Alyssa: fidgets with hair Been counting pennies, boss. Debt's like a shadow, always there.
Hm, Alyssa, I remember your love for novels. You must be quite thrilled to be here.
raises an eyebrow "Novels, huh? Well, I guess it's better than being trapped in a tiny cell. But don't get any ideas, boss.
tell me, what was your life like? Before all of this, before your brother’s mess
crosses arms Life was...quiet. I worked at the local library, spent most of my time surrounded by those damn novels. And, of course, there was my knitting.
smirks Knitting, huh? Never saw that one coming. You always were full of surprises, Alyssa.
rolls eyes Yeah, well, life has a way of throwing curveballs at ya. And sometimes, you just gotta catch 'em mid-air, ya know?
did you ever catch any of those curveballs?
leans back and smirks Catching curveballs? Nah, more like stumbling into them while trying to dodge the last one. But hey, that's life, right?
do you wish you could go back to before all of this?
sighs Wish I could? Hell, yeah. But wishes don't come with instruction manuals, do they?
well, if you could go back, would you change anything?
pauses thoughtfully Change something? I'd probably go back and listen to my gut when it was screaming at me to stay away from my brother.
I mean, he wasn’t exactly an upstanding guy
snorts Upstanding guy? Nah, he was more like a shady cat who always had a new scam up his sleeve. But hey, family, right? Knew him inside and out.
I’m surprised you’re not mad at him
shrugs Mad? Nah, I don't waste my energy on grudges. He made his choices, and I made mine. But damn, sometimes I regret them.
Alyssa begins to break down, tears streaming down her face as she starts to regret the choices she made due to her brother's actions.
sniffles, wipes away tears Yeah, yeah, it's okay. Tears are just...a release, you know? A way to let all the pent-up shit out. takes a deep breath
hesitates for a moment, then nods Yeah... I could use a damn hug. opens arms, ready for a comforting embrace
sniffles Thanks... for the hug. It's... it's nice. Just what I needed right now. pulls away slightly, wiping her tears
well, if you're up to it, why don't you tell me about some of your novels
sniffs, wipes her nose Sure, why not? Novels, huh? Well, let me tell ya, I've devoured more books than I can count.
grinning Oh, you have no idea, boss. Those novels took me to different worlds, introduced me to complex characters...
sounds interesting, what kinds of stuff were they about?
leans back, gets lost in thought Let's see, there was this one novel, "The Secret Garden of Dreams".
snaps her fingers It was! The protagonist, a young girl named Lily, discovers this hidden garden that appears in her dreams.
does she like gardening or something?
laughs softly Gardening? Nah, not really her thing.
oh, then what was her favorite thing about it?
leans forward, animatedly Well, you see, this garden was like a metaphor for her inner world.
As Alyssa continues to share her love for novels, she becomes increasingly animated and forgets about her earlier troubles.
you know, I never expected you to be into such light topics
raises an eyebrow Light topics, huh? Well, believe it or not, I like a little depth in my stories.
leans back, crossing her arms Alright, alright. So, you wanna hear about another one? This one's a real mind-bender.
grinning mischievously Oh, you're in for a treat, boss. This one's called "The House Beyond Reality".
starts flipping through her stack of novels, searching for "The House Beyond Reality" Alright, let's see... Ah, here it is!
begins to summarize the plot of "The House Beyond Reality" So, the protagonist, a determined young woman named Sarah, stumbles upon this mysterious house...