#§$†»..... .....»†$§#
##§§$†-... ...-†$§§##
####§$†»-. .-»†$§####
###$††-... ...-††$###
#§$»-..... .....-»$§#
###$»..... WINDS ESKER .....»$###
##§$†».... »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» ....»†$§##
###$$††»-. .-»††$$###
#§†»...... 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 ......-†§#
####§$†»-. BOATS. I WONDERED, COULD THEY EVEN SEE .-»†$§####
##§§§$†»-. ME? IF I SHOUTED, WOULD THEY TURN TO .-»†$§§§##
#§$†»..... STARE RIGHT THROUGH ME? .....»†$§#
##§$»».... ....»»$§##
####§$†»-. .-»†$§####
##§§†»»... ...»»†§§##
####§$†»-. .-»†$§####
##§†»».... ....»»†§##