¨^«:*$§###                                          ###§$*:«^¨
¨¨¨^«:*§##                                          ##§*:«^¨¨¨
¨^«:*$§###                                          ###§$*:«^¨
¨¨¨¨^«:$##                                          ##$:«^¨¨¨¨
¨^«:*$§###                                          ###§$*:«^¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨«*§#                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?         ####§*:«^¨
¨^«:*$§###                                          ###§$*:«^¨
¨¨¨^^:**§§                                          §§**:^^¨¨¨
¨¨¨^^^:*§#                                          #§*:^^^¨¨¨
¨^«:*$§§##                                          ##§§$*:«^¨
¨^«:*$§###                                          ###§$*:«^¨