@@@,@@,@@,                                          @,,,@,@@,@
,,,@@,@@,@                                          ,@,,@@@,@@
@,,@,@@,@@                                          ,@@,@,,@@,
@@,@@@,@@,                                          @@,@@@,@,@
,,@@,,@@,@                                          ,,@@,,@@@@
@,@,@,@,@@               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?         @@,@@@,,,,
,,@@@,@@@@                                          ,,@@,,@,,,
,,@,,@@,,,                                          @,@,@,@@,,
,,@@,@,@,,                                          @@@@@@@,@,
,,@,@@@@@,                                          ,,,,,,,@@@
@,@@@,,,,@                                          @,,,,,,@,,