,,~~†%@&@@ @@&@%†~~,,
,~~†%@&@@# #@@&@%†~~,
,,~~†%@&@@ @@&@%†~~,,
,,,~~†%@&@ @&@%†~~,,,
,,,,~~†%@& &@%†~~,,,,
,,,,,~~†%@ 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? &@%†~~,,,,
,,,,,~~†%@ @%†~~,,,,,
,,,,~~†%@& &@%†~~,,,,
,,,~~†%@&@ @&@%†~~,,,
,,~~†%@&@@ @@&@%†~~,,
,~~†%@&@@# #@@&@%†~~,