¨£££¨£¨¨¨£                                          ¨£¨¨£¨¨¨££
¨£¨£¨¨£¨¨¨                                          ¨¨£¨¨£¨¨££
¨¨¨¨£¨¨£¨¨                                          £¨¨£¨¨£¨££
£¨¨¨¨£¨¨£¨                                          ££¨¨£¨¨¨££
££¨¨¨¨£¨¨£                                          £££¨¨£¨¨£¨
£££¨¨¨¨£¨¨               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?         £££¨¨£¨££¨
¨¨£¨££¨¨£¨                                          £¨££¨¨¨£££
£¨¨¨£££¨¨¨                                          ¨¨£££¨¨£¨£
££¨¨£¨££¨¨                                          ¨¨£¨££¨¨¨£
¨££¨¨¨£££¨                                          ¨¨¨¨£££¨¨£
¨£££¨¨£¨££                                          ¨¨¨¨£¨££¨¨