1st Floor - Manager's Office (Counselor)

Emmett-
"Whoa! Hold up there... haha, You can talk fast, but I can't hear fast. I mean, I can try, if you have a difficulty with speaking slowly, but if you don't have a problem... Let's start over again.

What's your name, friend?"

Emmett-
"Oh no problem about the Twinkies, we were pretty sick of them anyway, haha. Well I'm glad you came to see me, Alex. It sounds like you're worried about a lot of different subjects. Now, the ones about philosophy are a little more complex, so maybe let's start with what's going on here and now.

The residents who are leaving, that's really upsetting to you? I talked to them earlier on, and it was very difficult so I can understand that. Were you close to either of them?"

Alex-
"I liked Ione a lot. Some people thought she was, um ..." He couldn't think of a nice way to say bitchy. "Snippy and opinionated. But that part of her is - was - actually pretty charming." He shook his head. "Whatever happened's partly my fault. Derek's a bad influence, but I never confronted him or told Ione that she oughtta find better. Maybe that's because my friends were trying to set me and her up. I didn't want anybody to get the wrong idea. You know, I loved Ione, but not that way. What bothers me most is how quickly she changed. Can people really become monsters overnight?"

Emmett-
"It's hard to say what changed her, but I talked to her and I feel that kind of change can happen without any help of the supernatural. It's a very stressful situation we're all in, and I hate to use a tired cliche, but sometimes people just 'snap.'

Is it at all that their troubles were so distressing because you're afraid of the same thing happening to you?"

Alex-
"Uh. Whoa. How did you know?!" Well, he was either psychic or a good counselor. Alex decided to believe the sanest option. "That's worried me since the mall incident, when Mary almost possessed my brain. It's too easy for a guy my size to hurt people. One time ..."
He fell into an unnecessarily drawn-out story about "the one time I almost killed Emiliano when were were both lunging for the same cupcake." The story apparently made him hungry, because he took out a twinkie and devoured it.

"... and now bodies are becoming puppets. Friends turning against each other. On a good day, I can barely control the stuff I say and think. On a good day. It's scary."

Emmett-
"I can understand that, it's a very disturbing notion. I think you are very introspective though, Alex, and you seem like you can do as well holding on to your personality as any of us.

Are you having any other worries about things that are going on right now?"

Alex-
"I worry about my old friends and family. Mom, Dad ... my uncle ... they always watched out for me. I keep thinking: if they're alive, they'd be here already. But who knows."

Emmett-
"That's a really tough one. All of have lost people, and mostly don't even know what became of them. If it's important for you to be hopeful about them, I don't think there's any harm of it. Many people will just need to accept that they may never see their loved ones again, though. It's up to you, choose whatever helps you get through your daily life.

Now about your religious beliefs, did you have a strong belief before? Is that very important to your life? You have the feeling you want to change religions, why is that? Do you feel let down about your beliefs?"

Alex-
"God's a jerk and I hate him. What has he done to help? Nothing. He either doesn't care, or he doesn't exist."

Alex decided to elaborate.

"I've always tried to make Mom and Dad happy. Religion was REALLY important in my family. Church twice a week, private school, no Harry Potter. Anyway, uh, my head got filled with bible verses. That's just the way I am. Always hearing things, or echoes of things, and it's really distracting. Sometimes upsetting. Especially when I hear Father Olvera's damnation speeches. Of course, I used to be terrified of hell. But now? Whatever. If I'm good, and God damns me anyway, fiiiine. At least I'll share a place with Micah."

Emmett-
"Haha, well that's a good attitude to take, perhaps. Many people struggle with questioning their faith, even before these unfortunate events. You are still young, and so it makes even more sense. Don't be afraid to to explore the idea. In my humble opinion, any loving god would understand.

People like to try out different ways of being, see what fits. Maybe you can ask around with the other residents, see what they believe. We at least have a few anarchists and Buddhists around. I'm not a spiritual adviser, but I would be happy to support you as you make your own decision."

Alex-
"Anna and Sandy love anarchy! They'll probably laugh at me, though ..." He smiled. "But you're right. Heeey. What do you believe? Or is that too private?"

Emmett-
"Haha, well normally in a professional relationship I would prefer to not say, but we're all family now, aren't we? I'm a Christian, Catholic like my people. Not very serious, but it's definitely part of my culture, and I believe in the God of the bible."