¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨, ,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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? ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨, ,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,» »,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨