,,,^~†*££@                                          @££*†~^,,,
,,^~†*££@#                                          #@££*†~^,,
,^~†*££@##                                          ##@££*†~^,
,,^~†*££@#                                          #@££*†~^,,
,,,^~†*££@                                          @££*†~^,,,
,,,,^~†*££               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?         @££*†~^,,,
,,^~†*££@#                                          #@££*†~^,,
,^~†*££@##                                          ##@££*†~^,
,,^~†*££@#                                          #@££*†~^,,
,,,^~†*££@                                          @££*†~^,,,
,,,,^~†*££                                          ££*†~^,,,,