####§§§»~, ,~»§§§####
§§†»»~,,,, ,,,,~»»†§§
###§§§†»~, ,~»†§§§###
##§§§††»~, ,~»††§§§##
§§†»»~~,,, ,,,~~»»†§§
###§§§†»~, 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? ,~»†§§§###
###§§§†»~, ,~»†§§§###
###§§§†»~, ,~»†§§§###
####§§†»~, ,~»†§§####
##§§§»,,,, ,,,,»§§§##
§§§§§§†»~, ,~»†§§§§§§