We might finally have an antagonist! Im so excited! I know I know "Inkweaver this chapter is short!" Well I wanted to save the next chapter for Dylan's story so shaddup!

CHAPTER 17: 1 Is the Lonliest Number

From the look on 9's face Dylan realized that he would have to tell a long story. But if he was going to tell them, then all the stitches should hear it.

"9, everyone's going to want to hear this."

He turned his head to the two lifeless bodies,

"Everyone."

9 nodded and went to gather the rest of the stitches while Dylan set 8 up into the contraption. He revived 8 and placed him with the others. Everyone took a few steps back in case he thrashed around thinking that he had been captured by a machine. Strangely enough, the hulking stitch just stood and looked around his surroundings. When his eyes fell on 6, he walked up to him and patted his yarn hair.

"I guess you were right 'lil buddy."

Everyone seemed awestruck, but their attention quickly turned to the last body.

"Must we really bring him back?" 7 asked.

The group turned to stare at her,

"What?"

9 turned back to Dylan and gave him a nod. With that, Dylan lifted the old leader and placed him where all the others had hung at least once in their life. 1 looked so odd without all his fancy adornments, he almost seemed...innocent.

For the fifth and final time, the room lit with white light. For the fifth time Dylan placed the body over with the other stitches. For the fifth time the stitch slowly awoke and stood. For the first time- no one stepped forward. 1 looked at his group, the group he had struggled to keep safe, but could not. He had thought 9 to be a curse, and in a way he had been correct. 9 had divided the family, awoken the machine, and gotten most of them killed. Yet 1 did not feel anger. For he saw that the young stitch had always had the same intentions as him, and even long after they had been dead 9 never forgot them. Now he had brought them back together again. 1 walked toward 9 and stopped a mere inch in front of his face. They stared at each other for what felt like a minute, then 1 finally spoke,

"You've done well for yourself."

1 considered adding one of his short remarks like 'But I could have done better' but he realized that that would have been a lie. Instead he just got in line with the others. He noticed that they had lined up numerically, so he took his spot with the others. 9 and 7 introduced the now living stitches to what they had missed while they were "away" and told them of how they met Dylan. After the others had been caught up, Dylan adjusted himself to begin the story of how the world as he knew it ended.