,@,@@@,,@@                                          ,@@,,,@@,@
@@@,,@,@,@                                          @,@,,@,@@@
,,@,@@@@@@                                          @@@,@@@,,,
,@@@,,,,,@                                          ,,@@,,@,,,
@,,@,,,,@@                                          ,@,@,@@,,,
@,@@,,,@,,                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?          @@,,,@@@,,
@,,,,@@@@@                                          ,@,,@,,@,@
@,,,@,,,,@                                          @@,@@,@@@,
@,,@@,,,@@                                          ,@@,@@,,@@
@,@,@,,@,@                                          @,@@,@,@,,
@@@@@,@@@,                                          @@,@@@@@,@