###&$**«,,                                          ,,«**$&###
###&$**«,,                                          ,,«**$&###
#&$$**«,,,                                          ,,,«**$$&#
&***,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,***&
####&$*«,,                                          ,,«*$&####
###&$**«,,               WINDS ESKER                ,,«**$&###
###&$**«,, «««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««« ,,«**$&###
###&$**«,,                                          ,,«**$&###
#&&***«,,, 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 ,,,,«**&&#
##&$$**«,,                  FORK.                   ,,«**$$&##
#&&$$**«,,                                          ,,«**$$&&#
#$$*,,,,,, AND  THEN  THE  STAIRS  UP ON THE RIDGE. ,,,,,,*$$#
###&$**«,, THINKING  BACK, THIS  WAS  PROBABLY  IT. ,,«**$&###
#&&&$**«,, HIDDEN  IN A  GROVE,  THERE  WERE STAIRS ,,«**$&&&#
###&$**«,, MUCH  LIKE THE ONES I  CURRENTLY SAT ON, ,,«**$&###
&$**«,,,,, OLD  AND  WORN  DOWN,  THAT LEAD YOU  UP ,,,,,«**$&
###&$**«,, ONTO THE ESKER. THE POINT  OF ENTRY. HAD ,,«**$&###
#&$**««,,, I  INSTED OPTED TO WALK THE PATH AT  ITS ,,,««**$&#
###&$**«,, FOOT, I'M  SURE MY  EXPERIENCE  WOULD'VE ,,«**$&###
###&$**«,,          BEEN DIFFERENT INDEED.          ,,«**$&###
#&$*«,,,,,                                          ,,,,,«*$&#
##$*««,,,, «««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««« ,,,,««*$##
##&$*««,,,                                          ,,,««*$&##
###&$**«,, ON   THE  LAKE,  THERE  WERE  PEOPLE  IN ,,«**$&###
#$$$**,,,, BOATS.  I  WONDERED, COULD THEY EVEN SEE ,,,,**$$$#
##&$$**«,, ME?  IF  I SHOUTED,  WOULD THEY  TURN TO ,,«**$$&##
##&&$**«,,          STARE RIGHT THROUGH ME?         ,,«**$&&##
&$$****«,,                                          ,,«****$$&
&$$****«,,                                          ,,«****$$&
###&$**«,,                                          ,,«**$&###
###&$**«,,                                          ,,«**$&###
&**,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,**&