#@##**:«~. .~«:**##@#
@##**:«~.. ..~«:**##@
#@##**:«~. .~«:**##@#
@##**:«~.. ..~«:**##@
#@##**:«~. .~«:**##@#
@##**:«~.. 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? .~«:**##@#
@##**:«~.. ..~«:**##@
#@##**:«~. .~«:**##@#
@##**:«~.. ..~«:**##@
#@##**:«~. .~«:**##@#
@##**:«~.. ..~«:**##@