,^-\§%#@@# #@@#%§\-^,
,^-\§%#@@# #@@#%§\-^,
,^^^^^^-§# #§-^^^^^^,
,^-\§%#@@# #@@#%§\-^,
,^-\§%#@## ##@#%§\-^,
,,,,^-§§## 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? #@@#%§\-^,
,^-\§%#@@# #@@#%§\-^,
,,,,,,-\%# #%\-,,,,,,
,^-\§%#@@# #@@#%§\-^,
,,,,,^\§## ##§\^,,,,,
,^-\§%##@@ @@##%§\-^,