For many, the word haunted brings to mind malicious spirits prowling darkened halls in the dead of night and preying upon the living. Not for Jason. For Jason, it brought to mind the antics of his sarcastic "roommate" named Rebecca. Rebecca was just...
That's the only word I can think right now. Just 'wow,' again and again, because it's unbelievable that this is happening, that this little story made it so far. That this all started as a joking text in a group chat titled Jurassic Parks and Rec, an offhand 'hey wouldn't it be funny if...' that snowballed into the story we have here today. Of course, I didn't do any of it alone. That's why we have acknowledgments, isn't it? To shout out the names of all the people behind the scenes and pull back the curtain on Oz. So, here goes nothing.
First and foremost, I'd like to thank @threelightslit, my best friend and number one fan. I'd like to thank her for putting up with my long, out-of-nowhere texts outlining a plot for a story I'd just thought up (some good and some very, very bad) and her replying that she couldn't wait to read them while knowing full well they likely won't get published 'til our dying days. Rumor has it she's trusted with the knowledge of exactly how many books are in my ever-growing drafts list (hint: more than there should be). She's always supported me in and out of writing and for that, I will always be grateful.
Next up is @11purpleraccoons for texting me minutes after updates with her thoughts in all caps (usually screaming about how I'd hurt her) and drawing beautiful art like this:
ओह! यह छवि हमारे सामग्री दिशानिर्देशों का पालन नहीं करती है। प्रकाशन जारी रखने के लिए, कृपया इसे हटा दें या कोई भिन्न छवि अपलोड करें।
AHHH! Amazing. She's a great artist, a great person, a great fan, and just a Great, y'know? So grateful for her.
Also, a big shout out to @16characterslong for always giving good advice. Not to mention cryptic messages in the ungodly hours of the morning indicating he'd read my newest chapter. Thanks, my dude.
Also to all of the people I crawl out of the woodwork to text every now and again about this book. All the messages go the same, week in and week out. 'Hey, y'all, shameless self-promo here: the ghost garbage is up again.' I don't know how you people deal with me but thank you for doing it.
Last but definitely not least, I'd like to thank you. Yes, you! If you're reading this right now, I'm thanking you. Thank you for taking precious time from your day to read this story of mine. Whether you've been here since the beginning, hopped on board yesterday, or just now unearthed this from the bottom corners of your library (we've all been there), I'd like to thank you for sticking it out. Thank you for putting up with my weird writing schedule, my inconsistencies, and my general craziness. It has meant the world to me. No, more than that. It has meant universe to me. This whole experience has been a dream and I'm so glad I got to share it with each and every one of you. I've changed so much as a reader, a writer, and even a person since first clicking that orange publish button. Thank you doesn't even begin to cover it, but it's the only phrase I know at the moment to express this concept. So, thank you. A thousand times, thank you.
Should you choose to stick with me, I've got a few tricks (and like a hundred drafts) up my sleeve. This isn't the last you've seen of me, not by a long shot. I've still got a long way to go as a writer, but I've been told that every word you write gets you closer to where you wanna go. So, never give up and never stop writing. For what it's worth, I believe in you.
