¶$***^,,..                                          ..,,^***$¶
###¤$*^«,.                                          .,«^*$¤###
##¶¤$*^«,.                                          .,«^*$¤¶##
##¶¤$*^«,.                                          .,«^*$¤¶##
#¶¶¤$*^«,.                                          .,«^*$¤¶¶#
##¶¤$*^«,.                winds esker               .,«^*$¤¶##
###¶$*^«,. «««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««« .,«^*$¶###
¤¤****^«,.                                          .,«^****¤¤
##¶¤$*^«,. there was this place that for  two years .,«^*$¤¶##
#¶$*«,.... i  couldn't go  to. regardless  how much ....,«*$¶#
¤¤¤¤$*^«,. discussed with  others,  or pointed  out .,«^*$¤¤¤¤
###¶¤$^«,. on maps,  i  could not think  of it when .,«^$¤¶###
#¶¤¤$*^«,. alone.  i  would  often travel past  the .,«^*$¤¤¶#
¶¤$$$*^«,. fork, where a  right  turn  would surely .,«^*$$$¤¶
¤*^««,.... 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 ..,«^^*¤¶#
¶$$^«.....                  fork.                   .....«^$$¶
¤***«««...                                          ...«««***¤
##¶¤$*^«,. and then  the  stairs  up on  the ridge. .,«^*$¤¶##
#¶$*«,,... thinking back,  this  was  probably  it. ...,,«*$¶#
###¶¤$^«,. hidden  in a  grove,  there  were stairs .,«^$¤¶###
##¶¤$*^«,. much like the  ones i  currently sat on, .,«^*$¤¶##
##¶¤$*^«,. old  and  worn down,  that lead  you  up .,«^*$¤¶##
##¶¤$*^«,. onto  the esker. the point of entry. had .,«^*$¤¶##
#¶¤$^,,... i insted opted  to walk  the path at its ...,,^$¤¶#
##¶¤$*^«,. foot, i'm  sure  my experience  would've .,«^*$¤¶##
¶¶$^^,,...          been different indeed.          ...,,^^$¶¶
¤*^«......                                          ......«^*¤
¤$*^^^«,.. «««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««« ..,«^^^*$¤
#¤**^^««,.                                          .,««^^**¤#
¶$*«...... on  the  lake,   there  were  people  in ......«*$¶
##¶¤$*^«,. boats. i wondered, could  they  even see .,«^*$¤¶##
¶¤$$^^,... me?  if  i shouted,  would  they turn to ...,^^$$¤¶
##¶¤$*^«,.         stare right through me?          .,«^*$¤¶##
##¶¤$*^«,.                                          .,«^*$¤¶##
¤*««......                                          ......««*¤
#¤¤$^,,,..                                          ..,,,^$¤¤#
¶¶$$*^^«,.                                          .,«^^*$$¶¶
##¶¤$*^«,.                                          .,«^*$¤¶##