,,,^-*$§##                                          ##§$*-^,,,
,,^-*$§###                                          ###§$*-^,,
,^-*$§####                                          ####§$*-^,
,,^-*$§###                                          ###§$*-^,,
,,,^-*$§##                                          ##§$*-^,,,
,,,,^-*$§#                WINDS ESKER               #§$*-^,,,,
,,,^-*$§## ---------------------------------------- ##§$*-^,,,
,,^-*$§###                                          ###§$*-^,,
,^-*$§#### THERE  WAS THIS PLACE THAT FOR TWO YEARS ####§$*-^,
,,^-*$§### I  COULDN'T GO TO. REGARDLESS  HOW  MUCH ###§$*-^,,
,,,^-*$§## DISCUSSED WITH  OTHERS, OR  POINTED  OUT ##§$*-^,,,
,,,,^-*$§# ON  MAPS, I COULD  NOT THINK OF  IT WHEN #§$*-^,,,,
,,,^-*$§## ALONE.  I  WOULD OFTEN  TRAVEL PAST  THE ##§$*-^,,,
,,^-*$§### FORK,  WHERE  A RIGHT  TURN WOULD SURELY ###§$*-^,,
,^-*$§#### TAKE ME  THERE, BUT EVEN THEN, SOMETHING ####§$*-^,
,,^-*$§###               KEPT ME AWAY.              ###§$*-^,,
,,,^-*$§##                                          ##§$*-^,,,
,,,,^-*$§# WHEN  I  FINALLY GOT THERE,  AFTER  SOME #§$*-^,,,,
,,,^-*$§##     HEAVY SUBCONSCIOUS BATTLE I MUST     ##§$*-^,,,
,,^-*$§### ASSUME,   THE   PLACE  WAS  SURREAL.  AN ###§$*-^,,
,^-*$§#### ESKER, LIKE  A NEEDLE-THIN  RIFT OUT  IN ####§$*-^,
,,^-*$§### THE  LAKE,  BUT  TEN  METERS   HIGH  AND ###§$*-^,,
,,,^-*$§## ADORNED  IN BIRCH, WILLOW,  BRACKEN, AND ##§$*-^,,,
,,,,^-*$§#               BLUEBERRIES.               #§$*-^,,,,
,,,^-*$§##                                          ##§$*-^,,,
,,^-*$§### WALKING  ATOP  THAT  SPINE,  I  CAME  TO ###§$*-^,,
,^-*$§#### NOTICE THE VIEW  TO  EITHER  SIDE. THERE ####§$*-^,
,,^-*$§### SHOULD  BE  SHORES,  OF  COURSE,  BUT  I ###§$*-^,,
,,,^-*$§## DIDN'T  RECOGNIZE  THEM. FIRST OFF, THEY ##§$*-^,,,
,,,,^-*$§# WERE MUCH TOO  CLOSE, AS THE LAKE SHOULD #§$*-^,,,,
,,,^-*$§## STRETCH  FOR  A  HUNDRED  METERS MORE ON ##§$*-^,,,
,,^-*$§### BOTH  SIDES.  BUT  NOW  I  FELT I  COULD ###§$*-^,,
,^-*$§#### ALMOST  REACH  OUT AND  TOUCH THEM.  AND ####§$*-^,
,,^-*$§### THEN, WHEN  I REALIZED WHICH SHORES THEY ###§$*-^,,
,,,^-*$§##           WERE, I HAD TO STOP.           ##§$*-^,,,
,,,,^-*$§#                                          #§$*-^,,,,
,,,^-*$§## THEY  WERE  OF THE  RIGHT LAKE. BUT THIS ##§$*-^,,,
,,^-*$§###      LAKE IS LARGE, FRACTURED, AND       ###§$*-^,,
,^-*$§#### BIPARTITE.  LIKE A  PAIR OF LUNGS CARVED ####§$*-^,
,,^-*$§### INTO THE GRANITE, AND WITH NO  LESS THAN ###§$*-^,,
,,,^-*$§##   FIVE COMMUNITIES ANCHORED AT VARIOUS   ##§$*-^,,,
,,,,^-*$§#      POINTS. AND SO, STUDYING THESE      #§$*-^,,,,
,,,^-*$§##     IMPOSSIBLY CLOSE SHORES, I SLOWLY    ##§$*-^,,,
,,^-*$§### UNDERSTOOD THEM AS  BELONGING MANY MILES ###§$*-^,,
,^-*$§####                   AWAY.                  ####§$*-^,
,,^-*$§###                                          ###§$*-^,,
,,,^-*$§## I  EXAMINED   THE  RIDGE,  THE  TREELINE ##§$*-^,,,
,,,,^-*$§# ABOVE. WAS THIS WHAT YOU  SAW  OPPOSITE, #§$*-^,,,,
,,,^-*$§## FROM  THOSE  OTHER  SHORES?  I  COULDN'T ##§$*-^,,,
,,^-*$§###                 REMEMBER.                ###§$*-^,,
,^-*$§####                                          ####§$*-^,
,,^-*$§### CARRYING FORWARD,  ON THE  VERY  TIP  OF ###§$*-^,,
,,,^-*$§## THE  ESKER,  I  FOUND THE  RUINS OF SOME ##§$*-^,,,
,,,,^-*$§#    OLD BUILDING. THERE WERE OVERGROWN    #§$*-^,,,,
,,,^-*$§##  MARBLE STAIRCASES, STONE FLOORS BENEATH ##§$*-^,,,
,,^-*$§### THE  MOSS,  AND  STRANGE  SLABS INSERTED ###§$*-^,,
,^-*$§#### INTO  THE  SLOPE LIKE  DAMS  AGAINST THE ####§$*-^,
,,^-*$§###              GROUND ITSELF.              ###§$*-^,,
,,,^-*$§##                                          ##§$*-^,,,
,,,,^-*$§# SITTING THERE,  I  COULD SEE  ACROSS THE #§$*-^,,,,
,,,^-*$§## NARROWED LAKE MY ENTIRE PATH TO WHERE  I ##§$*-^,,,
,,^-*$§### SAT: FROM  THE  STAIRWELL OF  MY  HOUSE, ###§$*-^,,
,^-*$§#### THROUGH THE OLD  WOODS  BEHIND  THE TILE ####§$*-^,
,,^-*$§###      FACTORY, THE BRIDGE OVER ROUTE      ###§$*-^,,
,,,^-*$§## TWENTY THREE  AND  THEN  BACK  UNDER IT, ##§$*-^,,,
,,,,^-*$§# THROUGH  THE  FANCY  VILLAS,  OVER   THE #§$*-^,,,,
,,,^-*$§## FIELDS, AND THEN THAT RIGHT  TURN AT THE ##§$*-^,,,
,,^-*$§###                   FORK.                  ###§$*-^,,
,^-*$§####                                          ####§$*-^,
,,^-*$§### AND  THEN THE  STAIRS UP ON  THE  RIDGE. ###§$*-^,,
,,,^-*$§## THINKING  BACK, THIS  WAS  PROBABLY  IT. ##§$*-^,,,
,,,,^-*$§# HIDDEN  IN A  GROVE, THERE  WERE  STAIRS #§$*-^,,,,
,,,^-*$§## MUCH  LIKE THE ONES  I CURRENTLY SAT ON, ##§$*-^,,,
,,^-*$§### OLD AND  WORN DOWN,  THAT  LEAD  YOU  UP ###§$*-^,,
,^-*$§#### ONTO THE ESKER. THE  POINT OF ENTRY. HAD ####§$*-^,
,,^-*$§### I INSTED OPTED TO WALK  THE PATH  AT ITS ###§$*-^,,
,,,^-*$§## FOOT,  I'M SURE  MY EXPERIENCE  WOULD'VE ##§$*-^,,,
,,,,^-*$§#          BEEN DIFFERENT INDEED.          #§$*-^,,,,
,,,^-*$§##                                          ##§$*-^,,,
,,^-*$§### ---------------------------------------- ###§$*-^,,
,^-*$§####                                          ####§$*-^,
,,^-*$§### ON  THE  LAKE,  THERE  WERE   PEOPLE  IN ###§$*-^,,
,,,^-*$§## BOATS.  I WONDERED, COULD  THEY EVEN SEE ##§$*-^,,,
,,,,^-*$§# ME?  IF  I  SHOUTED, WOULD  THEY TURN TO #§$*-^,,,,
,,,^-*$§##         STARE RIGHT THROUGH ME?          ##§$*-^,,,
,,^-*$§###                                          ###§$*-^,,
,^-*$§####                                          ####§$*-^,
,,^-*$§###                                          ###§$*-^,,
,,,^-*$§##                                          ##§$*-^,,,
,,,,^-*$§#                                          #§$*-^,,,,