We

“It has been said that the definition of insanity is,

       doing the same thing over and over and
expecting different results”.

I understand the sentiment behind the saying, but it's wrong. I entered the building on a bet. I was strapped for cash and didn't buy into the old legends of the hotel to begin with, so fifty bucks was more than enough to get me do it. It was simple. Just reach the top floor, the 45th floor, shine my flashlight from a window.

The hotel was old and broken, including the elevator, so that meant hiking up the stairs. So up the stairs I went. As I reached each platform, I noted the old brass plaques displaying the floor numbers. 15, 16, 17, 18. I felt a little tired as I crept higher, but so far, no ghosts, no cannibals, no demons. Piece of cake.
     

      I can't tell you how happy I was as I entered that last stretch of numbers. I joyfully counted them aloud at each platform. 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 44. I stopped and looked back down the stairs. I must have miscounted, so I continued up. 44. One more flight. 44. And then down ten flights. 44. Fifteen flights. 44.And so it's been for as long as I can remember. So really, insanity isn't doing something repeatedly and expecting different results. It's knowing that the results will never ever change; that each door leads to the same staircase, to the same number. It’s realizing you no longer fall asleep. It's not knowing whether you've been running for days or weeks or years. It's when the sobbing turns into laughter."

Rosanne was tensed and waited for more when the da haired uttered hastily, “That ends it.”

“Huh?” The famous singer was uttermostly shocked and looked at the smiling young lady. “but that's weird”,  She added, folding up her arms firmly beneath her chest.

“It's not my piece. Sorry if you don't like it. It's just one of the stories I've read from Zenryhao's Seeing Red (The First Day of School) and appreciated”.

The lady seating before Tzuyu just smiled and pulled her hair backwards. "Tell me one more before I go",  she instructed.

"horror?"

"Nah, a cute story"

The dark lady lady smiled, one of the many books she'd read in the past came through. "OK",  she said with a smile to the famous rockstar whose hands and eyes were gracing her iPhone.

"and here my story goes,"

"My mother said that out of all five of her children, I was the easiest baby. I think what she meant was that I hardly cried,"

Rarely fussed.

"And was generally asleep which I guess was a good thing, for her. As the fourth of five, she had a lot to deal with before she could get to me. So I made it easier for her. I kept doing it as I grew up. If one of my siblings dropped their ice cream, I’d give them mine so they’d stop making a scene. When someone had to sit in a middle seat,

You can bet that’s where my car seat would be strapped. In fifth grade, when Elkie stole my cookie from my lunch box,  I just shrugged, and ate my carrot sticks. My nickname was “montañita”, little mountain. Because I was never moved, never bothered, always calm. In seventh grade, I broke my leg,  But I didn’t tell anyone for three days. I just gritted my teeth and hopped along,  until my father found me crying on the bathroom floor. He took me to  the hospital, and bought me a cast we couldn’t afford.
And when the kids at school called me a cripple, Well, you can guess what I did.

In high school, my little sister Choi Chou was getting picked on by some boys. I pretended I didn’t see it happen. But that night, I switched out her too-small uniform skirt for mine. She stopped getting teased,
And I wore pants for the rest of the year, "

“Awnnn!”  The story had touched the dark haired so much that her gaze her shifted from her phone to the storytelling young lady before her.

"When my college Algebra professor lost my test and made me retake it, I just nodded and did it. When I got catcalled walking across campus, I just looked down at the ground. And you, the first day you came up to me and offered to buy me coffee, I was sure you were making fun of me too. So I stayed quiet,
Eventually, you flashed me that blinding smile and told me, “Guess I’ll take that as a yes, then.”
I think I said about three words to you that first day
But I gave you my number. And answered when you called. The end"

Roseanne stood up and clapped loudly.  The  latter bowed in appreciation as eyes had wandered around them. " Thank you for those masterpieces!". She said aloud, making the latter bow once again, uttering a slight 'Thank You'. "I have to go now" Roseanne said and briskly picked up her handbag from the finely decorated table of serviettes, trays, menu of preferred  types of cups, a collections of stories genres and a cup of coffee which wasn't half exhausted. "I will come back tomorrow for more. Oh! Today's Friday!",  she said aloud and hits her forehead as the Taiwanese stood up, having both her hands behind her back as the custom of the café. Rosanne had a moment for herself swinging her right fingers to and fro as if in deep wanderlust. "oh!", she snapped her fingers, 'I'll come back today by 3!".

The Taiwanese just smiled.

"By the way, I'm Roseanne"

"Nice to meet you"

"Your name please",  her chubby face never growing sore of extending her time.

"You can call me Chewy. You welcome", Tzuyu said,  resting her right hand on her chest as she bowed.

Roseanne chuckled.