####@^/»-, ,-»/^@####
####@^/»-, ,-»/^@####
####@^/»-, ,-»/^@####
####@^/»-, ,-»/^@####
####@^/»-, ,-»/^@####
####@^/»-, 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? ,-»/^@####
##^////»-, ,-»////^##
####@^/»-, ,-»/^@####
####@^/»-, ,-»/^@####
####@^/»-, ,-»/^@####
####@^/»-, ,-»/^@####