The mountains loomed above him as the sounds of the river trickled, peacefully creating the natural ambience around him.
A tear rolled down James' cheek.
No miracle on earth could repair the damage he had caused and the pain that was bestowed upon her.
The escape that was the mountain-surrounded lake subconsciously brought closure to him.
Her voice rang through his ears.
James longed to hold her delicate frame just once more. All he could focus on was what happened earlier that day:
"Are you sure you've got everything?"
Rose said, handing him a box. The glumness in her eyes was unmistakable.
"I... I think so." James uttered, hesitantly.
Rose opened her mouth as if to say something, but fluttered her eyes shut and shook her head. The silence was deathly.
"Rose... I-"
"Don't." She said, cutting him off.
"If you have everything, please... Just leave." Her eyes started welling up with tears.
"Rose, please... All I ever wanted was for you to hear me out."
"Do not make this harder than it has to be, James!"
She wailed before slamming the door in his face.
He could taste the salty tears falling down his cheeks.
Defeated, he set off in the opposite direction...


So there he sat, reminiscing his past, looking over the docks with not a hope in the world.
He could still hear her voice in the wind has he stared mindlessly at the ever-surrounding mountains.
He found it funny to think about how fragile people are, compared to a mountain.
A mountain is grounded, unbreakable, yet one with the clouds.
While a person can make so many mistakes with each and every day passing. We're soft, squishy and easily torn.
James wished he could be more like the mountains around him.
He wished he was stronger.
Such a grey sky. So grey that the river reflected nothing but cloud.
He sighed, his breath leaving a white steam which ascended into the atmosphere.
The cold and damp autumn evening was seeping into his bones. Any longer and he surely would have become gravely ill.
Her voice was still ringing in his mind, so he gave up and started to pick himself up onto his feet.
Suddenly, the ringing seemed all too real.
This time it was clear as a bell.
"James?" He heard, freezing in his movements as if the noise were to kill him in that very moment.
Fearful that it was another hallucination, he could only creep his head around deathly slow.
His eyes met her hauntingly beautiful gaze once more.
Paralyzed, he could only utter but a single word.
"R-rose?"