¨¨¨¨.~^**&                                          &**^~.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨.~^**&£                                          £&**^~.¨¨¨
¨¨.~^**&£#                                          #£&**^~.¨¨
¨.~^**&£##                                          ##£&**^~.¨
¨¨.~^**&£#                                          #£&**^~.¨¨
¨¨¨.~^**&£                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?         &**^~.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨.~^**&£                                          £&**^~.¨¨¨
¨¨.~^**&£#                                          #£&**^~.¨¨
¨.~^**&£##                                          ##£&**^~.¨
¨¨.~^**&£#                                          #£&**^~.¨¨
¨¨¨.~^**&£                                          £&**^~.¨¨¨