,:=\*£@£##                                          ##£@£*\=:,
,::==\\££@                                          @££\\==::,
,,,,::\*££                                          ££*\::,,,,
,:=\*£@£##                                          ##£@£*\=:,
,:=\*@£###                                          ###£@*\=:,
,,,,,,=**@                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?          ££@£*\=,,,
,,,,,:=*@@                                          @@*=:,,,,,
,:=\*£@£##                                          ##£@£*\=:,
,:=\*££###                                          ###££*\=:,
,:=\*£@£££                                          £££@£*\=:,
,:=\*£@£##                                          ##£@£*\=:,