The Girl Behind The Garden

Authors Note it's very long you dont have to read it

Heyo my dudes. It's your friendly neighborhood procrastinator :). It's taken me literally five years to finish this fanfiction. I would personally like to thank corona and quarantine for raising my level of boredom to a level previously untouched so that I could finish this book.  I was in middle school when I started it, and now I'm about to be a senior in high school. It's crazy really. It's bitter sweet. If you've gotten this far, which I don't think anyone will (this is an absolute behemeth of a fanfic, if you were wondering: Congrats you made it through 506 pages of cringiness!), i want to thank you. I really don't think anyone is going to read this book, at least not this far, which is totally okay. Except maybe my really supportive, loving mom, who might be more obsessed with this show than I am (Hi mom <3). I did this because it made me happy. So this author's note is more for me as well, because I am 98% convinced the only people ever going to see it is me and my mom teehee.

This book has been such a big part of my life. I know that sounds weird because it's just a fanfiction, but I put so much of myself into it. There's whole chapters that have nothing to do with the show. And even the ones that have to do with the show have a bunch of me put into them. I'm really proud of what came out of it. My mind is going every where right now but I'm gonna try to talk about one thing at a time. 

Firstly, hi yes I know that the beginning and some parts are really cringy, but I was a middle schooler when this started so I have that as an excuse. I have gone back to fix some of the REALLY bad parts, but I left some too, half because I like seeing my progress as a writer and half because I'm too lazy to redo all of it. Thankyou for bearing with me during those trying times because oh boy does it get funky at some points. 

Secondly, Uhhh sorry about the ending? I know it's sad, but that's what I've planned since the beginning. I get really tired of books and movies where there's literally no fear the the main character is going to die. I wanted a realistic end to this book that I've developed for so long. Eden (bless her soul my baby girl) has been fighting with this darkness for as long as she's known. She was tired of it. I really don't think the ending was too sad for her. I think she can finally be at piece. I truly believe she knew it was always going to go down like this.

Thirdly, my guys I am so freaking attached to this story. This is the only story I've stuck with. Yeah, it took me five years to finish, but I love it. I love the characters, I love their relationships, I don't want to leave them. Finishing this book really feels like closing a chapter in my life. Therefore, I'm playing with the idea of making more books about the same characters. (so i'd appreciate feedback on that idea). I have all these huge ideas about all the characters. I know I want Maddy and Malcolm to have their own books together. They're just so freaking amazing together. I was thinking that I made a book based off the epilogue of this one, where Ollie is a teenager and he's dealing with his own darkness. Of course, Angie would be in there and maybe a few other kids that are the children of the OG group. Idk i'm just playing around with it. 

Fourth, I wanna thank my mom. I know that sounds silly but fr fr she's been this fanfiction's number one supporter sine day one. I'd tell her every time a new chapter was posted. Honestly, maybe the only reason this book got finished was because my mom constantly hounded me about it during my uhhh *three year hiatus oops*. She's always made me feel like I write likethe next freaking coming of William shakespeare even when my writing was at the maturity level of a piece of dried play-do.  (She's also the reason I didn't go ham with the smut scenes soo uhhh if you want those then contact me because they're definitely written but I didn't want my mother reading that) Anyways thanks mom :).

Fifth, I might uhhh make this into a real book. I might completely rewrite it with it's own plot. Who knows? Like i said I'm refusing to let this end it's so sad rip. 

Sixth, I always wanted to add more authors notes throughout the book but I thought it would break the story, yknow. Like oh god Eden's getting beat the fuck up for the fifth time and DYING OH NO and then at the end be like AN: I just burnt my tongue on macaroni. Like that didn't seem right to me?? also this book is so fucking long?? and I didn't want to add more parts?? because it would scare people off more than they are?? 

Finally, (I've been dragging this authors note out because I don't want it to end I'm scared) I really want to thank anyone who read this far (if anyone did oof) because I put so much into this book. Whenever I wanted to get away from stuff, I'd write whatever came to mind. I've had days that I would literally wake up, write, and eat, and then go to bed. I've loved every minute of this process and I wouldn't trade it for anything. It really is bittersweet. I feel like I've accomplished something good. But I also feel like I don't know what I'm going to do anymore. I don't have the looming shadow of *my supernatural fanfiction* on me at all times and it's kind of weird. I can finally watch the last seasons of supernatural though, because i forced myself not to until I got this done as a punishment/reward. Anyways. I love this book. And my beautiful baby characters. Even all the cringy words and stories because it all added up to me getting here. (My AP Lang teacher is really impressed with my writing ability and I don't have the heart to tell her it's because of a supernatural fanfiction) Seriously though, thankyou to everyone who supported me and to this book for letting me express myself. It's my first ever completed book. I'm gonna miss this. 

Love yall fr fr, 

see you in the next one,

Emma.