,,-^*$¶@##                                          ##@¶$*^-,,
,,-^*$§¶@#                                          #@¶§$*^-,,
,,-^*$§¶@#                                          #@¶§$*^-,,
,,-^*$§§§§                                          §§§§$*^-,,
,,-^*$§¶@#                                          #@¶§$*^-,,
,,,,-^^$¶¶               WINDS ESKER                ¶¶$^^-,,,,
,,-^*$§¶@@ ---------------------------------------- @@¶§$*^-,,
,,-^*$§¶¶¶                                          ¶¶¶§$*^-,,
,,-^*$§¶@# THERE WAS THIS PLACE THAT  FOR TWO YEARS #@¶§$*^-,,
,,-^*$§¶¶¶ I COULDN'T  GO TO. REGARDLESS  HOW  MUCH ¶¶¶§$*^-,,
,,-^*$§¶@@ DISCUSSED WITH  OTHERS,  OR  POINTED OUT @@¶§$*^-,,
,,,-^***$¶ ON  MAPS, I COULD NOT THINK  OF IT  WHEN ¶$***^-,,,
,,-^*$§¶@@ ALONE.  I WOULD OFTEN  TRAVEL  PAST  THE @@¶§$*^-,,
,,,,,,^*§¶ 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?         §*-,,,,,,,
,,,,-**$§§                                          §§$**-,,,,
,,-^$§¶@##                                          ##@¶§$^-,,
,,,,-*$§¶@                                          @¶§$*-,,,,
,,,,,^*$§@                                          @§$*^,,,,,
,,,,--*$§§                                          §§$*--,,,,