#@£*%=~^¨¨                                          ¨¨^~=%*£@#
@£*%=~^¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨^~=%*£@
£*%=~^¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨^~=%*£
*%=~^¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨^~=%*
%=~^¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨^~=%
=~^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨               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?          ¨¨¨¨¨¨^~=%
*%=~^¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨^~=%*
£*%=~^¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨^~=%*£
@£*%=~^¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨^~=%*£@
#@£*%=~^¨¨                                          ¨¨^~=%*£@#
##@£*%=~^¨                                          ¨^~=%*£@##