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