Chapter 4

Liz walked through the park, breathing in the night air. For some reason, nighttime always had a different smell. It was cleaner, fresher. It was her favorite time of the day, when everything was sleeping, and the world was silent. The stars were twinkling above her, the full moon was casting a cool glow on the ground, and everything looked magical. She sighed and sat down on a bench for a moment, letting the peaceful atmosphere sink in.

She let her thoughts wander for a few minutes to Alexis. There were dozens of different scenarios playing out in her head of what could happen the next day. In some, Alexis welcomed her with open arms, and taught her everything she knew about the Craft, as well as telling her all about her real family. In others, she was more stand-offish, but was still kind and welcoming. Then there were the ones she didn't want to think about, where she was angry at being found, and refused to acknowledge their relationship.

Shaking her head to rid herself of those thoughts, Liz stood up again and continued her walk, taking deep, cleansing breaths to clear her head. After a few minutes, she felt at peace again, and was able to enjoy the night once more. Figuring that she'd seen enough of the park for one night, she decided to continue on to the docks. She may have to go to Wyndemere to find Alexis, and she wanted to see what the place looked like ahead of time, so she wasn't intimidated later.

~*~

Lucky walked along the familiar route, the one he usually took when the moon was full and the air was calm. Something about a full moon always made him want to stay outside as long as possible. He loved the way the city looked when it was bathed in moonlight. Everything glowed with a kind of magic that he never saw during the day. The night was comfortable. It wasn't cold, but it wasn't hot, either. It was that rare evening where everything was perfect. The air was still, except for a slight breeze that would come by every now and then to rustle through the trees. The sky was totally clear, every star was visible, and he was surrounded by silence, only to be broken now and then by the breeze or the occasional cricket or nightingale.

He took a deep breath and smiled. He always felt so free during these walks. There was no one around to bother him, and he could do anything he wanted. He could run down the street if he so desired, climb a tree, lay on the dewy grass and gaze at the stars, or just sit outside Kelly's and enjoy the peacefulness surrounding him, which is what he chose to do just then. He sat down at one of the tables and looked at the dark windows. He chuckled as his gaze fell on the sign next to the door that said "Sorry, We're Closed." It had been a while since he messed with Tammy. He waved his hand at the windows and the sign slowly turned over to reveal the other side: "Come In, We're Open." He laughed and stood up to continue his walk. Tammy never had figured out how that sign would get turned over in the middle of the night. She used to blame her tenants, but they always swore up and down that they never touched it.

Lucky looked around for a moment, then headed off on the next part of his moonlit journey. His next stop was always the park. He loved walking amongst the trees and bushes, hearing the crickets chirping and smelling the dew on the grass.

~*~

Elizabeth came upon an adorable little diner. "Kelly's," she muttered to herself. "I'll have to come here during the day sometime. It looks like a nice place."

She noticed that one of the chairs was pulled out from its table and sat down. She looked around, trying to envision what it was like during the day, bustling with people. It looked like a little family-run place, with a whole set of "regulars," like you'd see in old television shows. There was probably a kind, wise woman who ran it, and dispensed advice to her patrons, as well as warm pie and coffee. This was the kind of town where everybody probably knew everybody else. She had always wanted to live in a town like that. Boulder was so large and impersonal. No one cared about their neighbors, they just cared about where their next buck was coming from.

Liz turned to look at the building again and smiled at how adorable it was. It was the typical little diner, complete with awnings, wooden sign swinging in the breeze, specials board sitting out front, checkered curtains in all the windows. She could even see what looked like an old jukebox in the corner. She started to turn away again, when something caught her eye.

"That's strange," she muttered, waving her hand. "Much better. I wonder how they forgot that?" She walked away from the diner and headed for the docks. The sign next to the front door once again said, "Sorry, We're Closed."

~*~

Lucky had finished walking through the park and had moved on to the final leg of his nightly rounds. He was sitting on a bench on the docks, watching the water. The moonlight may have looked pretty before, but it was pure beauty on the water. Watching the moon reflect off of the small waves calmed him more than anything else could. He sighed, thinking that he could fall asleep right there if he wasn't careful.

He picked up a handful of stones from the potted tree next to his bench and began to toss them one by one into the water, admiring the way the ripples refracted the moonlight.

A few minutes later, he was out of stones, and was getting ready to stand up and head home, when he heard footsteps approaching. He was angry for a moment, that someone else was out there, sharing his perfect evening. His nightly walks were sacred to him, and he had rarely come across another person. Those few times when he did, he felt almost violated. He decided to remain still, hoping that they would just pass him by.

~*~

Liz came across the docks and slowly walked along the edge, gazing out at the water. Everything was so calm that night, even the lake looked almost like glass. There was hardly a ripple, like the whole city was holding it's breath, waiting for something magical to happen. She smiled and looked up at the stars, wondering where the shooting star she had seen earlier in the evening had gone.

She slowed down when she spotted an island looming in the distance. Taking a deep breath, she continued walking, watching as the large mansion came into view. Her grandmother was right, it was definitely intimidating. It was a very gothic-looking residence, very ominous and dark. She looked up and saw that one of the streetlights was out and shivered. The darkness around her wasn't helping her mood. She quickly waved her hand and the light flickered to life. She smiled, pleased with herself, and continued on her journey down the docks.

After another minute or so of walking, Liz stopped in front of the dock where she could only assume a boat would take people to and from the island. She shivered at the sight of it. "That must be Wyndemere," she muttered quietly. Her voice carried across the still night air as though she had shouted, and she jumped slightly.

"You're right, that's Wyndemere, or as my father prefers to call it, Spook Island," a male voice spoke from behind her, causing her to nearly leap out of her skin. She whirled around to face the stranger, prepared to give him a piece of her mind for scaring her like that, but as soon as she looked into his eyes, she froze.

Lucky had watched her as she had walked across the docks towards him. She had looked so at peace, just staring out at the water, then growing more and more intrigued by Wyndemere. He had noticed how the street lamp had suddenly come to life as she passed it, and wondered if it was some kind of sign. He kept quiet, seeing that she was lost in her thoughts, afraid he might scare her if he spoke or in any way made his presence known. Finally, she stopped in front of the launch and whispered to herself, but in the quiet, moonlit night, her voice had carried loud and clear. He couldn't resist answering her, even though he knew it might startle her. He had been right, and she had spun around with a look of pure anger in her eyes, but as soon as they met his, something in them changed.

He smiled and stuck our his hand. "I'm sorry if I scared you. My name is Lucky Spencer."

Regaining her composure, she returned his smile and took his hand. "Lucky, huh? I'm Elizabeth Webber. It's nice to meet you."

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