,,,--=**@@                                          @@**=--,,,
,-=:*£@###                                          ###@£*:=-,
,-=:*£@###                                          ###@£*:=-,
,,,,,-:£##                                          ##£:-,,,,,
,,,,,-::*@                                          @*::-,,,,,
,-==:**££#                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?         ###@£*:=-,
,-=:*£@###                                          ###@£*:=-,
,-=:*£@###                                          ###@£*:=-,
,,,,,-:**@                                          @**:-,,,,,
,-====***@                                          @***====-,
,-=:*£@@##                                          ##@@£*:=-,