The Lake

He was not typically a thoughtless man; he rendered himself a caring, sensitive person in the mode of other sensitive, caring, normal persons. And now, knelt at the edge of the lake he wondered about the limits of caring and sensitivity and “normal.” “Everyone has limits” he muttered into the air. “You can only push a man so far, what was I supposed to do?” As the events turned through his brain like flipped sketches in the corner of a notebook he caught himself, momentarily fazed by the staring of the lake. The lake that had provided him so much replenishment over the years was staring at him, questioning his taking. “What was I supposed to do?” he yelled at the lake. The lake did not respond, just sat there in its depth, cooler every inch down, resonating, reverberating from the bottom back up until everything around him formed a sense filled dome of questioning. He threw his hands into the air and yelled “what was I supposed to do?” The lake shot back a reflected sun beam into his eyes, sending him reeling back on his feet. He steadied himself and went to look back in shock and awe but now the lake was nothing but a mirror of sunlight into his eyes, judging him with reflection and heat. “Stop it, he squealed “what was I supposed to do?” He cowered from the lake as wind picked up and chops began to hit the shore loudly. Clouds suddenly filled the sky and the glassy lake was replaced by a black sheet as the chops continued to hit the shore, louder now, smacking the ground at his feet. He noticed the darkness and quickly peered into the sky as the now cold air made the hair on his forearms and neck stand up. “I had to” he shouted, “I had to.” A lone beam broke through the clouds and stalled a minute on his face, briefly warming his nose, then down his chest and legs to the water at his feet: He followed the beam like a carrot on a stick till staring down into the only sunlit portion of the lake, he saw his reflection.

Describe a lake as seen by a young man who has just committed murder. Do not mention the murder.