..,«/**#@# #@#**/«,..
.,«/**#@## ##@#**/«,.
..,«/**#@# #@#**/«,..
...,«/**#@ @#**/«,...
....,«/**# #**/«,....
.....,«/** 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? #**/«,....
.....,«/** **/«,.....
....,«/**# #**/«,....
...,«/**#@ @#**/«,...
..,«/**#@# #@#**/«,..
.,«/**#@## ##@#**/«,.