,,,:«\$$#@ @#$$\«:,,,
,,:«\$$#@# #@#$$\«:,,
,:«\$$#@## ##@#$$\«:,
,,:«\$$#@# #@#$$\«:,,
,,,:«\$$#@ @#$$\«:,,,
,,,,:«\$$# WINDS ESKER #$$\«:,,,,
,,,,,:«\$$ «««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««« $$\«:,,,,,
,,,,:«\$$# #$$\«:,,,,
,,,:«\$$#@ 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? @#$$\«:,,,
,,,,:«\$$# #$$\«:,,,,
,,,,,:«\$$ $$\«:,,,,,
,,,,:«\$$# #$$\«:,,,,
,,,:«\$$#@ @#$$\«:,,,
,,:«\$$#@# #@#$$\«:,,