I worked in silence. I needed to be quiet. Who knows how heavy a sleeper she was? Usually I had some music playing... or I hummed along to my tune... but tonight, silence.

Silence for Diana.

Every time that I had tried to write anything, my thoughts droned back to her. Was she okay? What was she dreaming of? How was she going to get out of here?

How was her mother reacting? She must be worried out of her mind!

Tomorrow, the rose dress would be by Diana's side. Her shoes would be shined, and she would have a fresh pair of high socks to wear. I would ask her what she wanted to do with her old dress.

I couldn't work. It was no use. I put away my papers and stored my pen in it's case.

I can't work, I can't sing... what was I going to do all night?

It was only nine o'clock. The convenience stores would be open... and I needed to get some things for Diana. I am pretty sure she would like to eat everyday. Three times a day. Maybe more. All I knew how to make was Dutch food... and only supper foods.

I knew what little girls liked. I have watched countless advertisements on the streets saying the food products 'were good for the kids, but they don't know it!' I know this is probably a scam, but I have learned over the years what they may actually like.

But how to make it? Where to get it? I have never had the need for breakfast items... especially normal breakfast items.

Maybe I would get a cooking book... to learn how to make more non-foreign foods. It may help me. I may be able to branch out of my rut and eat something French or, for some odd reason, American.

I had always wanted to go to America. To see what it was like. Did they also hate others because of their differences?

Letting my thoughts wander, I slipped on my heavy black cloak, my full mask, and my leather gloves. It makes me wonder if I draw more attention to myself when I wear my full mask. Nobody else wore such nice clothes, either. But, nobody ran or tried to kill me, so I guess the mask is a success.

LIST

1: Flour

2: Eggs

3: Butter

4: Pancake mix

5: Oranges

6: Uncooked bacon

7: Syrup

I had no idea what half of the things on my list were. 'Pancake mix'? What is a pancake? I think I am going to have a good time making things I never made before. Not.

So I headed out, list hid in one of my jacket pockets.

The streets were not as crowded as they were during the day. Most stands had closed for the night. But I was going for a convenience store.

I walked past Benny's shop. I was surprised to see the lights still on, the 'open' sign still hung in the window. Worried, I tried opening the door, and the handle slid down and let me enter. I closed the door.

"Benny?" I shouted calmly, "are you here?"

"Aye, Shadow! I be in the back! C'mere!" I heard a yell from behind the back door.

So I stepped carefully behind the counter through a swinging door. I sauntered to the wooden door and opened it slowly.

I saw Benny... holding a clipboard and searching the wall shelves. He was doing inventory.

"Hey, Shadow! What ye be doin' here at dis late hour? Ye only shop here once a week, one day!" He looked up at me, and smiled. His was half hearted.

"Well... if ye really care... me financial position be not the best at dis moment. With the new girl... and I was already a wee lost with me bills and..." he sighed, "I think I may have to send back some of this inventory... open late and... in worse case scenario..."

"What?" this worried me. Benny was so nice... why did he have to struggle?

"I may have to close me ol' shop."

I was flabbergasted. "Close the shop? Bram! This is the most authentic Dutch shop around! I can't find any of the things that I find here anywhere else!"

"I know... but da bills just keep pilin' up on me desk... with no payin' in sight!" Benny sighed once more, "I'll keep me shop open late... but when the time comes... I think I may put up the 'closed' sign... for good."

"Bram... how much money can you possibly owe? You never told me you were having financial problems before..." I stood next to him, seeing that there was an inventory sheet on the clipboard. I noticed that they had unusually large amounts.

"I didn't have any issues with me money before... until me son made a mistake with the inventory. He ordered a hunerd jars of this stuff, not da ten dat I asked him to get! He added another zero!"

"Well..." I put my hand on his shoulder, "Since you have so much... maybe you can sell it and make more money!"

"Shadow..." He showed me the paper on his board, "look at what that stuff is."

Oh God. "Of all the things that your son could have made a mistake on... he messes up on the pickled fish chum?" That was only used as a secret ingredient to thicken certain things and add a fishy taste.

"I know! He is usually such a bright bright boy too!"

I chuckled as he smiled. The smiles and laughs faded as quickly as they came.

"I have to pay the company for a huner' of these jars!" he checked something off of his sheet.

I sighed. He was my only real friend. The only one who stuck with me through thick and thin. He was not only a food cashier, he also knew me as a child. He had found me running under the opera with madame Giry. He let me talk to him when I had nobody else to talk to. And he never gave advise, which is what I wanted, for he only knew Dutch. He knew English, but he could not speak it.

"How much money do you need?"

He looked at me. "Don't ye think of givin' me money."

"Why not?"

"Because, Shadow... It isn't manly to take help from another man's wallet."

"It isn't manly to close your shop either, let me help!"

"No! It also isn't polite! Ye have a right to yer own money!"

"Bram! You said it yourself! I have money, and in order to find a woman, I need to make it known. Remember that little conversation?"

"Exactly! Ye should use yer money to get a woman!"

I rolled my eyes. "Bram.. that isn't going to happen. You know that I can't get a woman because of my... face."

"Yer face just be minor. Ye can get a woman!"

"BRAM! I... I don't think that the same women that hunt me, are going to date me."

"Maybe they be huntin' ye to date ye!"

"Bram! No they aren't! And. You. Know. It. Let me give you the money. How much do you need?"

Benny sighed. "I guess you is gonna give me da money, aren't you?"

"I have to help my only friend. I want to help my only friend. I helped you open this store, I am going to help you keep it open." I had payed for half of the expenses to start the shop. When Benny had bought his first piece of stock, I had paid for it. I have the money from my salary at the opera. A hefty lump of cash was stored in my personal savings.

"Well... I owe the company..." he calculated something on his sheet, "ye sure ye wanna help?" He looked at me with eyebrows slanted together.

"Yes! I have. The money."

"I owe dem two hunr'd fifdy three smack-a-roonies."

"Pht! I can pay that right now!" I dug into my pocket.

"Oh, Shadow. Ye don't need to- hey!"

I threw the money at him. He frantically caught it. "One hundred fifty.

One hundred seventy" I counted as I literally tossed it at his chest.

"Shadow!" his hands frantically grabbed at the paper cash, "ye don't need to do this!"

"I want to Benny. Two hundred ten. Two hundred thirty."

"Shadow-"

"Two hundred fifty."

The money lay down at his feet. He stared at it. "And for the heck of it, Three hundred dollars."
I threw one more bill at his chest. He caught this one, and looked at it.

"Five hundred." I threw yet another bill.

"Shadow! Five hundred?"

"To pay for that new baby of yours. Here, have-"

"No! No more, Shadow... I got enough money to pay for the army!" Benny bent down and picked up the money in a neat pile. I smiled and put my leather wallet back in my deep pocket.

Benny stood back up. "You didn't have to do any of this for me."

"I wanted to."

Benny looked at me with his big wet eyes. They reminded me of a puppies. His chubby face helped to create that look of 'thank you'.

That was when I was sucked into a big hug. "Thank you, Erik Thomas. You are a kind soul, no matter what they say."

I heard crying in his voice. I awkwardly hugged him back with slow arms. I wasn't used to people crying on my shoulder. Especially out of a thank you or love.

I sighed. It was awkward to hug a chubby man wearing dirty clothing, but I made an exception for Benny.

He detached from me, and breathed heavily to regain his stature. "I'm sorry, Erik..." he straightened his clothes, "but this moves me, you know?"

"Yes... I guess..." My eyebrows were knit together through this conversation.

Why was I so awkward? I never felt this way when I was talking to-

DIANA! I FORGOT!

"Benny, as much as I want to talk to you about your feelings..." I looked at my wrist watch. Ten after one. Oh shoot! "I must depart."

"Well... I could make ye something to eat... oh wait-"

"I don't eat" We both chuckled as I finished the sentence.

"Why ye need to leave? You got a lady-" He began to say slyly.

"Actually, I do." This would be fun. Fooling Bram into thinking I had a girl.

"WELL! Ye just got done saying ye could never get no girl! And now ye went out and got yerself one!"

"Yes. You want to come and meet her?" Then my emotions kicked in. Oh no.

"Well, ya! Bring the lass over here tomorrow... now I will be open!"

"Ah, forget tomorrow... lets go see her right now!"

"I wouldn't want to intrude on de lady's sleep."

"Ah, she is a night owl like me. She is awake."

"Well... awright! Where to?" He looked anxious.

"To my usual cave... where else?"

His look of curiosity faded. "Ah... that old place... I haven't been there in so many years."

"I know... but you'll be alright."

"Ye sure? Is nobody gonna be trying to kill you?"

"They think I'm dead. They were losing business because of me, so the new manager told everybody that I had been killed."

"Good gimmick. So... ye want to go now... or later?"

"Now... Diana will enjoy your visit."