Luna sat in the hospital’s waiting room, her face pale, her hands trembling. She stared blankly at the white walls, her mind racing with fear and guilt. The steady hum of the hospital’s fluorescent lights did little to soothe her. Every tick of the clock felt like a cruel reminder that Carla was missing, and with every passing second, the chances of finding her seemed to dwindle.
Tears streamed down her face as the weight of it all bore down on her. Carla was her best friend, her confidante, and Luna couldn’t shake the image of her lying unconscious in that hospital bed, only to disappear moments later. She buried her face in her hands, muffling the sobs that threatened to consume her.
Carla’s mother lay unconscious in a nearby room, sedated after her earlier outburst. Luna couldn’t brin
