,--;†%####                                          ####%†;--,
,,,--†%%##                                          ##%%†--,,,
,--;†%@###                                          ###@%†;--,
,--;†††%@#                                          #@%†††;--,
,--;†%@###                                          ###@%†;--,
,--;†%@###                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?          ###@%†;--,
,--;†%@###                                          ###@%†;--,
,-;†%@####                                          ####@%†;-,
,,,,--;†%@                                          @%†;--,,,,
,--;†%@###                                          ###@%†;--,
,--;†%@###                                          ###@%†;--,