@....@@... .@..@@..@.
@@...@.@.. .@@.@.@.@@
..@..@@@@. .@.@@@@@@.
..@@.@...@ @@@@.....@
@.@.@@@..@ @...@....@
.@@@@..@.@ 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? @...@@...@
@.@@...@@@ .@..@.@..@
.@@.@..@.. @@@.@@@@.@
@@.@@@.@@. ...@@...@@
..@@..@@.@ @..@.@..@.
..@.@.@.@@ .@.@@@@.@@