Social Media App: Influencer: Life-Changing Event

Life Update Number: Idk short for I don't know.

Sorry, I am late with my life updates post but this is quite a special one to me. It took me
longer than regular to frame it all. Today, I will share my deepest and darkest secrets with
you people. Well, yes, as interesting as it may sound it isn't something that I am very proud
of.

Being an influencer is not just about glamour & fame. It is a lot more than that. In fact, it is a
24x7 job. Yet, I love it. You know why? Because then I don't have to deal with everything
else going on in my life like my dad for instance he still thinks of me as a little girl who
needs a savior and my mom, well what can I say about her. She is not with us anymore.
Cancer stage 4... She passed away 7 months and 18 days ago. She didn't even care to tell me
what was going on with her. Sometimes, I feel you people are a better family to me. So many
of you reach out to me every single day...

Anyways as I said earlier I don't have to deal with it. As they say "Teenage life is a curse" &
here's how I deal with it.

STEP 1: Be Invisible. I am an influencer, you people recognize me everywhere I go.

STEP 2: Walk into your favorite store.

Mine is right across from my school. Mum would take me there as a kid on our way back
from school. It is called 'EcoHaat'. It's full of a range of organic products, beautiful planters,
and those little birdhouses. I used to always ask mom 'Why do they even make these? Mrs.
Smith next door, always keeps their birds in a cage.'

Mum would have the same reply every time 'Darling, one should never cage another be it
the birds or any other living being.'

There was this one time… nevermind, so back to STEP 3: Create a distraction. Make sure no
one's looking at you. Not a huge distraction though it draws much attention afterward.

STEP 4: Pick what you like, making sure no one's looking.

STEP 5: Whatever, you do NEVER GET CAUGHT! And if you do, Deny.

Well, it was all working out for me till last Saturday when I was terribly missing mum and
didn't know how to react. Without second thoughts, I headed to EcoHaat I saw this amazing
hamper of beauty products that immediately took my heart away. I couldn't help but feel the
adrenaline rush through my nerves. I asked the saleswoman to find me something I knew she
would never find in the store and sent her away. I picked anything and everything that I could
fit in my pockets, making sure nobody looked. As I made my way through the door, the
saleswoman's voice made me freeze in the way.

Some countless thoughts ran through my head. The very first being my mum’s voice some 13
years ago when I was at the local grocery store when I first stole a bar of chocolate. I could
feel the anger in her eyes and in her grip when she told me ‘Darling, good people don’t steal
things. Come let me buy this for you.’ The adrenaline in my nerves was replaced by terror
and then guilt followed by a number of mixed emotions which made me rethink my actions.

‘Ma’am, your wallet.’ The voice of the saleswoman pulled me out of my line of thoughts.
‘The wallet. Okay. It was just the wallet.’ I took it and ran out of the store like I saw a ghost.

And it dawned upon me, I was almost caught stealing, not just stealing shoplifting. I was not
only stealing I had actually recorded the whole thing and was about to upload it to my
profile.

‘What would my mother think if she was here? How would she feel, if she got to know who I
have become? On top of it my hundreds and thousands of followers might become the same.’
Similar numerous thoughts clouded my mind and my vision was a blur.
In that instant, I decided I didn’t want to be this person anymore however, at the same time I
couldn’t help but yearn for the same adrenaline rush I had felt before. I needed help.

I went straight to my dad with my box of souvenirs from all my shoplifting adventures so far.
He hugged me at first and then said "We will get through this. Together."

And then we made this plan.

STEP 1: Be invisible na, invincible.

STEP 2: Walk into your favourite store.

STEP 3: Create a distraction.

STEP 4: Pick whatever you like.

STEP 5: Whatever you do ALWAYS PAY FOR IT.

Hi! My name is Alyssa. I am 16yrs old. I am a Kleptomaniac & this is my story. Today, I had
my first therapy session, and feels like a burden was lifted off my chest. I know things will
get a lot worse before it gets better but trust me all the trouble is worth it.
So, today with this post I Alyssa Brooks am signing off as a Kleptomaniac and signing in as
a voice for all those who need help. I am starting a new community called ‘New Big Innings’
for all those who need a voice to walk along with their demons and past them to start afresh.

This was Alyssa Simpson Brook’s last post as a Kleptomaniac and somewhere 3 years down
the lane a man in his fifties, smoking a cigarette by his window, read this and he had a new
case to present to the court. He had his new convict, a Kleptomaniac who apparently
accepted her crime in front of the whole world.

Will New Big Innings be Alyssa Brooks future or this mysterious man will bring her another
set of obstacles to face.