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££..£..£££ 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? .....££...
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