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