#@##%*†~,.                                          .,~†*%##@#
@@##%*†~,.                                          .,~†*%##@@
#%*†††~,..                                          ..,~†††*%#
#%††,,....                                          ....,,††%#
#@##%*†~,.                                          .,~†*%##@#
@@##%*†~,.               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?          .,~†*%##@#
#@##%*†~,.                                          .,~†*%##@#
#%***~~...                                          ...~~***%#
#**†,,....                                          ....,,†**#
#@##%*†~,.                                          .,~†*%##@#
###%†~~,,.                                          .,,~~†%###