##@§$$=«,¨                                          ¨,«=$$§@##
#@§$$=«,¨¨                                          ¨¨,«=$$§@#
@§$$=«,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,«=$$§@
#@§$$=«,¨¨                                          ¨¨,«=$$§@#
##@§$$=«,¨                                          ¨,«=$$§@##
#@§$$=«,¨¨                winds esker               ¨¨,«=$$§@#
@§$$=«,¨¨¨ «««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««« ¨¨¨,«=$$§@
#@§$$=«,¨¨                                          ¨¨,«=$$§@#
##@§$$=«,¨ there was this place that for two  years ¨,«=$$§@##
#@§$$=«,¨¨ i  couldn't go to. regardless  how  much ¨¨,«=$$§@#
@§$$=«,¨¨¨ discussed  with others,  or pointed  out ¨¨¨,«=$$§@
#@§$$=«,¨¨ on  maps, i  could not think  of it when ¨¨,«=$$§@#
##@§$$=«,¨ alone. i would  often  travel  past  the ¨,«=$$§@##
#@§$$=«,¨¨ fork,  where a  right  turn would surely ¨¨,«=$$§@#
@§$$=«,¨¨¨ take me there, but even  then, something ¨¨¨,«=$$§@
#@§$$=«,¨¨               kept me away.              ¨¨,«=$$§@#
##@§$$=«,¨                                          ¨,«=$$§@##
#@§$$=«,¨¨ when i  finally  got  there, after  some ¨¨,«=$$§@#
@§$$=«,¨¨¨     heavy subconscious battle i must     ¨¨¨,«=$$§@
#@§$$=«,¨¨ assume,  the   place   was  surreal.  an ¨¨,«=$$§@#
##@§$$=«,¨ esker,  like  a needle-thin rift out  in ¨,«=$$§@##
#@§$$=«,¨¨ the  lake,   but  ten  meters  high  and ¨¨,«=$$§@#
@§$$=«,¨¨¨ adorned in  birch, willow, bracken,  and ¨¨¨,«=$$§@
#@§$$=«,¨¨               blueberries.               ¨¨,«=$$§@#
##@§$$=«,¨                                          ¨,«=$$§@##
#@§$$=«,¨¨ walking  atop  that  spine,  i  came  to ¨¨,«=$$§@#
@§$$=«,¨¨¨ notice  the  view to  either side. there ¨¨¨,«=$$§@
#@§$$=«,¨¨ should  be  shores,  of  course,  but  i ¨¨,«=$$§@#
##@§$$=«,¨ didn't recognize  them. first off,  they ¨,«=$$§@##
#@§$$=«,¨¨ were much  too close, as the lake should ¨¨,«=$$§@#
@§$$=«,¨¨¨ stretch  for a  hundred  meters more  on ¨¨¨,«=$$§@
#@§$$=«,¨¨ both sides.  but  now  i  felt  i  could ¨¨,«=$$§@#
##@§$$=«,¨ almost reach out  and  touch  them.  and ¨,«=$$§@##
#@§$$=«,¨¨ then, when i realized  which shores they ¨¨,«=$$§@#
@§$$=«,¨¨¨           were, i had to stop.           ¨¨¨,«=$$§@
#@§$$=«,¨¨                                          ¨¨,«=$$§@#
##@§$$=«,¨ they  were  of the right lake.  but this ¨,«=$$§@##
#@§$$=«,¨¨      lake is large, fractured, and       ¨¨,«=$$§@#
@§$$=«,¨¨¨ bipartite.  like a pair  of lungs carved ¨¨¨,«=$$§@
#@§$$=«,¨¨ into the granite, and with  no less than ¨¨,«=$$§@#
##@§$$=«,¨   five communities anchored at various   ¨,«=$$§@##
#@§$$=«,¨¨      points. and so, studying these      ¨¨,«=$$§@#
@§$$=«,¨¨¨     impossibly close shores, i slowly    ¨¨¨,«=$$§@
#@§$$=«,¨¨ understood them  as belonging many miles ¨¨,«=$$§@#
##@§$$=«,¨                   away.                  ¨,«=$$§@##
#@§$$=«,¨¨                                          ¨¨,«=$$§@#
@§$$=«,¨¨¨ i  examined  the  ridge,   the  treeline ¨¨¨,«=$$§@
#@§$$=«,¨¨ above. was this  what  you saw opposite, ¨¨,«=$$§@#
##@§$$=«,¨ from  those  other  shores?  i  couldn't ¨,«=$$§@##
#@§$$=«,¨¨                 remember.                ¨¨,«=$$§@#
@§$$=«,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,«=$$§@
#@§$$=«,¨¨ carrying  forward,  on  the very  tip of ¨¨,«=$$§@#
##@§$$=«,¨ the esker,  i found  the ruins  of  some ¨,«=$$§@##
#@§$$=«,¨¨    old building. there were overgrown    ¨¨,«=$$§@#
@§$$=«,¨¨¨ marble staircases, stone floors beneath  ¨¨¨,«=$$§@
#@§$$=«,¨¨ the  moss,  and  strange  slabs inserted ¨¨,«=$$§@#
##@§$$=«,¨ into  the  slope like dams  against  the ¨,«=$$§@##
#@§$$=«,¨¨              ground itself.              ¨¨,«=$$§@#
@§$$=«,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,«=$$§@
#@§$$=«,¨¨ sitting  there, i  could see across  the ¨¨,«=$$§@#
##@§$$=«,¨ narrowed lake my entire path to where  i ¨,«=$$§@##
#@§$$=«,¨¨ sat:  from the  stairwell  of my  house, ¨¨,«=$$§@#
@§$$=«,¨¨¨ through the  old woods behind  the  tile ¨¨¨,«=$$§@
#@§$$=«,¨¨      factory, the bridge over route      ¨¨,«=$$§@#
##@§$$=«,¨ twenty three and  then  back  under  it, ¨,«=$$§@##
#@§$$=«,¨¨ through  the  fancy  villas,   over  the ¨¨,«=$$§@#
@§$$=«,¨¨¨ fields, and then that  right turn at the ¨¨¨,«=$$§@
#@§$$=«,¨¨                   fork.                  ¨¨,«=$$§@#
##@§$$=«,¨                                          ¨,«=$$§@##
#@§$$=«,¨¨ and then the stairs  up  on  the  ridge. ¨¨,«=$$§@#
@§$$=«,¨¨¨ thinking  back, this  was  probably  it. ¨¨¨,«=$$§@
#@§$$=«,¨¨ hidden in  a  grove, there  were  stairs ¨¨,«=$$§@#
##@§$$=«,¨ much like the ones  i currently sat  on, ¨,«=$$§@##
#@§$$=«,¨¨ old and  worn down,  that  lead  you  up ¨¨,«=$$§@#
@§$$=«,¨¨¨ onto the  esker. the point of entry. had ¨¨¨,«=$$§@
#@§$$=«,¨¨ i insted  opted to walk the path at  its ¨¨,«=$$§@#
##@§$$=«,¨ foot, i'm  sure  my experience  would've ¨,«=$$§@##
#@§$$=«,¨¨          been different indeed.          ¨¨,«=$$§@#
@§$$=«,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,«=$$§@
#@§$$=«,¨¨ «««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««« ¨¨,«=$$§@#
##@§$$=«,¨                                          ¨,«=$$§@##
#@§$$=«,¨¨ on  the  lake,  there  were   people  in ¨¨,«=$$§@#
@§$$=«,¨¨¨ boats.  i wondered,  could they even see ¨¨¨,«=$$§@
#@§$$=«,¨¨ me? if  i shouted, would  they  turn  to ¨¨,«=$$§@#
##@§$$=«,¨          stare right through me?         ¨,«=$$§@##
#@§$$=«,¨¨                                          ¨¨,«=$$§@#
@§$$=«,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,«=$$§@
#@§$$=«,¨¨                                          ¨¨,«=$$§@#
##@§$$=«,¨                                          ¨,«=$$§@##
#@§$$=«,¨¨                                          ¨¨,«=$$§@#