¨,=^§@@###                                          ###@@§^=,¨
¨¨¨¨¨=^^§@                                          @§^^=¨¨¨¨¨
¨,=^@@¶###                                          ###¶@@^=,¨
¨¨¨,,=^@@#                                          #@@^=,,¨¨¨
¨¨¨,,,^§@¶                                          ¶@§^,,,¨¨¨
¨,=^§@@¶¶¶                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?         ###@@§^=,¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,^@¶                                          ¶@^,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨,=^§@@¶##                                          ##¶@@§^=,¨
¨,=§@@¶###                                          ###¶@@§=,¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨=§@¶                                          ¶@§=¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨,=^§@@###                                          ###@@§^=,¨