,,,,«**&&@                                          @&&**«,,,,
,,,,~~«**&                                          &**«~~,,,,
,,,,,~«*%&                                          &%*«~,,,,,
,~«**%&@@#                                          #@@&%**«~,
,~«**%&@##                                          ##@&%**«~,
,~«*%&@###               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?         &&%*~,,,,,
,~«**%&@##                                          ##@&%**«~,
,~«**%&&@#                                          #@&&%**«~,
,~~«««**%@                                          @%**«««~~,
,~«**%&@##                                          ##@&%**«~,
,~«**%&@##                                          ##@&%**«~,