¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨§                                          ¨¨¨§¨¨§¨§§
§¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          §¨¨¨§¨¨¨§§
§§¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨§¨¨¨§¨¨§¨
§§§¨¨§¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨§¨¨¨§¨¨¨
§¨§§¨¨§¨¨¨                                          §¨¨§¨¨¨§¨¨
¨¨§§§¨¨§¨¨                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?         ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨
¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨§                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§
§¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨§¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨                                          §¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨§¨¨§¨¨¨¨                                          ¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨§¨¨§¨¨¨                                          ¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨