CHAPTER 4
.:Above and Apart:.
Dinah's yell contained intense relief; it was no easy job cleaning her room. "Finished!" The clothes were in her closet and dresser, the little odds and ends were in their respective places, and she was sitting on the end of the bed, waiting for the inspector. Helena walked into the room and carefully began inspecting the usual hiding places for messes- under the bed, in the closet, and behind the dresser. Finding nothing, she turned to Dinah.
"You still have to do my laundry."
Dinah's expression changed slightly, but she had expected this.
"Alright, fine. Did you find a laundry basket?" The last she said with an undertone of mocking.
Helena paused for a second, then replied, "No, you doing my laundry involves you finding a way to get it to the laundry place. And since there's no laundry baskets here, you'll have to think of some other ingenious way to transport my clothes."
With a sigh Dinah trudged out of her room to find a basket, a box, or anything else that would help her avoid Helena's wrath. In the kitchen she found a box; it had been used to carry groceries a long, long time ago. After all, when was the last time Barbara went to the grocery store? Now Dinah picked it up and carried it to Helena's room, scooped the dirty clothes into it, and hauled it to the elevator.
"Have a good time!" Helena's mocking voice carried down the stairs.
*******
Lily walked through the streets, her mind- like her eyes- quickly flooding with memories. All at once her last night in Bludhaven popped to the front of her thoughts, rudely budging in front of other, less painful recollections.
*******
She had finished packing her bags, emptying the small room of her possessions. A single backpack lay on the bed (which was sheetless) waiting to start on a new journey after... how was it supposed to know, it was only a backpack!
Lily took one last look around the room and picked up the bag, then walked out the door without looking back. As she walked down the hallway tears glistened unshed in her green eyes, the slight blue tint now more evident than usual.
Will it ever end? She asked herself. I could follow May forever, but what good would it do? It seemed like she'd never stop running, ever. I can't chase after her forever! But what else can I do?
Angrily she brushed the tears away, wishing she didn't have to question herself like this. She walked out the door with her head down, barely even noticing the man who stepped out of her way and into an alley, his eyes following her progress down the crowded street. For him she jogged a memory, a very recent one. Then he had it.
That girl… she's the one from last night! But where's she going, I wonder?
His eyes followed her to the end of the block, then his feet followed.
*******
Lily remembered vaguely that man silently blending with the crowd, following her until she reached the edge of town. He didn't follow, she was sure of that.
But that wasn't what compelled her to accept the memory in conscious mind right now. He had looked, moved, acted, BEEN very much like someone else. That woman in the alley, wearing all black, with a long leather coat perfectly accenting, yet shadowing her figure.
Her shirt looked like it'd had a rough time though. A big beer stain, a rip in the collar...
Smiling to herself, Lily stepped into an alley. She needed a lift, and there was one thing that always helped her feel better.
Her faint shadow, visible on the side of an odds-and-ends store, changed. It grew smaller, it's nose grew and curved into a hooked beak. Shadowy feathers sprouted from elongated fingers. A stiff feathered tail replaced the coat tail. Legs grew smaller, joints changed position. A feathered head raised upwards and let out a powerful shriek.
The falcon flapped it's spread wings and forged it's way upwards, into the sky above the tall buildings, into the free wind. Peregrine senses kicked in and received messages that only birds' brains can interpret.
The thrill of flight made Lily forget her problems, let her push them to the back of her mind for a while. Seeing the Clocktower on the horizon, she headed for it, executing many dives, spirals, and barrel rolls on the way. The wind blew through her feathers, above and below her wings, raising her small form to the heavens. With the Clocktower suddenly rushing towards her, she continued on her path until she was a mere foot from the clockface. Quickly she whipped her head upwards, knowing her body would follow suit. Lily soared up and over the top of the spire, rising far above the buildings, then gently descended into a spiral downwards.
She landed on the balcony; she always went there when she needed to think. It was peaceful, the view was possibly the most beautiful in the city, and seeing the world go on below her, without her for a while, totally silent, lightened her heart. Here, she changed into a lizard and sunbathed.
Helena, peering through the window, saw a peregrine falcon land on the balcony and turn into a lizard.
Lily sat there for a few minutes then moved into the shade. The spring sun was very warm for this time of year, and she didn't want to overheat her little orange lizard body.
Helena backed up as the lizard moved towards her, into the relative shade of the clockface's shadow. It plonked itself down right underneath the window, where she saw thoughts pass across the tiny blue-green human eyes. Temporarily-forgotten sorrow wrote itself over the lizard's immobile face, somehow. Helena dashed to the elevator to see if Dinah had already left, which she had.
Should I stay here and keep an eye on that lizard-thing? Or should I chase after Dinah? The lizard could leave at any time, but Dinah won't come back for a while. After all, I did give her a lot of clothes to wash.
Helena was torn- should she keep an eye on the strange creature, or should she tell Dinah? Finally she made a decision.
I probably wouldn't be able to stop the lizard if it decided to take off anyway. But I should do something, just to convince Dinah it was here.
Looking around at all the computer equipment, Helena found the answer nestled in it's stand between a monitor and a mug of cold coffee from this morning. She grabbed the digital camera, made sure the flash was off, and snuck to the window. The camera clicked as the button was depressed. Helena looked at the screen on the back to see if the picture turned out.
It had, and better than she'd expected. From her angle she'd caught a flash of those telltale blue-green eyes, though they looked a bit less blue than before. Helena walked over to the stand and fitted the camera into it, then started up the program to print the photos directly from the camera. She selected the picture on the stand and left the rest to the laser printer. A few seconds later Helena grabbed the piece of paper and headed to the elevator. It didn't matter if the lizard was gone by the time she got back with Dinah- she had captured it on the convenient piece of paper that was now nestled in her coat pocket.
Totally oblivious, the lizard moved back into the sunlight.
*******
Soft music played as Barbara and Wade waited for their table.
"Sorry about all this, I didn't think to make a reservation for this time of the day." Wade apologised.
"It's okay, things like this happen. It even has a scientific name: life." Barbara laughed.
Wade decided to take up the redhead's challenge. "Did you find that on one of your computers?"
"I didn't need to, the proof is right in front of us. Why else would we be standing here, waiting for some other, slightly luckier couple to finish a romantic lunch?"
Wade's answer came immediately. "No one's luckier than us."
Just then a waiter walked up, interrupting the moment.
"We apologise for the wait, there is now a table for you. This way please." He said in true waiter style. They wove their way through the crowded tables to the balcony. As they stepped through the glass sliding doors cool air blew into their faces, a definite contrast to the heat inside the restaurant. The soft music could still faintly be heard as the waiter seated them at a table beside the balcony railing and handed them a pair of menus. "I'll give you a moment, then." He said, before he walked off to serve the other customers.
Barbara and Wade looked through the list of lunch platters as the gentle breeze ruffled the umbrella above their heads. Barbara was the first to speak.
"So, there's the music, the view- what do you think is the perfect meal to go with it?"
Wade looked carefully down the list of entrees before he answered. "How about the variety platter? It has rotisserie chicken, tiger prawns, baked potatoes, and a cherry pie for dessert."
Barbara agreed whole-heartedly and hailed the waiter. After ordering they talked and sipped at their water. The umbrellas' shadows darkened the faces of those enjoying their lunch on the balcony, in some cases partially hiding their features from the sandy-coated cat which perched in a nearby willow tree.
.:Above and Apart:.
Dinah's yell contained intense relief; it was no easy job cleaning her room. "Finished!" The clothes were in her closet and dresser, the little odds and ends were in their respective places, and she was sitting on the end of the bed, waiting for the inspector. Helena walked into the room and carefully began inspecting the usual hiding places for messes- under the bed, in the closet, and behind the dresser. Finding nothing, she turned to Dinah.
"You still have to do my laundry."
Dinah's expression changed slightly, but she had expected this.
"Alright, fine. Did you find a laundry basket?" The last she said with an undertone of mocking.
Helena paused for a second, then replied, "No, you doing my laundry involves you finding a way to get it to the laundry place. And since there's no laundry baskets here, you'll have to think of some other ingenious way to transport my clothes."
With a sigh Dinah trudged out of her room to find a basket, a box, or anything else that would help her avoid Helena's wrath. In the kitchen she found a box; it had been used to carry groceries a long, long time ago. After all, when was the last time Barbara went to the grocery store? Now Dinah picked it up and carried it to Helena's room, scooped the dirty clothes into it, and hauled it to the elevator.
"Have a good time!" Helena's mocking voice carried down the stairs.
*******
Lily walked through the streets, her mind- like her eyes- quickly flooding with memories. All at once her last night in Bludhaven popped to the front of her thoughts, rudely budging in front of other, less painful recollections.
*******
She had finished packing her bags, emptying the small room of her possessions. A single backpack lay on the bed (which was sheetless) waiting to start on a new journey after... how was it supposed to know, it was only a backpack!
Lily took one last look around the room and picked up the bag, then walked out the door without looking back. As she walked down the hallway tears glistened unshed in her green eyes, the slight blue tint now more evident than usual.
Will it ever end? She asked herself. I could follow May forever, but what good would it do? It seemed like she'd never stop running, ever. I can't chase after her forever! But what else can I do?
Angrily she brushed the tears away, wishing she didn't have to question herself like this. She walked out the door with her head down, barely even noticing the man who stepped out of her way and into an alley, his eyes following her progress down the crowded street. For him she jogged a memory, a very recent one. Then he had it.
That girl… she's the one from last night! But where's she going, I wonder?
His eyes followed her to the end of the block, then his feet followed.
*******
Lily remembered vaguely that man silently blending with the crowd, following her until she reached the edge of town. He didn't follow, she was sure of that.
But that wasn't what compelled her to accept the memory in conscious mind right now. He had looked, moved, acted, BEEN very much like someone else. That woman in the alley, wearing all black, with a long leather coat perfectly accenting, yet shadowing her figure.
Her shirt looked like it'd had a rough time though. A big beer stain, a rip in the collar...
Smiling to herself, Lily stepped into an alley. She needed a lift, and there was one thing that always helped her feel better.
Her faint shadow, visible on the side of an odds-and-ends store, changed. It grew smaller, it's nose grew and curved into a hooked beak. Shadowy feathers sprouted from elongated fingers. A stiff feathered tail replaced the coat tail. Legs grew smaller, joints changed position. A feathered head raised upwards and let out a powerful shriek.
The falcon flapped it's spread wings and forged it's way upwards, into the sky above the tall buildings, into the free wind. Peregrine senses kicked in and received messages that only birds' brains can interpret.
The thrill of flight made Lily forget her problems, let her push them to the back of her mind for a while. Seeing the Clocktower on the horizon, she headed for it, executing many dives, spirals, and barrel rolls on the way. The wind blew through her feathers, above and below her wings, raising her small form to the heavens. With the Clocktower suddenly rushing towards her, she continued on her path until she was a mere foot from the clockface. Quickly she whipped her head upwards, knowing her body would follow suit. Lily soared up and over the top of the spire, rising far above the buildings, then gently descended into a spiral downwards.
She landed on the balcony; she always went there when she needed to think. It was peaceful, the view was possibly the most beautiful in the city, and seeing the world go on below her, without her for a while, totally silent, lightened her heart. Here, she changed into a lizard and sunbathed.
Helena, peering through the window, saw a peregrine falcon land on the balcony and turn into a lizard.
Lily sat there for a few minutes then moved into the shade. The spring sun was very warm for this time of year, and she didn't want to overheat her little orange lizard body.
Helena backed up as the lizard moved towards her, into the relative shade of the clockface's shadow. It plonked itself down right underneath the window, where she saw thoughts pass across the tiny blue-green human eyes. Temporarily-forgotten sorrow wrote itself over the lizard's immobile face, somehow. Helena dashed to the elevator to see if Dinah had already left, which she had.
Should I stay here and keep an eye on that lizard-thing? Or should I chase after Dinah? The lizard could leave at any time, but Dinah won't come back for a while. After all, I did give her a lot of clothes to wash.
Helena was torn- should she keep an eye on the strange creature, or should she tell Dinah? Finally she made a decision.
I probably wouldn't be able to stop the lizard if it decided to take off anyway. But I should do something, just to convince Dinah it was here.
Looking around at all the computer equipment, Helena found the answer nestled in it's stand between a monitor and a mug of cold coffee from this morning. She grabbed the digital camera, made sure the flash was off, and snuck to the window. The camera clicked as the button was depressed. Helena looked at the screen on the back to see if the picture turned out.
It had, and better than she'd expected. From her angle she'd caught a flash of those telltale blue-green eyes, though they looked a bit less blue than before. Helena walked over to the stand and fitted the camera into it, then started up the program to print the photos directly from the camera. She selected the picture on the stand and left the rest to the laser printer. A few seconds later Helena grabbed the piece of paper and headed to the elevator. It didn't matter if the lizard was gone by the time she got back with Dinah- she had captured it on the convenient piece of paper that was now nestled in her coat pocket.
Totally oblivious, the lizard moved back into the sunlight.
*******
Soft music played as Barbara and Wade waited for their table.
"Sorry about all this, I didn't think to make a reservation for this time of the day." Wade apologised.
"It's okay, things like this happen. It even has a scientific name: life." Barbara laughed.
Wade decided to take up the redhead's challenge. "Did you find that on one of your computers?"
"I didn't need to, the proof is right in front of us. Why else would we be standing here, waiting for some other, slightly luckier couple to finish a romantic lunch?"
Wade's answer came immediately. "No one's luckier than us."
Just then a waiter walked up, interrupting the moment.
"We apologise for the wait, there is now a table for you. This way please." He said in true waiter style. They wove their way through the crowded tables to the balcony. As they stepped through the glass sliding doors cool air blew into their faces, a definite contrast to the heat inside the restaurant. The soft music could still faintly be heard as the waiter seated them at a table beside the balcony railing and handed them a pair of menus. "I'll give you a moment, then." He said, before he walked off to serve the other customers.
Barbara and Wade looked through the list of lunch platters as the gentle breeze ruffled the umbrella above their heads. Barbara was the first to speak.
"So, there's the music, the view- what do you think is the perfect meal to go with it?"
Wade looked carefully down the list of entrees before he answered. "How about the variety platter? It has rotisserie chicken, tiger prawns, baked potatoes, and a cherry pie for dessert."
Barbara agreed whole-heartedly and hailed the waiter. After ordering they talked and sipped at their water. The umbrellas' shadows darkened the faces of those enjoying their lunch on the balcony, in some cases partially hiding their features from the sandy-coated cat which perched in a nearby willow tree.