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