###§%$=«.,                                          ,.«=$%§###
###§%$=«.,                                          ,.«=$%§###
#§§§%$=«.,                                          ,.«=$%§§§#
#§%$«,,,,,                                          ,,,,,«$%§#
###§%$=«.,                                          ,.«=$%§###
###§%$=«.,                winds esker               ,.«=$%§###
###§%$=«., «««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««« ,.«=$%§###
§%=««.,,,,                                          ,,,,.««=%§
##%==«.,,, 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?          ,,,,«=%%##
###§%$=«.,                                          ,.«=$%§###
§§%==.,,,,                                          ,,,,.==%§§
###§%$=«.,                                          ,.«=$%§###
###§%$=«.,                                          ,.«=$%§###
###§%$=«.,                                          ,.«=$%§###