.,~:*&@# #@#&&*:~,.
.,~:*&@# #@#&&*:~,.
.,~:*&@# #@#&&*:~,.
.,~:*&@# #@#&&*:~,.
.,~:*&@# #@#&&*:~,.
.....~~: 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? #@#&&*:~,.
...~::&& #&&&::~...
.,~:*&@# #@#&&*:~,.
.,,,,::* #&*::,,,,.
....,:** #&**:,....
.,~:*&@# #@#&&*:~,.