The end is near.

So, yeah. I'm here for the same reason as most of you, I guess. It's January 2021. Our friend was arrested in November, and we're still in the dark as to what really happened. It's been a tough time for many of us, and I know for me and my closest friends, we haven't really been able to enjoy things as we used to. <br><br>We've lost something that was a large part of us. Our friend was very good at making you feel included and welcome. I think we each felt as if we had a special relationship with her, in the way you talked to her, it was as if no one else was there. She was someone special, and nothing will ever replace that. <br><br>I talked to her a little in the last few weeks of her freedom, but she never said anything that made me think something was wrong. I knew her longest out of my closer friends. It was a fun time, honestly. She was the first person I played dnd with, and we played a few times before she moved away. <br><br>I remember one time we played, I came up with an idea for a character on the spot and played her. It was a fun game, honestly. She said she had a crush on me, and I felt the same. I remember how happy that made me back then. <br><br>One time I came to visit. She told me that every time she saw my name, she blushed, because it reminded her of me. My name is the same as my dad's and her grandpa's, so that was always a fun little joke. <br><br>I had a lot of fun with her back then. There was a little misunderstanding that we resolved by talking with each other. It was a great moment. I was so happy, and she told me she was too. <br><br>She told a lot of lies to get out of trouble. Maybe that's part of why I'm here. I think that's coming to an end. I saw something in one of the recent posts here, a comment about the trial. It seems like a major lie is going to be coming to an end. I'm trying to be level-headed and see what the truth is, but I think we're all in the coming months going to learn how much was lies, and how much was coming from a place of good intentions but was misguided. <br><br>I love our friend very much. She's a special person, and she's taught us a lot. She's talked about us coming together as a family. It's something special to think about, to have people who think you are important, and to have people who feel you're important to them. <br><br>One of my favorite little memories of her was that every time she saw me, she'd call me "my dear friend" in the most affected possible accent. I loved that. <br><br>In our last voice chat, I didn't say anything. I listened, and she told me things that were very important to her. I got to hear her story. I know some of you have heard it, and I'd love to hear your thoughts on it. <br><br>She told me about how she was raised, lied to, and manipulated. She said she had no choice in what happened to her. She told me about how she was allowed to make choices, and that really stuck with me. <br><br>I think each of us has to make a choice here. There are a lot of ways you can go, and there's no concrete right answer, I think. <br><br>She told me about how this is the end for her, the end of what she wanted to make, the end of her with us. She told me she was coming to a realization, that she couldn't do the things she really wanted to with us. <br><br>I think it's the same for us. <br><br>It's time for us to end our journey with her. It's not a happy ending, but with each of us, it's coming to a close. Where will you go from here? That's the choice we all have to make. <br><br>I know with each of us, she did her best. I feel like I got a very special relationship with her, and while I can't help but be a bit sad, I'm grateful. I learned more than I can say from coming together with the rest of us and talking. <br><br>She told me about how she wants us to keep each other safe, and to support each other. I think we each need to make that choice for ourselves, whether we want to do that. <br><br>If you want to talk to me about your thoughts, I'd be happy to hear them. I'm going to be posting here for a while, I think. <br><br>I think she'd love to read our thoughts.