#@§=»,,,,, ,,,,,»=§@#
§=\»,,,,,, ,,,,,,»\=§
#@§=»»,,,, ,,,,»»=§@#
§§**\»,,,, ,,,,»\**§§
@@**=»»,,, ,,,»»=**@@
###@§*=»,, 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? ,,,,,,\=*@
###§*=\»,, ,,»\=*§###
§==»,,,,,, ,,,,,,»==§
§=»»,,,,,, ,,,,,,»»=§
###@*=\»,, ,,»\=*@###
§=\\,,,,,, ,,,,,,\\=§