There’s no one else by this lake, only us and our forest cottage. Ever since we were children, we’ve come here to swim. We used to dig for freshwater mussels (järvisimpukat), those small creatures hiding inside shells at the muddy bottom, and sometimes we picked the white lotus that grows here in Finland.
My sister was always afraid of bugs, especially the ones she thought might suck blood, even though none ever touched her. Once, my mom lost her sunglasses in the water, and to this day they’re still somewhere at the bottom... or maybe a fish has claimed them.
This lake is a special place for me. I return here every summer. Whenever I’m here, I feel alive.
AJ AJ
2025-09-01 00:02:13 +0000 UTCJohn Ward
2025-08-31 20:04:40 +0000 UTC