......:†@§                                          §@†:......
.....~~^§§                                          §§^~~.....
.....~~^§#                                          #§^~~.....
.::~††^^@@                                          @@^^††~::.
.:~†^@§@@#                                          #@@§@^†~:.
.:~†^@§@##               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?          @@@§@^†~:.
.....~^^§@                                          @§^^~.....
.:~†^@@@§#                                          #§@@@^†~:.
.:~†^@§@@@                                          @@@§@^†~:.
.:~†^@§@##                                          ##@§@^†~:.
.:~†^@§@##                                          ##@§@^†~:.