I have been since the beginning, placed here by an unseen hand to tend to this lake and protect it from harm. I take what I need, surviving off the generous portions given into my care. For many, many years, in which time did not matter, the lake flourished, and I was happy living in my crystal clear, underwater playground. Not once did I wish for what I could not have. The decree that I stay in the lake and never leave was not a hardship, for I loved my world. Then man came. The unseen hand placed him on my shore, and I grew curious. Hiding in the thick forests of cattails and yellow iris, amid a thin wisp of mist, I watched. The man was told to tend to the earth. Day after day he toiled, back bent under the strain as sweat glistened on his skin–skin that barely changed colors. His was either pale peach in the cool morning or bright pink in the hot sun. He didn’t have the array of brilliant hues I had to choose from. Even so, there was something appealing about him.
