,,^^-==%&&                                          &&%==-^^,,
,,,,,^-%%&                                          &%%-^,,,,,
,^-=%$&###                                          ###&$%=-^,
,,,,,--=$#                                          #$=--,,,,,
,^-=%$&###                                          ###&$%=-^,
,,,^--==$#                WINDS ESKER               #$==--^,,,
,^---=$$## ---------------------------------------- ##$$=---^,
,^-=%$&###                                          ###&$%=-^,
,,,-==%$## THERE WAS THIS PLACE THAT  FOR TWO YEARS ##$%==-,,,
,^-=%$&### I  COULDN'T GO  TO.  REGARDLESS HOW MUCH ###&$%=-^,
,^-=%$#### DISCUSSED  WITH  OTHERS, OR  POINTED OUT ####$%=-^,
,^-=%$&&&# ON  MAPS,  I COULD NOT  THINK OF IT WHEN #&&&$%=-^,
,^-=%$&### ALONE. I  WOULD  OFTEN  TRAVEL  PAST THE ###&$%=-^,
,^-=%$&### FORK,  WHERE A  RIGHT  TURN WOULD SURELY ###&$%=-^,
,^--=%$$$# TAKE ME THERE, BUT  EVEN THEN, SOMETHING #$$$%=--^,
,,,^^-%%$&               KEPT ME AWAY.              &$%%-^^,,,
,^-=%$&###                                          ###&$%=-^,
,,,,^===%& 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 #&%====-^,
,^-=%$&###         STARE RIGHT THROUGH ME?          ###&$%=-^,
,^-=%$&###                                          ###&$%=-^,
,,,,,^-=$#                                          #$=-^,,,,,
,^-=%$&###                                          ###&$%=-^,
,^-=%$&###                                          ###&$%=-^,
,,^^^==$&#                                          #&$==^^^,,