¨,~*&&@###                                          ###@&&*~,¨
¨¨,~~%%&&@                                          @&&%%~~,¨¨
¨,~*%&&@##                                          ##@&&%*~,¨
¨,~*%&&@##                                          ##@&&%*~,¨
¨,~*%&&###                                          ###&&%*~,¨
¨,~**%%%&&               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?         ##@&&%*~,¨
¨,~*%&&@##                                          ##@&&%*~,¨
¨¨¨,,~**&@                                          @&**~,,¨¨¨
¨,~***&&&&                                          &&&&***~,¨
¨,~*%&&@##                                          ##@&&%*~,¨
¨¨¨,,**%&&                                          &&%**,,¨¨¨