First, I want to say thank you. If you are reading it on a screen then you've chosen to step into a world that is not always easy, not always gentle, but one that I believe carries an important story. To every reader, supporter, and dreamer who gives their time and imagination to these pages: I am deeply grateful.
This book would never have been possible without the love and encouragement of family, friends, and everyone who reminded me, especially in the quiet hours, that stories are worth telling even when they hurt to write. Stories connect us, even when they frighten us. They push us to see ourselves reflected in the struggles of others. And above all, stories remind us that hope has a place even in the darkest corners of our imagination.
"Surviving the Slaughter Land" is not a light story. It is not soft or easy either. It is a tale that features fear, of running, of hunger that does not end, and of survival against the impossible. It is about three children who should never have been left to face such terror, but who discover courage they never knew they had. It is a story about love not the kind that makes you smile, but the kind that exists between siblings.
When I first imagined this story, I saw a lonely highway. I saw a broken bus, sitting stranded where no one should ever have to be stranded. I saw bushes. And then I saw three young siblings, forced to walk forward even when everything inside of them told them to turn back.
But as the story grew, it became something darker. It became a reflection of what happens when desperation and selfishness twist human beings into something monstrous. The "people" in this book are not creatures from another world they are humans like us, or what we could become if we stripped away compassion and gave ourselves over to hunger. That is the horror of this story.
Yet, this is also a survival novel. It is not just about being hunted, it is about fighting back. It is about siblings who refuse to be broken, who refuse to give up on one another, who learn that survival sometimes means pain, sometimes means scars, but also means triumph. It is about the eldest daughter, who carries the weight of responsibility no child should carry, and yet she carries it because she must. It is about her younger siblings, who find their strength in her courage, and in turn, give her the strength to keep moving when she feels like falling.
I want to say this clearly: there are moments in this book that may disturb you. There are moments of fear, of cruelty, of betrayal, and of loss. But that is what makes the moments of hope shine brighter. That is what makes survival matter. Survival means nothing if it is not earned against the jaws of despair.
To me, this story is also about scars. Physical scars, yes and scratches, wounds, burns, the marks that remind us of what we endured. But more than that, the invisible scars. The ones carried inside. Trauma, memory, nightmares. The siblings survived, but they do not walk away untouched. They survive, but they are changed. And that, too, is part of survival: carrying the weight of what happened, and still finding the courage to move forward.
As you read these pages, I invite you to imagine yourself beside them. Imagine the fear of a highway with no end, the cold of crossing a wild stream in the dark, the pounding of feet behind you as you run from those who want to devour you. Imagine the taste of victory when you realize you are still alive, against all odds. That is the journey you are about to take.
I am grateful to you for taking it. Writing horror is never just about scaring people. It is about truth. The truth written in shadow, truth written in blood. The truth that life is fragile, but also stubborn. That children can be broken, but they can also be stronger than the monsters chasing them. And that even in the Slaughter Land, survival is possible.
So thank you again. Thank you for trusting me to lead you into this story, to guide you through the dark places, and to walk you back into the light at the end. Thank you for letting these children's voices reach your heart. I hope you finish this book not only with fear, but also with respect and courage, for survival, and for love that endures.
I hope "Surviving the Slaughter Land" stays with you long after the final page.
With gratitude,
[OziomaJasmine]