61

Alana’s POV

Later that night, I tossed and turned in bed, unable to find the comfort of sleep as Suzy's haunting words continued to echo in my mind, each phrase repeating over and over again like the relentless repeat of a broken record.

It was as though the weight of her words of caution had settled deep into the depths of my thoughts, refusing to let me drift into the sweet embrace of slumber. I had tried to force myself to sleep by clenching my eyes shut, but my mind was already a battlefield, and the echoes of her words continued to wage war within.

I was restless and sleep-deprived as I lay staring at the ceiling hanging over my head in the dark, the moonlight seeping in through the curtains and casting a silvery glow on the gray walls.

The longer I lay there with only the sound of my thudding heart, the more I realized that sleep was indeed far from me at this point, so I decided to get out of bed, stroll to the kitchen, and grab a cup of water and see if that would help.

As I w