bamboo doesn't grow in dark spaces. [80K Words / Complete]

authors note.

Hello,

If you're new here, thanks for checking out my story. Please make sure you check the content warning before proceeding to the main chapters. And if you're a returning reader, I offer a very sheepish hello and thanks for coming back.

When I first started writing and posting bamboo here during the pandemic, I was overwhelmed by the love and support I received. Not only that, I truly cherished the sense of community I had found during what (for my city, anyway) would pan out to be over 200 days in lockdown.

bamboo doesn't grow in dark spaces. is a project I am both very proud of, and one that I have struggled to reconcile with writing. There were a few things that culminated in me leaving Wattpad (and shelving this project for over a year), but the main hurdle has been my mental health.

The last year has forced me to work through old traumas and introduced me to new ones. I won't go into the icky, nitty-gritty here. But needless to say, it's been a pretty hectic year, which was another reason I wasn't mentally able to come back to this story or this community.

bamboo is a dark story. For some, it can be a really confronting thing to read. And for me, there have been times when this has been too confronting to write. As someone who works in a well-being space, specifically with young people impacted by trauma, writing this kind of content has at times been challenging for my own values. Because, I do want to make this clear, nothing about this story is with the intention of endorsing, romanticizing, or fetishizing sexual assault. As dark as this story is, at its core I want it to be something that challenges certain issues that continue to permeate our society.

That about wraps up my little spiel. Again, thank you to all readers (old and new) who have decided to give bamboo a chance or cursory read. Go forth, please remember to practice self-care (in life, and while reading this story), and always be kind to yourself.

--- Libra Phoenix