,,~=§@#@##                                          ##@#@§=~,,
,,,,~=§@#@                                          @#@§=~,,,,
,,~=§@@###                                          ###@@§=~,,
,,~=§@@#@#                                          #@#@@§=~,,
,,~===@@#@                                          @#@@===~,,
,,,,,,,~§@                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?         #@#@@§=~,,
,,~=§@@#@#                                          #@#@@§=~,,
,,,,~=§@@@                                          @@@§=~,,,,
,,~=§@@@##                                          ##@@@§=~,,
,,,,====§@                                          @§====,,,,
,,,,~~§@@@                                          @@@§~~,,,,