,@@@,,@@@,                                          ,,@@@,@@@@
@@,,@,@,,@                                          ,,@,,@@,,,
@,@,@@@@,@                                          ,,@@,@,@,,
@@@@@,,,@@                                          @,@,@@@@@,
@,,,,@,,@,                                          @@@@@,,,,@
,@,,,@@,@@               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?         @,@,@,@,@,
,,@,@@,,,@                                          ,@@@@@@@@@
@,@@@,@,,@                                          @@,,,,,,,,
@@@,,@@@,@                                          ,,@,,,,,,,
@,,@,@,,@@                                          ,,@@,,,,,,
@@,@@@@,@,                                          @,@,@,,,,,