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