@@@¨@¨¨@¨¨ ¨@@¨¨¨@@@@
¨¨¨@@@¨@@¨ @@¨@¨¨@¨¨¨
¨¨¨@¨¨@@¨@ @¨@@@¨@@¨¨
¨¨¨@@¨@¨@@ @@@¨¨@@¨@¨
¨¨¨@¨@@@@¨ ¨¨¨@¨@¨@@@
@¨¨@@@¨¨¨@ 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? @@@@@¨@@¨¨
¨@¨@¨@@¨¨¨ @¨¨¨¨@@¨@¨
¨@@@@@¨@¨¨ ¨@¨¨¨@¨@@@
@@¨¨¨¨@@@¨ ¨@@¨¨@@@¨¨
@¨@¨¨¨@¨¨@ ¨@¨@¨@¨¨@¨
@@@@¨¨@@¨@ ¨@@@@@@¨@@