#@##%*=«,.                                          .,«=*%##@#
#@##%*=«,.                                          .,«=*%##@#
@#*«......                                          ......«*#@
####%*=«,.                                          .,«=*%####
#*«,,,....                                          ....,,,«*#
#%%%=,,...                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?          .,«=*%##@@
##@#%*=«,.                                          .,«=*%#@##
#%%=,.....                                          .....,=%%#
@###%*=«,.                                          .,«=*%###@
#@##%*=«,.                                          .,«=*%##@#
##**«,....                                          ....,«**##