Roads, tracked by where the wind comes from, moving souls and feelings; far, but that far as only tomorrow can be, in the horizon that's always ahead, it goes down the sun, gets up the dawn; colors and voices of the nature, the huge stage for the life to play.

Among the salt of the water, up where boats and quiet waves get a traveling along, one fisherman with no luck, was tracking his route on, back to the crowded shore of stones, seagulls and golden evening sand.

The one single sweet matter in his life, was the unexpected sight of his very sweetheart, standing for him like a fairy, dressed up in soft and clear clothes whose waves did the wind raise like the own waves of that sea's evening water which he was sailing upon.

But, on the beach, only the echo of the seabirds in flight and the desolated sight of the nothing was the scenery by that afternoon time. That great void built into the life without magic, the loneliness among such an amount of elements whose scenery was to him, only to him, the nothing for that evening time.

Alone, doing his life made only of joy and happiness there was a long time ago, it seemed to him that from his good fortune, nothing was what remained at all, or even before he didn't have any luck after all he thought of being owner; ‘cause the more he needed it, there in the cold and dark season of his life, the less he had it, and time seemed to challenge him like never had done before, when time were a clear and blossomed season ago.

With open bosom, against the wind that rushed into the vessel, and with the eyes almost closed in a hidden deep and bright blue, the afternoon was getting into night while he kept on heading home, straight on the helm. It felt like he was bringing an extra weight besides the meager fishing in his nets; one heavy load on his heart, plus the weariness after a whole day of hard although almost unfruitful work.

After throwing the anchor out and stepping already on the cold and firm sand, he took his was toward home. So much to think about and nothing to care about thinking at same time, his eyes, more open than before, they would scare anyone who could get a sight of them and, above all, could understand what they wanted and wished to tell.

To few ones is concerned an understanding about the depth of a soul that's great and strong, pure and lonely, but, then, the vicissitudes of this life, suddenly provoke a noose impossible to come loose.
   Since when the nothing was his remaining piece of life, nothing, he was feeling like that himself. From his deepest and eternal love, day after day he was far off.

They were days of joy over against years of anguish, nothing was enough to make up his former and complete felicity. Anuette, that was her; just for her it was him alive, his love for her was so intense that could run upon the mountains top line, could smother the strong sea smell at the low tide.

So much moving poesy was requited with days of fair weather, with smiles and happiness; always days of hope and lightness. The couple was so perfect, made into souls, body, the whole being. He felt like loving her since the cradle, she could know him alike she could do at knowing herself.

On a fine afternoon of September, at the empty harbor in a far shore, he was heading sea but, in a glimpse of the destiny, it was her whom he was going to meet. She was walking on the sand, slowly, and that vision of her was so serene, so wonderful that he could nearly felt himself coming back home.

A home that was so far, home which he had left behind but that was there then, living in that so beloved visage and, if he allowed her to go away, he would never re-meet her again. His heart led him, step by step, up to the border of the beach and he neared her, boldly, decided; and, as if he had known her from a long time ago, he gave away his feeling and told to be lost in love for her at first sight.
   Anuette smiled at him, light and spontaneous smile; it was as if she were watching on to a play of love, a young and jovial love and, then, she were caught up for a role to play, as a main personage, with love as the main cast. Peter figured her smile like an open window for the feelings that he exposed to her and he smiled at her too, glad for him and also for her.

Not a thing in the world could have caught him up in such a strong will, not even had touched so deep into his heart as it was done right away he laid his eyes down to the shore and saw, in the distance, that beloved sight of her. Anuette didn't tell, not even admitted to herself, but her heart did beat fast in the moment that she saw Peter getting closer; so much she got absent minded that even the flowers, whose basket she was fulfilling, she got slipped out from her thoughts.

Similar, or even more surprised and confused than Anuette was herself, Peter also forgot everything concerning about his activities to be done at the rest of the afternoon. Inside the boat, nets, baskets and buckets were lay on the deck and, at the sea, the reflex of the sun was alike blood red light, whose bright burns and glows.

Hand to hand, they walked along the massive and wet sand, it was blowing a breeze so soft, cold and hot; nothing made sense at all to that couple of young lovers who had just revealed love in a kind of so sudden moment of life.

The words didn't fit, there was only a room for their looks, that traded experiences from years that they had lived apart from each other. Peter and Anuette got an inner smile at same time they smiled at each other, and they both could feel themselves touched by the blessing of the Lord above.

It was a very enchantment, they couldn't help themselves from feeling that way. Since then, the round trips for the sea were short and always with a reward of a net plenty of fishes when Peter headed home, absolutely in love, for the arms of her sweetheart.

Anuette didn't know love like that, she had always known love like the one which the flowers inspire to the butterflies or a kind of love that the rivers bring to the sea. Her life, so lonely, turned her feelings toward the love for the Nature and, for them being requited, she had always been grateful to them for surrounding her.

Peter's appearance was unexpected in her life, but she felt him wished like she could only wish for the own respiration when an oppressive chest has taken the last drop of breath away. He took a new breath and cleared the air around Anuette, the strong wind of the love that blows the canvas of the passion and leads by the helm of the brief and demanded miss of sense and ground.

And, for them both, days were clear; to him, waves of the sea had the drawing of her hair's outline and, if could the mermaids come alive over the sea, one of them Anuette had become, at waiting for him upon the land behind the sea...

All and each accomplished love, intensive or not, under this sun is at the risk of being brought to an end, is running to be crashed even if it was that love like amalgamated metal before.

Anuette and Peter went through that terrible evil: the time, that being inexorable, gets everything to a precise and fast final line. If it is the happiness so scaring in its magnitude, wise is the one who never got a taste of it and, from the cruel sorrow, never the heart has been fulfilled.

On a nice afternoon, of September, then same date of that meeting with his so dear soulmate, now the same date when Peter was in for the so tragic leaving that he had to face. The sea was calling him early for the work, now still more intense, for the home he had built with her. Anuette was carrying into herself one first baby, after a couple of incomparable and delightful years of togetherness and love for Peter.

The round trip was grateful, that was just a double throw of nets and into the ship was resting heaps of weakfish, lobsters and other crustaceans, and everything else that a fisherman may wonder and expect to fish.
   Peter brought the anchor abroad right away, the feeling of plenty happiness was fulfilling him by that moment. The joy of being complete with a child of his beloved wife, the blessing of one wide sea whose fishing was hearty and unexpected.

"Be always like that," it was Peter's thought and, while he tracked route toward, he sang calm and beautiful song of love. Sun was high and could shine bright and warm on the face of the young Peter who, the joy, was whole living in.

However, he sighted far, the shore absent of his sweetheart and, as always was her habit of waiting for him; worried he hurried up to the land. After the anchorage and pressing wet sand, Peter was carrying a heavy fishing but, walking tight, he was also feeling a heavy anguish blowing cold in his forehead.

He couldn't find any source for such a bad feeling. If was Anuette not there on the shore, it was her, for sure, captured in her activities at home... Nevertheless, in the depth of his heart, he could feel something growing strong, a crashing pain of the loss and he was afraid, a fear that had frozen even his breath.

Seagulls were in flight all around his house, everything was quiet, easy and silent, similar a wide sea shows after a prolonged strong storm. Peter slowed down his march, at every step he feared of being heard, being chary of knocking on the door and for no one to be received at the house.

"Fool and weak of me, cruel fear that hurts me, restlessly." He felt his courage fading away, little by little. "What am I fearing of? Why am I dreadful afflicted? It was fate that made me living into the paradise, paradise which fate can't call back away from me."

Peter laid down his hand on the knob and rose the small latch as the door opened, slowly. There was just silence from there inside, a calm similar to the sea with no waves in sight. Not even the name of his beloved wife he dared calling out, as the house was empty it was worthless keeping looking for her there inside.

Getting to the beach again, Peter felt his mind full of dizzy thoughts, from the sea he had received for promises, promises that had turned out to be vanished with time... he not even had a remembrance of them. The sea had borrowed him the joy and the love which both he had implored for too long. And then, at same time of the beginning, all that he had dreamed and lived thru, was meeting it's end by that afternoon for the broken and unfulfilled promises.

"By the time you had lived at loneliness, did you beg for my relieving aid." The Lady of the seas appeared upon him, wrapped herself in clothes of gloom and light.
   "You did beg sea to be generous, so that love could come up to you, and so it has been accomplished, four afternoons after August month. Doing the asking, it was your remembrance up to that day. Nevertheless, so didn't you remember the price to be paid in exchange. You were aware of the fact, for the happiness that sea had loaned, a fee was charged and you had accepted. The deal was sealed."

"Lady of the seas, ah! Queen of the seas, I do beg your mercy, just give me another chance to get it paid. I'm aware of the fee I owe, day after day couldn't I get lost of our deal to be accomplished by my side. I never meant to cheat... only to give my first son's life in exchange was a very high price for me to agree with it by now."

"For knowing the whole feeling inside your heart, I'm here myself, upon the beach, right now. As you didn't intend to keep your word, it's incumbent upon me to take away the good fortune that I've granted you, for good. Anuette is not in this existence, anymore, together with her child. A part of the sea they are going forever to become. I'm also going back to be there with them, and from the sea we will return never again. From the sea, the joy and bliss of love was delivered to you, and now it must go back to the sea, where it belongs from. Days you are supposed to live are going to be like before from now on and the loneliness is going to be everything that your life may own. Peter, how fool you were at believing that the love which you once begged for was the right one and under any kind of charge. What is the hardest at doing an asking out of key is the price required, that's in the main, tough and difficult of being free."

Peter was left, desolated, as the shape of the Lady faded away among the sea. He felt his heart like crashing in a million of pieces and, non resigned, he ran along all the shore line, but useless was the search, the Lady was really meant about the punishment that upon him didn't come late.

His own child, a very high price to be paid, but Peter had made the deal blinded by the depth of his former loneliness. And, after several months of joy and company, how could he accomplish the promise if, taking away the baby from Anuette's arms, was going to be the death for her.

Nevertheless, then he didn't have both of them, neither Anuette, nor their child were beside him and the sea kissed his feet when the waves reached the shore as he kept himself standing there for a short time else. Sun was on the line of the golden horizon and not even a remaining shade of that sweet love which Peter had looked for so long was left.

Stones around the sea were standing rallied like doing funny and different shapes, figures and forms that could almost look like the silhouette of one real person. Peter stepped closer and, staring at them, he recognized the stones as being the resemblance, really there on the stones, the out look of the ones who were taken away from him. An actual picture of her sweet and forever beloved Anuette, that was going to be forever there, standing on the stones of the sea.