,,,~-†%%¶@                                          @¶%%†-~,,,
,,,,~-†%%¶                                          ¶%%†-~,,,,
,,,,,~-†%%                                          %%†-~,,,,,
,,,,~-†%%¶                                          ¶%%†-~,,,,
,,,~-†%%¶@                                          @¶%%†-~,,,
,,~-†%%¶@#                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?         @¶%%†-~,,,
,,~-†%%¶@#                                          #@¶%%†-~,,
,~-†%%¶@##                                          ##@¶%%†-~,
,,~-†%%¶@#                                          #@¶%%†-~,,
,,,~-†%%¶@                                          @¶%%†-~,,,
,,,,~-†%%¶                                          ¶%%†-~,,,,