.,-\$@## ##@#&$\-,.
.,-\$$@# #@#&$$\-,.
.,-\$$@@ @@#&$$\-,.
.,-\$$## ###&$$\-,.
.,-\$$@# #@#&$$\-,.
.,-\$$@# 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 &$\,,,,...
.,,---$$#@ stare right through me? @#$$---,,.
.,-\$$@# #@#&$$\-,.
.,-\$$#@ @##&$$\-,.
....,-$$&@ @&$$-,....
.....-$&&& &&&$-.....
.....-\$&@ @&$\-.....