¨#¨¨#¨¨##¨ #¨#¨¨#¨#¨#
¨#¨##¨#¨#¨ #¨#¨##¨#¨#
¨#¨¨#¨#¨#¨ #¨#¨¨#¨#¨#
¨#¨##¨#¨#¨ #¨#¨##¨#¨#
¨#¨¨#¨#¨#¨ #¨#¨¨#¨#¨#
¨#¨##¨#¨#¨ 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? #¨#¨¨#¨#¨#
¨#¨##¨#¨#¨ #¨#¨##¨#¨#
¨#¨¨#¨#¨#¨ #¨#¨¨#¨#¨#
¨#¨##¨#¨#¨ #¨#¨##¨#¨#
¨#¨¨#¨#¨#¨ #¨#¨¨#¨#¨#
¨#¨##¨#¨#¨ #¨#¨##¨#¨#