Hey everyone.
Twenty minutes ago, I received a PM in my inbox from an anonymous sender that contained the city and state that I live in, with the threat that, if I did not take down Chapter 19, they would continue to look for me until they found my actual address.
Why did they only want that chapter instead of the whole story? I don't know. I'm not really sure of anything right now, especially with the anti-"She is the One" cult that seems to have suddenly sprung up with quite a few new users being registered just to downvote the story. Whatever the reason, the threat is scary in how close it is to being real so, unfortunately, I have to give in. I'm sorry.
I'm no stranger to threats. Throughout most of middle school and high school, I was bullied and threatened a lot, so I've gotten used to it. Most of the time, it's just big words from small people. But some anonymous person being close to finding out where I actually live? That's scary. And I can deal with people using the Internet from some really dumb and scary things, like attacking my stories with bots that make 10 negative votes in less than a minute. That's scary but I can deal with that. Potentially putting out my address for people to see? Particularly if those people, for whatever reason, might wish me harm? That's another story entirely.
It's scary. Worse still, I'm not sure how to report it. To the admins? They can't do much in the way of tracking. To the cops? Then I'd have to explain about my stories and...yeah, that kind of fizzles out right as soon as it's thought. So I don't know what to do, aside from taking down the chapter. They've got me by the nuts and I have to fold.
To whoever sent it...are you happy now? Is this what you wanted? Was it worth it? Do you feel better knowing that you have sufficiently scared me to the point where I am forced to take down a section of the story you could have just not read? That's part of a series that you could just not read if something about it offended you so much? I've tried to be calm and collected about all this but this...this was too much. I wish there was a way of knowing who you are so I could report you but...anonymity makes that impossible.
Sigh...I don't understand it. I really don't.
I can deal with people not liking the story, believe me. They have their own reasons, I am sure, but this was just too much. Chapter 19 had been getting slammed with negative votes that were clearly only negative as personal attacks, not a commentary on the quality of the story. With users like 'Jashley' and 'jashleybashful' suddenly coming into the picture to downvote the story, yeah, I'm going to take that as personal. Then, of course, there's the user who keeps commenting on my stories, having given me the name 'niggr', who claims to have someone trying to track me. Is this just a troll looking for some attention or is this the person who actually sent me the message? I don't know. I wish I did. Unfortunately, I have no idea what to do. The message was sent anonymously and I don't even know how they'll react to this message.
But I figured all of the fans should know. You have all been fantastic for supporting me with all this bullshit. It's just been consistently wearing me down and, a couple of times, I've thought about stopping the series just because of the sheer amount of hate I've been getting. Personally. Not directed at the story but directed at me. But you all have been so great and so supportive that I knew I had to keep going. Unfortunately, there's no way the fans can help me with this. When someone's actively coming after me, potentially putting me and my wife in danger, that's when I have to take action, no matter how bad it is. I wish I didn't have to. I wish I could keep going, just to spite them and please the fans, but this has me scared and...well, I have to do what I need to do.
I might post the chapter again sometime but not anytime soon, not while this threat remains. I hope it goes away. I hope whoever decided that I offended their very soul eventually grows bored of hating on me and moves onto something more meaningful. I don't know. But as of right now, apparently I'm a target and I have to bow out of this conflict. I wish I could be like Jack and find a way to make it all right but, as my detractors have constantly said, real world doesn't always work like it does in my story. I wish it did. That's why I wrote the story, because of an ideal I have about life and love and stuff like that, as well as serving as a way to get my writing skills noticed.
So, for right now, the story is on hold indefinitely. I will be leaving the other chapters up and you can still read those but Chapter 19 has to stay in lockdown for right now, at least until I can figure out what to do about the PM. It sucks, I know. It's tearing me up to do it. I apologize. I wish I was made of sterner stuff but I guess I'm not.
I'm sorry. All you fans and loyal readers are amazing and I love you all but...I'm sorry.
Jashley13
