I grew up in a town centered around the lake, a little vacation spot in the summer. Those warm, humid days invited people in. They came for the season with smiles that sparkled like the sun bouncing off the water during the day, as a cruise around, carefree; Strangers to the "friendly" locals. But when the days get shorter and the temperatures fall, so do those smiles. They pack up and escape to the safety of their mystery cities I'm sure it feel more like home than this town has ever felt to me. I was one of the few who grew up without the luxury of owning a boat, so instead of floating away from the troubles left at the shores, I drove around the lake, envying those who drifted out on the water. This got me close enough to the water to get a little taste of freedom, but eventually you do end up in the same place you started. That sense of freedom choked out by the suffocating realization of being trapped; a secret the locals hid from my little visitors on the sunny days. After all, if they saw the gloomy winters is that killed our town and expose our lies, they'd never want to come back. Clear lake. Don't let the name fool you. The waters are as murky as the intentions of the people who surround it. I've driven around this lake many times as an attempt to find a getaway. During the day it's bright and alive. Everyone likes it at most at sunset. When it's dressed in it's Sunday best and decorated with pretty Hues of orange, red, pink, and innocence. But when the sun goes to bed it takes the beauty with it. The lake fades into the dark, until the moon exposes the water again. That's when everyone leaves it. When it turns to the darkness. To them it becomes dangerous and dying. But really It just lacks the beauty of what once was. And I mean it's hard to take a pretty picture of something that blends into its background right? This is when I like the lake the most. In the night, it becomes real, raw, relatable; a reflection of what lies on the shore. You, the lake, and the sky all blend together, becoming one in the nightly glow of the moon. This is when the waters begin to reveal the secrets left behind by those who abandon it when it's colors faded. This is why it becomes dangerous to others. Because it's real. Because it's honest. And when something becomes real and honest in a town like this, it becomes lonely.
