,,^«*%@££@                                          @££@%*«^,,
,,,^«*%@££                                          ££@%*«^,,,
,,,,^«*%@£                                          £@%*«^,,,,
,,,,,^«*%@                                          @%*«^,,,,,
,,,,,,^«*%                                          %*«^,,,,,,
,,,,,^«*%@                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?         %*«^,,,,,,
,,,,,^«*%@                                          @%*«^,,,,,
,,,,^«*%@£                                          £@%*«^,,,,
,,,^«*%@££                                          ££@%*«^,,,
,,^«*%@££@                                          @££@%*«^,,
,^«*%@££@#                                          #@££@%*«^,