§,§§§,§,§§                                          ,§§,§§,,§,
§§,,§§§§,,                                          §,§§,§,§§§
,§,§,,,§,,                                          §§,§§§§,,,
§§§§,,§§,§                                          ,§§,,,§,,,
,,,§,§,§§§                                          §,§,,§§,,§
,,§§§§§,,,                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?          §,§§§§,§§,
§§,,§,§,§,                                          §§,,,§§,§,
,§,§§§§§§,                                          ,§,,§,§§§§
§§§,,,,,§§                                          §§,§§§,,,§
,,§,,,,§,,                                          ,§§,,§,,§,
,§§,,,§§,§                                          §,§,§§,§§,