@@@,@@,,@@                                          ,@@@,,,,,@
,,@@,@,@,@                                          @,,@,,,,@,
,@,@@@@@@,                                          @,@@,,,@@,
@@@,,,,,@@                                          @@,@,,@,@,
,,@,,,,@,,                                          ,@@@,@@@@@
,@@,,,@@,,               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?          @@@@,@@@,@
,@@@,@@@@@                                          ,,,@@,,@@@
@,,@@,,,,,                                          ,,@,@,@,,@
@,@,@,,,,,                                          ,@@@@@@,@,
@@@@@,,,,@                                          @,,,,,@@@@
,,,,@,,,@@                                          @,,,,@,,,,