The Trail

Thank you | Afterword

Thank you so, so much for reading! If you made it all the way to the end, please leave a comment about what you thought about the story. It would make me really happy to read your thoughts. They are, after all, what got me here. Now, onto my much longer speech...

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As my writing journey of The Trail has come to an end, I would like to thank you for reading. Thank you to those who have been with me from the start, who faithfully have read every chapter and left a vote or comment. It has meant the world to me and has inspired and motivated me to keep going. Even when I lost inspiration, you were there to support me and bring back the joy of writing this story. So thank you. This story would never have been completed without you.

And to those who have just begun to read or who will read it in the future - thank you. I truly hope that it will give you something, if even a moment of escape into another world.

When I first began to write the story of Charlie and Juniper, I had never planned it to be what it is today. I found inspiration for it while walking with my dog through an unnaturally hot summer. It felt as if we struggled for our survival, with no water to be found. And so, it gave me the idea about a woman and her dog struggling to survive in an unforgiving world. But as time passed, my mind brought it somewhere else. A story beyond the destruction brought upon the world by humans and the punishment that followed. I wrote every dream sequence with a message, a meaning, clear for those willing to read between the lines. The traumatic event that haunted Charlie did bring her great pain and suffering, but in the end it made her stronger. It made her able to see what had to be done in order to save the world, or more importantly, save herself.

The rest I will leave to the reader to interpret however they wish. That is what I treasure about writing and reading - that it is up to the individual to create their own story from the words written. So even if I had a plan for this story, you will always see it with a different pair of eyes. All I hope is that it might have given you something in return.

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What now?

I have discovered the amazing world of writing on Wattpad. It has given me so much: a way to develop my writing and most of all, given me the motivation to keep writing. While this story might not be perfect, it still feels as if it has taught me a lot and given me the chance to evolve. I will, therefore, definitely keep writing and publishing stories here on Wattpad.

While The Trail has reached its end, there is still an idea brewing for a part two, but I think that it might be a while before that happens. I will leave it to brew for a bit while I explore other ideas. (Psst... Nicci from the future here to let you know that part two is already here! I'm currently working on the sequel which can be found on my page.)

Then, I will of course read through and edit the story. So there might be some things that will come to change in the future. I also have an idea for adding a prologue as well as an epilogue. I will keep you updated when I do.

/Nicci Coleman