#,#,#,,,#,                                          ####,,,,,,
######,,##                                          #,,,#,,,,,
#,,,,,#,#,                                          ##,,##,,,,
##,,,,####                                          #,#,#,#,,,
#,#,,,#,,,                                          ,#######,,
####,,##,,               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?         ###,,,###,
,#,,#,##,,                                          ,,,#,,#,,#
###,###,#,                                          #,,##,##,#
,,,##,,###                                          ##,#,##,##
#,,#,#,#,,                                          ,,####,##,
##,######,                                          #,#,,,##,#