§§§§$%†»,.                                          .,»†%$§§§§
###§$%†»,.                                          .,»†%$§###
###§$%†»,.                                          .,»†%$§###
###§$%†»,.                                          .,»†%$§###
##§$††»...                                          ...»††$§##
###§$%†»,.                WINDS ESKER               .,»†%$§###
##$†»..... »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» .....»†$##
###§$%†»,.                                          .,»†%$§###
§§%»...... 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.          .,»††%%%$§
§%»»......                                          ......»»%§
###§$%†»,. »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» .,»†%$§###
§$$$%»,,..                                          ..,,»%$$$§
####§%†»,. ON  THE  LAKE,  THERE  WERE   PEOPLE  IN .,»†%§####
####§%†»,. BOATS. I WONDERED, COULD THEY  EVEN  SEE .,»†%§####
#§%»»,.... ME?  IF I SHOUTED,  WOULD  THEY  TURN TO ....,»»%§#
§$%†».....          STARE RIGHT THROUGH ME?         .....»†%$§
###§$%†»,.                                          .,»†%$§###
#§$$%%†»,.                                          .,»†%%$$§#
###§$%†»,.                                          .,»†%$§###
§%††».....                                          .....»††%§
###§$%†»,.                                          .,»†%$§###