##@§%†=«^,                                          ,^«=†%§@##
@%==^,,,,,                                          ,,,,,^==%@
###@§%†«^,                                          ,^«†%§@###
@%=^,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,^=%@
#@@§%†=«^,                                          ,^«=†%§@@#
@§†«««,,,,               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?         ,^«=†%§@##
##@§%†=«^,                                          ,^«=†%§@##
@%%=«,,,,,                                          ,,,,,«=%%@
##@§%†=«^,                                          ,^«=†%§@##
##@§%†=«^,                                          ,^«=†%§@##
###§%†=«^,                                          ,^«=†%§###