There’s something to be said about darkness… how a city comes to life once night takes over. If you can quiet your mind enough to drown out the echoing laughter, blaring sirens, and the general chaos of human self-absorption… if you listen closely… deep within the silence of the noise, you can hear the evil lurking, waiting for that perfect moment to strike—the moment when your back is turned and you are no longer paying attention.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” That was Keleigh’s favorite quote… I remember it well. I remember a lot of things about her… what made her smile, what made her cry, the way she smelled, how she loved… her rage. She’s still there, I guess. I can feel her, somewhere deep inside me. Sometimes, I can hear her when it’s really quiet… just a faint whisper guiding me through the darkness toward the light. When I think of her, I can’t help but smile… you would have loved her. She was special… one of a kind. She always looked out for everyone. I know she is proud of us—of all that we’ve accomplished since the storm… since her death. While her life and dreams may have been cut short, if she were here today, I think she would say it was worth it… even with the way things are now… she would say, “Love is ALL you need… Love WILL change the world.” It’s because of her that we’re even here. Without her, none of this would have been possible. Without her, LOVE would have never stood a chance.
Things weren’t supposed to end this way, so they can’t. I won’t let things end like this… I don’t care if they kill me… if they kill all of us. I’d rather die at the hands of evil than hide within its shadows. This has gone on for too long… it has to stop! Too many lives have already been lost to the darkness. Our ancestors fought too hard and sacrificed everything so goodness could thrive in this place. We can’t stop fighting, no matter what happens… no matter how dark it gets. We have to be the change. If not us… who?
I’ve been hiding here for the last three days, waiting for the rest of the Alliance to show up… they should have been here by now. I’m really worried something may have happened to them when they tried to escape. I want to go look for them, but I must stick to the plan. Time is ticking, and I can’t stay here forever. Before I go back out there, I have to make sure our work will continue long after I leave this place because evil cannot be allowed to rule any longer.
If you’re reading this, then you’ve found the journals I hid in this sacred place on August 24, 2024, with hopes that they would withstand the darkness… praying that one day—likely a time when yesterday has long been forgotten—someone would uncover the truth and share our story… the story of Soulfire Jones and the Big Sister Alliance. The world needs to know that we NEVER stopped fighting… even when darkness seemed to have prevailed… WE NEVER GAVE UP!!! There is no darkness inside the light… find your way there… but please be careful… the WORLD is depending on you!