At eight years old, I was living in a two-story farmhouse where fear had become part of my everyday life. I was a foster child who wanted something simple: to feel safe, to be loved, and to know that tomorrow might be different. Behind a locked bedroom door, I found comfort in an imaginary campfire, a little lantern I kept hidden, and my nightly conversations with God. There were punishments I couldn't escape, nights when I cried, and moments when I wondered whether I could keep going. But somewhere inside that little boy, a fire continued to burn. This is my true-life testimony about the darkness I endured, the faith that gave me strength, and the hope that helped me face another morning. The darkness was real. But the darkness didn't win.
