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Tizzz… Tizzzz…
The sharp, sizzling sound of meat hitting the hot grill echoed throughout the small kitchen, spreading beyond the counter and into the dining area, loud enough for Eleven who sat quietly at one of the tables to hear it clearly. Along with the sound came the smell, rich and savory, the kind of scent that wrapped itself around the air and lingered, making it impossible to ignore.
Earlier, when she had been caught stealing fries, Benny Hammond hadn't reacted the way she expected. There had been no shouting, no anger, no rough hands dragging her outside or locked her in.
Instead, he had looked at her and what he saw wasn't a thief, but a child. A lost one, at that. A girl who looked like she had just stumbled out of somewhere she didn't belong, still wearing a dirty hospital gown, her bare feet covered in dust and dried mud.
So he treated her differently.
He gave her one of his own shirts so she could change, told her to wash herself, and then calmly directed her to sit in the dining area. There had been nothing forceful in his tone, nothing threatening, it was just a quiet firmness that Eleven, despite her guarded nature, chose to follow. She obeyed without resistance, but yet even now, she remained cautious, her posture stiff, her eyes constantly drifting back toward him as if she were waiting for the moment his kindness would disappear.
Behind the counter, Benny continued cooking, flipping the meat with the ease of someone who had done it a thousand times before. The meat releases an even stronger aroma into the air now. It was his own blend of seasoning, nothing fancy and nothing anyone outside this small town would ever talk about but it was his, something he had refined over time, and there was a quiet pride in the way he handled it.
He knows this recipe is an improvement, but it is just a slight improvement from someone telling him that he can make more with his recipe. Nobody is gonna ignore his burger again, Ben refuses because the price will go up too but it's not like he's not taking a few of that man's advice and slightly improving his own recipe.
Eleven inhaled again, deeper this time, and before she fully realized it, her body had already begun to move. She slowly pushed herself up from the chair and walked toward the small service window that separated the dining area from the kitchen.
Her steps were careful, almost hesitant, as if she feared crossing an invisible line, and when she finally reached the wall, she didn't do anything and instead, she stayed there, her small frame barely tall enough for her head to peek through the opening, her eyes fixed entirely on the food.
She wanted to understand what he was doing, to see it more clearly, but more than that, she was hungry. Still, something held her back. A fragile thought, almost instinctive, told her to wait, to be patient, to not do anything that might cause trouble again. So she remained where she was, simply watching, her fingers lightly pressing against the edge of the wall.
Benny noticed her not long after. When he glanced over his shoulder, his movements slowed slightly as his eyes landed on her small figure leaning against the service window. He could see it, the hesitation, the awkwardness, the way she stayed just out of reach even though she could have easily walked around and entered the kitchen. That alone told him more than enough about her.
She wasn't just hungry, she was afraid.
Quietly, he let out a small breath and shook his head before shifting his attention to the side, where a portion of fries sat untouched. Without making a big deal out of it, he grabbed them and walked over.
Eleven tensed the moment he approached, her body instinctively preparing to pull back, but she didn't run this time. She simply stood there, watching him carefully, her expression guarded yet undeniably drawn to what he held.
"Eat this first," Benny said, his voice calm and simple, as he held out the small basket toward her. "If you're starving."
There was no judgment in his tone, no expectation…just an offer.
And just like that, he turned away and returned to the grill, leaving the moment as it was.
Eleven stared at the fries for a brief second before slowly reaching out and taking them. The warmth of the basket lingered in her hands as she held it close, almost as if afraid it might be taken away again. Without saying anything, she walked back to her seat and sat down.
From behind the counter, Benny watched her for a moment out of the corner of his eye, observing how she settled back into her chair with the food in her hands.
Then, with a faint shake of his head, he returned his full attention to the grill.
A few minutes later, after the last of the fries had disappeared from her small hands and Benny had finished preparing the burger, he carefully assembled it with practiced movements, adding pickles and slices of tomato before placing the top bun over the meat.
He brought the plate over to Eleven without saying much.
Eleven noticed immediately.
Her eyes followed the burger from the moment it came, locking onto it as if nothing else in the room existed anymore. The moment Benny set it down in front of her, she didn't hesitate, not even for a second. She grabbed it and took a large bite, far too big for her small mouth, chewing quickly, almost desperately, as if afraid the food might disappear if she slowed down.
Before she had even swallowed properly, she took another bite.
And then another.
Her cheeks puffed slightly, her mouth clearly too full, yet she kept going.
Benny leaned back in his chair, folding his arms as he watched her with a mixture of concern and disbelief. "Jeez… slow down, kid," he muttered, his voice carrying more care than irritation. "What, your parents forget to feed you or something?"
Eleven didn't respond. She didn't even look at him. Her entire focus remained on the burger in her hands, but her chewing did slow, just a little, as if his voice had reached her somewhere in the back of her mind.
Benny noticed that and it was enough to keep him talking. "Is that why you ran away?" he continued, his tone softer now, testing the waters rather than pushing. "Huh?"
Still nothing.
Eleven simply kept eating, biting, chewing, swallowing, her silence thick but not entirely empty. It wasn't defiance, it was something else. Something closed off.
Benny exhaled quietly, rubbing the back of his neck as he tried to piece things together in his head. The hospital gown. The way she reacted earlier. The way she looked at everything like it might hurt her.
"They… hurt you?" he asked, more carefully this time, clearly uncomfortable with the question even as he said it. "You came from a hospital, right? Got scared… ran off… ended up here." He paused, watching her closely. "That about right?"
For the first time, Eleven stopped chewing. Her movements stilled as she slowly lifted her gaze toward him, her eyes meeting his directly. She didn't speak. Didn't nod. Didn't shake her head.
She just looked at him and somehow, that silence said more than words.
Benny waited.
A second.
Two.
Three.
Nothing came from her mouth.
He let out a quiet breath, nodding slightly to himself as if accepting that pushing her wouldn't work. Then, gently but firmly, he reached forward and took the burger from her hands.
Eleven didn't resist but she didn't look away either.
Her eyes followed the movement, locked onto the food, then back to him with a disapproving and sad expression.
"Alright," Benny said, holding the burger just out of reach, his tone still calm but now carrying a bit of structure. "I know you're hungry, and you're gonna get this back, okay? I'm not taking it away from you. Hell, I can make you as many as you want."
He leaned forward slightly, trying to catch her attention. "But you gotta help me out a little here," he continued, his voice softening again. "Answer a couple of questions. That's it."
Eleven remained silent, her eyes flicking briefly between his face and the burger in his hand, listening… processing… but not responding.
Benny studied her for a moment longer before adding, almost casually, "Might even throw in some ice cream."
There was a faint shift in her expression, a small reaction.
Something that told him… She heard that one.
"Alright, let's start with the easy stuff," Benny Hammond said as he leaned forward slightly, extending his hand across the table with a calm, patient expression. "My name is Benny. Benny Hammond."
Eleven didn't take it immediately. Instead, her eyes moved back and forth between his hand and his face, repeating the motion several times as if she was trying to understand the purpose behind the gesture.
Benny waited, giving her space, but when it became clear that she wouldn't respond on her own, he gently reached out with his other hand and carefully took her smaller one, guiding it forward until their hands met.
He showed her the motion slowly, deliberately, as if teaching something simple yet unfamiliar. "See? Like this. Here," he said, his tone steady and reassuring. Eleven allowed it, her fingers stiff at first but not resisting, and for a brief moment, she followed his lead, completing the handshake without pulling away.
"Nice to meet you," Benny continued, a faint smile forming beneath his beard, subtle but genuine. "And you are?"
Silence answered him. Eleven simply looked at him, her expression unreadable, as if the question itself didn't quite reach her the way it should. Benny studied her for a few seconds, and for a moment he wondered if she couldn't speak at all, or if something had happened that made her choose not to. Just as he was about to pull his hand back, his attention caught on something else, something small but unmistakable on her arm. The number was faint, yet clear enough: 011.
The reaction was immediate. Eleven quickly pulled her arm back and hid it beneath the table, her body tensing as if she had revealed something she shouldn't have. Her eyes locked onto him again, sharper now, searching his face for any sign of change, any hint of danger.
Benny exhaled slowly, leaning back slightly as his thoughts began to shift. He had already suspected that she wasn't just a runaway child, not with the hospital gown and the way she carried herself, but this confirmed something deeper, something far more troubling. A number, marked on a child's skin, wasn't something that belonged to any normal situation, and the more he thought about it, the less he liked where his mind was going.
It reminded him of things that shouldn't exist somewhere, of people being treated like something less than human, and that alone was enough to make his chest feel heavier.
Still, he forced himself to stay calm. Whatever she had gone through, pushing her now wouldn't help. "Eleven?" he asked carefully, keeping his voice even, making sure there was no edge that could scare her. "What's that mean?"
She didn't answer right away. For a moment, she just watched him, as if weighing his question, measuring his intent, and then, slowly, she brought her arm back into view. "…No," she said quietly, her voice soft and restrained, almost hesitant. The word was short, unclear in meaning, but it was enough to break the silence between them.
Benny's expression shifted slightly, a small, relieved smile forming as he let out a faint chuckle. "Oh, so you do talk," he said, leaning back a little, his tone lighter now, though still careful not to push too far. "No? No what?" he added, hoping to draw more out of her, but once again, she didn't respond. The silence returned, heavier than before, and after a few seconds of waiting, Benny sighed softly before deciding to try a different approach.
Without warning, he reached the remaining burger. "Alright," he said, keeping his voice calm as he stood slightly from his seat, gathering the plate as if he truly intended to end things there. "Guess no more food then."
The reaction came immediately. Eleven's eyes followed the burger the moment it left her view, her body tensing. There was a flicker of agitation now, something more urgent than before, as if the loss of food triggered something deeper inside her. She looked between Benny and the burger, her breathing slightly uneven, and then, before he could take another step.
"Eleven."
Her voice stopped him.
Benny paused mid-motion and turned back to her, watching as she pointed at herself, her finger pressing lightly against her chest. "Eleven," she repeated, more clearly this time, as if correcting something, as if making sure he understood. It wasn't just a word anymore…it was her name, the only thing she knew herself.
Benny nodded slowly, letting the moment settle as he repeated it quietly under his breath. "Eleven…" The name didn't sound like a name at all, not in the usual sense, but he didn't question it out loud. Instead, he took a small breath, his thoughts rearranging themselves into something more certain, something closer to a decision, and then he stepped forward again, placing the burger back into her hands without hesitation.
"Alright," he said softly. "Here you go."
Eleven didn't waste a second. The moment the food was back with her, she grabbed it and continued eating, taking another large bite as if afraid it might disappear again. Benny watched her for a moment, shaking his head slightly, not in frustration, but in quiet concern.
"Easy… take it easy," he muttered, his voice low as he leaned back again, observing her more carefully this time, not just as someone hungry, but as someone who had clearly been through something she couldn't explain.
For a few seconds, he said nothing, simply watching her eat, taking in the small details, the way she held the food, the way she kept glancing up between bites, the way her entire focus narrowed to something as simple as a burger and him.
Then, almost unconsciously, his gaze shifted toward the front of the diner, his expression tightening just a fraction as he looked past the tables and toward the door, as if checking something, or perhaps anticipating it. The thought lingered in his mind, heavy and unresolved, and after a brief moment of hesitation, he pushed himself up from the chair, his decision finally settling into place.