¨^=†$$¤###                                          ###¤$$†=^¨
¨^=†$¤@###                                          ###@¤$†=^¨
¨^=†$$¤@##                                          ##@¤$$†=^¨
¨¨¨¨^=$$$¤                                          ¤$$$=^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨^==†$¤@                                          @¤$†==^¨¨¨
¨^=†$$¤###                WINDS ESKER               ###¤$$†=^¨
¨¨¨^†$$$¤# ======================================== #¤$$$†^¨¨¨
¨^=†$$¤@##                                          ##@¤$$†=^¨
¨^^^†††$¤¤ THERE  WAS THIS PLACE THAT FOR TWO YEARS ¤¤$†††^^^¨
¨¨^==†$¤@@ I COULDN'T  GO  TO. REGARDLESS HOW  MUCH @@¤$†==^¨¨
¨^=†$$¤@@@ DISCUSSED  WITH  OTHERS, OR POINTED  OUT @@@¤$$†=^¨
¨^=†$$¤### ON MAPS, I COULD NOT  THINK  OF IT  WHEN ###¤$$†=^¨
¨¨¨¨^†$¤¤@ ALONE.  I WOULD OFTEN  TRAVEL  PAST  THE @¤¤$†^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨^††††$@ FORK, WHERE A RIGHT  TURN  WOULD  SURELY @$††††^¨¨¨
¨^=†$$¤@## TAKE ME THERE, BUT EVEN THEN,  SOMETHING ##@¤$$†=^¨
¨^=†$$¤@##               KEPT ME AWAY.              ##@¤$$†=^¨
¨^=†$$$$@@                                          @@$$$$†=^¨
¨^=†$$¤### 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?          #¤$$†=^¨¨¨
¨^=†$$¤@##                                          ##@¤$$†=^¨
¨^===$$¤¤#                                          #¤¤$$===^¨
¨^=†$$$$¤@                                          @¤$$$$†=^¨
¨^=†$$@###                                          ###@$$†=^¨
¨^=†$$¤@##                                          ##@¤$$†=^¨