,@,,@@@,,,                                          @,,,@@,,,,
,,,,,@,,@@                                          ,,@,,,,@@@
,@@@,,,,,@                                          @,,,@@,,@,
,,@,,@@@,,                                          ,,@,,,,,,,
@,,,,,@,,,                                          ,,,,@@@@@@
,,@@@,,,@@                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?         @@@@,,,,,,
@@,,@@@@@@                                          @@@,,@@@@@
@,,,,@@@@,                                          @@,,,,@@@@
,,@@,,@@,,                                          @,,@@,,@@@
,,,,,,,,,@                                          ,,,,,,,,@,
@@@@@@@@,,                                          ,@@@@@@,,,