Even though very few thought much of the lake in the swamp, it was fascinating to look at. Seasons came and went, but the lake stood. It had a unique kind of raw beauty. The water was almost always perfectly still. It was as if the earth had given birth to a mirror, offering a true reflection of all that was above it. Over time, the lake got a lot smaller - still offering a clear projection of all that it could see. And yet, the periphery of its vision had diminished drastically. The lake now offered a magnificent picture of the buildings that towered above and the trains that ran overhead. It entirely left out the surrounding slums, as well as the dying trees - almost taking the shape of a beautiful lie. It seemed as if nature had developed an eerie likeness to the city man's cry.