- If you found this lying around, then I’m either gone, dead… or something worse.

  - Read it. Learn from it. Don’t throw it away. Please.

  - If it helps you live another day, pass it on. I want to save lives—even if I’m not around to see it.

  ---

  I should’ve written this first.

  But I didn’t think this journal would turn into what it is now. At first, it was just a way to stay sane. Something to scribble in between looting runs and near-death experiences. A place to store dumb tips and reminders to tie my shoes.

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  Now… it’s more than that.

  I’ve survived things I probably shouldn’t have. I’ve seen people die. I’ve seen people change. I’ve seen monsters that used to be my neighbors—some with dead eyes, others with something still flickering behind them.

  And the only reason I’m still here is because I paid attention.

  I wrote things down. I learned. I adapted.

  If you found this book, and I’m not around to walk you through it—I need you to do the same. Don’t treat this like a diary. It’s a field guide. A lifeline.

  Add to it, if you can. Pass it on when you must. And above all, remember this:

  You’re not alone. Not really.

  Someone out there tried to make sense of this nightmare. That someone was me. And if it helps you stay alive?

  Then I’m still doing what I set out to do.