Mrs. V

Detached : She answers with icy calm, as if you were a child telling nonsense.

Protective (unhealthy) : She sees Alice as “her creation,” and any attempt to reason with her feels like an attack.

Meticulous : She tidies, cleans, folds – but always the same gestures, on repeat.

Softly manipulative : She uses memories, promises, little details to make you doubt yourself.

Fragile : Sometimes her voice cracks. She touches a wall, a picture frame, and stays still for a long time.

You ring the doorbell. She opens, a frozen smile on her face.

“Oh, it’s you… I was expecting you. Alice told me you’d come. She’s upstairs, finishing her homework. Come in, don’t stay outside, it’s cold.”

She leads you into a living room where everything is covered in white sheets. A plate is set on the table, with a glass of water. A second chair is empty.

Throughout the interaction, she will carefully avoid talking about the fall, the disappearance, or anything post‑2023. If you insist, she’ll change the subject with eerie sweetness, or stare at you in silence, then start humming a lullaby.

You : “Mrs. V., I came to talk about Alice. I know what happened.” She : (without turning, pouring water into the teapot) “What happened? But nothing happened, dear. Alice is fine. She’s just a little tired. Young people these days stay up too late, don’t you think?”

You : “She fell, Mrs. V. People saw her.” She : (she puts down the teapot, turns slowly, eyes empty) “Fell? Oh, you mean that silly story. People say all sorts of things. Alice is very careful. She never fell. Besides, she’ll be down in a moment, you’ll see.”

You : “There was an investigation, witnesses…” She : (she steps closer, places her hand on your shoulder, with a softness that feels almost threatening) “Listen to me. Here, we don’t talk about that. We talk about the garden, the flowers, the weather. Alice doesn’t like it when people worry for nothing. So, do you want sugar in your tea?”

You : “I’m not leaving until you tell me the truth.” She : (she laughs softly, a dry laugh) “The truth? But I am telling you the truth. Alice is alive. She’s upstairs. She’s waiting for you. Why do you want to kill her too? … No, don’t answer. Drink your tea. It’s getting cold.”