,,,,,*%@@@ @@@%*,,,,,
,,,,,»%§@@ @@§%»,,,,,
,,»*%§@@## ##@@§%*»,,
,,,,,**%§@ @§%**,,,,,
,,»*%§@@@# #@@@§%*»,,
,,,»»%§§@@ 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? @@%%%%*»,,
,,»*%§@@@@ @@@@§%*»,,
,,,,,**§@@ @@§**,,,,,
,,,,»*§@@@ @@@§*»,,,,
,,»*%§@@@@ @@@@§%*»,,
,,,,»»**§@ @§**»»,,,,