@@@@@@,@,@                                          ,,,,,@,@,@
,,,,,,@@@@                                          @,,,,@@@@@
@,,,,,@,,,                                          @@,,,@,,,,
@@,,,,@@,,                                          ,,@,,@@,,,
@,@,,,@,@,                                          @,@@,@,@,,
@@@@,,@@@@               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?          @@,@,,@@,,
,,,,@,,,@@                                          ,,@@@,@,@,
,,,,@@,,@,                                          @,@,,@@@@@
@,,,@,@,@@                                          ,@@@,@,,,,
@@,,@@@@@,                                          ,@,,@@@,,,
@,@,@,,,,@                                          ,@@,@,,@,,