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