,-»†%*@### ###@*%†»-,
,,,--»%@@@ @@@%»--,,,
,-»†%*@### ###@*%†»-,
,,,,-†††%@ @%†††-,,,,
,-»†%*@#@# #@#@*%†»-,
,-»†%*@##@ 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? @#@*†»,,,,
,-»††%%%@@ @@%%%††»-,
,-»†%*#@## ##@#*%†»-,
,-»††%**#@ @#**%††»-,
,,,,-»%*@@ @@*%»-,,,,
,-»†%*@#@@ @@#@*%†»-,