¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=% %=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,=%% %%=,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,=%%# #%%=,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,=%%## ##%%=,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,=%%### ###%%=,¨¨¨
¨¨,=%%#### 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? ###%%=,¨¨¨
¨¨,=%%#### ####%%=,¨¨
¨,=%%##### #####%%=,¨
¨¨,=%%#### ####%%=,¨¨
¨¨¨,=%%### ###%%=,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,=%%## ##%%=,¨¨¨¨