Red_Roses_and_Black_Dahlias_-_Macy_T

was woken up by screams coming from their house. Their two daughters,
Dalia and Rosa Flores (13 and 4) are currently missing, Faithview police
forces are doing their best to find them and bring justice to their parents.
Only they hadn't.
They hadn't found us. Because by the time this paper was published, we
already were in another country.
“What does that mean?” He looked at me incredulously as his hand still
gripped the paper tightly.
“My name is Dalia Flores. I’m the daughter of Jasmine and Antonio
Flores.”
I could never explain the lightness I felt go through me as I said those
words. Tears actually started flowing down my cheeks as they left my mouth.
For eight long years, I had been incapable of muttering these words to
anyone. And now that I was reclaiming them, it felt like being given back
parts of my identity.
“You don’t know how good it feels to say that.” I whispered, closing my
eyes as a sad smile made its way to my lips. I stayed that way for a minute,
just bathing in the peace that came with acknowledging my true self.
Even though everything was over, even though I had failed, the simple fact
that I could tell the truth and stop clutching onto that lied-filled life I was
forcefully given, was heaven.
“What happened to you?” Opening my eyes and taking him in, I could see
he looked more and more like the man I loved.
Like the man I had betrayed and drowned in lies.
“My mother had a… she had a really bad childhood.” The words were an
understatement and it hurt to speak but I figured I at least owed the truth to
him after everything he did for us. For me. “Her parents were killed when
she was really young and she had to go live with her uncle, Oracio.”