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