,,:«*%*§£#                                          #£§*%*«:,,
,,,:«*%*§£                                          £§*%*«:,,,
,,:«*%*§£#                                          #£§*%*«:,,
,:«*%*§£##                                          ##£§*%*«:,
,,:«*%*§£#                                          #£§*%*«:,,
,,,:«*%*§£               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?          #£§*%*«:,,
,,,:«*%*§£                                          £§*%*«:,,,
,,:«*%*§£#                                          #£§*%*«:,,
,:«*%*§£##                                          ##£§*%*«:,
,,:«*%*§£#                                          #£§*%*«:,,
,,,:«*%*§£                                          £§*%*«:,,,