It was exactly midnight when they arrived at the lake, the chimes of town's clock disrupting the tranquil atmosphere surrounding the lake like a swarm of fireflies, waltzing with dew drops. Croacking of frogs and buzzing of dragonflies were almost non exsistent, like an invisable bomb disenegrated all wildlife. The silence was heavenly. Hand in hand and stride in stride, the log quickly came into view between the green bushes of forget-me-nots, waiting to hear their sweet words. Matt escorted her to the log, the log becoming less immortal with the weight of their bodies. Alana sat down, her smile illuminating the dark blanket clouded over them. Matt settled the flashlight on the moist ground and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, comfort radiating through his gentle touch.

"Look at all the stars in the sky," Alana stated in bewilderment, thousands of tiny sparkly sprinkles decorating the dark blue icing of the universe.

"Just think how big those are," Matt started, his head almost at a 90 degree angle to observe the stars with his undivided attention, "and how small they are to us looking at them millions of miles away."

"Do you ever wish on stars?" Alana asked sweetly, the magnetic atttraction bonding their gazes together.

"Not really," Matt admitted with a chuckle. "I mean, what if you want to make a wish during the day?"

"That is a...good point," Alana responded, falling deep into thought. "What if one needs to make a wish and there are no stars in the sky?"

"They improvise," Matt told her, his hand digging in his khaki pocket for something, his eyes narrowing as his hand buried deeper into the gap.

"What?" Alana question confused, peering at his quest. He extracted two pennies from his pocket, as shiny as the sun on a summer day.

"When you wish for something, Do you ever throw pennies into a fountain?" Matt asked, liniking his right hand in hers and leading her to the water's edge, gentle waves splashing at their feet.

"No," Alana admitted, her brain intrigued by this new found fact.

"Well," Matt began, placing a cold penny into her palm, "I guess if there's no shooting stars to wish on, you find a fountain, or in our case, lake, close your eyes..." He began to demostrate, his pallid eyelids slipping over his blue eyes..."Wish real hard...and then toss the penny into the fountain." The penny went spirling from his hand into the lake, plummeting through a small congregation of undisturbed lilypads. "Your turn."

"But if this is a lake and not a fountain," Alana began, her left hand tucked in her belt loop, her eyes trying to spear to the murky bottom of the lake, "How do we know if our wish will come true?"

"I guess we'll find out," Matt responded, the corner of his mouth rising in a simulation of a smile, "I think we just have to believe in it."

Alana nodded, closing her free hand over the penny, forcing her eyes into bleak darkness as her wish traveled around in her brain toward no destination. Her eyes resurfaced as her hands tossed the penny into the lake, a light gurgle of the water signafying its entry.

It was an hour later when a blaring chime screetched through the woods, veering the two lovers off the road of conversation.

"I should head home now," Alana informed Matt, rising from the log, remembering the promise she made with Thomas; "Not too late, dear," she remebered him say, "Even princesses need beauty sleep." Matt's hand stayed clamped on her wrist like a handcuff, not willing to let go.

"Can I walk you home?" Matt asked, a tinge of despair flowing in his voice, his puppy dog eyes making Alana's legs shiver. The only response Matt got was Alana's blank stare, like his question was in a foreign language. A pixie smile grazed her mouth. Alana grabbed his hand as they began the trek to Alana's house.....

"Your house is huge!" Matt yelled, his eyes scowering the long 2 story home.

"Quiet!" Alana scolded as they sulked in the shadows, invisable to the property's cameras. "My mother may hear." They scurried past the camera, groping the wall as they made their way to her bedroom window, the rope untouched in its place. Sweat became like butter between Matt and Alana's hands as the camera shifted slowly from side to side, scanning the perimeter.

"Do you have attack dogs too?" Matt asked wryly, his tone mixed with amusement and seriousness.

"No," Alana responded, turning to him, the wind tangling through her hair, "We save those for the palace back home."

Matt chuckled; she made a joke. Her face lightened with his counteraction, her eyes shimmering with hope and love. They both leaned up against the wall, distant barks of mistreated dogs howled through the still night, wind tunneling around bushes and trees and over the grass, the grass simulating a ocean of water plants bowing to the god of the sea. Matt's fingers grazed her cheek, her heart thumping in her ears, spiking at its peak. A shreik cry of an owl screeched through the picturesque moment. They both wanted to, wanted to taste each other's lips, wanted to seal their devotion for each other with a kiss, wanted to feel the tingles burn through their bodies; but it wasn't the right time.

Alana didn't want to let go, didn't want to crawl back into her cell, doodles on scraps of paper her only salvage of sanity. But she knew she had to, knew she had to push through the clutter of inner turmoil for another day, another week, another life with Matt. A promise is a promise and she'd promise Thomas she wouldn't be too late. But who looks at their watch, who ponders about the time when all they can think of is the "one", especially when they're in the flesh right in front of you.

"I have to go," Alana told him, her eyes dulling with sadness, trying playfully to pry his grip from her fingers. Matt couldn't let go, as much as he wanted to. He didn't want to feel so close, so bonded with her. The last thing he wanted was to hurt her and he felt the hurt he inflicts would be far more potent then any she could imagine, any poison or weaponry; the infliction of knowing he couldn't be there for her, be there with at the drop of a hat.

"I don't want you to," Matt quietly replied, his head bowing to the ground, his hands running over hers like rain drops.

"I do not want to either" Alana confessed, her eyes brimming with depression, "You know I don't. But I must."

Matt placed a sweet kiss on her cheek and a small smile on his face. Her hand brushed his arm lovingly as she ascended to her bedroom, the rope not slicing into her hand, the wall not slippery like soap. She felt nothing, not pain or sadness, no anger or fustration, but the melodic treasure love has brought to brighten her dismal life.

Matt backed up slowly, his feet sinking into the marshy grass like quicksand. His eyes didn't leave her until she tumbled into her window and his heart dropped. He stuffed his hand into the deepness of his pockets, turning toward the bleakness of the forest. He heard the frogs laughing, the wind snickering at him; this lovestruck fool who actually thought she, a royal princess, would...

"Matt, Matt!" He heard Alana's voice carry hushly over the wind. He turned to see Alana in her bedroom, white light shining behind her like an angel, her loose curls streaming over the shoulders of her light purple nightgown like a golden river. She curled her fingers over the window's ledge, her eyes squinting to see Matt. Matt walked toward her, his smile augmenting as she motioned for him to approach closer. Her hand reached from the window toward hers as if to help him up from the ground, the ground seeming miles away. "Come to my window."