@###$*^-,.                                          .,-^*$###@
#*^^,,....                                          ....,,^^*#
##@#$*^-,.                                          .,-^*$#@##
##@#$*^-,.                                          .,-^*$#@##
@@@#$*^-,.                                          .,-^*$#@@@
@$$^-,....               WINDS ESKER                ....,-^$$@
@@@#$*^-,. ---------------------------------------- .,-^*$#@@@
@#*--.....                                          .....--*#@
##@@#$^-,. THERE WAS THIS PLACE THAT FOR  TWO YEARS .,-^$#@@##
#@@#$*^-,. I  COULDN'T GO TO. REGARDLESS  HOW  MUCH .,-^*$#@@#
@$^-,,.... DISCUSSED  WITH  OTHERS, OR POINTED  OUT ....,,-^$@
@@@#$*^-,. ON  MAPS, I COULD NOT  THINK OF  IT WHEN .,-^*$#@@@
@@$***^-,. ALONE.  I  WOULD  OFTEN  TRAVEL PAST THE .,-^***$@@
#@@#$*^-,. FORK, WHERE  A RIGHT  TURN  WOULD SURELY .,-^*$#@@#
@#$*--,... TAKE ME THERE, BUT  EVEN THEN, SOMETHING ...,--*$#@
##@@$*^-,.               KEPT ME AWAY.              .,-^*$@@##
@@@#$*^-,.                                          .,-^*$#@@@
#@@#$*^-,. WHEN  I FINALLY  GOT  THERE, AFTER  SOME .,-^*$#@@#
@@$**-....     HEAVY SUBCONSCIOUS BATTLE I MUST     ....-**$@@
@@#*-..... 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 ...,^^^^*#
#@@#$*^-,. THEN, WHEN I REALIZED WHICH  SHORES THEY .,-^*$#@@#
#$^--,....           WERE, I HAD TO STOP.           ....,--^$#
@@@#$*^-,.                                          .,-^*$#@@@
#@@#$*^-,. THEY  WERE OF THE RIGHT  LAKE. BUT  THIS .,-^*$#@@#
@$*^,.....       LAKE IS LARGE, FRACTURED, AND      .....,^*$@
##@#$*^-,. BIPARTITE. LIKE A PAIR  OF LUNGS  CARVED .,-^*$#@##
#@@#$*^-,. INTO THE  GRANITE, AND WITH NO LESS THAN .,-^*$#@@#
@###$*^-,.   FIVE COMMUNITIES ANCHORED AT VARIOUS   .,-^*$###@
@@@#$*^-,.      POINTS. AND SO, STUDYING THESE      .,-^*$#@@@
#@@#$*^-,.     IMPOSSIBLY CLOSE SHORES, I SLOWLY    .,-^*$#@@#
#$$$$*^-,. UNDERSTOOD  THEM AS BELONGING MANY MILES .,-^*$$$$#
##@@#$^-,.                  AWAY.                   .,-^$#@@##
@##$$*^-,.                                          .,-^*$$##@
#@@#$*^-,. I  EXAMINED  THE  RIDGE,   THE  TREELINE .,-^*$#@@#
@@$**^-... ABOVE.  WAS  THIS WHAT YOU SAW OPPOSITE, ...-^**$@@
#@@#$*^-,. FROM  THOSE  OTHER  SHORES?  I  COULDN'T .,-^*$#@@#
#@@#$*^-,.                 REMEMBER.                .,-^*$#@@#
##@@#$*^,.                                          .,^*$#@@##
##@#$*^-,. CARRYING  FORWARD,  ON THE  VERY  TIP OF .,-^*$#@##
@$^,...... THE  ESKER,  I  FOUND THE  RUINS OF SOME ......,^$@
##@#$*^-,.    OLD BUILDING. THERE WERE OVERGROWN    .,-^*$#@##
##@#$*^-,. MARBLE STAIRCASES, STONE FLOORS BENEATH  .,-^*$#@##
@#**^^-,.. THE  MOSS,  AND  STRANGE SLABS  INSERTED ..,-^^**#@
#*----.... INTO THE  SLOPE  LIKE DAMS  AGAINST  THE ....----*#
#@@#$*^-,.              GROUND ITSELF.              .,-^*$#@@#
##@@#*^-,.                                          .,-^*#@@##
@#$^-,,... SITTING  THERE,  I COULD  SEE ACROSS THE ...,,-^$#@
#*^^^^-... NARROWED LAKE MY ENTIRE PATH TO WHERE  I ...-^^^^*#
#@@#$*^-,. SAT: FROM  THE  STAIRWELL  OF  MY HOUSE, .,-^*$#@@#
@@@#$*^-,. THROUGH  THE  OLD WOODS  BEHIND THE TILE .,-^*$#@@@
#@@#$*^-,.      FACTORY, THE BRIDGE OVER ROUTE      .,-^*$#@@#
##@#$*^-,. TWENTY THREE  AND THEN  BACK  UNDER  IT, .,-^*$#@##
@@$*-,.... THROUGH   THE  FANCY  VILLAS,  OVER  THE ....,-*$@@
@###$*^-,. FIELDS,  AND THEN THAT RIGHT TURN AT THE .,-^*$###@
#@@#$*^-,.                   FORK.                  .,-^*$#@@#
@$*-,,....                                          ....,,-*$@
@@$**^,,,. AND THEN  THE  STAIRS UP  ON  THE RIDGE. .,,,^**$@@
#$*^-,.... THINKING BACK,  THIS  WAS  PROBABLY  IT. ....,-^*$#
@@#*^,.... HIDDEN  IN  A GROVE,  THERE WERE  STAIRS ....,^*#@@
#$$$$*^-,. MUCH LIKE  THE ONES I  CURRENTLY SAT ON, .,-^*$$$$#
##*^-,.... OLD  AND  WORN  DOWN, THAT LEAD  YOU  UP ....,-^*##
#$*^^^^-,. ONTO  THE ESKER. THE POINT OF ENTRY. HAD .,-^^^^*$#
#@@#$*^-,. I INSTED OPTED TO  WALK  THE PATH AT ITS .,-^*$#@@#
#*-,...... FOOT,  I'M  SURE MY EXPERIENCE  WOULD'VE ......,-*#
#$*-,,....          BEEN DIFFERENT INDEED.          ....,,-*$#
#*-.......                                          .......-*#
#$$$$*^-,. ---------------------------------------- .,-^*$$$$#
##@@$*^-,.                                          .,-^*$@@##
@@#*-..... ON  THE   LAKE,  THERE  WERE  PEOPLE  IN .....-*#@@
@@@#$*^-,. BOATS.  I WONDERED, COULD THEY EVEN  SEE .,-^*$#@@@
@@$*^,,,.. ME? IF  I  SHOUTED, WOULD  THEY  TURN TO ..,,,^*$@@
#@@#$*^-,.          STARE RIGHT THROUGH ME?         .,-^*$#@@#
@@$$^^^-,.                                          .,-^^^$$@@
#@@#$*^-,.                                          .,-^*$#@@#
#@@#$*^-,.                                          .,-^*$#@@#
##*----,,.                                          .,,----*##
@##*^^-...                                          ...-^^*##@