....£....£ ....££..££
.££...££.. £££.......
....£..... ££..££££££
.££...££££ £....££££.
....£..£££ ..££..££..
£££.....££ 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? ££....££££
.££..££..£ £..££..££.
.......... ..........
££££££££££ ££££££££££
££££££££££ ££££££££££
££££££££££ ££££££££££