,,,,.-/=*@ @*=/-.,,,,
,,,.-/=*@@ @@*=/-.,,,
,,.-/=*@@# #@@*=/-.,,
,.-/=*@@## ##@@*=/-.,
,,.-/=*@@# #@@*=/-.,,
,,,.-/=*@@ 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? #@@*=/-.,,
,,,.-/=*@@ @@*=/-.,,,
,,,,.-/=*@ @*=/-.,,,,
,,,,,.-/=* *=/-.,,,,,
,,,,.-/=*@ @*=/-.,,,,
,,,.-/=*@@ @@*=/-.,,,