...,««%%#@                                          @#%%««,...
.,«*%#@###                                          ###@#%*«,.
.,«*%¤#@##                                          ##@#¤%*«,.
.,«*%¤#@##                                          ##@#¤%*«,.
.,«*%¤#@##                                          ##@#¤%*«,.
.,«*%¤#@##                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?          ##¤%«,....
.,«*%¤#@##                                          ##@#¤%*«,.
.,«*%¤#@##                                          ##@#¤%*«,.
.,«*%¤#@##                                          ##@#¤%*«,.
.,«*%¤#@##                                          ##@#¤%*«,.
.,«*%¤#@##                                          ##@#¤%*«,.