ARIEL POV
The words of Sarah seemed to stay in mid-air while my heart tumbled down to the pit, its rhythmic beat stuttering into a frantic cadence that seemed to reverberate with every cell in my body.
Instantaneously, my eyes sought Alan's, his locking gazes with mine as understanding of the gravity unfolding before their very eyes mirrored in alarm and trepidation clasping my being.
The phone, still on loudspeaker, seemed to amplify the tension-casting an eerie silence around the room, further fueling my anxiety. Alan's firm voice, tinged with concern, cut through the stillness.
"Which village, Sarah?" he asked, his words left hanging, awaiting a response that never was coming it seemed.
Sarah's reply came jollied and fragmented, tapering off into an unnerving silence, leaving us h
