.,=:$$§§#@                                          @#§§$$:=,.
.....=$$#@                                          @#$$=.....
...=::$##@                                          @##$::=...
...,,,::$#                                          #$::,,,...
.,===:§§##                                          ##§§:===,.
.,=:$§§###                WINDS ESKER               ###§§$:=,.
...,:$$$§# ======================================== #§$$$:,...
.,=::::§##                                          ##§::::=,.
...===$##@ THERE WAS  THIS PLACE THAT FOR TWO YEARS @##$===...
.,=:$§##@@ I  COULDN'T GO  TO. REGARDLESS  HOW MUCH @@##§$:=,.
.,=:::$### DISCUSSED WITH  OTHERS,  OR  POINTED OUT ###$:::=,.
.....==$## ON MAPS, I COULD  NOT  THINK OF  IT WHEN ##$==.....
..,=::§§§# 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 ###§::=...
.,=:$§##@#          BEEN DIFFERENT INDEED.          #@##§$:=,.
.,=:$§##@#                                          #@##§$:=,.
.,=:$§##@# ======================================== #@##§$:=,.
...,:$§###                                          ###§$:,...
.....=::$# ON  THE  LAKE,  THERE   WERE  PEOPLE  IN #$::=.....
.,=:$§##@@ BOATS.  I  WONDERED, COULD THEY EVEN SEE @@##§$:=,.
....=:$### ME?  IF I  SHOUTED,  WOULD THEY  TURN TO ###$:=....
.,=:$§###@         STARE RIGHT THROUGH ME?          @###§$:=,.
.,=:$§##@#                                          #@##§$:=,.
...====$§#                                          #§$====...
.....=$§§#                                          #§§$=.....
.,=:$§#@##                                          ##@#§$:=,.
.,=:$§##@#                                          #@##§$:=,.