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