The sun was shining, white clouds dotting the sky. It was a beautiful day.  The sun and clouds reflected off the water shining on a man.  The man was sitting on the rocky beach, staring off into the distance.  The day was beautiful, the beach was beautiful, yet none of the beauty was reaching the man.  The man's dazed stare was bleached through the lens of depression, and chronic pain.  The mental illness and pain washed out every aspect of his life.  He had a wife that loved him, healthy children who loved him, yet everything in his life felt mediocre.  His relationship with his wife felt  mediocre, his relationship with his children felt mediocre. His health mediocre, his life mediocre, he was the incredible mediocre man. “Ha ha” he scoffed at himself.  As he was practising his breathing, trying to mitigate his downward spiral, he looked over the pool in the creek.  In the pool, a flash of light caught his eye.  Deciding to check it out he took off his shoes, stepping into the cold mountain water, barely able to move as the sharp rocks on the creek bed, tried to shred his poor tender feet. 

Stolen novel; please report.

 “Oh God, please shut up you wuss.”  He said to himself.

He hobbled his way to where he saw the flash.  As he searched he found and odd rock, as he pulled it up, he saw it was a palm size rock that looked cut instead of being more natural.  He kept it and made his way back to the bank. Once he had his shoes back on, he took a closer look at the rock it actually seems to be a crystal with rock fused to it.  It was interesting, but not really anything more special.  He tossed it up and caught it, “Well something to show the fam.” 

As he walked back to his car, his six foot, heavy set frame winded him.  He drove the mountain road, enjoying the sun and the drive.  “Maybe today wasn't such a bad day after all.”

“Also why the hell am I narrating my life in the third person.”

“Whatever. Ha!”

He continued his drive home laughing at himself.