~ before I even say anything yes I know this number will fluctuate from time to time but as of 11:43 on August 12th, 2019 in GMT -6:00 hours, I have 401 followers but one of them is just my alt crackfic account where I post terribly translated versions of my stories after running them through various languages in google translate ~

OKAY OKAY AOKY YOAK KAY KY.  

Y'ALL.  YOU GUYS.  You.  Reading this right now.  Yes, you.  Even if you just happened upon this book and don't know who I am or why I am shouting at you.  Thank you.  Thank you so incredibly much.  You mean the world to me, and in no way, shape, or form would I be here today without you.  

When I came onto Wattpad almost four years ago, I was a preteen who didn't know how to handle her emotions and lost herself in worlds she created inside her own head to escape reality, because sometimes that was too hard to face for her (probably because she was a little crybaby who worried about anything and everything, but we all have our faults, I suppose.)  That girl made an account on here for the sole purpose of reading others' works.  She was far too afraid to put something of her own out there, and she was completely content with reading others' amazing works, because she could just as easily slide into those worlds as she could those of her own.  After a little while, when she grew up a little, in August of 2017, she uploaded her first story, 'Wings,' because she liked Attack on Titan and had seem some truly wonderful fanfictions about it.  She thought maybe a person or two would read it.  

Today that book has almost 12,000 reads.  That girl has 400 followers.  400 people who have shown her their support, kindness, and love.  400 people that she is so grateful to have met, 400 people who have changed her life, 400 people that have brought her happiness on her darkest of days, 400 people who looked at her writing and said, "I like this.  Keep doing this."  They told this to a girl who had no confidence, no ambition, no reason to keep writing other than the fact that she enjoyed it.  400 people who told her, directly or indirectly, that her writing was good and had some sort of impact on people and that she should continue.

Nobody had told her that before.

The positive differences between that girl and me is because of you all.  And I wouldn't have it any other way.

So from the bottom of my heart, thank you for four (technically three, but before that I had talked with some of you) years of my life.  Thank you for showing me that there is a reason to continue with something that you've been told to stop, that it will get you nowhere and is worthless.  Thank you for reading.  Thank you for commenting, jokes and compliments, criticisms and observations.  Thank you for showing me friendship.  Thank you for deciding to stick with me and my works, for whatever reason you have, for however long you have.  Thank you for being actual angels.  Thank you for every single thing you've done in relation to me.  You mean the world to me, and I love you.  

I could ramble on for a million more hours, but I'd just wind up repeating myself like a broken record, and nobody really wants that, so I'm going to say once more that you are all wonderful, kind, supportive, amazing, gorgeous, talented, lovely souls, and how much I hope you all know this.  I know that not all days are good.  But try to remember that there are people who appreciate you so much more than you could ever know.  Even if it is just some high-schooler behind her computer screen who's never met you in real life, called Petri.

I realize that I promised this yesterday and failed to deliver, but I honestly wasn't sure what to say.  To be truthful I don't think I've said much of anything today, either, because I genuinely don't know how to properly express how grateful I am for each and every one of you.  So while this may be all for now, I promise that more is coming.

With as much love as I can ever possibly offer, 
   - Petri ♥️♥️♥️