The Paper Girl and the Stilt-Walker

In the Memory of Madeline Foret

"He wants you to what?"

It was Halloween. Ever since the day she met with Mr. Richelieu, Mina had been in a very silent, thoughtful sort of mood that was as unshakable as the haze outside. The shop had been wonderfully busy for the most part, and making sweets had been occupying a good chunk of Mina's time as it had been every day and night, but there was a feeling of foreboding inside of her that she couldn't shake. The thought of having been to the old Richelieu Mansion once was overwhelming enough, but knowing that she had to go back was almost unthinkable. Not only that, but the name Annabelle raced through her mind constantly, as if it were trying to find a familiar place to rest. The mixture was unsettling. When she had broken the news to Monk that she would be seeing Mr. Richelieu again on purely social terms, he was strongly opposed to the idea, but quietly agreed that, as long as someone was with her, it would probably be safe. Marie-Élise thought the same thing, although her reaction was to comment on Mina's clothes and instruct her to clean herself up and make herself presentable before going to such a fine estate as Mr. Richelieu's. Both of them were openly apprehensive, but Mina was certain that she could take care of herself. When she told Pip the news the next day, when there was no one in the shop, his reaction was a little more vocal.

"Mr. Richelieu wants me to visit him next week," Mina repeated, crossing her arms.

"But why?" Pip asked, utterly confused. "You don't have to pay your rent again that soon, do you? Or did you do something wrong?"

"No, he just wants me to visit," said Mina, getting tired of having to explain herself. "It's not a big deal."

"Not a...?" Pip shook his head, picking the broom back up and beginning to sweep. "Mina, he's not exactly the kind of person you can just go visit."

"Why not?" asked Mina. "Would you feel better if I didn't obey him?"

Pip scowled. "No." He leaned against the wall, his broom beside him, and crossed his arms, agitated. "It's just kind of weird. I don't like it."

Somehow, that rubbed Mina the wrong way. "It's weird that he'd want to see me?" she asked a little unkindly.

"No!" Pip explained, backtracking at once. "I just worry that he's..."

"Whatever," said Mina, moodily turning away from him as a customer opened the door. "I don't want to talk about it right now."

They built a wall of silence between them that lasted for the rest of the day. Customers filed in around noon and crowded the shop full, shadow people stretching out their spindly hands and others hanging by the door. Coppelia returned for more truffles and some pralines, and made sure that Mina didn't overflow the box this time. It was a pretty day outside, or as pretty as it could get with all the haze and the perpetual lack of clear sunshine. It was cool and crisp, with a white halo of sunlight through the blanched white sky. Nearly all the leaves had fallen now, leaving huge piles to be raked up by shadow people. A wind, not the same gentle breeze as before, flew through the newly-bare trees and scattered curtains, leaves, candle-flames, and shadow children alike, rattling the windows and Mina's nerves when it woke her up at night. It had begun to rain more now, too, and the sidewalks were perpetually water-slaked. People still walked around with umbrellas and tall hats, regardless of the dark weather and the relentless wind. Mina preferred to stay inside most of the time, though, which worked out for her well enough, since she needed to be indoors to make and sell her chocolates nowadays.

It was around four o' clock when Mina decided to flip the OPEN sign to CLOSED. The sky was clearing up, the wind was dying down, and the sun was starting to come out. She ran upstairs to her flat to open up the windows, leaving Pip alone down in the shop. Monk and Marie-Élise were sitting at the dining room table with cups of tea when she came upstairs, and the ghost woman flagged her down before she could run off again.