The pier looks like it's waiting for a boat that forgot it exists.

The pier stretched into the water like an invitation no one had RSVP'd to. It stood there stoic, its posts reflected faintly in the rippling surface. The sand beneath my feet was cool now, its earlier warmth stolen by the descending sun. Across the lake, distant buildings seemed to blend into the horizon, their lights beginning to flicker on like hesitant fireflies. The clouds above hung low but carried no threat—just a soft weight that seemed to press everything closer to the earth. I walked along the curve of the shore, leaving faint imprints that would soon be erased by time or tide. It felt oddly freeing to leave no trace behind.