@,,@@@,,@,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
@,@,,@,@@,                                          ,,,,,,,,,@
@@@,@@@,@,                                          ,,,,,,,,@,
,,@@,,@@@@                                          ,,,,,,,@@@
,@,@,@,,,@                                          ,,,,,,@,,@
@@@@@@,,@,                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?         ,@@@,@,,,,
,@,,,@@,,@                                          @,,@@@,,,,
@@,,@,@,@@                                          @,@,,@,,,,
,@,@@@@@,,                                          @@@,@@,,,@
@@@,,,,@,,                                          ,,@@,@,,@@
,,@,,,@@,@                                          ,@,@@@,@,,