¨¨¨¨^-\*$&                                          &$*\-^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨^-\*$&#                                          #&$*\-^¨¨¨
¨¨^-\*$&##                                          ##&$*\-^¨¨
¨^-\*$&###                                          ###&$*\-^¨
¨¨^-\*$&##                                          ##&$*\-^¨¨
¨¨¨^-\*$&#               WINDS ESKER                #&$*\-^¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^-\*$& ---------------------------------------- &$*\-^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^-\*$                                          $*\-^¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^-\* THERE  WAS THIS PLACE THAT FOR TWO YEARS *\-^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^-\*$ 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?         ##&$*\-^¨¨
¨¨¨^-\*$&#                                          #&$*\-^¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^-\*$&                                          &$*\-^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^-\*$                                          $*\-^¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^-\*                                          *\-^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^-\*$                                          $*\-^¨¨¨¨¨