@%%::::::,                                          ,::::::%%@
##¶@$%:~:,                                          ,:~:%$@¶##
@$:::,,,,,                                          ,,,,,:::$@
###¶@$%:~:                                          :~:%$@¶###
##¶@$%:~:,                                          ,:~:%$@¶##
@%%%%%:~:,               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?          ,,,,,,~:%@
###@$%:~:,                                          ,:~:%$@###
¶@$::::,,,                                          ,,,::::$@¶
#@%::,,,,,                                          ,,,,,::%@#
##¶@$%:~:,                                          ,:~:%$@¶##
###¶$%:~:,                                          ,:~:%$¶###