.~«^%§####                                          ####§%^«~.
.~«^%§####                                          ####§%^«~.
.~«^%§####                                          ####§%^«~.
.~«^%§####                                          ####§%^«~.
.~«^%%%###                                          ###%%%^«~.
.~«^%§####                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?         ###§§%^«~.
.~«^%§####                                          ####§%^«~.
.~«^%§§###                                          ###§§%^«~.
.~«%§#####                                          #####§%«~.
.~«%§#####                                          #####§%«~.
.~«^%§####                                          ####§%^«~.