.....=§&@#                                          #@&§=.....
.~=^§*&@@@                                          @@@&*§^=~.
.~=^^§§§*@                                          @*§§§^^=~.
.~=^§*&@##                                          ##@&*§^=~.
.~=^^^*&&@                                          @&&*^^^=~.
.~=^§*&@##               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?         &*§==~~...
.~=^§*&@##                                          ##@&*§^=~.
.~=^§*&@@@                                          @@@&*§^=~.
......=§*&                                          &*§=......
...~~~^^*&                                          &*^^~~~...
....=§§§§&                                          &§§§§=....