¶§§=~..... .....~=§§¶
###¶@§§=~. .~=§§@¶###
##¶@§§=~~. .~~=§§@¶##
¶§§==~.... ....~==§§¶
###¶@§=~~. .~~=§@¶###
##¶@§§=~~. 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? .~~=§§@@@#
¶¶§§=~.... ....~=§§¶¶
###¶§§=~~. .~~=§§¶###
#@§=~~~... ...~~~=§@#
@@§==~~~~. .~~~~==§@@
##¶@§§=~~. .~~=§§@¶##