,§§§,,§,,,                                          ,,,,,§,§§,
§,,§,§§,,§                                          ,,,,§§§,§,
§,§§§,§,§,                                          ,,,§,,§§§§
§§,,§§§§§§                                          ,,§§,§,,,,
,§,§,,,,,§                                          ,§,§§§,,,§
§§§§,,,,§§               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?         ,§§,,§,,,§
§,§,§,,§,§                                          §,§,§§,,§§
§§§§§,§§§§                                          §§§§,§,§,,
,,,,§§,,,,                                          ,,,§§§§§,§
,,,§,§,,,,                                          ,,§,,,,§§§
,,§§§§,,,§                                          ,§§,,,§,,§