,,,^=\%%§#                                          #§%%\=^,,,
,,,,^=\%%§                                          §%%\=^,,,,
,,,^=\%%§#                                          #§%%\=^,,,
,,^=\%%§##                                          ##§%%\=^,,
,^=\%%§###                                          ###§%%\=^,
,,^=\%%§##               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?          #§%%\=^,,,
,,,,^=\%%§                                          §%%\=^,,,,
,,,^=\%%§#                                          #§%%\=^,,,
,,^=\%%§##                                          ##§%%\=^,,
,^=\%%§###                                          ###§%%\=^,
,,^=\%%§##                                          ##§%%\=^,,