,.»=%&§£##                                          ##£§&%=».,
,.=%&§£###                                          ###£§&%=.,
,.»=%&§§§#                                          #§§§&%=».,
,,,,.»=&&§                                          §&&=».,,,,
,.»=%&§£##                                          ##£§&%=».,
,.»=%&§§§§                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?          #§%=.,,,,,
,,,.»==%§£                                          £§%==».,,,
,.»=%&§£##                                          ##£§&%=».,
,.»=%&§£##                                          ##£§&%=».,
,,,.=%&&££                                          ££&&%=.,,,
,,,.»%%&§§                                          §§&%%».,,,