#@&%=«,... ...,«=%&@#
##@&%=«,.. ..,«=%&@##
###@&%=«,. .,«=%&@###
##@&%=«,.. ..,«=%&@##
#@&%=«,... ...,«=%&@#
@&%=«,.... 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? ...,«=%&@#
@&%=«,.... ....,«=%&@
&%=«,..... .....,«=%&
%=«,...... ......,«=%
&%=«,..... .....,«=%&
@&%=«,.... ....,«=%&@