Secrets Kill: Come Out of the Darkness

By Carmen Haskins

Secrets Kill: Come out of the Darkness is a true story of a young woman’s journey out of the darkness that follows being sexually abused as a child. This book takes you into the mind of someone who had been abused, allowing you to feel what she felt and understand her thoughts. Not only was she abused as a child but she was also revictimized multiple times as a young adult. Feeling alone and confused, Carmen had to figure out how to heal and move forward in life to stop the continued cycle of abuse. Now that she has, she wants to share those tips with everyone in need of them.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Dec 4, 2020
• ISBN: 9781662405969

Book preview

Foreword

I have known Carmen her entire life. The moment she was born, she was something to be envied. She was the youngest, and that meant I was no longer the youngest. We would pick on her, but one thing that has been steady with her is that she is tough and she is resilient. She continued to amaze me throughout her life. She worked hard, was very smart, and soon was taller and bigger than the lot of us. She gained our respect—a respect she has never lost. Though sweet and soft-spoken, she would never fight back unless pushed. And when she did, you would know you had gone too far. Watching her grow up, although she was only five years younger, it was a pleasure. Our bond grew as we both got older, and if I ever needed to feel like I had a friend who also was my sister, it was her.

Through the years, no one would have ever known she had gone through the things she did. She was always so considerate of others’ feelings that she somehow forgot about her own. Learning later in life that she was a writer, as most kids who are trying to escape some pain are, this book is no surprise to me. I knew she had it in her, and I encouraged her to tell her story of survival so that she may inspire others to keep fighting for their own lives.

I have always supported her for as long as I can remember. She has a good head on her shoulders and has managed to use it in ways others in our family did not, including me. She inspires me daily. We talk daily. Despite me being an entire continent away, she is my grounding connection—my life force that reminds me of who I am. It should really be the other way around, but she has lived a life that I was unaware of even though we were close. Now that she has shared her world with me before putting pen to paper, we are even more connected and closer. I do hope that you understand her journey and feel the connection that I felt as you read.

This book takes you and me on a journey of how one person can still be standing after everything in their life says they shouldn’t be. It’s a story of inspiration that reminds me that this, too, shall pass. Encouraging others is what she is meant to do. She has had to learn to say no so as not to lose herself again. She is still growing; she is still becoming all that her ancestors desire her to be. Her laugh is even inspiring. I look forward to hearing her words each day.

I want you to remember one thing as you are reading the words of one of the smartest and most beautiful