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