He doesn’t belong here. No one takes much notice of his solitary figure, but as he walks the lakefront, he feels as if every eye in the city is upon him. The smell of the lake is fresh and welcome as the breeze that accompanies every wave. The rhythmic wash and spray contrasts with the sprawling city neighboring it.

As he walks, he drifts aimlessly among the buildings and beaches alike. He came here with purpose, but now that he has arrived, he is terrified of revisiting old memories. He hasn’t been in this city in lifetimes it seems.

He finally musters the courage to revisit the icons of memory and they awaken a tumult of emotions inside of him. He stays along the edges like a ghost who can’t forget or change the past. He leaves as quickly as he came and curses himself for visiting this hell of tormenting memories.

His hoped for encounter never happens, and like a wisp of smoke on a bright summer day, he drifts out of the city never to reappear.

The city remains a once glittering jewel behind him.