###@%†^~-¨                                          ¨-~^†%@###
###@%†^~-¨                                          ¨-~^†%@###
###@%†^~-¨                                          ¨-~^†%@###
#%%^^~¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨~^^%%#
###@%†^~-¨                                          ¨-~^†%@###
####@%†^~-               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?         ¨¨¨¨¨--^†@
###@%†^~-¨                                          ¨-~^†%@###
##@%%†^~-¨                                          ¨-~^†%%@##
####@†^~-¨                                          ¨-~^†@####
###@%†^~-¨                                          ¨-~^†%@###
###@%†^~-¨                                          ¨-~^†%@###