Epilogue: The Reflections And Ramblings Of A Mad Dreamer//What Are We Even Doing Here Anyway?

I'm sure you are aware of who I am by now, afterall you have been reading my words for a while. I am the author, the real author. The author of a book about an author of a book about a girl whose wishes contradicted the author of her book through the words of an author which only one little girl ever considered to even exist. It's kind of funny when you think about it this way. I'm sure during this experience that you never once doubted who the main character was. You thought it was Jo right? 

No? 

Maybe I mistook you for someone who purely read on the surface. You definitely knew it was Madison, didn't you? Well, within the confines of these pages you would be correct. Here's a medal. But what if I told you that the main character was you all along? You might think it's a crazy notion. Or not. I don't read minds. But for those who thought it was a crazy notion allow me to explain myself. I wrote this little thought ahead of time, back when only the first couple chapters existed and I only had a pipe dream of a complete book.  Its existence was more for me than anyone else. It was to justify to myself the reason I was writing this book in the first place. I figure that my past self can help to back my crazy notions and if it doesn’t? Then maybe I truly was mad. But aren't we all? 

Why are we real? Are we real? 

If life is but a collection of thoughts, actions, emotions and characters woven together to create a narrative, a story if you will, then who is it that decides we are real? 

If not for our philosophical nature and duty as human beings then we would be no better than constructs. Created from the mind of one higher than us with the pure intent of driving entertainment in itself or something even higher than it. Nay, reality is not what is made but rather what we make of it. Construct or not we have a choice. A choice to take the narrative into our own hands. A choice to mold it, shape it, and turn it into whatever we wish. The choice is yours to either create for yourself a favorable story or to be drowned in a tide of subplots signifying nothing. An endless cycle that you are utterly unaware of. Go down too deep and you risk becoming a side character in your own life. What will your story be? 

Will you live how you want or how fate says you should? 

This choice is yours, dear reader, do with it as you will. 

Author’s Note

They set their hands at the sides of their laptop in light awe of what it was that they had accomplished. A project that was a long time coming. They couldn’t help but chuckle at the irony of this ending. Very self aware. It was as if they were holding a hammer above a shattered fourth wall. The shards fall leaving nothing but a mirror. A mirror of an audience that isn’t really there but that they all could see. 

If you are still reading that is very kind of you because the story ended after Act 3. I will say I did really enjoy this journey. Even If I was not with you in person, know that I am there in spirit. I do sincerely hope you had as good a time as I did with this strange little endeavor and I hope you also enjoyed my cheeky little Author’s Note. Anyways, I am done rambling and will allow this whole desperate method of establishing myself to end but not before it receives a proper ending. So, to close this out in a fitting fashion, I will use a quote from one of my favorite movies of all time, and the biggest inspiration for the story you have just finished:

“Oh, and in case I don't see ya… good afternoon, good evening, and good night.”

-Truman Burbank