Night had fallen on the small town like a heavy, suffocating veil. In Eunice’s house, the silence had become a monster, devouring the air, a silence made of fear, confusion… and guilt. For hours, her parents had searched for her relentlessly. The young girl had disappeared after yet another argument, and now her father paced the living room like a caged lion.

“We can’t wait any longer,” he growled, his voice trembling with anger. “This time, I’m calling the police. I want them to search every corner of this town.”

His wife nodded without a word. She knew that when he spoke like that, there was no room for argument. They dialed the number, filled with anguish, unaware that their daughter, at that very moment, was safe… elsewhere.

That night, Eunice walked through the dark streets, her eyes still wet with tears. She didn’t know where to go, only that she couldn’t stay in this house that was no longer a home. Her heart guided her, as if drawn by an invisible force. And at the turn of an alley, she saw her.

The madwoman.

Florence.

The wandering creature everyone fled from, this figure covered in rags, often murmuring incomprehensible words, speaking to the wind and the void… but whom Eunice, that evening, did not fear. There was something strangely familiar in this woman’s gaze.

“You’ve come back…” Florence breathed, her eyes suddenly filled with an almost human light.

“I’ve been looking for you for so long, my child…”

Eunice, surprised, nevertheless felt a singular warmth wash over her, a tenderness she had never felt with the one she had always called “Mother.” The woman held out a trembling hand. Eunice hesitated… then took it.

They didn’t know where to go, but fate did.

A woman from the neighborhood, Terra, saw them pass by her house. Terra was known for her kindness and gentleness, but also for her protective nature. She never hesitated to help those whom society had rejected.

She opened her door.

“Come in. It’s a cold night. You can’t stay outside.”

Florence initially recoiled, wary. But Eunice gently pressed on her hand, and the madwoman allowed herself to be led inside. Terra prepared a hot meal and silently observed this strange pair. She had known Florence for a long time: she had tried many times to give her clean clothes, but Florence always refused with the fury of a wounded animal.

Yet, that evening, to Terra’s complete surprise, Florence accepted a clean dress, simple but pretty.

“Do you really want me to get dressed?” “Why are you here?” she asked Eunice, as if asking for permission to exist.

“Yes, Mama…” the young girl murmured.

The word “Mama” made Florence tremble. She allowed herself to be dressed, her eyes filled with a raw, almost painful emotion.

Terra watched the scene as one might witness a miracle.

When they had eaten, Terra sat opposite Eunice, a gentle smile on her face.

“So, Princess… what is your name?”

“My name is Eunice, ma’am.”

Terra nodded. She turned a meaningful look toward Florence.

“Florence here tells me she is your real mother. She has told me many things. I want to ask you an important question… do you want to acknowledge her as your mother? Or do you want to go back to that man and his wife… the one she calls a witch?”

Eunice felt her heart sink. All the strange sensations she had felt since seeing Florence suddenly made sense.

“God forbid!” she exclaimed. “I want Florence as my mother. She gave me life. She’s the only one who deserves to be called Mom. That’s why I had the courage to leave home… I couldn’t live there anymore, not when I felt something so strong here. I love you, Mom…”

She threw herself into Florence’s arms, tears streaming down her face. The woman embraced her as if she were finally breathing again.

Terra smiled gently.

“If you love your mother, then it’s time to fight for her. Listen to me carefully. Your mother isn’t really crazy. She’s suffering… perhaps from prolonged grief. Her child was taken from her, she was lied to. She believed you were dead for years.” Now that she’s found you again, her mind is beginning to heal.

She paused.

“You’ll stay here. And I’m going to hire a lawyer to defend your mother. We’re going to file a complaint against your father and his wife. For attempted murder, harassment… and parental alienation. Justice must be served for Florence.”

Florence and Eunice fell to their knees, overwhelmed with gratitude.

“Thank you… thank you, Terra…” Florence sobbed.

“I was never defended. No one ever wanted to believe me…”

“Now they will,” Terra replied. “And tomorrow, we’ll start with irrefutable evidence.”

“A DNA test.”

She turned to Eunice.

“In the meantime, be very careful. Turn off your phone. Your father is influential. And he’ll stop at nothing to find you.”

Eunice nodded. For the first time in her life, she wasn’t afraid.

She had a mother.

A real one.

The next morning, the trio went to the hospital. Florence was trembling, but she held Eunice’s hand so tightly you’d think she was afraid of being torn away again.

The test was performed. The wait was endless.

When the nurse returned with the sealed envelope, Florence felt her heart stop.

Terra calmly opened the document. Her gaze slid over the lines… stopped… then a slow smile spread across her lips.

“Probability of maternity: 99.9%.” “

Florence let out a cry, a raw, animalistic, liberating cry. She hugged Eunice tightly, laughing and crying at the same time.

“I told you! I told you! You’re my child! My… child…”

Her words broke into sobs.

Terra placed a soothing hand on her shoulder.

“Florence, this isn’t the time to cry. It’s the time to act. This document is huge evidence. Let’s go. We have a fight to fight.”

Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Eunice’s dad rushed out of the car in front of the police station. He and his wife hurried inside.

“Our daughter is missing!” he shouted. “Do something! Find her! Arrest anyone who’s with her!”

The police officers took notes, promising a swift investigation.

But no sooner had they left the police station than the father’s wife asked a chilling question:

“Darling… are you sure Eunice hasn’t gone to join her real mother?”

Her husband froze.

“Huh? Impossible. The dead don’t come back to life. Do you know how many years ago she was… eliminated? She was erased from this world nine years ago. She can’t be a suspect. She no longer exists.”

The woman bit her lip.

“But then… who does Eunice feel safe enough with to leave like that?”

He remained silent. And a strange, almost imperceptible shiver ran down his spine.

Meanwhile, in Terra’s house, the story was unfolding.

The truth was emerging.

And a mother was finding her child again.

Justice would finally knock on the door of those who had believed they could erase a woman’s life… and a girl’s identity.