,,,,,,,@,, @@,,,@,,,,
@@@@@@,,,, ,,,@,,,@@@
@@@@@,,@@@ @@,,,@,,@@
@@@@,,,,@, @,,@,,,,,@
@@@,,@@,,, ,,,,,@@@,,
,@,,,,,,@@ 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? @@@@@@,,@@
@,,@@@@@@@ @@@@@,,,,@
,,,,@@@@@, @@@@,,@@,,
@@@,,@@@,, @@@,,,,,,@
@@,,,,@,,@ @@,,@@@@,,
,,,@@,,,,, @,,,,@@,,,