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