,§§,§§,,§§                                          ,,,,§,,,§§
§§,§§,§,§,                                          ,,,,§§,,§,
§,§§,§§§§§                                          ,,,,§,§,§§
,§§,§§,,,,                                          ,,,,§§§§§,
,§,§§,§,,,                                          §,,,§,,,,§
§§§§,§§§,,               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?          ,,,,,,,,§§
,§§,,,,§,,                                          §,,,,,,,§,
,§,§,,,§§,                                          §§,,,,,,§§
§§§§§,,§,§                                          ,,§,,,,,§,
§,,,,§,§§§                                          §,§§,,,,§§
,§,,,§§§,,                                          §§§,§,,,§,