieked.
"Relax. If he tries anything funny my house will take care of him," Morgana replied with a grim smile.
Darkwing rolled his eyes, then grinned smugly.
"But it's always rewarding to know your crime fighting proficiency really pays off. Having Public Enemy Number One, well, actually Two, cowering at your feet really boosts the old morale."
"Fascinating," Morgana drawled.
"That milksop, who does he think he's kidding? Kissing up so I won't manhandle him anymore, pfft."
"But do you think he'd really accept defeat that easily?" Morgana questioned hesitantly.
"Hmm, now that you mention it, he could be up to something. I know him almost as well as I know myself, and I know he's not one to back down. Unless, he's not up to something and just wants me to think he's up to something just because he wants to be up to something for the sake of being up to something. But then he could want me to believe he's not up to something and just wants me to believe he's up to something because he really is up to something. G'oh, that devious delinquent!"
Morgana blinked.
"Well, just bear in mind that you can never entirely rule out the possibility of his reformation."
"Morgana, if you honestly believe that scandalous scumbag could ever have enough humanity in him to change, you've got another – "
The 'thud thud thud screech!' of running sneakers skidding to a stop caused the two to turn around. Gosalyn had bounded into living room, trailed closely by Eek, Squeak, and Archie.
"Hey Dad, hey Morgana. It's almost midnight and the intense emotional trauma of tonight's events has made me weary and unstable so I was just wondering do I have to go to school tomorrow?" she gushed breathlessly.
Darkwing raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, you look weary and unstable all right."
Gosalyn grinned and asked with sugary sweetness, "So do I?"
"Well…no I guess not. But – "
"Keen gear!"
" – BUT you will report to bed immediately and you will make doing your homework into a fine art tomorrow. Understood?"
"Yeah yeah sure fine," Gosalyn muttered quickly.
She rushed forward to her father and Morgana.
"Good to have you back Pop," Gosalyn whispered, giving him a tight squeeze.
"Good to be back, sweetie," Darkwing returned.
He ruffled her hair as she broke away to spread the love to Morgana.
"Love you Gos," the sorceress said, "Take whichever room you want. And don't forget, do not go in – "
"Second floor, back hallway, third door on the right. No problem," Gosalyn assured with a smile.
Morgana smiled back, but suddenly faltered.
"Oh, I forgot to mention that to Aviana and Negaduck. Hmm, that could be messy. See if you can find them when you go upstairs Gos, I hate cleaning up after Little Cornelius."
"Don't go near Negaduck. Maybe if we're lucky he'll open the door himself. In fact, I think I'll go up there right now and tell him not to open it. He he he, how I love reverse psychology. He'll never know what hit 'im…" Darkwing ordered, trailing off and staring into space.
"Sure thing Dad," Gosalyn muttered sarcastically, then pounded up the stairs.
The mallard watched the fiery hair fade into the darkness.
"Huh, Gosalyn," Darkwing chuckled fondly.
"Yes, Gosalyn. Living proof that you can do something right," Morgana jeered.
*~*~*~*
Negaduck loomed over the top of the staircase, leaning casually on the intricate banister. He absently traced the grisly fangs carved into the wood as he listened to the conversation echoing from below.
"Okay Darkwing Yuck, let's hear a criticism on my little routine," he whispered lowly.
"Did you hit yourself with a memory spell again? I've seen better acting on Gosalyn's wrestling shows!" came Darkwing's irate voice.
Negaduck nodded with satisfaction. Darkwing was skeptical, as he should be. An award winning performance would raise a red flag, if not to Darkwing, then to others. It was best to lie low. Negaduck sighed and continued.
"Here comes the egotistical hot air fest in four, three, two – "
"But it's always rewarding to know your crime fighting proficiency really pays off. Having Public Enemy Number One, well, actually Two, cowering at your feet really boosts the old morale."
" 'Well actually Two'," Negaduck mimicked with disgust.
No matter, his plan was working regardless. Utilizing Darkwing's tragic flaw was key; an overconfident duck was more apt to overlook any suspicious activity.
"And now bring out the self-mystification," Negaduck predicted.
" – But then he could want me to believe he's not up to something and just wants me to believe he's up to something because he really is up to something. G'oh, that devious delinquent!"
"He he he, how I love reverse psychology," Negaduck snickered.
The black-masked mallard sighed and shook his head ruefully.
"Dingwing, Dingwing, Dingwing, when will you ever learn just how predictable you are?"
Darkwing's muffled voice reverberated up the stairwell.
"Morgana, if you honestly believe that scandalous scumbag could ever have enough humanity in him to change, you've got another – "
The smug grin Negaduck had sported was speedily wiped away and his blood began to burn beneath his skin.
"Yeah, you better believe it," he hissed.
Negaduck turned on his heel and strode down the dark hall. He admired the various chilling portraits adorning the walls.
"I was never much for art," he commented sarcastically.
He was staring at a particularly gruesome one when he heard several strident yells, followed by a series of bizarre squelching noises echoing from beyond.
"Now what?" Negaduck barked and sprinted towards the commotion.
He followed the bangs and howls to the next hallway and rounded the corner.
"What the hell?!"
Before him was Aviana, currently suspended upside down by a thick, pink tentacle wrapped around her ankle. Dozens of the octopus-like arms sprawled from an open door, flailing wildly like giant whips.
"Back, foul beast, back!" Aviana commanded like a lion tamer while pummeling the tentacles with one of her boots.
This only seemed to encourage the creature, and it let loose a shriek from within, tightening its grip on her ankle.
Negaduck ducked as a tentacle made a snatch for his head.
"What is it?" he asked incredulously.
"How the hell should I know?" Aviana screeched back, "I just opened the door and ta da!"
More tentacles wriggled out from the door, lapping the ceiling. Negaduck reached under his cape and unleashed a large gun. He took aim, but another tentacle shot towards him. It wrapped around the barrel with an unusual squelch and yanked it from the mallard's hands. The creature tossed the gun casually into the depths of the doorway. The two could hear a set of mighty jaws clamp shut, followed by sharp teeth chomping through metal, a loud gulp, ending with a satisfied belch.
"I lose more rifles that way," Negaduck muttered with irritation.
Aviana grimaced at the smell of the rank gas, then gasped as another tentacle seized her leg, drawing her nearer towards the doorway.
"Help!" she demanded more than asked.
Before Negaduck could react, a large tentacle coiled itself around his middle and hoisted him into the air.
Aviana glared at him and growled with defeat, "Great, now we can be eaten alive together!"
"I'm not going to be eaten by something PINK!" Negaduck yelled back.
Suddenly his eyes widened.
"Eaten? Eaten! Oh fish face…"
The mallard reached beneath his jacket and presented a grenade. He tugged off the pin and lobbed it into the doorway.
"Open wide!"
Negaduck grinned as he heard the jaws shut like a steel trap, followed by a hungry gulp. There was a moment's pause before a muffled explosion pounded the air around them. The creature shrieked in pain. The tentacles immediately released Aviana and Negaduck, dropping them to the floor. The limbs writhed as they shrunk back into their home, with the last one shutting the door weakly.
The two ducks breathed heavily as they lay on the floor, relieved to have narrowly escaped becoming a midnight snack. Out of the blue Gosalyn turned the corner and came to a halt by their side.
"I was supposed to tell you guys about – oh, I see you've already met Cornelius," she said with a sheepish grin.
Negaduck glared at her with the utmost agitation and bared his teeth.
"Leaving!" Gosalyn announced quickly and zipped out of sight.
NOTE: Still more to come, but it's definitely getting a bit closer to the end. This chapter was another tough one, sorry if some parts seem a bit forced. All I know is – my term paper is done! Who cares about my grade, MY TERM PAPER IS DONE! *falls to knees thanking higher power.* And now I know more than I ever wanted to about the concept of marriage in Winesburg, Ohio. Hoo-ra.