¨¨¨¨~«*=$@                                          @$=*«~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~«*=$                                          $=*«~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~«*=                                          =*«~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~«*=$                                          $=*«~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~«*=$@                                          @$=*«~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨~«*=$@#                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?         @$=*«~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨~«*=$@#                                          #@$=*«~¨¨¨
¨¨~«*=$@##                                          ##@$=*«~¨¨
¨~«*=$@###                                          ###@$=*«~¨
¨¨~«*=$@##                                          ##@$=*«~¨¨
¨¨¨~«*=$@#                                          #@$=*«~¨¨¨