,,,,,»/$££                                          ££$/»,,,,,
,,,,,//%$@                                          @$%//,,,,,
,,»/%$@###                                          ###@$%/»,,
,,»/%$£@##                                          ##@£$%/»,,
,,»/%$£@##                                          ##@£$%/»,,
,,»/%$$$@#               WINDS ESKER                #@$$$%/»,,
,,»/%$£@## »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» ##@£$%/»,,
,,»//%%$$@                                          @$$%%//»,,
,,,,,,,/$£ THERE WAS THIS PLACE THAT  FOR TWO YEARS £$/,,,,,,,
,,,»»%$£@@ I  COULDN'T GO TO. REGARDLESS  HOW  MUCH @@£$%»»,,,
,,,,,»»/$£ DISCUSSED  WITH OTHERS,  OR  POINTED OUT £$/»»,,,,,
,,»//%%$$@ ON MAPS,  I COULD  NOT THINK OF IT  WHEN @$$%%//»,,
,,»/%$£@## ALONE. I  WOULD  OFTEN TRAVEL  PAST  THE ##@£$%/»,,
,,»/%$£@## FORK, WHERE A RIGHT  TURN  WOULD  SURELY ##@£$%/»,,
,,»/%$£@## TAKE ME THERE, BUT EVEN  THEN, SOMETHING ##@£$%/»,,
,,»/%$£@##               KEPT ME AWAY.              ##@£$%/»,,
,,»/%$£@@#                                          #@@£$%/»,,
,,»/%$£@## WHEN  I  FINALLY  GOT  THERE, AFTER SOME ##@£$%/»,,
,,»/%$£@##     HEAVY SUBCONSCIOUS BATTLE I MUST     ##@£$%/»,,
,,»/%$£@## ASSUME,  THE   PLACE   WAS  SURREAL.  AN ##@£$%/»,,
,,»/%$$$$£ ESKER, LIKE  A  NEEDLE-THIN  RIFT OUT IN £$$$$%/»,,
,,»/%$£### THE  LAKE,  BUT  TEN  METERS  HIGH   AND ###£$%/»,,
,,,,,,»%££ ADORNED  IN  BIRCH, WILLOW, BRACKEN, AND ££%»,,,,,,
,,,,,,»%£#               BLUEBERRIES.               #£%»,,,,,,
,,,,,//$£@                                          @£$//,,,,,
,,,,»%%%£@ WALKING  ATOP  THAT  SPINE,  I  CAME  TO @£%%%»,,,,
,,»»//%$@@ NOTICE  THE VIEW  TO EITHER SIDE.  THERE @@$%//»»,,
,,,,,,,/$£ SHOULD  BE  SHORES,  OF  COURSE,  BUT  I £$/,,,,,,,
,,»/%$£@## DIDN'T RECOGNIZE  THEM.  FIRST OFF, THEY ##@£$%/»,,
,,,»/%$££@ WERE MUCH TOO CLOSE, AS THE LAKE  SHOULD @££$%/»,,,
,,»/%$£@## STRETCH  FOR  A HUNDRED  METERS  MORE ON ##@£$%/»,,
,,»/%$£@## BOTH  SIDES.  BUT NOW  I  FELT  I  COULD ##@£$%/»,,
,,,,,,»»%£ ALMOST  REACH  OUT  AND  TOUCH THEM. AND £%»»,,,,,,
,,,,,,,»%£ THEN, WHEN  I REALIZED WHICH SHORES THEY £%»,,,,,,,
,,»/%$$$$@           WERE, I HAD TO STOP.           @$$$$%/»,,
,,»/%$££@#                                          #@££$%/»,,
,,»/%$£@## THEY WERE  OF THE  RIGHT LAKE.  BUT THIS ##@£$%/»,,
,,,,,,,»%£       LAKE IS LARGE, FRACTURED, AND      £%»,,,,,,,
,,»/%$$£££ 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 £$$///,,,,
,,»/%$£@## BOATS.  I WONDERED, COULD  THEY EVEN SEE ##@£$%/»,,
,,»/%$£### ME?  IF  I SHOUTED, WOULD  THEY TURN  TO ###£$%/»,,
,,»/%$£@##         STARE RIGHT THROUGH ME?          ##@£$%/»,,
,,»/%$££@#                                          #@££$%/»,,
,,»/%$£@##                                          ##@£$%/»,,
,,»/%$£@##                                          ##@£$%/»,,
,,»/%$£@##                                          ##@£$%/»,,
,,»/%$££@@                                          @@££$%/»,,