¨-=:^$#@## ##@#$^:=-¨
¨¨-=:^$#@# #@#$^:=-¨¨
¨¨¨-=:^$#@ @#$^:=-¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-=:^$# #$^:=-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨-=:^$ $^:=-¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-=:^ WINDS ESKER ^:=-¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-=: ======================================== :=-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-= =-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨- THERE WAS THIS PLACE THAT FOR TWO YEARS -¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ I COULDN'T GO TO. REGARDLESS HOW MUCH ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨- DISCUSSED WITH OTHERS, OR POINTED OUT -¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-= ON MAPS, I COULD NOT THINK OF IT WHEN =-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-=: ALONE. I WOULD OFTEN TRAVEL PAST THE :=-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-=:^ FORK, WHERE A RIGHT TURN WOULD SURELY ^:=-¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨-=:^$ 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 $^:=-¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-=:^ BEEN DIFFERENT INDEED. ^:=-¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-=: :=-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-= ======================================== =-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨- -¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ON THE LAKE, THERE WERE PEOPLE IN ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨- BOATS. I WONDERED, COULD THEY EVEN SEE -¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-= ME? IF I SHOUTED, WOULD THEY TURN TO =-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-=: STARE RIGHT THROUGH ME? :=-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-=:^ ^:=-¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨-=:^$ $^:=-¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-=:^$# #$^:=-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨-=:^$#@ @#$^:=-¨¨¨
¨¨-=:^$#@# #@#$^:=-¨¨