It was hard, he found, as the world remained unchanged and yet his foundation had been shaken. He was not different, at least not in a way that others noticed, but he was not the same, either. He was changed or perhaps still changing and it was almost like he had been forced back into a cage. Except this one he had not made, not alone. He needed to make a choice, but where in the past it had been around trust and belief . . . This was far greater. Did he repair the foundation that he had built a life upon, forever deciding that any future cracks had purpose? Or did he rip the loose dirt free and build anew, choosing that what once was true was not irrevocably broken into falsehood?He breathed out, looking at the still lake. He needed someone to talk to, who could help him recover or maybe turn his back. There were other ways than to trust someone fully or believe they told only lies. He would know; the best lies had some truth in them so that they were more easily swallowed. But then that led to the why of it all? Why would they lie? Were they hiding something? Had they lost who they once were? They were giving him a headache, that was sure.
"Come on, then, let's catch a few fish for lunch," he called to his mini bear companions before walking to the warm water. He sunk within its embrace effortlessly, a halo of hair fanning out upon the lake's surface, before he disappeared beneath. Fishing was a simple thing, something that didn't need to be thought about. It was based on a feeling, when to strike and when to feint and when to be still. He opened his eyes and waited for the right moment to come.