¨¨¨&¨¨¨¨&¨ &¨¨&¨&¨¨¨&
&¨¨¨&¨¨¨¨& ¨&¨¨¨¨&¨¨¨
¨&¨¨¨&¨¨¨¨ ¨¨&¨¨¨¨&¨¨
¨¨&¨¨¨&¨¨¨ ¨¨¨&¨¨¨¨&¨
¨¨¨&¨¨¨&¨¨ &¨¨¨&¨¨¨¨&
&¨¨¨&¨¨¨&¨ 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? &&¨¨&¨¨¨¨¨
&¨&&¨¨¨&&& &&&¨¨&¨¨¨¨
¨¨&&&¨¨&¨& &¨&&¨¨&¨¨¨
¨¨&¨&&¨¨¨& ¨¨&&&¨¨&¨¨
¨¨¨¨&&&¨¨& ¨¨&¨&&¨¨&¨
¨¨¨¨&¨&&¨¨ ¨¨¨¨&&&¨¨&