¨¨~~**§§@# #@§§**~~¨¨
¨¨¨~~**§§@ @§§**~~¨¨¨
¨¨~~**§§@# #@§§**~~¨¨
¨~~**§§@## ##@§§**~~¨
¨¨~~**§§@# #@§§**~~¨¨
¨¨¨~~**§§@ 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? #@§§**~~¨¨
¨¨¨~~**§§@ @§§**~~¨¨¨
¨¨~~**§§@# #@§§**~~¨¨
¨~~**§§@## ##@§§**~~¨
¨¨~~**§§@# #@§§**~~¨¨
¨¨¨~~**§§@ @§§**~~¨¨¨