.--*^@#@## ##@#@^*--.
.--*^@#@## ##@#@^*--.
......-*^# #^*-......
.--*^@#@@@ @@@#@^*--.
.--*^@#@## ##@#@^*--.
.--*^@#@## 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? ##@#@^*--.
--*^@#@### ###@#@^*--
.--*^@#@## ##@#@^*--.
.--*^@@##@ @##@@^*--.
.--*^@#@## ##@#@^*--.
.--*^@#@## ##@#@^*--.