###&@*:~,, ,,~:*@##
##@::,,,,, ,,,,,::@##
###&@*:~,, ,,~:*@##
#@@@@*:~,, ,,~:*@@@@#
#&@@::~~,, ,,~~::@@
&@@@@*:~,, 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? ,,~:*###
###&@*:~,, ,,~:*@##
###&@*:~,, ,,~:*@##
&&&**:~,,, ,,,~:**&&&
###&@*:~,, ,,~:*@##
###&@*:~,, ,,~:*@##