The laughter of children from a bygone era echoed across the calm lake, disturbed only by my feet dangling in the water and the fish swimming beneath me.

With my arms stretched above my head, I enjoyed the echo of memories that gave me goose bumps. Fortunately, the slightly wobbly footbridge on which I had been lying for a couple of hours had long since cooled down from the midday heat.

With my eyes closed and a quiet smile on my lips, I went through my fondest memories once again.

The place had long been abandoned.

Sighing, I opened my eyes.

The sun was just disappearing behind the small nature reserve island in the middle of the lake.

Not for much longer.

On the way here, I had to fight my way through a lot of stubborn undergrowth.

It was more than obvious that the grounds had been neglected for a very long time.

Sighing, I sat up and pulled my legs out of the water.

It was time to get ready.

My attempt to stand up quickly backfired, as my legs immediately buckled and I plopped back down where I had been sitting.

This caused the somewhat unstable structure to wobble, and I quickly grabbed my bag to secure it in case it fell into the water.

Three letters, an MP3 player with headphones, a notebook, a pad covered in writing, a book, photos, and a few mementos.

I warmed myself up, put my glasses in the bag with the other things, but before I folded my clothes and put them next to it, I took a small, almost empty lighter and a tea light that had already burned down quite a bit out of my pants pocket.

In the darkness and silence, it flickered brightly, brighter than I could ever be, even though it took me a while to get it going.

The only light now was my little candle, the stars, and the narrow crescent moon.

The only sound now was my breath and the echo of my footsteps drumming loudly on the floor as I took a running start and jumped.

It was okay that I was loud.

I had been quiet for long enough.

Cold water crashed over my head.

I breathed in the silence with relish.

My necklace lay quietly on my chest; it was the only thing I had kept on, its engraved words meant too much to me to leave behind anywhere.

Silently, my body glided to the bottom of the lake, where I now took off the last thing I was wearing.

For what I had in mind, I didn't want any weight on me, none at all.

Because when I opened the clasp and slowly let it sink from my fingers to the bottom, I was not only taking off a necklace, but also all my memories.

I even forgot how to swim and how to hold my breath.