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