&^†=,.....                                          .....,=†^&
¶&^†=,....                                          ....,=†^&¶
#¶&^†=,...                                          ...,=†^&¶#
##¶&^†=,..                                          ..,=†^&¶##
###¶&^†=,.                                          .,=†^&¶###
##¶&^†=,..                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?          .....,=†^&
¶&^†=,....                                          ....,=†^&¶
#¶&^†=,...                                          ...,=†^&¶#
##¶&^†=,..                                          ..,=†^&¶##
###¶&^†=,.                                          .,=†^&¶###
##¶&^†=,..                                          ..,=†^&¶##