,^-\*@&@##                                          ##@&@*\-^,
,^-\****&@                                          @&****\-^,
,,,,--\\@@                                          @@\\--,,,,
,^-\*@&@##                                          ##@&@*\-^,
,,,,-\@@@&                                          &@@@\-,,,,
,^-\*@&@##                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?          &*\^,,,,,,
,^-\*@&@##                                          ##@&@*\-^,
,,,,,^-**&                                          &**-^,,,,,
,^-\****&&                                          &&****\-^,
,,,^-\*@&@                                          @&@*\-^,,,
,^-\\**@&@                                          @&@**\\-^,