,,,,,»%*££                                          ££*%»,,,,,
,,,,~~;%£#                                          #£%;~~,,,,
,,,~~~~»%£                                          £%»~~~~,,,
,~»;%*####                                          ####*%;»~,
,~»;%*£###                                          ###£*%;»~,
,~»;%*£###                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?         #££*%;»,,,
,~»;%*£###                                          ###£*%;»~,
,~»;%*£###                                          ###£*%;»~,
,~»;%*£###                                          ###£*%;»~,
,~»;%*£###                                          ###£*%;»~,
,~»;%%%*##                                          ##*%%%;»~,