¨¨¨¨¨-†§§@                                          @§§†-¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨---«†§§§                                          §§§†«---¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-†§§                                          §§†-¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨-««^§@#                                          #@§^««-¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨-«^§§                                          §§^«-¨¨¨¨¨
¨-«†^§§@##                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?          #§§†««-¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨---†§@                                          @§†---¨¨¨¨
¨-«†^^^§@@                                          @@§^^^†«-¨
¨-«†^§§@##                                          ##@§§^†«-¨
¨-«†^§@###                                          ###@§^†«-¨
¨-«†^§@###                                          ###@§^†«-¨