##@#§$\«~.                                          .~«\$§#@##
#@#§$\«~..                                          ..~«\$§#@#
@#§$\«~...                                          ...~«\$§#@
#§$\«~....                                          ....~«\$§#
§$\«~.....                                          .....~«\$§
$\«~......                WINDS ESKER               ......~«\$
§$\«~..... «««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««« .....~«\$§
#§$\«~....                                          ....~«\$§#
@#§$\«~... 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?         .....~«\$§
$\«~......                                          ......~«\$
§$\«~.....                                          .....~«\$§
#§$\«~....                                          ....~«\$§#
@#§$\«~...                                          ...~«\$§#@
#@#§$\«~..                                          ..~«\$§#@#