#@##$=†«.,                                          ,.«†=$##@#
##=†.,,,,,                                          ,,,,,.†=##
#@##$=†«.,                                          ,.«†=$##@#
##=†«,,,,,                                          ,,,,,«†=##
#@##$=†«.,                                          ,.«†=$##@#
##=†.,,,,,               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?          ,,,,,.«=##
@##$†††«.,                                          ,.«†††$##@
####$=†«.,                                          ,.«†=$####
@###$=†«.,                                          ,.«†=$###@
#@##$=†«.,                                          ,.«†=$##@#
##==††.,,,                                          ,,,.††==##