,=\*§£@@##                                          ##@@£§*\=,
,,,,,,=\§@                                          @§\=,,,,,,
,~~~==*§££                                          ££§*==~~~,
,~=\*§£@@#                                          #@@£§*\=~,
,~=\*§££££                                          ££££§*\=~,
,~=\*§£@@#                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?          ££*==~,,,,
,~=\*§@@##                                          ##@@§*\=~,
,~=\*§£@@#                                          #@@£§*\=~,
,,,==**§@@                                          @@§**==,,,
,,,,~==*£@                                          @£*==~,,,,
,~=\*§£@##                                          ##@£§*\=~,