###££*^~^.                                          .^~^*££###
###££*^~^.                                          .^~^*££###
£****^^...                                          ...^^****£
££*^^^^~^.                                          .^~^^^^*££
###££*^~^.                                          .^~^*££###
###££*^~^.                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?          .^~^*£####
###££*^~^.                                          .^~^*££###
££*^~^....                                          ....^~^*££
##£££*^~^.                                          .^~^*£££##
#£££^^^^..                                          ..^^^^£££#
###££*^~^.                                          .^~^*££###