*/«^......                                          ......^«/*
/«^.......                                          .......^«/
*/«^......                                          ......^«/*
£*/«^.....                                          .....^«/*£
££*/«^....                                          ....^«/*££
£££*/«^...               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?          ......^«/*
/«^.......                                          .......^«/
*/«^......                                          ......^«/*
£*/«^.....                                          .....^«/*£
££*/«^....                                          ....^«/*££
£££*/«^...                                          ...^«/*£££