#@##*§^».. ..»^§*##@#
##*^»..... .....»^*##
@##§§§^».. ..»^§§§##@
#§^....... .......^§#
##@##§^».. ..»^§##@##
#@##*§^».. 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? ..»^§*####
@##§»..... .....»§##@
#@##*§^».. ..»^§*##@#
@#**^^»... ...»^^**#@
###§§^.... ....^§§###
####*§^».. ..»^§*####