$%==~..... .....~==%$
%==~...... ......~==%
==~....... .......~==
=~........ ........~=
~......... .........~
.......... 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 ......~==%
$%==~..... BOATS. I WONDERED, COULD THEY EVEN SEE .....~==%$
@$%==~.... ME? IF I SHOUTED, WOULD THEY TURN TO ....~==%$@
£@$%==~... STARE RIGHT THROUGH ME? ...~==%$@£
#£@$%==~.. ..~==%$@£#
##£@$%==~. .~==%$@£##
#£@$%==~.. ..~==%$@£#
£@$%==~... ...~==%$@£
@$%==~.... ....~==%$@