Cat woke me up in the middle of the night. "Come with me", she whispered. She climbed out of the window and down the drainpipe. I followed her. Cold wind blew and my heart was beating fast as I slid down the pipe. "Well done!", Cat was excited but spoke quietly.

"I made it!", I could hardly hold my excitement but tried very hard to stay quiet.

Cat took my hand and we ran outside. The air was fresher in the night. Lights were shining from many buildings around us.

Cat led me to a street market a few hundred meters from home. I had never seen so many people. I was going to walk right into the crowd, but Cat pulled me into the shadows. "Children disappear.", she whispered to me.

We went around the market, keeping in the shadows. Cat snatched a few fried king prawns from one of the stands and handed one to me. She took my hand and continued to pull me until we reached a nearby hill. We could watch the lights of the market in the distance while we ate our bounty.

I felt free and light. The cold wind and the smell of good foods, the many lights and the sound of people bargaining in the distance. The moment was overwhelming.

Cat had noticed that I was not eating. "Are you too stuffed up to eat?", she laughed.

When I took a bite, she grabbed my tongue with her hand. "Cat got your tongue.", she laughed. I bit her finger and she let go.

I laughed hesitantly. I had never been so far away from the orphanage. Everything was much bigger.

"Do you hear them shouting swearing words in the distance?", Cat gave me a conspiring look. "I like to come hear and count every time somebody shouts Fuck"

"1", I replied in a happy trance. We counted to 34 together.

"Let's do this more often.", I said when I had finished the prawn.

"Of course.", Cat said with a smug smile. "But next time you steal the food."

"I am not scared.", I said but my voice was shaking. "I can steal more food now."

Cat laughed. "Go ahead. I'm not keeping you."

I got up and walked back to the market. Cat followed me, keeping a few meters distance. When I looked back at her, she was gesturing to me to keep going. I took a deep breath. The merchant of a candy-stand was busy arguing with a customer. I looked back to Cat, "GO" she mouthed silently.

I took a step forward and into the light, grabbing small bars of something that was wrapped in paper. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Without turning around, I ran as fast as I could, both hands filled with candy. I heard shots behind me but it was too late. I had disappeared into the darkness. The excitement rushed through me like a flood.

Mrs. Hopscotch had told me that elves oftentimes make good thieves because of their small size, stealth skills, and quick reaction time. She had told me the name that Hades had given me because of my elvish parents. Hades was glad to have adopted an elf child, she said.

I met Cat again near the orphanage. We each ate one chewy brown candy bar right there. It was the sweetest thing I had ever tasted. I was going to take another one but Cat stopped me. "Let's hide them for later"

She took out a loose stone from the outer wall of the orphanage. I could see that she had collected all kinds of small treasures in the wall already. There was a cotton doll, a knife and a match box among other things. "Fine. But we meet again tomorrow.", I still had candy stuck in between my teeth.

Cat laughed quietly. "Of course we will." She slapped me on the back. "Now go sleep."

Cat helped me to climb into the window of the first floor. I stretched out my hand and helped her climb up. I tried to be as quiet as I could as I made my way to my sleeping spot.

Back in my blanket, I closed my eyes and prayed. "Dear Mrs. Nyx. Thank you so much for candy. Candy is the best thing there is in the world. Please take good care of me and Cat and Ribbit. I want us to be there for each other forever. Thank you, Nyx. Good night."