She made her way down the steps...looking towards her destination. The sun was setting and a slight wind started to pick up. She heard a rustling in the trees and saw several leaves falling every few seconds. The rustling grew and for a split second she felt nervous, but then saw that it was only a squirrel coming out of the bushes. Finally, she reached the edge of the river. She stood there for a moment breathing in the cold air and trying to remember why she had come here in the first place. But when she remembered she realized she didn't want to remember. She sat down on a tree stump and tried to forget, but she couldn't. Then, she saw a butterfly at her feet. It was just like the one before...small, black and blue. It reminded her of herself. She wanted to feel angry but she couldn't. She felt nothing. She stood up and started to walk down the trail. After a minute or so, she realized the butterfly was still following her. Then she looked up and saw the tree. It was that tree that held great memories, but now the branches had no leaves. It was barren and empty. There was no life there. She moved her hand slowly against the bark and finally the butterfly flew in the opposite direction. Finally, she continued down the trail. She wasn't sure how much time had passed and she wasn't sure when she'd turn back the other way. She wanted to lose herself in the trees, become like one of the trees herself. She decided to sit for a while by the river where the trees made way for her. She closed her eyes and remembered when she had come here before. Again, she tried not to think about it but the thoughts engulfed her brain...but more so her heart. It was getting darker now. Light enough for her to see, but dark enough for her to feel hidden. Then she realized someone was looking at her. Their eyes were sparkling, although they looked like they were withering away. A tear came down. The person looking back at her had a familiar face, but also looked like a stranger. Then, she saw the butterfly land on the strangers shoulder. It sat there for several seconds, and then continued on its way. She heard a sound in the distance. It was like a quiet whistle, but was growing more into a humming sound. She looked up and saw a small boat "rowing gently down the stream." When she looked back down, the person was gone. By now the sun was set, although there were lights coming from across the way. After a few minutes of looking into the night sky she got back on the trail and headed back to where she came from. Then she realized her face was wet. She didn't have a tissue on her, so she used the sleeve of her jacket. But for some reason she didn't feel sad. She didn't feel happy. She didn't feel alone even though she was. She felt peace. She looked back one last time at the river as she headed up the steps. This wasn't a place of sorrow. It wasn't a place of fear. It didn't hold bitterness or envy. It became a place where she could reflect upon herself.