Chapter 6
Anastasia Rises
Like her namesake, Anastasia emerges from the ashes of her past. Embracing life and love with an unextinguished spirit, her journey culminates in a powerful affirmation of hope, healing, and the enduring strength of the human heart. SOMEBODY IN GOD [Verse 1] I had to guard my heart To keep my soul alive They tried to call me nothing But I knew I had survived I was not made to break I was made to shine When they shut the door on me God kept one open line [Pre-Chorus] And I could not stay In a world that lied I was never less than I was never denied [Chorus] I’m somebody, somebody God knows my name I’m somebody, somebody I’m not here for shame Everybody needs love Everybody needs grace I was built for light now I won’t hide my face [Verse 2] I saw the world different Even when I was small Too much pain in my hands Too much silence in the hall I carried heavy years I had no one to tell But pain is not my home now I rose out of that hell [Pre-Chorus] And it took some time For the hurt to fade But a broken heart Can still be remade [Chorus] I’m somebody, somebody God knows my name I’m somebody, somebody I’m not here for shame Everybody needs love Everybody needs grace I was built for light now I won’t hide my face [Bridge] Feed Your children, Lord Let the hungry come House Your children, Lord Till the hurting one by one I was called weird But I was just seeing truth Now I give You my whole life And I give You my youth [Final Chorus] I’m somebody, somebody God knows my name I’m somebody, somebody I’m not here for shame Everybody needs love Everybody needs grace I was built for light now I won’t hide my face I’m somebody, somebody I’m here to stand God took my shattered heart And held it in His hand SOMEBODY TOO [Verse 1] I’m tired of the single side Of this double bed Tired of holding all this weight In my head I gave my days away To keep you fed Now I’m the one Who feels left for dead [Pre-Chorus] I kept the door open I kept my hands out I kept on saying “There’s enough to go round” But I’m empty now Yeah, I’m empty now [Chorus] I’m somebody too Somebody too Don’t look past me now I’m somebody too I gave all I had I gave all I knew Don’t call me nothing I’m somebody too [Verse 2] I watched the hungry line grow long And I stayed last I tried to hold the broken ones From falling fast I thanked God for every step Every scar, every pass But the ones I lifted up Just let me crash [Pre-Chorus] I kept the door open I kept my hands out I kept on saying “Take what you need now” But I’m empty now Yeah, I’m empty now [Chorus] I’m somebody too Somebody too Don’t look past me now I’m somebody too I gave all I had I gave all I knew Don’t call me nothing I’m somebody too [Bridge] If love is real Then look at me I’m still here Still on my knees I learned the hard way What this world can do But I won’t disappear I’ll make it through [Final Chorus] I’m somebody too Somebody too Say my name out loud I’m somebody too I may be bruised But I’m standing true Don’t call me nothing I’m somebody too I’m somebody too ASHES OF MY NAME [Verse 1] Woke up in a stranger’s skin All my passwords pulled like pins Saw the balance on a screen Couldn’t touch a single thing January frost in my veins Nine hundred songs in the rain Every page I bled my truth Watched my book just fade from view [Chorus] Who took my face, my name, my proof? All of my ghosts in a storage roof Birth certificate, baby photos too Whole damn past in a plastic box they moved I’m standing here with empty hands While someone else rewrites my plans Stealing my shed, my bonds, my frame But you can’t steal the fire, the fire in my name [Verse 2] Old stocks in a rusted tin Yellow letters, next of kin Antique clocks that knew my time All erased like petty crime No title, no paper trail Just a story you hoped would fail But every stolen document Is another verse I won’t forget [Bridge] I’ll rewrite the book line by line (line by line) I’ll sign every margin in my mind (in my mind) You can burn the proof, break the lock But you can’t touch the voice in this song (hey) [Chorus] Who took my face, my name, my proof? All of my ghosts in a storage roof Birth certificate, baby photos too Whole damn past in a plastic box they moved I’m standing here with empty hands While someone else rewrites my plans Stealing my shed, my bonds, my frame But you can’t steal the fire, the fire in my name
Anastasia stirred, the rough wool of the blanket scratching against her cheek. Sunlight, thick and golden, streamed through the window, painting stripes across the worn floorboards of her small room. It was a gentle light, one that coaxed rather than commanded, and for the first time in a long time, it felt warm, not accusatory. The echoes, those persistent whispers of the past, seemed to have retreated with the dawn, leaving behind a quiet space, a breath of clean air.
She sat up, her limbs heavy but pliant, like a willow branch that had bent low in a storm and was now slowly, tentatively, straightening. The songs, her songs, had been a lifeline, a way to trace the jagged edges of her pain, to give form to the formless terror that had once held her captive. But lately, something had shifted. The ink on the page wasn't just a record of survival; it was becoming a map to a new landscape, one where the shadows were no longer all-consuming.
She remembered the first time the words had felt different. It was after she’d sung "Somebody in God," her voice, still thin and reedy, but carrying a newfound conviction. The chorus, "I’m somebody, somebody, God knows my name," had resonated not just in the quiet corners of her room, but deep within the core of her being. It was a simple truth, a profound declaration, and it had felt like a tiny seed, no bigger than a mustard seed, finally finding fertile ground.
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