¨@@¨¨@@¨¨@ @¨¨@@@@¨@¨
@¨@¨@¨@¨@¨ @¨@¨@@@¨@¨
@¨@¨@¨@¨@¨ @¨@¨¨@@¨@¨
@¨@¨@¨@¨@¨ @¨@¨@¨@¨@¨
@¨@¨@¨@¨@¨ @¨@¨@¨@¨@¨
@¨@¨@¨@¨@¨ 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? @¨@¨@¨@¨@¨
@¨@¨@¨@¨@¨ @¨@¨@¨@¨@¨
@¨@¨@¨@¨@¨ @¨@¨@¨@¨@¨
@¨@¨@¨@¨@¨ @¨@¨@¨@¨@¨
@¨@¨@¨@¨@¨ @¨@¨@¨@¨@¨
@¨@¨@¨@¨@¨ @¨@¨@¨@¨@¨