##@$†;«:..                                          ..:«;†$@##
###@$†;«:.                                          .:«;†$@###
##@$†;«:..                                          ..:«;†$@##
#@$†;«:...                                          ...:«;†$@#
##@$†;«:..                                          ..:«;†$@##
###@$†;«:.                WINDS ESKER               .:«;†$@###
##@$†;«:.. «««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««« ..:«;†$@##
#@$†;«:...                                          ...:«;†$@#
##@$†;«:.. THERE  WAS THIS PLACE THAT FOR TWO YEARS ..:«;†$@##
###@$†;«:. I COULDN'T  GO TO.  REGARDLESS HOW  MUCH .:«;†$@###
##@$†;«:.. DISCUSSED WITH  OTHERS,  OR  POINTED OUT ..:«;†$@##
#@$†;«:... ON MAPS, I  COULD NOT THINK OF  IT  WHEN ...:«;†$@#
##@$†;«:.. ALONE.  I  WOULD  OFTEN  TRAVEL PAST THE ..:«;†$@##
###@$†;«:. FORK, WHERE  A  RIGHT TURN WOULD  SURELY .:«;†$@###
##@$†;«:.. TAKE ME THERE, BUT  EVEN THEN, SOMETHING ..:«;†$@##
#@$†;«:...               KEPT ME AWAY.              ...:«;†$@#
##@$†;«:..                                          ..:«;†$@##
###@$†;«:. WHEN  I FINALLY  GOT  THERE,  AFTER SOME .:«;†$@###
##@$†;«:..     HEAVY SUBCONSCIOUS BATTLE I MUST     ..:«;†$@##
#@$†;«:... ASSUME,  THE   PLACE  WAS  SURREAL.   AN ...:«;†$@#
##@$†;«:.. ESKER,  LIKE A  NEEDLE-THIN RIFT OUT  IN ..:«;†$@##
###@$†;«:. THE  LAKE,   BUT  TEN  METERS  HIGH  AND .:«;†$@###
##@$†;«:.. ADORNED  IN BIRCH, WILLOW,  BRACKEN, AND ..:«;†$@##
#@$†;«:...               BLUEBERRIES.               ...:«;†$@#
##@$†;«:..                                          ..:«;†$@##
###@$†;«:. WALKING  ATOP  THAT  SPINE,  I  CAME  TO .:«;†$@###
##@$†;«:.. NOTICE THE  VIEW TO EITHER  SIDE.  THERE ..:«;†$@##
#@$†;«:... SHOULD  BE  SHORES,  OF  COURSE,  BUT  I ...:«;†$@#
##@$†;«:.. DIDN'T  RECOGNIZE  THEM. FIRST OFF, THEY ..:«;†$@##
###@$†;«:. WERE MUCH TOO CLOSE, AS  THE LAKE SHOULD .:«;†$@###
##@$†;«:.. STRETCH  FOR  A  HUNDRED METERS  MORE ON ..:«;†$@##
#@$†;«:... BOTH  SIDES. BUT  NOW  I  FELT  I  COULD ...:«;†$@#
##@$†;«:.. ALMOST REACH OUT  AND  TOUCH  THEM.  AND ..:«;†$@##
###@$†;«:. THEN, WHEN I REALIZED WHICH SHORES  THEY .:«;†$@###
##@$†;«:..           WERE, I HAD TO STOP.           ..:«;†$@##
#@$†;«:...                                          ...:«;†$@#
##@$†;«:.. THEY WERE  OF THE  RIGHT LAKE. BUT  THIS ..:«;†$@##
###@$†;«:.      LAKE IS LARGE, FRACTURED, AND       .:«;†$@###
##@$†;«:.. BIPARTITE.  LIKE A  PAIR OF LUNGS CARVED ..:«;†$@##
#@$†;«:... INTO THE GRANITE, AND  WITH NO LESS THAN ...:«;†$@#
##@$†;«:..   FIVE COMMUNITIES ANCHORED AT VARIOUS   ..:«;†$@##
###@$†;«:.      POINTS. AND SO, STUDYING THESE      .:«;†$@###
##@$†;«:..     IMPOSSIBLY CLOSE SHORES, I SLOWLY    ..:«;†$@##
#@$†;«:... UNDERSTOOD THEM AS  BELONGING MANY MILES ...:«;†$@#
##@$†;«:..                  AWAY.                   ..:«;†$@##
###@$†;«:.                                          .:«;†$@###
##@$†;«:.. I  EXAMINED  THE  RIDGE,   THE  TREELINE ..:«;†$@##
#@$†;«:... ABOVE. WAS THIS  WHAT YOU  SAW OPPOSITE, ...:«;†$@#
##@$†;«:.. FROM  THOSE  OTHER  SHORES?  I  COULDN'T ..:«;†$@##
###@$†;«:.                 REMEMBER.                .:«;†$@###
##@$†;«:..                                          ..:«;†$@##
#@$†;«:... CARRYING FORWARD,  ON THE  VERY  TIP  OF ...:«;†$@#
##@$†;«:.. THE ESKER,  I FOUND THE  RUINS  OF  SOME ..:«;†$@##
###@$†;«:.    OLD BUILDING. THERE WERE OVERGROWN    .:«;†$@###
##@$†;«:..  MARBLE STAIRCASES, STONE FLOORS BENEATH ..:«;†$@##
#@$†;«:... THE  MOSS,  AND  STRANGE  SLABS INSERTED ...:«;†$@#
##@$†;«:.. INTO  THE SLOPE LIKE  DAMS  AGAINST  THE ..:«;†$@##
###@$†;«:.              GROUND ITSELF.              .:«;†$@###
##@$†;«:..                                          ..:«;†$@##
#@$†;«:... SITTING THERE,  I  COULD SEE ACROSS  THE ...:«;†$@#
##@$†;«:.. NARROWED LAKE MY ENTIRE PATH TO  WHERE I ..:«;†$@##
###@$†;«:. SAT: FROM  THE  STAIRWELL  OF  MY HOUSE, .:«;†$@###
##@$†;«:.. THROUGH  THE OLD  WOODS BEHIND THE  TILE ..:«;†$@##
#@$†;«:...      FACTORY, THE BRIDGE OVER ROUTE      ...:«;†$@#
##@$†;«:.. TWENTY THREE  AND THEN  BACK  UNDER  IT, ..:«;†$@##
###@$†;«:. THROUGH  THE  FANCY  VILLAS,   OVER  THE .:«;†$@###
##@$†;«:.. FIELDS, AND THEN THAT RIGHT TURN  AT THE ..:«;†$@##
#@$†;«:...                   FORK.                  ...:«;†$@#
##@$†;«:..                                          ..:«;†$@##
###@$†;«:. AND THEN  THE STAIRS UP  ON  THE  RIDGE. .:«;†$@###
##@$†;«:.. THINKING  BACK,  THIS  WAS PROBABLY  IT. ..:«;†$@##
#@$†;«:... HIDDEN  IN  A  GROVE, THERE WERE  STAIRS ...:«;†$@#
##@$†;«:.. MUCH  LIKE  THE ONES I CURRENTLY SAT ON, ..:«;†$@##
###@$†;«:. OLD  AND  WORN  DOWN, THAT LEAD  YOU  UP .:«;†$@###
##@$†;«:.. ONTO THE ESKER. THE POINT OF  ENTRY. HAD ..:«;†$@##
#@$†;«:... I  INSTED OPTED TO WALK THE PATH AT  ITS ...:«;†$@#
##@$†;«:.. FOOT,  I'M  SURE MY  EXPERIENCE WOULD'VE ..:«;†$@##
###@$†;«:.          BEEN DIFFERENT INDEED.          .:«;†$@###
##@$†;«:..                                          ..:«;†$@##
#@$†;«:... «««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««« ...:«;†$@#
##@$†;«:..                                          ..:«;†$@##
###@$†;«:. ON  THE  LAKE,  THERE  WERE   PEOPLE  IN .:«;†$@###
##@$†;«:.. BOATS. I  WONDERED, COULD  THEY EVEN SEE ..:«;†$@##
#@$†;«:... ME? IF  I  SHOUTED, WOULD  THEY TURN  TO ...:«;†$@#
##@$†;«:..         STARE RIGHT THROUGH ME?          ..:«;†$@##
###@$†;«:.                                          .:«;†$@###
##@$†;«:..                                          ..:«;†$@##
#@$†;«:...                                          ...:«;†$@#
##@$†;«:..                                          ..:«;†$@##
###@$†;«:.                                          .:«;†$@###