Shimmer of Destiny

Preface

Enid sank down onto the weathered bench by the riverbank, her face lifeless and eyes staring blankly at the flowing water. The late afternoon sun cast long shadows, and the quiet murmur of the river seemed to echo her inner turmoil.

She sighed deeply, her shoulders slumping as if the weight of the world pressed down on them. "Life has felt like a river," she murmured, almost to herself. "I'm slowly drifting down it, allowing anything or anyone to pass me by."

Her voice wavered, and she clenched her fists in her lap. "And I feel helpless like I've no choice but to watch them drown. Life is just that for me, helpless."

She turned to look at the old willow tree by the river's edge, its branches dipping into the water. "This deep sadness within me flows to every part of my body. And what do you do when a flood destroys your house? You simply watch and hope the things you care for most are not destroyed. But it's not up to you. Water goes where it pleases."

Enid's eyes glistened with unshed tears as she continued, her voice barely above a whisper. "And this grief, buried so deep inside me, has found its way through each vein. I cannot escape it. No matter how I arrange my life, no matter how many people or achievements I may make, I still feel the grief flow inside me."

She paused, her gaze fixed on the horizon where the river seemed to disappear into the distance. "So I float down this river and watch where it takes me. I will never escape this grief. I've learned to live with it."

A solitary tear slipped down her cheek, and she wiped it away with a trembling hand. "Perhaps one day, I may find someone who does not drift away, who takes me as I am and fears losing me as much as I fear losing them. But that's just a wish, one I have not yet found to be true. And that may never be true."

Enid's shoulders sagged even further, and her voice grew softer. "So I find this river I'm in pointless. And I too, wish to drown like the rest."