¨¨§¨¨¨§§¨¨                                          §¨¨¨§§¨§§¨
¨¨¨§¨¨§§§¨                                          ¨§¨¨§§¨§§§
§¨¨¨§¨§¨§§                                          ¨¨§¨§§¨§¨§
§§¨¨¨¨¨¨§§                                          ¨¨¨¨§§¨¨¨§
¨§§¨¨¨¨¨§¨                                          ¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨§
¨§§§¨¨¨¨¨¨               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?          §¨¨§¨¨¨§§§
§¨¨¨§¨¨§¨¨                                          §§¨¨§¨¨§¨§
§§¨¨¨§¨¨§¨                                          ¨§§¨¨§¨¨¨§
¨§§¨¨¨§¨¨§                                          ¨§§§¨¨§¨¨§
¨§§§¨¨¨§¨¨                                          ¨§¨§§¨¨§¨¨
¨§¨§§¨¨¨§¨                                          ¨¨¨§§§¨¨§¨