..,==†£&¶@                                          @¶&£†==,..
...,==†£&¶                                          ¶&£†==,...
....,==†£&                                          &£†==,....
.....,==†£                                          £†==,.....
....,==†£&                                          &£†==,....
...,==†£&¶               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?          &£†==,....
...,==†£&¶                                          ¶&£†==,...
..,==†£&¶@                                          @¶&£†==,..
.,==†£&¶@#                                          #@¶&£†==,.
..,==†£&¶@                                          @¶&£†==,..
...,==†£&¶                                          ¶&£†==,...