¨^»*=%#@##                                          ##@#%=*»^¨
¨^^»»»=#@@                                          @@#=»»»^^¨
¨¨¨¨¨^*%%#                                          #%%*^¨¨¨¨¨
¨^»*=%#@##                                          ##@#%=*»^¨
¨^»*=%#@##                                          ##@#%=*»^¨
¨¨¨^^»»»=#               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?          ####%=*»^¨
¨¨¨^^^*=%#                                          #%=*^^^¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^^*%#                                          #%*^^¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨»»=#@@                                          @@#=»»¨¨¨¨
¨^»*%#@###                                          ###@#%*»^¨
¨¨¨^»===%#                                          #%===»^¨¨¨