...&&&&... &..&&.....
&&..&&..&& ......&&&&
&........& &&&&&..&&&
..&&&&&&.. .&&&....&&
...&&&&..& ..&..&&...
&&..&&.... 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? &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& &&&&&&&&&&