###£@†^=,,                                          ,,=^†@£###
##£@†^=,,,                                          ,,,=^†@£##
#£@†^=,,,,                                          ,,,,=^†@£#
##£@†^=,,,                                          ,,,=^†@£##
###£@†^=,,                                          ,,=^†@£###
##£@†^=,,,                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?          ,,=^†@£###
##£@†^=,,,                                          ,,,=^†@£##
#£@†^=,,,,                                          ,,,,=^†@£#
##£@†^=,,,                                          ,,,=^†@£##
###£@†^=,,                                          ,,=^†@£###
##£@†^=,,,                                          ,,,=^†@£##