,,,~†††%%@                                          @%%†††~,,,
,^~†%%@@@@                                          @@@@%%†~^,
,^~†%%@@##                                          ##@@%%†~^,
,^~†%%@@##                                          ##@@%%†~^,
,^~†%%@###                                          ###@%%†~^,
,^~†%%@@##               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?         @@%%%~~,,,
,^~†%%@@##                                          ##@@%%†~^,
,,,,^†%%@@                                          @@%%†^,,,,
,^~†%%@@##                                          ##@@%%†~^,
,^~%%@@###                                          ###@@%%~^,
,^~†%%@@##                                          ##@@%%†~^,