##...#...# ...##..#..
#.#..##..# #..#.#.##.
####.#.#.# ##.#####.#
....###### #.##....##
#...#..... .##.#...#.
##..##.... 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? #..#.#....
##.#.##... ##.####...
#.####.#.. #.##...#..
###...###. ###.#..##.
#..#..#..# #..###.#.#
.#.##.##.# ##.#..####