¨,«*%¤§@##                                          ##@§¤%*«,¨
¨¨,«*%¤§@#                                          #@§¤%*«,¨¨
¨¨¨,«*%¤§@                                          @§¤%*«,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,«*%¤§                                          §¤%*«,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,«*%¤                                          ¤%*«,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,«*%¤§               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?          ¤%*«,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,«*%¤§                                          §¤%*«,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,«*%¤§@                                          @§¤%*«,¨¨¨
¨¨,«*%¤§@#                                          #@§¤%*«,¨¨
¨,«*%¤§@##                                          ##@§¤%*«,¨
¨¨,«*%¤§@#                                          #@§¤%*«,¨¨