&=^-,.....                                          .....,-^=&
£&==^--...                                          ...--^==&£
#@£&£=^-,.                                          .,-^=£&£@#
@££&£=^-,.                                          .,-^=£&££@
£&&£==^-,.                                          .,-^==£&&£
&==--.....               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?          .....,-=&@
##@£&=^-,.                                          .,-^=&£@##
£&£^^,....                                          ....,^^£&£
£&=^,.....                                          .....,^=&£
&&=^,.....                                          .....,^=&&
#@£&£=^-,.                                          .,-^=£&£@#