.-~;=%@@## ##@@%=;~-.
.-~;=%@@## ##@@%=;~-.
....--;=@@ @@=;--....
....-~=@@# #@@=~-....
......-;%@ @%;-......
...---;=@# 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? ##@@%=;~-.
.-~;=%@@@# #@@@%=;~-.
.-~;=%@@## ##@@%=;~-.
.-~;=%@@@# #@@@%=;~-.
....~====@ @====~....
.....~;=@# #@=;~.....