,,,,,,-=:§ §:=-,,,,,,
,,,,,-=:§* *§:=-,,,,,
,,,,-=:§*§ §*§:=-,,,,
,,,-=:§*§# #§*§:=-,,,
,,-=:§*§## ##§*§:=-,,
,-=:§*§### 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? ##§*§:=-,,
,-=:§*§### ###§*§:=-,
,,-=:§*§## ##§*§:=-,,
,,,-=:§*§# #§*§:=-,,,
,,,,-=:§*§ §*§:=-,,,,
,,,,,-=:§* *§:=-,,,,,