,^«/%@#@@#                                          #@@#@%/«^,
,^««//@@@@                                          @@@@//««^,
,,,««//%%#                                          #%%//««,,,
,^«/%@#@@#                                          #@@#@%/«^,
,,,,«/@@@@                                          @@@@/«,,,,
,^«/%@#@@#                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?         @@@#@%/«^,
,^«/%@#@@@                                          @@@#@%/«^,
,^«/%@#@@@                                          @@@#@%/«^,
,^«/%@#@##                                          ##@#@%/«^,
,,,,^«/%@@                                          @@%/«^,,,,
,^«/%@#@@@                                          @@@#@%/«^,