###&*=\«.,                                          ,.«\=*&###
&***\\.,,,                                          ,,,.\\***&
&*===\«,,,                                          ,,,«\===*&
##*\.,,,,,                                          ,,,,,.\*##
#&*\.,,,,,                                          ,,,,,.\*&#
#&==\.,,,,                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?         ,.«\=*&###
#&&*=\.,,,                                          ,,,.\=*&&#
####&*=\«.                                          .«\=*&####
###&*=\«.,                                          ,.«\=*&###
#&=«..,,,,                                          ,,,,..«=&#
###&*=\«.,                                          ,.«\=*&###