§,,§§,,§§§                                          ,,§§§§§,,§
,§,§,§,§,,                                          §,§,,,,§,§
§§§§§§§§§,                                          ,§§§,,,§§§
,,,,,,,,,§                                          §§,,§,,§,,
,,,,,,,,,§                                          ,,§,§§,§§,
,,,,,,,,,§               winds esker                ,,§§§,§§,§
§,,,,,,,,§ »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» §,§,,§§,§§
,§,,,,,,,§                                          §§§§,§,§§,
,§§,,,,,,§ there was this place that for two  years ,,,,§§§§,§
§§,§,,,,,§ i  couldn't go to.  regardless  how much §,,,§,,,§§
,,§§§,,,,§ discussed  with  others, or  pointed out §§,,§§,,§,
,,§,,§,,,§ on  maps, i could not think  of  it when §,§,§,§,§§
§,§§,§§,,§ alone. i  would often  travel  past  the ,§§§§§§§§,
§§§,§§,§,§ fork, where  a right turn  would  surely ,§,,,,,,,§
,,,§§,§§§§ take me there, but even  then, something ,§§,,,,,,§
§,,§,§§,,,               kept me away.              ,§,§,,,,,§
,§,§§§,§,,                                          §§§§§,,,,§
§§§§,,§§§, when i  finally  got there,  after  some §,,,,§,,,§
,,,,§,§,,§     heavy subconscious battle i must     §§,,,§§,,§
§,,,§§§§,§ assume,   the  place   was  surreal.  an ,,§,,§,§,§
,§,,§,,,§§ esker, like  a needle-thin  rift  out in §,§§,§§§§§
§§§,§§,,§, the  lake,  but  ten  meters  high   and §§§,§§,,,,
§,,§§,§,§§ adorned in  birch, willow,  bracken, and §,,§§,§,,,
§§,§,§§§§,               blueberries.               ,§,§,§§§,,
§,§§§§,,,§                                          ,§§§§§,,§,
§§§,,,§,,§ walking  atop  that  spine,  i  came  to §§,,,,§,§§
,,,§,,§§,§ notice  the view to  either side.  there §,§,,,§§§,
,,,§§,§,§§ should  be  shores,  of  course,  but  i ,§§§,,§,,§
§,,§,§§§§, didn't  recognize  them. first off, they §§,,§,§§,§
,§,§§§,,,§ were much too close, as the  lake should §,§,§§§,§§
§§§§,,§,,§ stretch for  a  hundred  meters more  on ,§§§§,,§§,
§,,,§,§§,§ both sides.  but  now  i  felt  i  could §§,,,§,§,§
,§,,§§§,§§ almost  reach  out and  touch them.  and §,§,,§§§§§
§§§,§,,§§, then, when i realized which shores  they ,§§§,§,,,,
§,,§§§,§,§           were, i had to stop.           §§,,§§§,,,
§§,§,,§§§§                                          ,,§,§,,§,,
§,§§§,§,,, they were  of the right  lake. but  this ,,§§§§,§§,
§§§,,§§§,,       lake is large, fractured, and      §,§,,,§§,§
,,,§,§,,§, bipartite.  like a pair of  lungs carved §§§§,,§,§§
§,,§§§§,§§ into the granite, and with no less  than §,,,§,§§§,
§§,§,,,§§,   five communities anchored at various   §§,,§§§,,§
,,§§§,,§,§      points. and so, studying these      ,,§,§,,§,§
§,§,,§,§§§     impossibly close shores, i slowly    §,§§§§,§§§
,§§§,§§§,, understood  them as belonging many miles ,§§,,,§§,,
,§,,§§,,§,                  away.                   §§,§,,§,§,
,§§,§,§,§§                                          §,§§§,§§§§
§§,§§§§§§, i  examined  the   ridge,  the  treeline ,§§,,§§,,,
§,§§,,,,,§ above. was  this  what you saw opposite, ,§,§,§,§,,
§§§,§,,,,§ from  those  other  shores?  i  couldn't §§§§§§§§§,
§,,§§§,,,§                 remember.                ,,,,,,,,,§
,§,§,,§,,§                                          §,,,,,,,,§
§§§§§,§§,§ carrying  forward, on  the  very  tip of §§,,,,,,,§
,,,,,§§,§§ the  esker, i  found  the  ruins of some §,§,,,,,,§
§,,,,§,§§,    old building. there were overgrown    ,§§§,,,,,§
,§,,,§§§,§ marble staircases, stone floors beneath  §§,,§,,,,§
§§§,,§,,§§ the  moss,  and  strange  slabs inserted ,,§,§§,,,§
,,,§,§§,§, into the  slope  like dams  against  the §,§§§,§,,§
§,,§§§,§§§              ground itself.              ,§§,,§§§,§
,§,§,,§§,,                                          ,§,§,§,,§§
§§§§§,§,§, sitting there,  i could  see  across the §§§§§§§,§,
§,,,,§§§§§ narrowed lake my  entire path to where i ,,,,,,,§§§
,§,,,§,,,, sat:  from the stairwell  of  my  house, §,,,,,,§,,
,§§,,§§,,, through  the old woods behind  the  tile §§,,,,,§§,
,§,§,§,§,,      factory, the bridge over route      §,§,,,,§,§
§§§§§§§§§, twenty three  and then  back  under  it, ,§§§,,,§§§
,,,,,,,,,§ through  the  fancy  villas,  over   the §§,,§,,§,,
,,,,,,,,,§ fields, and then that  right turn at the ,,§,§§,§§,
,,,,,,,,,§                  fork.                   ,,§§§,§§,§
§,,,,,,,,§                                          §,§,,§§,§§
,§,,,,,,,§ and  then  the  stairs up on the  ridge. §§§§,§,§§,
,§§,,,,,,§ thinking  back,  this  was  probably it. ,,,,§§§§,§
§§,§,,,,,§ hidden in  a  grove, there  were  stairs §,,,§,,,§§
,,§§§,,,,§ much  like the ones i  currently sat on, §§,,§§,,§,
,,§,,§,,,§ old  and worn  down,  that  lead  you up §,§,§,§,§§
§,§§,§§,,§ onto the esker. the point of entry.  had ,§§§§§§§§,
§§§,§§,§,§ i insted opted to walk  the path at  its ,§,,,,,,,§
,,,§§,§§§§ foot, i'm  sure my  experience  would've ,§§,,,,,,§
§,,§,§§,,,          been different indeed.          ,§,§,,,,,§
,§,§§§,§,,                                          §§§§§,,,,§
§§§§,,§§§, »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» §,,,,§,,,§
,,,,§,§,,§                                          §§,,,§§,,§
§,,,§§§§,§ on   the  lake,  there  were  people  in ,,§,,§,§,§
,§,,§,,,§§ boats. i  wondered, could they  even see §,§§,§§§§§
§§§,§§,,§, me?  if i  shouted,  would they  turn to §§§,§§,,,,
§,,§§,§,§§         stare right through me?          §,,§§,§,,,
§§,§,§§§§,                                          ,§,§,§§§,,
§,§§§§,,,§                                          ,§§§§§,,§,
§§§,,,§,,§                                          §§,,,,§,§§
,,,§,,§§,§                                          §,§,,,§§§,
,,,§§,§,§§                                          ,§§§,,§,,§