,,,^»*†@@# #@@†*»^,,,
,,^»*†@@## ##@@†*»^,,
,^»*†@@### ###@@†*»^,
,,^»*†@@## ##@@†*»^,,
,,,^»*†@@# #@@†*»^,,,
,,,,^»*†@@ 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? #@@†*»^,,,
,,,,^»*†@@ @@†*»^,,,,
,,,,,^»*†@ @†*»^,,,,,
,,,,,,^»*† †*»^,,,,,,
,,,,,^»*†@ @†*»^,,,,,
,,,,^»*†@@ @@†*»^,,,,