An Eerie Lake By the Cliff

           I gasped for air as sand ran away from my body, solidifying into one being. Looking at my sides all I could see was fog cleansing the tall trees covered in moss that were scattered throughout a path, that path led to a small particle of light at the end of that tunnel. Gathering enough strength, I got up and started to walk towards that light, bugs were flying and their buzzing sounds broke the silence of the woods.

           After a couple of steps into the direction I saw a salmon-colored lake, with a single oak tree at the other end of it, next to my feet I found a fishing rod, and as my back started to ache I craved a place under that tree, so I walked slowly to the other side as I appreciated the water, it was very clear and it was even possible to notice some silhouettes swimming under that blanket of salmon-colored water.

           The closer I got I started to notice that I wasn’t alone inside that place, under the tree was an old man, probably in his fifties, wearing a straw hat, a white shirt, and black pants. He was fishing in the lake but wasn’t as invested in the idea as I was.

           - Good morning! – I said.

           The man didn’t reply.

           - May I take a seat next to you? – I insisted.

           - Sure. – The man replied.

           As I sat down to start fishing, I noticed that my hook was empty, so, again I turned to the man.

           - Hey, my hook is empty, do you have some bait to spare?

           The man answered by handing me a can full of worms, which I find disgusting to touch, but I grab one and thank him. I proceed to hook the worm and quickly reach the water to clean my hands. The man notices my movement and follows me with his eyes.

           - Sorry, I don’t like getting my hands dirty. – I said.

           To which he replied:

           - I know… I used to have the same problem.

           I cast the line in the middle of the lake and get comfortable under the oak tree.

           A couple of minutes pass by and I start to get anxious, so I start a conversation with the man next to me.

           - So, where are we exactly?

           But just as the first time, he didn’t reply.

           - How long have you been here?

           - Fifty-two years. – He replied.

           - That’s quite a lot of time, how old are you?

           - I’m fifty-two years old.

           The mood got a little bit quiet after that, as I started to get the sensation that that man wanted me to stay quiet.

           Half an hour pass by and I start to reel in the line to see if someone took my bait away, but to my surprise the bait was intact, skewered in the same way I did when I threw it.

           - Did you catch anything lately? – I asked the fisherman.

           - I caught some things back in the day, but nowadays the lake seems to be empty.

           I get quiet again and start to think about all the things I was supposed to be doing.

           - I’m twenty-five years old, I’m supposed to have life figured out by now. – I thought.

           The fresh breeze blew through us as the oak tree made two different waves form on the lake, that both met in the middle, creating an even bigger wave. The breeze smelled familiar, almost like the perfume of someone I knew.

           - Strange smell, huh? – I tried again to start a conversation with the fisherman.

           - It has always been like this, ever since she left.

           - Who?

           I was met again with sheer silence from the fisherman’s side, so I tried to change the subject to insist on this conversation since the fishing was killing me out of boredom.

           - What do you usually catch here? – I asked.

           - There used to be many opportunities, I took them with pride and went for it. But as time went by, I got lazy and went off the rails, and now they swim in front of me but I no longer feel the will to go after them. All I feel is angst.

           This suddenly caught my interest but as soon as I get interested, I turn to my right, and the man’s gone. I look everywhere for him but he suddenly disappeared, except for his straw hat. He had vanished, I pondered about what he had just said, I didn’t know if I could remember it correctly but it seemed very similar to something that I’ve been through in my life, but as I started to focus more on that memory it all became foggy.

           I put on the man’s straw hat and proceeded to sit on his spot, thinking about what he had just said. Maybe he meant that… No, he was very clear about it, he got lazy and stopped finding interest in his duties, which made him grow old and disappointed with himself.

           - I wonder if this will ever happen to me…

           I stood there, thinking about it, thinking about the possibilities and thinking about the outcomes of my actions, and as time went by, I suddenly forgot what I was doing here, my questions about where I was or who I was suddenly vanished, as one thing became my focus, the salmon-colored lake.

           I wondered if I’d ever get out of that place, but that soon went away just like my other thoughts. The joy of fishing was gone, and now what was left was watching over the lake, seeing the fishes pass by, letting time tick away…

           A couple of minutes went by but I could no longer get up, my skin had turned wrinkly and my back ached even more. In the distance, I saw a young man approaching this side of the lake.

           As he arrived, he said.

           - Good morning.

           To which I didn’t reply.