ANTICIPATION

Lake Towada used to be a popular holiday destination in Aomori, but over the course of years, the number of visitors decreased despite the unchanged scenery, and many shops and hotels were forced to close down. I stood on a hilltop, looking down on the grandeur of the lake on a quiet afternoon in June. The sky was overcast and there was no hope of capturing sunset, but it felt like something was going to happen and I knew I shouldn't leave just yet. An hour had passed, still no sign of change. I started questioning my instinct, but at that moment, the sunlight leaked through the clouds and lit up a part of the lake near me. The clouds rolled on, and the light started to move like a snake on the surface swiftly towards the far bank. It lasted less than a minute, and in the end, it vanished into the mountain in the west. "It must miss people," I thought smilingly, and I stood for a long time thereafter, hoping I would see the light again. My unwarranted optimism faded away as the night slowly fell on the lake.