The thick, humid air of Mississippi hung heavy on Alana's shoulders, mirroring the weight of her sorrows. The cicadas' chorus, a constant reminder of the stifling heat, seemed to echo the loneliness that had settled deep within her. In her small, clapboard house, she often sought escape in the worn-out grooves of her grandfather's vinyl records. The raw, soulful voices of Bessie Smith, Mahalia Jackson, and Robert Johnson poured from the old turntable, weaving tales of heartache, resilience, and spiritual redemption.
